Speaking of Harry Potter, I saw the last film, Prisoner of Azkaban, on cable the other day. I had already seen it in the theatre and was happier with it than I had been with the previous two movies. This is largely due to the darkness of the film, thanks given to director Alfonso Cuarón, but I like to think the series of wizard books gets darker with each extensive edition. Knowing that characters are starting to get plunked off like Agatha Christie’s ten little Indians, and that the power of magic has its price, it seems logical that the story would become less like Return of the Jedi and more like The Empire Strikes Back.

But really I think the reason the last movie was so good was because David Thewlis was involved.

I have seen Mike Leigh’s Naked over 50 times. It just keeps getting better. Thewlis gives what has become my favorite performance by any actor in any film. He’s incredible. I realize there are perhaps more famous performances (Brando in On the Waterfront, Brando in The Godfather, Jean Paul Belmondo in Breathless) but the following are my favorites and, well, I like cult movies. My other nominees in no order:

John Turturro in Miller’s Crossing

He only has a handful of appearances but each one is dynamite, especially the famous walking through the woods/pleading for his life scene. His work with the Cohen brothers is always interesting (Jesus in The Big Lebowski being especially crazed) but for my money, this is his finest work with Barton Fink being second.


John Mahoney in Barton Fink

Speaking of the Cohen brothers. Channeling William Faulkner, Mahoney adopts the drunken southern writer persona and runs with it to a great place. His dialogue could have been plucked from Go Down, Moses and when he chastises Judy Davis by saying, “The truth is, my honey is a tart who does not bear scrutiny” it’s pure gold. And he sings a great version of “Old Black Joe”.


Willem Dafoe in Wild at Heart

Bobby Peru is the slimmest, sleaziest, most menacing fuck ever in any movie. I am not too fond of this film overall, but Dafoe makes it worth seeing.


Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant

Over the top? A bit. Intense? Extremely. A lot of people love this movie, but I think more hate it. I love it and I think Harvey does something here few actors would have the guts or ability to do. Outstanding.


Zbigniew Zamachowski in Three Colors: White

Combining humor and pathos to create a truly great character, Zamachowski makes my list. This may be the weakest of the trilogy but this performance is of serious note. Zamachowski carries this film as the put upon loser who transforms himself, gaining that oh-so-important equality. By the way, the weakest of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s films is probably better than anyone else’s best work.


Joseph Cotten in The Third Man

Dime store writer, Holly Martins comes to Vienna to meet an old friend (and get a job) and gets involved in a mystery. A classic and Cotten knew exactly how to play it. Nothing makes me laugh quite like a writer of pulp westerns having to address a European crowd of intellectuals on the subject of the modern novel.


Orson Welles in The Third Man

Brief appearances in this film, but Welles manages to (almost) steal the picture as Harry Lime. Worth it for the famous “cuckoo clock” speech.


Orson Welles in Lady From Shanghai

Just because of the Irish brogue.


Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove

All three performances are great, but especially the title role. Bizarre like only Sellers could pull off. A lot has been said of Sellers and his wacky roles, but none was ever as strange and hilarious as this.


Roman Polanski in The Tenant

“You filthy little brat!”


Béatrice Dalle in 37°2 le matin AKA, Beatty Blue

A mad mad mad mad woman. It’s hard to pick who's better in this otherwise tiring film, her or Jean Hugues-Anglade. Both are outstanding and intense but she manages to capture a rare kind of madness and passion that is kind of breathtaking. Still, I’ve seen this movie three times and feel as though I am changed as a result. It was truly taxing the third time around despite the amazing moments and, great acting aside, I'm done with this film.


Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces

I love Jack and will sit through Wolf or As Good As it Gets just to see him do what he does, which is basically play Jack. But it all begins here for me. Some will cite Cuckoo’s Nest or Easy Rider, but this is Jack at his best.


Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hudsucker Proxy

Mostly just serving the audience a pastiche of Bettie Davis and Katherine Hepburn, Leigh still hits every line and every look perfectly. I wish she would do more of these roles and quit playing a goddamn hooker with a heart of gold.


Helen Mirren in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

A unique movie with some astonishingly bizarre moments. I love everything about this film and that includes Helen “I was in Caligula” Mirren as the abused wife. She plays it cool, with class and hot hot passion in the kitchen. It is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role. Similarly…


Michael Gambon in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

I can’t see anyone else playing Albert Spica. He is everything Mirren isn’t: rude, crass, violent, destructive, and utterly without class or reason. In other words, he’s the perfect villain.


Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend

My favorite drunk in a film.


Okay, more soon, but that’s enough for now.