Murtada here. Peter Sarsgaard was lost for a few years. Either in films that no one saw (Green Lantern, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh), that no one noticed him in (Blue Jasmine, An Education) or that were instantly forgotten (Knight and Day, Lovelace). Some feared he would never deliver on the searing promise he showed in 2003’s Shattered Glass. But 2015 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for him, with not one, not two but three incredible performances in Pawn Sacrifice, Black Mass and Experimenter.
More on the performances........
Pawn Sacrifice is the story of American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (played by Tobey Maguire) who succumbs to paranoia during the 1972 World Chess Championships. Sarsgaard is William Lombardy, a chess grandmaster and Catholic priest who was also Fischer’s guardian and coach. It’s the quintessential supporting part; the quiet caretaker of the showier lead performance. Sarsgaard grounds the film with a warmth and skepticism that keeps the viewer interested. Pity the movie has such a low profile.
In Black Mass he lends a different kind of support. A big flashy performance with lots of tics that stays on the periphery of the narrative while jolting the movie to life. He comes in ready to steal his few scenes in a dazzling display of fear, elation and frenzy. By the end of the film, one realizes that Sarsgaard was the most memorable in a film full of analogous characters.
Then we come to his best of the year and finally a lead role. Experimenter is Michael Almereyda’s quasi biopic of psychologist Stanley Milgram who is famous for his 1961 behavior experiments that tested ordinary humans willingness to obey authority. Almereyda is not interested in a straightforward biopic but rather in matching Milgram’s radical methods with a conceptually inventive structure of his own. In his portrayal of Milgram, Sarsgaard matches that inventiveness with a droll, adroit performance. He talks to the camera, comments on the action and even sings while still building a credible character out of this larger than life person. It's the kind of unpredictable performance that an adventurous critics group might get behind in their year end awards. The Gothams already did, your move NYFCC.
If that happens, Sarsgaard’s profile will rise even more. But awards or not, his future oeuvre looks promising. He’s the villain alongside Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt in the latest remake of The Magnificent Seven. And recently announced, he will play Robert Kennedy to Natalie Portman’s Jackie, in Pablo Larrain’s (No, the upcoming The Club) chronicle of the four days following JFK’s assassination.
Which of Sarsgaard's 2015 movies is your favorite?