C O N S I D E R - Favorite Actors of 2017, 1st Qtr
Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 1:00PM With the year's first quarter over, we're listing our favorites in multiple categories. Why? Well, each month of the year tends to contain good work so why pretend otherwise when Oscar season rolls around and only 3 months worth of releases are considered? (We already listed best technical achievements)
Here are the 17 male performances (divvied up into 3 categories) that I was most taken with in the first quarter of 2017. For your consideration...
7 FAVORITE LEAD PERFORMANCES
Paul Hamy as "Fernando / António" in The Ornithologist
(would also top a "sexiest" list were we doing one)
16 more talented men after the jump...
Hugh Jackman as "Logan" in Logan
Happy he got the swansong he deserved with his signature character. If The Greatest Showman is Oscar calibre, this movie will surely help that Oscar bid.
Daniel Kaluuya as "Chris Washington" in Get Out
Menashe Lustig as "Menashe" in Menashe
Playing a fictionalized version of himself.
James McAvoy as "The Horde" in Split
Hammy and showoffy, maybe, but the right choice for this gimmick thriller
Roland Møller as "Sgt Rasmussen" in Land of Mine
Pierre Niney as "Adrien Rivoire" in Frantz
7 FAVORITE SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES
Lars Eidinger as "Ingo" in Personal Shopper
Louis Hoffman as "Sebastian Schumann" in Land of Mine
and
Joel Basman as "Helmut Morbach" in Land of Mine
LilRel Howery as "Rod" in Get Out
John C Reilly as "Hank Marlow" in Kong: Skull Island
The only actor that seems to be having a great time on set in this film which really helps the audience have a decent one, you know?
Patrick Stewart as "Professor Xavier" in Logan
Ernst Stötzner as "Doktor Hoffmeister" in Frantz
Broke my heart.
3 FAVORITE LIMITED OR CAMEO PERFORMANCES
Joe Alwyn as "Adrian" in The Sense of an Ending
His intended star-making film (Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk) didn't work out well but he's such a good actor. We're hoping to see a lot more of him soon.
Arnošt Goldflam as "Dr. Janusz Korczak" in The Zookeeper's Wife
Lakeith Stanfield as "Andrew King" in Get Out
So reliable since his breakout in Short Term 12, don'cha think?
You were so quiet about the "best technical achievements of the first quarter" post... which either means you haven't been going to the movies this year (SHAME UPON YOU MY FRIENDS!) or you're not yet ready for listing (SHAME UPON YOU ALSO). Which is it?
And which actors got you excited if you have been hitting the movie theater?
Reader Comments (20)
Ooh yes Stanfield is so good in his 2 scenes, embodying the horrific change.
There may have been some questionable things in Logan, but the acting in the film is pretty phenomenal. I sadly am playing catch up on movies. I bought a few Oscar films that I missed and I saw Logan and Beauty and the Beast recently. Most of my time when I am not working has been dedicated to seeing live theatre lately, both in my local community and tours that have gone to San Francisco and Sacramento so that's where my movie watching time went. I love hearing about shows you see on Broadway so hopefully if you see any soon you'll enlighten us with what you thought.
"which either means you haven't been going to the movies this year (SHAME UPON YOU MY FRIENDS!) or you're not yet ready for listing (SHAME UPON YOU ALSO). Which is it?"
Heh. It's mostly 2016 catch up and older films for me. I'm copying Nick's Cannes idea and re/visiting all the Cannes Fest Films from 1997. It's interesting because the 1997 festival doesn't get the same type of discussion as the 1996 festival, but the two films that dominated the critical conversation, LA Confidential and The Sweet Hereafter, both debuted there.
I've seen both Frantz and The Ornithologist from TIFF and agree with the trio cited, though.
I think your right about Jackman Logan's success will surely help him next year when I predict he will win.
The Ornithologist opened?
nope, I'm not going to the movies that much, this year so far... plus most of the films you mention, haven't opened in Spain yet, so I'm in disadvantage...
... in exchange, I get first the films by Almodovar, de la Iglesia, Fesser, Vigalondo... and sometimes even del Toro's. :P
I would totally support you if you post that Paul Hamy pic every two articles. Make it the banner.
I just kicked off my 2017 with Get Out - until that is bern in 2016 catch-up mode. Looking forward to catching Personal Shopper this week.
I had no idea that was Keith Stanfield from ST12.
I know these are your favorite performances.
However, just a side note: Land of Mine was nominated this year for Best Foreign-Language Film. Therefore, even if it is released in LA during 2017, it is completely inelligible because of the FLF nomination. A film nominated in the FLF category can only be nominated in other categories the same year, having been released commercially in LA in addition to being submitted by the country in question. An example: Amour.
A side note to the side note: the imdb lists three different release dates for Land of Mine in the US!
1. 9 December 2016 in Los Angeles
2. 10 February 2017 in New York
3. 17 Fenbruary (Limited)
Whatever... in any case, the question is moot. It can't receive any nominations.
Kristen Stewart for Personal Shopper!!
Marcos -- i am totally aware of this (except the release date thing which is infinitely confusing)... especially since that Oscar eligibility list comes out before actual one week qualifiers and sometimes the one week qualifiers are pulled but the info is still recorded as if they were eligible...
there are still differing opinions as to what happened to both GLORIA a few years ago and THE SALESMAN this year in terms of whether or not they actually got their qualifying release.
I wish they'd tie those qualifying releases into eligibility for the Foreign Film race (which had different rules for eligiblity obviously) somehow so this wouldn't be so damn confusing each year.
I can't be the only one who wanted one of those German boys to cuddle up to Sgt. Rasmussen in LAND OF MINE. Or maybe I was just projecting since, MY GOD, what a handsome man he was there with that moustache. Unf.
LilRel Howery as "Rod" in Get Out his humor is one of the reasons " Get Out " rises above the usual horror film. I hope someone get him a comedy which is both as smart and funny as "Get Out"
Lakeith Stainfield is great in 'Short Term 12' and tv show 'Atlanta'. I haven't seen 'Get Out' yet because of my love of, but bad reaction to horror movies (you guys, I had a hard time sleeping for a few night after watching the TRAILER for 'The Babadook') - but I believe from his general talent + the trailer that he is great in 'Get Out'.
Glenn - *whispers* you weren't the only one
Jaragon -- agreed. the perfect audience surrogate for that film
Get Out is so overrated - but LilRel Howery was a goddamn hoot!
So good!
Talking about Split - I hope Anya Taylor-Joy gets a mention when you do
"C O N S I D E R - Favorite Actresses of 2017, 1st Qtr"
Easily my favorite female perfomance of 2017 thus far!
Talking about Logan - I also hope you mention Dafne Keen when you do
C O N S I D E R - Favorite Actresses of 2017, 1st Qtr.
She's simply astonishing in that movie.
I don't like superhero movies much and all their endless sequels and spin offs etc.
But I actually can't wait for a Laura/X-23 - spin-off!
Just to see bad Dafne Keen in that role again.
Consider me keen on Keen!
I have an aversion to most kid performers, but Keen's really something.
Are you listening, Chloë Grace Moretz, Abigail Breslin, Quvenzhané Wallis!!
Just to name of few.
Patrick Stewart deserves a push for Logan.
Kaluuya and Stanfield were both terrific in Get Out. Glad to see them both mentioned.
My favorite Supporting Actor so far was Stephen Root for Get Out. He's always so vastly underrated, and he's the only sympathetic white person in the whole movie.
There is no particular reason why you should like him as a character, but he just sells it so hard. You know it's not a personal thing, but you get his motivations.
Really exceptional.
Ben- I agree that the performance was strong, however I invite you to reconsider the sympathetic qualities of his character. In a thematic sense, he is perhaps the most relevant character for today's audience, because his greatest crime is complicity. He is aware of a heinous system at work and not only separates himself from it by saying he isn't personally racist, but then participates and chooses to benefit from it for his own ends. I believe that his character was important thematically, and if we the audience overlook that, we miss one of the salient points Peele may have intended to make.