Screengrab from a movie I watched last night, with one of my favorite performances ever from a certain actor whom I consider to be the best actor working today. No contest. The fact that he is rarely nominated only proves my point. Cary Grant was only nominated twice. Show me a better actor. He is not nominated because he makes it look so easy. But as far as I’m concerned, nobody is at this guy’s level. And I love love love him here. (He also looks, at certain angles, so much like my old flame M. that it freaks me out.) Great actor. The best.
Guesses? It should be easy, but whatever.
Kevin Spacey
Nope! Kevin Spacey inexplicably has won 2 Oscars so it couldn’t be him.
Oh my God! Argh, I will get on it. It’s not a Bridges, is it?
Coincidentally, I’ll be posting a movie-related competition in about, oh, three hours – synchronicity!
What’s the movie?
Yes to Jeff but who can name the movie??
Ms. Baroque: I love synchronicity like that! I will be sure to check it out over on your site.
Loved your thoughts on Minghella by the way.
Fabulous Baker Boys?
Lisa – No! Although isn’t he smokin’ hot in that movie? God!
The Fisher King? It’s just gotta be, I can hear “Hit the Road Jack” seeping from the edges of that still.
Yes! Fisher King!
I love the Fisher King! Combining Jeff Bridges and Terry Gilliam in one movie is nothing but a recipe for win.
Have you been to his website? Very cool, odd stuff.
Cullen – I love his personal site! It doesn’t feel like it was set up by a fan-group or a PR firm – it looks like he set it up to his liking, right? Love it!
He has a couple books of photograph out that I would love to get as well. I just think he’s sooooo good. And watching him as this shock-jock gone off the rails in Fisher King is just brilliant – and his relationship with Mercedes Ruehl is one of my favorite love-relationships in the movies. Period. A love affair between two grownups. So good!!
Sheila, I can’t believe I was right! I mean, on the right track. Well, there you are, genius must out. Synchronicity or what! Come and have a guess re GWTW.
As to Minghella, I’m getting the impression you’re more of a fan than me – I do have some pretty essential disagreements with his work – but I loved your infectious enthusiasm over Truly Madly Deeply! And I’m shocked by his death. It’s just terrible.
Ms. Baroque – well, I didn’t really want to get into how much I loathed The English Patient or Cold Mountain – it seemed in poor taste – but somehow he makes up for it (in my mind) for having directed the gem Truly Madly Deeply!!
Coming over to see your competition right now!
oooo i am so mad i’m late to the guessing party. The Fisher King is one of my favorite movies, hands down. And that’s one of my top 2 Jeff Bridges performances–the other being his performance in Fearless. So freaking good.
Fearless. I know, I know … isn’t he amazing?
One of the things I find so compelling about him is his absolute disinterest in being LIKED by the audience. I mean, he’s a great looking guy, handsome, sexy – and so often those types of actors have a need to be liked, they want to ingratiate themselves with audiences. Bridges couldn’t care less. Which makes complex performances like the one he gave in Fearless possible. He’s kind of a bastard in that movie. Cold, arrogant – we understand him, we feel for him, we wonder what he will do next – but perhaps we are also glad that WE are not married to him. But he’s so interesting to watch – because of this.
And can we talk about Door in the Floor? I thought that was a superb acting job – the best of that year by any actor.
He’s amazing.
Door in the Floor is a master’s acting class given by Bridges. There’s the scenes that follow him getting punched in the nose that I could write a dissertation about.
I never connected the disinterest in being liked to his character choices. Brilliant!