list-o-mania
from the cluttered wishing to be categorized brain of Nathaniel R
Compiled in February 2006 using a complex mathematical formula [snort] involving number of films, clarity of obsession, quality of work, and other *undefinables* (such as previous films, awards show appearances, publicity, tv, & stage work) that influence me even though the list is meant to be about 2000 through 2005 only for more on the workings of this list -check out the introduction
Actors of the "Aughts" 80-71 |
80 Haley Joel Osment
How do you follow up a massive Oscar nominated hit like 1999's The Sixth Sense when you're only 11 years old? You keep chasing the rare prestige projects for pre-teens. You win some: A.I. Artificial Intelligence, 2000 --say what you will about the divisive movie, it's hard to quibble with his robot child turn. You lose some: Pay it Forward, 2000. That one probably looked OK on paper, co-star with two recent Oscar winners in a tearjerker. The only tears it jerked where those of the stars involved. Ouch. Since adolescence has hit (he's now 17) he's only been doing voice work. Smart move. Better to come back when your looks are as adult as your talent and leave the awkward adolescence for the private sector.79 David Strathairn
That well-deserved Oscar nomination for Good Night, and Good Luck. (05) must have felt pretty damn satisfying. Who deserves that sort of public acknowledgement more than the sturdy ensemble players who are remarkably good nearly every time they are handed a screenplay. Who deserves trophies more than people who are just terrific actors, fame be damned? After 25 years in the business, Strathairn finally got a role high profile enough to ensure that people would notice him. Attentive filmgoers and critics probably didn't need the reminder but Hollywood and the general public did. May his hypnotic spin on Edward Murrow bring him bigger roles and more gold.78 Sergi Lopez
The first thing I was going to ask here is "why did this fantastic French actor quit working after two absurdly strong star turns in 2000?" But I just looked him up on the IMDB. And I'm wrong on all counts. 1) He's Spanish (in my defense he acts in French films more often than not) 2. He didn't stop working at all I just somehow managed not to see anything he's been in (or his films didn't cross the pond) since I fell hard for his effortless performances in two very different films --the intimate duet of An Affair of Love and the creepy thrills of With a Friend Like Harry. 3) He's supposedly just as strong in all these other films too. Or at least his awards-haul would indicate as much.
77 Lior Ashkenazi
One thing that always impresses me in an actor: The ability to play very flawed characters without erring on the side of too grotesque or too pitiable. I've only seen this huge Israeli star in two features but in both he merely is. There's no inappropriate judgments about his role, he merely acts it. In 2002's superb Late Marriage (my rave review) he plays a weak-willed bachelor who can't quite break from his family and live his own life. And in 2005 he preceded Eric Bana in Munich playing the year's first conflicted murderous Mossad Agent in Walk on Water.76 Campbell Scott
I have not yet seen 2003's The Secret Lives of Dentists, for which this talented actor and his co-star Hope Davis received raves playing an unhappily married couple. No matter. I found Scott's work in 2005's The Dying Gaul unsatisfying and overly smarmy. No matter again. Because with a difficult role and a great star turn in Roger Dodger, Campbell Scott made this list and proved his mettle once and for all. (FB Gold Medal 2002)
75 Rupert Everett
If this list were ranked according to "this is not the career I was expecting for you" Rupert would be at #1. I'm not sure how you go from the heights he was at in the late 90s to the blink-and-you'll-miss-him supporting parts and release patterns. Nevertheless I remain devoted. From the confused gay father in The Next Best Friend to the theater-loving royal in Stage Beauty he's always a welcome sight onscreen. It's too bad that the lead roles (when they come at all) are often in unsuccessful films like Separate Lies and the straight to video Unconditional Love with Kathy Bates.74 Michael Hitchcock
You know these lists find room for my favored key players in the Christopher Guest comedy troupe. Hitchcock's best turn is still his desperately fannish small town guy shouting "Corkyyyyyyy" in Waiting for Guffman (1996) but he came thisclose to topping it with his hilariously tense dysfunctional dog-owning duet with Parker Posey in Best in Show (00). Like Posey he's unfortunately sidelined in A Mighty Wind (03). In a happier development though he's branching out: 2005 saw him in both the savage indie Pretty Persuasion and the sci-fi adventure Serenity.
73 Justin Theroux
The second of several American Psycho alums on this list (Josh Lucas at #84 was first) --doesn't that movie look better as the years pass?) Theroux is a looker which certainly helped in landing Psycho, Broken Hearts Club, and Zoolander. But his beauty is angular and interesting enough to save him from being a generic pretty face. And his acting does the rest. He's generously out there in Charlies Angels: Full Throttle and a great director surrogate for the twisting thrills of Mulholland Dr. We hope to see much more of him in the coming years.
72 Matt Ross
It still irks me to this day that the SAG ensemble award nomination for The Aviator did not include this character actor and right hand man to the movie stars. His part in that film is less showy than Alan Alda's or Alec Baldwin's but he's even more integral to the movie. He's always there beside the leading man, reacting and perfectly in synch. Ross is an unsung hero of many ensembles from the wall street frat boys of American Psycho to the stylized 60s comedy of Down with Love, through the earnest Good Night and Good Luck, delivering the goods every time.
71 Terrence Howard
A moment of shame: As with Matt Ross @72, I pride myself on knowing the key supporting players in films early on in their careers. I memorize names. But I didn't know who Terrence was until the rest of the world also figured it out. Oops. The way he handled this past awards season (like a true star) and his busy upcoming slate of films and the double attack of two terrific and very different performances in Crash and Hustle & Flow (both 2005) all lead me to say with total confidence that he'll be much higher on this list when the decade is complete.
next page (70-61)
The Complete List for The Films of 2000-2005
100 -91 / 90-81 / 80-71/ 70-61 / 60-51 / 50-41
40-31 / 30-21 / 20-11 / 10-6 / 5-1
