You Didn't REALLY Expect To See Someone Else In The Picture, Did You?

Give me a little bit of a break for the pic to the right. I mean, it's been 23 posts and I haven't dropped a photog of him yet. I know you were all figuring I had to post about him sometime and alas, you got it.

At least one of you is already calling my list bullshit. I love it. It's sparking discussion. Let's keep it rolling.....

10. Don Cheadle- He sneaks in riding a WAVE of phenomenal roles. Firstly, he has his Crowning Achievment for Hotel Rawanda. Yes, I know the movie was flawed with it's Disney like portrayal of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsis by the Hutus, but that does not take away from Cheadle's ridiculous performance as Rusesabagina in this film. And then he had another great performance in Talk To Me along with tremendous smaller roles in Crash, Boogie Nights, Devil In A Blue Dress and Out of Sight. He also showed some range playing Basher in The Ocean's Trilogy.

But where Cheadle kills me is in Traffic. Here, he fills my "regular guy" requirement, and I truly fall in love with his character after the death of his partner. Everything has gone wrong for him and yet you somehow still believe that he will be successful as a DEA Agent. You KNOW he will get his man, even if it takes twenty years. His last scene on camera in the film is simply legendary. He goes into the home of the drug lord he is pursuing and instigates a fight for the sole purpose of planting a "bug" in the man's home. After he is ushered out of the house by the heavies, the camera catches Cheadle as he walks away and a slight smile stretches across his face. He is happy to have bilked the self assured drug lord. He wants to continue the fight. And you, the viewer WANT him to continue the fight. You also want Don Cheadle to continue acting for a long, long time.

9. Edward Norton- Here are five of this guys first six films: Primal Fear, Fight Club, Rounders, The People Versus Larry Flynt, and American History X. Honestly, can you think of someone who had a better first five of six than this guy? These are some of the most entertaining, passionate, believable, honest, and downright frightening performances of ever seen. He literally TRANSFORMED into the characters of Worm, The Narrator (we never know his name in Fight Club, although I guess we could call him Tyler Durden), and lastly Derek Vinyard. He is so good in each of these roles that it's difficult to believe he is even an actor. Worm seems so real that I'm convinced I'll see him in Atlantic City. He has then bolstered his career in 25th Hour (Have you seen this recently? What a picture!), The Illusionist, and The Painted Veil. He even made The Italian Job and Red Dragon watchable. But let's face it. Norton makes the top ten based on one singular performance: Derek Vinyard.

I could write a 25,000 word post based soley on Norton's character in American Histroy X. Can you think of a better acting performance? Honestly guys, when you really break it down, it is almost too much to take. He somehow makes you LIKE HIM even though we see him as possibly the single most UNLIKABLE character ever in a film. Yes, he's evil and there have been many evil characters in film, but it is his RAGE than transcends words. How can one even begin to process the scene at the dinner table? Does Ed Norton really have this inside of him or is he that good of an actor (thanks Thornton!)? This scene is downright disturbing and it chills you to the bone. Rarely can an actor do that, but somehow, Norton did it.

Then, he turns around and makes you LIKE him. You understand why his mother cares for him so deeply. You understand why the principal had a place in his heart for him. You understand why his inmate friend protects him. And then you believe that he really has rehabilitated himself. The depth in this performance is too much. And to think I haven't even mentioned the best bit of his acting in the film. What is it you say?

The next time you are watching the 200 channels late at night, wait for the part directly following his infamous curb stomp. You will see the police arrive and order him on the ground. The camera will then show Derek turn around and face his kid brother. Watch the look on his face. Unforgettable.

8. Ethan Hawke- Surprised? You shouldn't be. Check out his roles and then start thinking about them. REALLY thinking about them.

Ethan Hawke absolutely dominates the Passion Moment in much the same way Jordan dominated Ehlo. I do not think there is a actor whose characters I have rooted harder for than the characters portrayed by Hawke.

We'll start with what he did with one of the most underrated movie of the past 15 years, Gattaca. This movie didn't make much at the box office, but has gained a tremendous cult following amongst movie nerd, especially those nerds who like feel good stories.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of feel good stories. I especially hate them when they are masked as sports films. However, I do understand their place in the film industry and one of them (Field of Dreams) is one of my very favoritest films. But if you like the feel good film and have never seen Gattaca, GO SEE IT NOW!!!!! You will never be more happy for a character than you are for Jerome/Vincent. He makes you truly believe that ANYTHING is possible. I literally can't picture anyone else in this role and that says something.

And then you cannot have anything but The Passion Moment for him in Training Day. When he is about to be killed in that home by the Spanish gang bangers, you want so desperately for him to survive, not only because he has a wife and young child but because he is truly and honestly GOOD. You want so badly for him to make it out alive. But his real passion moment comes when he enters the home of Scott Glenn with Denzel and the rest of Denzel's squad. He has a gun pointed at him and somehow get's out of it and turns said gun right on Denzel's Alonzo. Even Alonzo is impressed. And you, as the viewer, literally pump your fist in glee.

But Ethan Hawke's number one Passion Moment? Well, if you know me at all, you know what I am going to say. And if you don't know me, let me just say that you need to go out now and buy (not rent) Before Sunset and wait for him to talk about his wedding day while driving back to Celine's apartment. If he doesn't make you feel passion here, then you have as little soul as Derek Vinyard.

7. Leo- Some people might call me a John Kerry flip flopper. That's fine. But I like to think that- given new and substantial evidence- I have the ability to change my mind. And change my mind I have on Leo.

Honestly, was there an actor who had a better 2006? And how did this guy turn himself from a cranberry and vodka drinking wanna be Brat Packer into a Hollywood ambassador? I'm not sure, but he sure has. I mean, is there anyone who ascended the "class ladder" as quickly as Leo? The guy is now Hollywood royalty when just ten years ago, all he was was that dopey kid who sacrificed his life on a sinking ship for some chick he just met.

Of course, it has to be about more than just public persona and Leo backs up his reputation. Big time.

He's had his Crowning Achievement in The Aviator and he showed amazing range and displayed an ability to make you forget who he was in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Apparently, he's had his Passion Moment as every teen girl in America cried when he let go of Rose's hand and sank to the bottom of the chilly Atlantic. But for me, it was something else.

The turning point came in The Departed. The guy I couldn't wait to see was Damon (I think you'll see his name again). And then I heard that the Academy Award was pretty much being handed to Marky Mark. Then you have Jack being Jack, Martin Sheen being Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin getting all the good lines. But somewhere, lost in the shuffle, Leo emerged as the best part of what was considered to be the best film of the year. He absoutely burns up the screen in every scene. And the best part? Subtlety. Everyone in that movie seemed to overact (did Damon forget how to do the Boston accent?), except for Leo. I believed everything about him. And then I saw him in Blood Diamond and it was game over.

Well done Leo. I like you so much these days that I even defend you in Romeo and Juliet, Basketball Diaries, The Beach, and Growing Pains.

Oh, and another reason I love him. He can always say that Tom Brady has HIS sloppy seconds. WOO-HOO LEO!

6. Laura Linney- I wanted to put another woman in the top 10. Really I did, but it's actually sad that I couldn't. For years, women (in, out, and way out of Hollywood) have been clamoring that there are zero good female roles. And you know what? Women are right (as is often the case). It seems that all there are out there are drippy romantic comedies and period pieces (and those all get offered to women named Christie, Dench, Scott Thomas, Blanchett, Swinton, and Mirren). There are no real roles out there. You know how I said that I love when guys act like regular guys? Well, I love when women can act like REGULAR women, but it seems that Hollywood never gives them the chance. Except in the case of Laura Linney. She's always given the chance. And she always handles it. Forget handles it, she destroys it.

Laura saved the overwrought Kinsey where she completely transformed herself, thus filling the "forget who she is" category. She was so believable as a tough as nails FBI agent in Breach (her monlogue about how she keeps doing it is tremendous), was great in Mystic River (although the accent was bad) and The Squid and the Whale. Then, she was amazing as the tortured by her brother and her love life Sarah in Love Actually.

DISCLAIMER: HERE COMES PREDICTABLE GERARD. I KNOW I AM. BELIEVE ME, I'M FINE WITH IT.

Her Crowning Achiement, ability to play a regular guy (in this case, woman), and Passion Moment (she had about a 206 of them) all came in the Gerard fave, You Can Count On Me. I won't even bore you with talking about her craft in this film. Let me just list some scenes. She is absolutely breathtaking when:

She is on screen. For any time. Even if it is a sound-less cut to her, she is beyond amazing.

Whether it's her reaction to her dress getting ruined by her idiotic brother, her turning down the proposal of a "solid guy," her confession to her pastor, her verbal clashes with her boss, or her passionate, undying, heartfelt, too believable to put into words love for that same idiotic brother, she owns the screen.

As I write this, I suppose I am doing what so many De Niro and Pacino fans do with them: They remember one moving performance and keep them at the top of their faves list forever.

Well, I'm doing that with Laura Linney and I'm not apologizing for it. She was that good. And never did she say anything as cheesey as "Say Hello To My Little Friend."

5. Matt Damon- Honestly, argue with me here. I dare you to.

It has nothing to do with the fact that he is local or a writer. Nor does it have to do with the fact he's friends with two yet to be mentioned top actors. What it has to do with is him as an actor. Yes, he's had some spotty choices (All The Pretty Horses, The Brother's Grimm, Driving Matt Damon- I mean The Legend of Bagger Vance), but that's why I find the comparisons to some of his heavy weight acting peers so compelling because he has had bad choices and later ADMITS TO THEM!!!!!

It's so strange to hear an actor in this day and age speak as frankly as he does about film roles. His interview in GQ this summer was extraordinary and for him to talk about his failed films and reflect on them is so fresh. It leads one to believe that he will rarely, if ever make bad choices again. And so as he moves forward, I get the sense that he will become one of our generations greatest.

But on to what he HAS done. In case you have forgotten his resume, check the link to the right. You forget how many AMAZING roles he has had because he is so consistently good and so consistently SUBTLE. He has taken the big meaty roles (Mr. Ripley, The Good Shepherd), but he has also taken so many minor roles in which he's been an absolute scene stealer. Take for example the star laden Syriana. The scene when he has to talk to the Middle Eastern (Saudi?) Oil Magnates in the middle of the room. He realizes that is his "meeting" and he handles it just as any regular dude would. With a mixture of shock, exhaustion, and a sense that the whole thing is a complete sham. Watch his body language in this scene. It's stunning.

Like Laura Linney and Ed Norton, I won't get into why he was so awesome as Will Hunting, for is there a reader of this blog who DOESN'T like that movie? Let's just say that he had his Crowning Achievement, Passion Moment, Regular Guy Moment, and displayed enough subtlety that he deserves this spot on the list.

And to think that on top of all his acting accolades, he also wrote the Harvard Bar (or ski trip to Morgy) scene, the "Little League Glove" scene, and the Chucky and Will outside of the construction site scene.

God I wish this guy was my friend.

4. Clooney- Our parents and grandparents had Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Gene Kelly, Gregory Peck, and James Dean. And you know what I say to that? Good for you.

Because we got Clooney.

I know I keep harping on this, but in a time when men are annointed the choosen one before we, as fans, were ever even given the choice to choose a chosen one (follow that?), it's so hard to actually be THE MAN! And Clooney is somehow. He's ALL of the guys mentioned above (maybe not Gene Kelly, although I haven't seen how Georgie twirls an umbrella). He's got so much style, class, and credibility that it's borderline nauseating.

But's what's style without substance? In between winning Sexiest Man Alive and being the consummate bachelor, Clooney has made a few movies. He has under his belt, phenomenal performances in Three Kings, Good Night and Good Luck, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Out of Sight, and most recently, Michael Clayton. He seems to get BETTER with age as opposed to fading out like so many stars (many whom I've referenced in recent days). It seems that he picks his projects carefully and puts everything he has into them.

And of course, you have The Ocean's Trilogy. Granted, two was horrendous and three was mediocre, but please remember the first one. It was out during the holiday season and recall how you felt leaving it. You were SO HAPPY. The smile on your face could not have been chiseled off and this type of movie (although it won zero awards) is what makes an actor a great actor. In lesser hands, this movie would have been a popcorn special with a few car chases and a few good jokes. But Clooney makes it something more. He makes you HATE Terry Benedict and his casinos. He makes you FEEL why the other ten guys would join him. And he makes you smile ear to ear when he walks out of jail into Pitt's ragtop at the end. Basically, what he did was elevate a two star, run of the mill caper flick, into one of the most enjoyable pictures of the new millenium.

As for the heavy lifting? Well, Clooney can take care of that too and take care of it he does in Syriana, his Crowning Achievement.

Have their been better performances over the years? Aboslutely. But we all felt George's pain (maybe because it is George) when his fingernails are ripped out and his passion moment comes at the end when he is doing everything he can to stop the assasination. The viewer roots so hard for him to succeed and you wouldn't have if it were anybody else.

Lastly, you STILL hear about how much weight De Niro gained for Raging Bull. In fact, I think it's like the third argument made for De Niro's greatness in that film. Well guess what. Clooney packed on the pounds too and we Clooney fans NEVER MENTION THAT!!!!!!

Why? Probably because acting is more about eating lots of pasta.

3. Paul Giamatti- I said it once (twice? Three times? 57 times? Ah, whatever.....) playing regular guys is awesome. And hard.

It was easy to connect with Clooney in Syriana. We love Georgie and his smile. It's easy to connect to Hanks, he's..... Hanks! And it's easy to understand why Rose falls for Jack because he's dreamy Leo!

But how do you get an entire audience (well this guy at least) to empathize with, connect with, commiserate with, and fall in love with a slightly overweight, balding, middle aged dude who pretty much seems like the uncle you see twice a year?

Well, you cast Giamatti in the role, that's what you do.

Once again, it appears that I am going with a one role guy here. It's true. People I kept out of the top ten (Denzel, Seymour Hoffman, Day Lewis, Depp) certainly have wider resumes, but for me, it always comes back to getting the audience to connect to you. And I've never connected to someone like I connect to Giamatti in Sideways (evaluating why I feel a personal bond to this character may require another post or at least, 16-24 psycho analysis sessions).

But before we get to that and before you go thinking that Giamatti is a one trick pony, see American Splendor. Or watch him play a second too late detective in The Illusionist. Or watch what he does in his bit part in Saving Private Ryan. Then, watch him steal Cinderella Man from the much more heralded Russell Crowe. And when you're done watching him in those films, watch him save a bomb in Lady In The Water. No, it's not a great picture, but to actually rescue a turkey is unbelievable and it is something that even the best of the best cannot do. And like Clooney, you get the sense that the best is only to come for Giamatti.

Back to Sideways. In it, Giammati plays Miles, a self deprecating, down on his luck, drunken teacher. As if these aren't bad enough qualities, Miles is also a failed writer, a liar who steals money from his mother and a cheater who lost his marriage because HE had an affair. Yet, for some strange reason, we love Miles. Well, most of us do. The holy rollers who post on IMDb hate him.

And it's how he gets us to like him that is amazing. He opens up his world just enough to show us that, despite his flaws, he is a good person. And why is he a good person? Because unlike so many of us, he recognizes his flaws and he doesn't run away from them or make excuses for them. Instead he faces them (albeit with a bottle of wine by his side).

So you can say that Giamatti had his Crowning Achievement with this film and he also had his Passion Moments. But what it also showed- in just one film- is his amazing range. He makes you laugh, he makes you cry, he makes you feel a sense of hatred for him and he also makes you feel a tremendous sense of love for him. And like so few of his peers, he does this without once overacting.

Hate the movie, hate what it portrays. But you cannot hate Miles. And I defy you to NOT love my boy Giamatti. Not for a second.

2. Mark Ruffalo- If you are unaware of my love for him, well, let me just say, scroll back up to number six. Ruffalo plays Terry, Laura Linney's mucho messed up little bro. And the love her life. And possibly the love of mine.

Again, there are actors with grander resumes. There have been bigger and jucier roles out there. But in case you haven't gotten it by now, Juicy Roles don't do it for me. It's the role that wins, not the actor. So when Scorcese makes his next picture or Dennis Lehande adapts his next novel for the screen or the 19th century is retold, we know that actor or actors will get the nod. And that's not fair. Because there is no way that Penn, Day Lewis, Seymour Hoffman, De Niro, Pacino, Nicholson, Cruise, Redford, or Brando in his prime could have done what Ruffalo did in You Can Count On Me.

I'm literally out of things to say about this movie. Just go rent it and watch Terry's face as the camera stays on him during the game of pool. Watch how he twitches and turns when he interacts with his know it all older sister. Watch the face and shrug he gives when he shows up at the church to take his little nephew fishing.

Roles could have been matched or done by someone else. I often see Malkovich or Oldman in Day Lewis' Gangs of New York role. When someone plays a renegade cop, well you can put just about anybody in that role, save for Peter Dinklage.

But as Terry? No one can do it.

Does that make him the second best actor going? Probably not. But it certainly is the best performance. Ever. And I'll defend that always.

1. Do I Even Have To Put His Name?- Okay, here's the thing. Outside of Clooney and MAYBE Britney Spears, there is not a more scrutinized, followed, discussed, talked about, villified, glorified, in our faces celeb than one William Bradley Pitt?

So, given these tremendous odds and the fact that the expectations for him are through the roof every time he releases a picture, it is a wonder he is able to pull off any even REMOTELY decent performances, let alone the critically lauded ones he has somehow managed to do.

There are a few other factors at play here with my boy Pitt.

I will stand by forever that his looks have HURT him over the years. He is almost TOO good looking and so people refuse to take him as a "serious actor." He could never get the roles of tortured everyman like Giamatti and in the future, he'll never bag those light comedic "dad" roles as De Niro has done. He'll never get a big biopic as he can't play some president or musician or coach because he's..... Brad Pitt. He is constantly playing with one hand tied behind his back because he will NEVER overcome the fact that he is Brad Pitt- icon and rescuer of babies from Sierra Leone.

Another challenge that Pitt will always have to overcome and one that is much more stupid is that, in the eyes of women, he will always suck because he left girle fave Jennifer Aniston (she's not Rachel Green ladies!) and shacked up with that weirdo, tatto covered, home wrecker, Angelina Jolie. The guy could be as charming as Will Smith in Hitch and women out there would STILL despise everything about him.

But try as you may to put everything aside (also put aside that I am trying to be objective here and not let my man crush skew all this) and check out this guy's filmography: Se7en, Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Babel, The Assasination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (see? He gets a plush biopic and gets snubbed come Oscar time because he's Brad Freakin Pitt!), Spy Game, A River Runs Through It, Seven Years In Tibet, Snatch, and Sleepers. He then shows us that he can carry a action/comedy in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (watching him kick Jolie while she's on the ground might be his funniest moment ever) and he DOMINATES True Romance as a stoner who likes his weed out of the Teddy Bear Honey Bottle.

Go back and look at what I just wrote. How can people say that he always plays "Brad Pitt?" He looked like a different person in Babel (maybe his finest role) and showed that he could stretch himself in 12 Monkeys. He's played co star to screen legends Clooney, De Niro, and Redford all while holding his own. He'll take sci-fi, action flicks, summer blockbusters, and Academy Award fare and sink everything he has into it. And the outcome? Usually phenomenal, often brilliant. And he does all of this with the afore mentioned two strikes against him.

Some say he hasn't had his crowning achievement yet, that he hasn't had his Godfather moment. And this may be true, but so much of it is out of his hands. He's had more passion moments than you can count (girlies hated what happened to him in Legends of the Fall and every single guy who ever had a girlfriend/wife for even three months wanted him to do what he did at the end of Se7en) and despite being Brad Pitt, he has done an amazing job of playing regular guys (David Mills, Richard in Babel).

Along the way, he has also managed to be extremely funny (Snatch, True Romance, a cameo in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) and he never takes himself too seriously (something that can't be said for the likes of Penn, Day-Lewis, and Tim Robbins). He understands that movies are entertainment, but when called on, he can play with the heavyweights, any time.

I just wish the Hollywood types would call on him a bit more often. His Jake LaMotta is out there, that's no doubt. Let's just hope he gets his chance. And not just because I'll look like a jack ass if he doesn't, but because I am so sure he can do it.

Oh, and one last thing for the ladies.

I hate to disappoint you, but there isn't a dude alive who takes Jen over Angelina. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

I'd love to tell you differently, but in the words of Floyd in True Romance, "I won't con-den-scend you, man."