Thursday, May 31, 2012

20 Most Anticipated Performances of 2012

Time seems to be going by really quickly isn't it? Cannes is already over and summer is well underway with big blockbusters like "The Avengers". This list is a bit late, but the major Oscar performances are still yet to come anyway. These aren't exactly my Oscar predictions. Rather, these are the performances that I'm most excited to see. For me, good acting and writing are the most essential components for excellence in film-making. Most of these selections are based on good vibes from the trailers I've seen. So without further ado, here are my Top 20 Most Anticipated Acting Performances of 2012:

20. Ryan Gosling in...Anything!
I don't know too much about his 2012 trifecta, but Gosling is always good.

19. Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis
I'm interested to see if he has the chops to pull off this intriguing role.

18. Woody Harrelson in Seven Psychopaths
Harrelson's style is perfect for this wacky story directed by Martin McDonagh(In Bruges).

17. Tom Cruise in Rock of Ages
Cruise definitely has the requisite movie star presence for this role.

16. Sean Penn in Gangster Squad
This could be an awesome hammy performance, a la Pacino in Scarface.

15. Michael Fassbender in Prometheus
Fassbender makes a great, eerie android.

14. Annette Bening in Imogene
Bening could do wonders with this showy role as a gambling-addict mother.

13. Guy Pearce in Lawless
Reports from Cannes say Pearce is delightfully over-the-top.

12. Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained
He plays an angry slave in a Tarantino film, need I say more?

11. John Hawkes in Six Sessions
Sounds "Oscar-baity", but I'm excited for his first big leading role.

10. Keira Knightley in Anna Karenina
When Keira and director Joe Wright get together, it's magical (see Pride & Prejudice, Atonement)

9. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby
This seems similar to his previous work but hey, I never complained before!

8. Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables
He plays the lead in a highly-anticipated musical.


7. Carey Mulligan in The Great Gatsby
I love Carey Mulligan and she looks great in the trailer.

6. Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises
I initially thought she couldn't pull off the sex appeal, but the trailer changed my mind.

5. Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
His acting in the short trailer alone makes me uneasy.

4. Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln
It's Daniel Day Lewis, need I say more?

3. Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained
Playing a violent villain could be a revelation in his already wonderful filmography.

2. Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild
To be considered such a strong Lead Actress Oscar contender, she must really be doing stellar work.

1. Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables
The trailer alone gets me teary-eyed.

7 comments:

  1. Nice to see Woody Harrelson make your list. I can't wait for Seven Psychopaths. The only performances that I'm really anticipating are Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained (because Tarantino is so good at writing villains and this performance is against type for DiCaprio) and Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln (because its one of the greatest actors portraying one of the greatest American figures). There aren't really any performances that I am anticipating from actresses now that Gravity got the boot to 2013, but Anne Hathaway did look really good in that trailer.

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  2. I had forgotten about Seven Psycopaths until the last minute and then I realized that Martin McDonagh was directing and I got really excited. I think this will be a great performance from Harrelson.

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  3. Some great choices here. A bit shocked at your #1, or even of having Hathaway on here twice. And hell, I'd have Hardy as Bane over Hathaway's Catwoman. Then again, I don't think I'm all that interested in Les Mis - I saw the Neeson version a few years ago and have had my fill. Leo looks like he's (finally!) having fun in Django, but I'm more interested to see Foxx and even Waltz there, I think.

    Didn't know about Hawkes' leading role - that's awesome.

    I'd probably have DDL #1 and Phoenix #2.

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  4. I'm excited to see Tom Hardy too, but his whole face is covered! I feel like that will take away from his performance, especially when you add the muffled voice. The "Les Miserables" is so rich that I feel like it's almost impossible to make a bad movie out of it.

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  5. I've not put overwhelming thought into it, but Kristin Scott Thomas in ONLY GOD FORGIVES would probably make my top 10. She's such a fantastic performer, I'm intrigued to see what she does as a villainess with Refn.

    (And I'm probably more excited for Jude than Keira, although I'm excited for ANNA KARENINA and all that comes with it.)

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  6. Like you, i didn't think hathaway could pull off Catwoman until i saw the trailer.

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