The Oscar Project
Today is part three of my year in review and I wanted to look at some of the standout performances by a few actors. I was originally going to pick just my single top favorite, but couldn't decide between the three (actually four) listed below so I decided to include them all.
Favorite Performances of 2021
3. LaKeith Stanfield as Bill O'Neal in Judas and the Black Messiah
I know a lot was made last spring about Daniel Kaluuya's portrayal of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, but I think the tru standout in the film was Stanfield. So often villains in films are painted very two dimensionally, but Stanfield managers to make O'Neal a sympathetic character in some scenes, and come across like a complete jackass in others. That is a strong feat and I think what made it truly pop for me this year.
2. Zendaya as Marie and John David Washington as Malcolm in Malcolm & Marie
I know I'm cheating a little here, but this movie doesn't work without two strong performances. The film itself is a bit of a guilty pleasure and certainly not for everyone. It's a movie about people who make movies, and that ropes me in every time. At the time of release, this film released right at the end of the Oscar eligibility window earlier this year was thought to be a bit of awards bait, but didn't end up getting as much as some people expected. That said, I thought there was a wide range of emotions from both actors in this film and they have wonderful chemistry, even when they aren't supposed to be getting along. The relationship feels real which tells me that the acting worked really well.
1. Laura Ridloff as Makkari in Eternals
I'm cheating a little here as well because I first came across Ridloff in a film from last year (which appears on my top 10 not-released-this-year list) but I thought she was actually a standout star in this role as well. Eternals got a lot of attention (good and bad) for having a very diverse cast and I feel like most of the attention initially was focused on the racial diversity. However, Ridloff's deaf character Makkari is just as important to the group of Eternals in the film and I absolutely loved the strength with which she portrayed the character. I am looking forward to seeing her throughout the Marvel universe over the next several years.
If you missed the previous posts in this series, check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
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AuthorI'm just a film buff who wants to watch great movies. Where else to find the best, than the list of those nominated by the Academy each year? Archives
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