Stacy Keach in "Fat City" -- It's hard to know exactly what he's thinking. Very ambiguous. Even in the beginning with his interaction with the young Jeff Bridges, you aren't sure if he's a "good" guy.
I think it's John Huston's most underrated movie by far.
Good question.
I'm home exercising right now - so, Ill probably think of more, which I'll edit in as I go along.
For now what immediately comes to mind is......
Daniel Day Lewis "My Left Foot" - Christy Brown, tortured by his disability. Cursed with alcoholism - yet, becomes a writer and painter.
Philip Seymour Hoffman "Doubt" - Father Flynn - the movie ends, and you still have no idea what was going on with this very complex character. What was he up to? Or was he even up to anything at all? The way Hoffman plays him, you don't know for sure.
Well, how about real life complexity? This man, Barbara Walters stated he was the most complex person she'd ever met - Richard Nixon. Anthony Hopkins played him in "Nixon" - effectively capturing Nixon's characteristics.
Anthony Perkins "Psycho" - Yeah, Norman Bates - that's about as complex as you can get.
I don't think I can top Norman Bates so one will end there.
Well, one of the greatest for me is Bob Hoskins’ performance in The Long Good Friday. He plays a London gangster named Harold Shand and he’s putting together a massive real estate deal but some unknown enemies begin targeting him. Hoskins’ performance is hall of fame worthy.
He is swaggering, loud, clever, sadistic, intimidating, scared and sensitive by turns. Great character, great performance.
I wasn't familiar with this movie until someone (maybe you) posted the end scene, and Hoskins's acting without saying a word.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdRkhzDmxvY
Definitely worth watching.
shareA very young Pierce Brosnan played the role of the viscous IRA hitman with the pistol, it might have been his first big movie.
Great film, check it out sometime.
I won't say necessarily greatest, but the first character that cane to mid is Jack Nicholson's character in Five Easy Pieces.
shareHmmm....
Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry
Christian Bale in the Machinist
Brad Dourif in Wise Blood (1979) -- It's hard to know exactly what he's thinking. Very ambiguous. Even in the beginning with his interaction with the young Harry Dean Stanton, you aren't sure if he's a "good" guy.
I think it's John Huston's most overlooked movie by far.
"Underrated" and "Overrated" are nothing words. Do better