How would you rank his performances?
And what makes the performances noteworthy to you? I started this thread because when people ask what JGL movies to watch, or why JGL is considered a good actor, I find myself wanting to recommend just about everything of his that I've seen, and for different reasons.
(This isn't to say that I think the quality of his acting has necessarily varied a lot or that he's ever done a lesser job, but that I think our response to a performance depends on so many things (the writing, the direction, the photography, the music, the particular role and its function in the story, etc.). So I'm curious what kinds of roles, movies, and filmmaking have brought out what people consider to be JGL's most effective, impactful, or appealing performances.)
Anyway, here's my opinion, with several ties because I think JGL has been great in such different ways that strict rankings are impossible, and like I said it just depends on what you're looking for:
1. Mysterious Skin
A very raw and dynamic performance that was by turns free and tightly wound. Probably his most impressive overall performance so far, because it's a combination of great performance, great role, great film and important film.
1. The Lookout
I really admire the way JGL portrays a character with mild traumatic brain injury who tries to reconcile with his past and rebuild his life. The role requires that he convey his character's impairments subtly, which he accomplishes while also making his character's thought processes, mood swings and physical impairments clear, convincing and compelling. He balanced such a fine, difficult line, and showed some very intense, raw emotion, as well. I'm the kind of person who's almost always curious how else an actor--any actor--might have handled something, but there's not a single thing about JGL's performance here that I'm curious about seeing done differently in any way.
1. 50/50
There's a maturity and delicacy about this performance, and he deftly balances humor and pathos, as well. The most powerful part for me is in the last therapy session scene, when he realizes he might really die, in that instant when he vocalizes it. That moment really gets me because it's like there's nothing in between us and the truth of that moment. Gary Oldman on the set of The Dark Knight Rises once said about JGL's work that you can't put a pin through an insincere moment. When I think of that quote, this is one of those pin-impervious scenes that comes to mind.
2. Manic
Another very dynamic and disciplined performance, but also a rare type of character for JGL. His most intense, hostile, and disconcerting role I've seen.
2. Brick
The way he delivers his lines is what makes this a standout performance. He nails the cadence and rhythm of every line, every word. A critic once noted "his understanding of the weight and measure of each line," and I think that's a key reason this film worked so well.
2. Don Jon
What strikes me about this one is how he employs one of his best assets as an actor--his expressive face and the layers of (sometimes conflicting) thought and emotion that he can convey without saying a word, in the space of seconds. In this film it's core to his performance, and key to the storytelling. He also shows sharp comedy skills and delivers one particularly tender and poignant moment that to me is as emotionally raw as it gets.
3. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
By far my favorite of JGL's neo-noir hero characters, which I consider to also include his roles in Brick, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises and Looper. It's also his strongest of those performances with the exception of Brick, and that's probably only because of the shorter screentime and amount of material. I'll have to summarize more of my thoughts on this performance later, but for now here was my initial reaction:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330687/board/thread/233984752?d=233984752# 233984752
3. (500) Days of Summer
Somehow JGL manages to take a character that is entirely selfish, obstinate, and wallowing in self-pity... and make him heartachingly sympathetic and likable. He's also very funny and charming, and dances in a scene whose effect is euphoric.
4. The Wind Rises
Some of JGL's best voice work. I admire how he brings to life a quiet, contemplative character with well-judged subtlety as well as heartfelt emotion. He fluidly conveys so many complex states with his inflection, from whimsical musing to bittersweet gratitude, and yet never overdoes it, never overlays his character with a recognizable "JGL" voice or persona. That's something I really appreciate from animation voice work.
4. Hesher
A refreshingly free, loose, very funny, and sometimes dangerous performance and character. Another rare type of role for JGL.
5. The Dark Knight Rises
The heart to an otherwise grim and heavy story. Great body language and movement, and inspired delivery of a tonally tricky speech.
5. Looper
For me this performance showcases what JGL can do with his eyes alone. There's also JGL's physical and psychological incarnation of Bruce Willis, a feat in and of itself.
6. Sweet Jane
A wonderfully sly, childlike and tender performance.
6. Inception
The rotating hallway scene is physical poetry. Also, he nailed at least a couple lines that provided the film's rare laugh-out-loud humor.
6. Treasure Planet
Quality voice work. A spirited, sympathetic performance.
7. Premium Rush
Not an actor's movie, but a fun dynamic with Michael Shannon.