My ‘Best Performances’ dynamic lists are a lot like my Film lists,
but slightly different. For starters, while every film I see makes it
onto my Film lists… only the most noteworthy performance make it onto my Best
Performances lists. Also, I only rank order what I consider the Top 5
Performances of the year. However, I also maintain an Honorable Mentions
list for each category, which is populated by performances that have either
been bumped from the Top 5 or performances that are particularly noteworthy but
not Top 5 worthy. The honorable mentions are listed in alphabetical order
by last name and are not rank ordered.
That said, my Best Performances lists are just as dynamic and ever
changing as my Film lists.
Best Performances of 2011:
Best Actor
1. Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
2. John Hawkes - The Sessions
3. Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings
Playbook
4. Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
5. Al Pacino - Stand Up Guys
Honorable Mention
- Ben
Afleck - Argo
- Paul
Dano - Ruby Sparks
- Mark
Duplass - Safety Not Guaranteed
- Will
Ferrell - The Campaign
- Jamie
Fox - Django Unchained
- Zack
Galifanakis - The Campaign
- Joseph
Gorden-Levitt - Looper
- Logan
Lerman - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Ewan
McGregor - Salmon Fishing in The Yemen and The
Impossible
- Dev
Patel - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- Joaquin
Phoenix - The Master
- Brad
Pitt - Killing Them Softly
- Mark
Wahlberg - Contaband
- Denzel
Washington - Flight
Best Actress
1. Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Lining
Playbook
2. Naomi Watts - The Impossible
3. Zoe Kazan - Ruby Sparks
4. Sally Field - Lincoln
5. Aubrey Plaza - Safety Not Guaranteed
Honorable Mention
- Emily
Blunt - Salmon Fishing in The Yemen and Looper
- Gina
Carano - Haywire
- Jessica
Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
- Blake
Lively - Savages
- Rachel
McAdams - The Vow
- Emma
Watson - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Best Supporting Actor
1. Tom Holland - The Impossible
2. Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained
3. Robert De Niro - Silver Lining
Playbook
4. Christopher Walken - Stand Up Guys
5. Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Honorable Mention
- Alan
Arkin - Argo and Stand Up Guys
- Alec
Baldwin - Rock of Ages
- Antonio
Banderas - Ruby Sparks
- Russell
Brand - Rock of Ages
- Russell
Crowe - The Man with the Iron Fists
- Tom
Cruise - Rock of Ages
- Ben
Foster - Contraband
- James
Gandolfini - Killing Me Softly
- Paul
Giamatti - Rock of Ages
- John
Goodman - Argo, Trouble With the Curve,
& Flight
- Tom
Hardy - Lawless
- Woody
Harrelson - The Hunger Games & Seven
Psychopaths
- Richard
Jenkins - Killing Me Softly
- Jake
Johnson - Safety Not Guaranteed
- William
H. Macy - The Sessions
- Dylan
McDermott - The Campaign
- Scoot
McNairy - Argo and Killing Me Softly
- Ben
Mendelsohn - Killing Me Softly
- Chris
Messina - Ruby Sparks
- Ezra
Miller - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- Bill
Nighy - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
- Giovanni
Ribisi - Contraband
- Sam
Rockwell - Seven Psychopaths
- Benicio
del Toro - Savages
- Amr
Waked - Salmon Fishing in The Yemen
- Christopher
Walken - Seven Psychopaths
- Bruce
Willis - Looper
Best Supporting Actress
1. Ann Hathoway - Les Miserables
2. Helen Hunt - The Sessions
3. Kristen Scott Thomas - Salmon Fishing
in The Yemen
4. Jacki Weaver - Silver Lining Playbook
5. Maggie Smith - The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel
Honorable Mention
- Sarah
Baker - The Campaign
- Elizabeth
Banks - The Hunger Games
- Annette
Bening - Ruby Sparks
- Rosemarie
DeWitt - The Watch
- Salma
Hayak - Savages
- Katherine
LaNasa - The Campaign
- Lucy
Liu - The Man with the Iron Fists
- Kelly
Reilly - Flight
- Catherine
Zeta-Jones - Rock of Ages