Best Movies of 2018 – Best Performances

Picking the best performances is a spoil of riches.  Every year, I could make a list of fifty performances that I loved.  Unfortunately, that’s not how the game works.  For this year, like I did last year, I have broken the performances down by category, much like the Oscars.  I will list the “nominees” and then pick a winner and go further in depth as to why they gave the best performance in their category.  All of the performances that I pick here are great and with how many good performances were given this year, each category could easily have ten performances.  But I’ve narrowed it down to five, as I usually do.  Here are my picks for the best performances of 2018.

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

 

Nominees:

ELIZABETH DEBICKI – WIDOWS

REGINA KING – IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

BLAKE LIVELY – A SIMPLE FAVOR

RACHEL WEISZ – THE FAVOURITE

THE WOMEN OF BLACK PANTHER – BLACK PANTHER

 

 

WINNER:

 

THE WOMEN OF BLACK PANTHER

• Is this cheating?  Probably.  But these are my awards and I can do what I want.  All the women in this category are spectacular, particularly Debicki. But a big piece as to why Black Panther is such a great movie is the supporting cast, particularly the women in the film.  The thing is, though, I couldn’t just pick one.  How can you decide between the grace of Lupita Nyong’o, the strength and fury of Danai Gurira, the intelligence and wit of Letitia Wright, and the pride and class of Angela Bassett?  You can’t.  Each woman offers up something for our Wakandan King and each actress brings something special and unique to their characters.  These characters represent what Wakanda is as a nation and each actress represents the power of women of color in comic book movies. 

Runner Up: Elizabeth Debicki, Widows

 

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

 

Nominees:

IKE BARINHOLTZ – BLOCKERS

ADAM DRIVER – BLACKKKLANSMAN

SAM ELLIOT – A STAR IS BORN

RUSSELL HORNSBY – THE HATE U GIVE

MICHAEL B. JORDAN – BLACK PANTHER

 

 

WINNER:

 

MICHAEL B. JORDAN – BLACK PANTHER

• This was an excruciatingly tough decision, and to be honest, if you ask me to pick a winner tomorrow, I might pick someone different.   From the first time that I saw Black Panther nearly a year ago, Michael B. Jordan’s performance has always stuck with me.  The entire second half of the film is owned by Jordan’s ferocious performance as Killmonger. From the thrilling confrontation with T’Challa to the brutal fight sequence to gain the crown, to the final battle, Jordan chews up every inch of scenery. Jordan brings a fire and rage to Killmonger, a man hellbent on revenge and social just warrior who wants to give struggling black people the power Wakanda has.  He delivers a number of exciting monologs and brings the physicality necessary for this killing machine.  Jordan makes Killmonger one of the best comic book villains ever and is a major piece of elevating Black Panther from good MCU movie to great movie.

Runner Up:  Adam Driver – BlackKklansman

 

 

 

BEST ACTRESS

 

Nominees:

EMILY BLUNT – MARY POPPINS RETURNS

TONI COLLETTE – HEREDITARY

ELSIE FISHER – EIGHTH GRADE

LADY GAGA – A STAR IS BORN

AMANDLA STENBERG – THE HATE U GIVE

 

 

WINNER:

 

TONI COLLETTE – HEREDITARY

• Toni Collette’s performance in Hereditary ranks as one of the greatest performances in any horror movie to date.  This is a deeply disturbing, layered look at one woman’s decent into madness and possession as she slowly uncovers the secrets of her family after tragedy strikes. Collette gives the best performance of her career here, and the best by any actor in 2018, as she gives a performance that would seem over-the-top or campy if it were in the hands of another actress. But not Collette. She’s in full control the entire movie, taking us on this haunting journey until the insane finale. It’s an emotional powerhouse that captivates from second one.  You can’t take your eyes off Collette, which is a testament to her screen presence and her portrayal of this troubled, sad woman who can’t control her destiny.  This is a performance I saw nearly one year ago and it is a performance I am constantly thinking about and a performance I will never forget

Runner Up: Lady Gaga – A Star is Born

 

 

BEST ACTOR

 

Nominees:

JAKOB CEDERGREN – THE GUILTY

BRADLEY COOPER – A STAR IS BORN

TOM CRUISE – MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT

LOGAN MARSHALL GREEN – UPGRADE

ETHAN HAWKE – FIRST REFORMED

 

WINNER:

 

BRADLEY COOPER – A STAR IS BORN

• Bradley Cooper has had some spectacular performances this decade.  From Silver Linings Playbook to American Sniper, Cooper has shown a range and diversity in his roles that has shot him up to the top of Hollywood.  But his performance in A Star is Born is a new career high.  Wearing multiple hats directing and starring in the film, Cooper put every ounce of love, passion, effort into this movie and it shows.  But his performance here is unforgettable.  Playing Jackson Maine, a boozing country rock star who discovers and falls in love with Ally (Lady Gaga), yet falls into a drunken state as Ally’s star begins to rise.  Cooper does it all here.  He sings, he plays the guitar, he shows his endless charisma, but also disappears into Jackson.  We watch as Jackson drinks his life away, yet gets on stage and sings beautifully and plays the guitar like a pro.  What Cooper does best as Jackson is never lose his love for Ally.  The way he looks at her and the way he talks to her, he loves her for who she is not for who she’s becoming.  Cooper uses is eyes masterfully throughout the film, conveying every emotion Jackson is feeling, from loving bliss to drunken emptiness, to sadness.  Cooper’s performance makes his version of A Star is Born different, and better, than any of the previous versions and makes the film one of 2018’s best.

 

 

 

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