Today I’m finishing up my look back at the best performances of 2022, wrapping things up with the Lead Actor category. It’s a group filled with exciting contenders, and (once again) it was a tough one to narrow down. But that’s how these things work, so let’s get to it. Here’s are my five favorite Lead Actor performances along with some terrific honorable mentions. Bet sure to let me know what you think.

Honorable Mentions: Mark Rylance (“The Outfit”), Colin Farrell (“After Yang”), Tom Hanks (“A Man Called Otto”), Hugh Jackman (“The Son”), Ralph Fiennes (“The Menu”), Song Kang-ho (“Broker”), Wes Studi (“A Love Song”), Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Daniel Giménez Cacho (“Bardo”), Sterling K. Brown (“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul”), Park Hae-il (“Decision to Leave”)

#5 – Tom Cruise (“Top Gun: Maverick”)

This is much more than some nostalgia pick or career achievement choice. Tom Cruise was terrific in “Top Gun: Maverick”, not just stepping back into the shoes of his Pete Mitchell character, but taking him to some surprising places. I had high hopes for “Top Gun: Maverick”, but it turned out much better than I ever expected. It’s in large part due to the stellar work of Cruise. I feel the need…the need for an Oscar nomination.

#4 – Adam Driver (“White Noise”)

Adam Driver has reached the point where he never disappoints. So it’s no surprise that he was terrific in Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise”. He’s given a slyly complex role, and getting on Baumbach’s wacky wavelength isn’t the easiest thing. But Driver kills it as a family patriarch coming to grips with his mortality (among other things). Everything from his appearance to line delivery clicks. I just love the performance.

#3 – Fleix Kammerer (“All Quiet on the Western Front”)

Now here’s a performance that has steadily grown on me since first seeing Edward Berger’s brilliant “All Quiet on the Western Front”. It’s a performance that no one is talking about this awards season but absolutely should. Felix Kammerer brings so much emotion and physicality to his character and shows us war through this young man’s eyes in a way rarely (if ever) seen on screen before. Stunning.

#2 – Austin Butler (“Elvis”)

Despite the slew of movies that have come since, it’s still hard to forget Austin Butler’s star-making portrayal of Elvis Presley. I’ve said it before, but there are so many ways this performance could have gone wrong. But Butler stuns by giving us something far more than an impersonation. From his voice to his body language to his singing – he captures Elvis with incredible authenticity, all while showing us the real man behind the music.

#1 – Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

What an incredible year for Colin Farrell. He was great in “After Yang”, “The Batman”, and “Thirteen Lives”. But his performance in Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” somehow managed to top them all. There’s so much packaged into his character. He’s funny, sweet, sad, and even tragic. Farrell mines all of those things and brings them out with such a natural touch. I loved everything about the performance, and it has really stuck with me.

So that wraps up another year. Please let me know what you think about my Lead Actor picks or any of the categories I’ve covered over the last few days. Let’s do it again next year.

With the supporting performances in the books, today we began looking back at the very best lead performances from 2022. We start with lead actress, a category full of terrific work from some amazing talent. This was a hard group to narrow down – a testament to a strong year for leading ladies. So let’s get to it.

Honorable Mentions: Aubrey Plaza (“Emily the Criminal”), Rooney Mara (“Women Talking”), Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Fresh”), Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Causeway”), Vicky Krieps (“Corsage”), Florence Pugh (“The Wonder”), Mia Goth (“Pearl”), Emily Watson (“God’s Creatures”), Haley Lu Richardson (“Montana Story”), Lesley Manville (“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”), Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Regina Hall (“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Sale”), Catherine Clinch (“The Quiet Girl”)

#5 – Jessica Chastain (“The Good Nurse”)

Hot off of winning her very first Academy Award, Jessica Chastain follows it up with a performance that I actually like even better. She’s terrific in “The Good Nurse” playing a struggling single mother and nurse who first befriends and then helps expose a co-worker and serial killer. Its a remarkably understated performance and yet another reminder that Chastain remains one of the best in the business.

#4 – Dale Dickey (“A Love Song”)

I’m convinced that not enough people have watched “A Love Song”. Otherwise Dale Dickey would be getting the awards consideration she so richly deserves. Her nuanced lived-in performance anchors this heartfelt indie about loneliness, loss, and regret. I’m guessing the quiet low-key nature of the film may have kept it from getting a bigger audience. It’s a shame because Dickey absolutely shines.

#3 – Tang Wei (“Decision to Leave”)

Mysterious, magnetic, and utterly captivating. Just some of the adjectives that describe Tang Wei’s work in Park Chan-wook’s brilliant “Decision to Leave”. It’s such a fascinating performance that sees her playing an enigmatic and impossible to read murder suspect. Yet she’s playing more than just some femme fatale. There are deeper emotions at play, but Tang Wei keeps them hidden and keeps us guessing. Extraordinary!

#2 – Tilda Swinton (“The Eternal Daughter”)

Here’s another lead performance that doesn’t seem to be getting the love it deserves this awards season. Tilda Swinton giving a great performance shouldn’t surprise anyone. Here she gives two in one movie. She plays both mother and daughter in this poignant and haunting elegy from Joanna Hogg. Swinton makes it look so easy even though it clearly isn’t, and her knack for capturing the internalized feelings within her characters in second to none.

#1 – Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”)

I don’t usually get this adamant about these silly little rankings. But if Danielle Deadwyler isn’t somewhere on your list, you need a new list. What an emotionally palpable and strikingly authentic performance. Deadwyler is the heart and soul of “Till”, highlighting a mother’s quest for justice amid the excruciating pain of loss. It’s a revelatory turn that should have her name on every awards voter’s ballot (regardless of what the Golden Globes say).

And those are my Lead Actress picks. Let me know what you think. One more day to go. Tomorrow we wrap up 2022 by looking at the Best Actor category.

After a year off and a lot of bad press, the Hollywood Foreign Press have returned with the Golden Globes awards. It was a strange night, predictable at times but with its share of surprises. The show was pretty long-winded, but for the most part it was reasonably fun. And (as usual) it left us with plenty to talk about. So without further ado, here are some Random Thoughts on the 2023 Golden Globe Awards.

• Let me get this out of the way. The lack of love for “All Quiet on the Western Front” this awards season has been astonishing. Sadly it lost the Globe for Best International Film to “Argentina 1985”. It was a category full of great films, but “All Quiet” losing doesn’t bode well for its Oscar chances. And that’s a shame.
• It was a big night for “The Banshees of Inisherin”, topped off with the film winning for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. It was definitely the best movie in the category, and it’ll be interesting to see where it ends up on Oscar night.
• In the night’s other big category, “The Fabelmans” took home the award for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Does this deeply personal film have the steam to be a Best Picture winner come Oscar night? I kinda doubt it. But don’t count out Steven Spielberg.
• Speaking of Steven Spielberg, he also took home the award for Best Director and the speech that followed was amazing. It’s hard to root against him when you hear that much heart in his words.
• Host Jerrod Carmichael was an interesting choice. He was a little dry, occasionally funny, and sometimes strangely awkward. Not great, but I guess he got the job done.
• It was great to see Colin Farrell win Best Actor Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. What a year he’s had. He was great in “The Batman” and “After Yang”. But he’s never been better than in “The Banshees of Inisherin”.
• What a win for Austin Butler who took home the Globe for Best Actor Motion Picture – Drama. He was spectacular in “Elvis” and this win sets up a fun showdown with Colin Farrell on Oscar night. I can’t wait.
• It was kinda annoying that some winners were given such little time to speak yet certain presenters (looking at you Jennifer Coolidge) went on forever!
• Among the more predictable wins of the night, Ke Huy Quan wins Best Supporting Actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”. I was rooting hard for either Brendan Gleeson or Barry Keoghan, but they never had a chance. Quan seems to be the feel-good sentimental choice this year, and I’m guessing it will carry him through to an Oscar.
• How about the great Angela Bassett winning Best Supporting Actress. I liked but didn’t love “Wakanda Forever”. I absolutely loved Bassett’s performance. I hoped Kerry Condon would win, but I’ll never be sad about an Angela Bassett win.
• Is Kerry Condon going to be this year’s Caitríona Balfe? I hope not.
• I’ve always liked Michelle Yeoh and it was great seeing her on stage. She wins Best Actress Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. I just wish it was for a better movie.
• It was really great seeing Eddie Murphy on the stage to receive the Cecil B DeMille Award. But wasn’t it a little odd that his montage had more “Norbit” clips than “Beverly Hills Cop”?
• In vintage Eddie Murphy fashion, he delivered the funniest line of the night. And yes, it was at Will Smith’s expense.
• It was so much fun seeing “Naatu Naatu” win for Best Original Song. It was unquestionably my choice. But I can’t help but wonder, would it have won without that killer dance number?
• Best Original Score went to Justin Hurwitz. Thankfully that was the only time we heard from “Babylon” all night.
• It was so great seeing Guillermo del Toro win for Best Motion Picture – Animated. His “Pinocchio” is movie magic at its finest. A beautifully told story and exquisite animation. The biggest surprise of 2022 and one of the year’s best films. Good job Hollywood Foreign Press.
• Cate Blanchett won Best Actress – Drama for “Tár”, and I can’t imagine anyone was surprised. It was a sure thing. Now she faces off against Michelle Yeoh for the Oscar.
• To be honest, it was pretty hard to take the Best Actress – Drama category serious. I mean Danielle Deadwyler doesn’t even get nominated? Seriously???
• There were a surprising number of winners who didn’t show up to receive the awards. Not quite as many as those who came up on stage drunk, but close.

And those are a few Random Thoughts on this year’s show. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday I kicked off my look back on the best performances of the 2022 movie year starting with the Supporting Actress category. Today we continue by looking at Supporting Actor. Much like the ladies, this is a category full of great performances from a variety of different movies. So lets get to it starting with a few honorbale mentions followed by my five favorites.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”), Ben Whishaw (“Women Talking”), Mark Rylance (“Bones & All”), Colin Farrell (“The Batman”), Adrien Brody (“Blonde”), Chris Pine (“Don’t Worry Darling”), Jason Isaacs (“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”), Miles Teller (“Top Gun: Maverick”)

#5 – Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse”)

Among the several really good Netflix movies to fly under many radars was “The Good Nurse”. In it, Eddie Redmayne played Charles Cullen an unassuming nurse who was secretly a prolific New Jersey serial killer. Redmayne’s quiet restraint makes for a chilling character who hides his intentions as well as his emotions. The understated Redmayne is a scene-stealer and gives a performance that rivals (if not exceeds) his more award-winning work.

#4 – Don Cheadle (“White Noise”)

There’s not a lot of awards season chatter for Don Cheadle’s performance in “White Noise” but there should be. His wacky yet weirdly illuminating character pops up throughout Noah Baumbach’s off-beat adaptation of Don DeLillo’s wild 1985 novel. Cheadle has a blast waxing not-so-eloquently about a number of absurd topics. Yet there’s a sincerity and earnestness Cheadle brings that makes his character more than just comic relief.

#3 – Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”)

I admit, it has taken me some time to warm up to Paul Dano as an actor. But lately I’ve started to see what others have been drawn to. He was terrific in “The Batman” from earlier in the year. But he really won me over as the well-meaning but linear-thinking father in Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans”. Dano is utterly convincing but also heartbreaking. I loved what he brought to his surprisingly layered character.

#2 – Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

The 30-year-old Barry Keoghan opened a lot of eyes this year with his stunning performance in Martin McDonagh’s brilliant “The Banshees of Inisherin”. Even as someone who knew he had the chops, Keoghan blew me away playing the film’s funniest, saddest, most honest, and most tragic character. It’s a tricky role that could have gone a number of different directions. But Keoghan keeps Dominic grounded, and it’s hard not to love him.

#1 – Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

It’s the characters who drive “The Banshees of Inisherin”, and they’re brought to life through one of the best ensemble casts of the year. Brendan Gleeson is a key reason the movie works so well. He gives a darkly funny yet dolefully affecting performance that fits beautifully into Martin McDonagh’s dour yet hilarious Irish setting. Gleeson doesn’t always get his due. But he is one of the best working actors today, and “Banshees” is further proof of that.

There you have my Supporting Actor choices. What do you think? Come back tomorrow as we’ll be checking out the Lead Actress category.

And here we are once again, at that time of the year when us ritualistic film critics look back over the movie year that was and compile lists (it’s what we do). I recently shared my Top 10 movies of 2022 (check it out HERE), and now I want to hone in on some of the year’s very best performances. Over the next few days I’ll be sharing my favorites for each of the four major acting categories. So as I normally do, let’s kick it off with Supporting Actress.

Honorable Mentions: Jennifer Connelly (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Vanessa Kirby (“The Son”), Doona Bae (“Broker”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”), Zoë Kravitz (“The Batman”), Niamh Algar (“The Wonder”), Evan Rachel Wood (“Weird”: the Al Yankovic Story”), Olivia DeJonge (“Elvis”), Mariana Treviño (“A Man Called Otto”)

#5 – Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)

While I may have had some problems with “Wakanda Forever” as a whole, there was nothing problematic with Angela Bassett’s strong and powerful turn in the latest MCU installment. The always great screen veteran commanded every scene she was in, and brought a much-needed gravitas to the film.

#4 – Claire Foy (“Women Talking”)

In a movie filled to the brim with great performances, one of the best come from Claire Foy. She provides the angriest voice from a group of women who are fed up with the violent sexual abuse and overall oppression by the men of their small Mennonite community. Foy gets what are arguably the biggest scenes and she doesn’t disappoint, pouring out her soul and saying what so many of us were waiting for someone to say.

#3 – Lashana Lynch (“The Woman King”)

“The Woman King” had its issues. But when it stayed focused on its characters it was pretty special. Tops among them was Izogie, played with such unbridled strength and passion by Lashana Lynch. There’s so much heart in her performance, but she’s also a fierce warrior which really comes out in the action scenes. Lynch has it all and delivers in spades.

#2 – Greta Gerwig (“White Noise”)

I love Greta Gerwig, whether she’s starring in a film or behind the camera. She certainly didn’t disappoint in “White Noise”. It’s a quirky role for sure, and a challenging one. But Gerwig has always had a way of bringing humor, charm, and often a dramatic weight to her characters. She does that here, tapping into the film’s wacky rhythm with ease. I love this performance.

#1 – Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

Obviously I love every performance on this list. But Kerry Condon’s turn in “The Banshees of Inisherin” was a pretty easy choice for my #1 spot. She swept me away in a movie chock full of incredible performances. She nails every facet of her character, delivering some big laughs, but also warmth and a real sense of longing. It’s such a well-played role, and Condon should be a lock for an Oscar nomination (but I also thought the same last year about Caitríona Balfe).

And those are my Supporting actress picks. Let me know what you think, and be sure to check back tomorrow as we look at the Supporting Actor category.