The Best of the Best

Now I bring you the creme de la creme. This year have I decided to share with you the best Oscar-winning performances. I have come up with five (or in the best actor category, seven) winners from each of the acting categories, who I think most deserved their Oscars. I should tell you that I haven't seen every performance that has won an Oscar, but I've seen a lot of them. Of course, there's always a chance I have forgotten somebody or forgotten how good somebody was in a certain movie, but for the most part, I'm happy with my choices. But don't be surprised if I change my mind as early as tomorrow. But that's always the risk when ranking anything, so I ask you to bare with me.
Before you read, remember there are a plethora of great performances that didn't win Oscars, so I'm just picking among the winners. It's much easier that way. Enjoy.

Best Supporting Actor

1. Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men (2007)

Bardem is masterfully scary in No Country. He is the embodiment of evil, yet we can't look away because he's so enthralling. He is easily one of the best actors in the world.

2. Walter Huston in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Huston's turn as the old prospector searching for gold is just terrific. He's a little bit mad, but definitely wise. The characters played by Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt have no choice but to trust him.

3. Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Yes, he's a horrible person, but on the surface he's smooth-talking and well-mannered. That is, until he kills your family. Waltz plays the SS colonel with unmatched control and suaveness.

4. Robert DeNiro in The Godfather Part II (1974)

As the young Vito Corleone, DeNiro channels Brando's Vito, but adds his own elements to show how a regular Sicilian boy can become bigger than life. You can see the way DeNiro turns the soft-spoken character into a man you shouldn't disrespect. He's absolutely awesome.

5. Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People (1980)

Hutton's role had to be as difficult a role to play as any, and it becomes more impressive when you realize he was only 20 at the time. Though he won the supporting award, he's definitely the lead in Ordinary People, which only helped him win the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Cloris Leachman in The Last Picture Show (1971)

Her presence is overwhelming in this movie. She accomplishes so much while saying little. Her facial expressions are so powerful, I truly felt every emotion her character went through. It's a really well-acted film, but she's the main reason to see it.

2. Cate Blanchett in The Aviator (2004)

With her performance as Katharine Hepburn, Blanchett is the only person to win an Oscar playing an Oscar winner. And she knocks it out of the park. The only person who had more charisma on screen was the real Katharine Hepburn.

3. Goldie Hawn in Cactus Flower (1969)

I don't care what Goldie Hawn did before or after this movie, she is easily the funniest and most entertaining element of Cactus Flower. I look forward to every scene she has.

4. Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Woody Allen has a history of writing good roles for women, and Cruz is just the latest example. She is absolutely explosive as a complicated woman who still lives with her ex-husband even though they are often horrible to each other. Watch as she speaks quietly in English, then yells angrily in Spanish. She's fantastic.
5. Rita Moreno in West Side Story (1961)
One of a handful of people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, Moreno steals every one of her scenes in the classic musical. Her performance is what playing a supporting role is all about.

Best Actor (I couldn't settle on five, so I have seven)

1. Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
When asked what I think is the best performance of all time, I usually site this one. Jack simply throws the movie on his back and takes charge. Watching it now, we might think he's just playing an exaggerated version of himself, but R.P. McMurphy is a complicated character and Jack nails it.

2. Marlon Brando in
On the Waterfront (1954)

Probably the best actor who ever lived, this is Brando's best performance and it is a treat to watch. Watch the "I coulda been a contender" speech and tell me you don't get goosebumps. In all honesty, his win for The Godfather should be in the top five too, but I decided to give other guys a shot.
3. Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull (1980)
This is just DeNiro being DeNiro. He supposedly gained 60 pounds to play boxer Jake LaMotta in a not so flattering, though realistic, portayal. DeNiro is as consistent an actor that's ever lived. He committs to every role regardless of how big or small it is. His performance as LaMotta is a sight to behold, and it's only right that it's considered one of the best ever.
4. Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007)

Day-Lewis is the champion of truly becoming a character. When watching his turn as Daniel Plainview, there is no evidence that Day-Lewis exists. When given such a maniacal character to play, it's thrilling to watch a master at work.
5. Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend (1945)
This has to be one of the earliest examples of a character with an alcohol problem. Milland could have overdone it, but instead he captures the quiet desperation of an addict without making it cliche.
6. Ben Kingsley in Gandhi (1982)
Kingsley was simply born to play Gandhi and he's so good in it, I'm pretty sure about half the pictures I've ever seen of Gandhi are actually Kingsley from the movie.
7. F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus (1984)
Abraham plays, Antonio Salieri, the average composer with an above average musical taste so he's cursed with knowing how good Mozart is and how mediocre he is.

Best Actress

1. Frances McDormand in Fargo (1996)

Marge Gunderson is so important to Fargo the Coen Brothers wisely set up the entire story before introducing her. But once she's on screen, you know immediately she's something special. Marge is the Sherriff in Brainerd, Minnesota, who just happens to be seven months pregnant. She is smart as a whip and has a mother's sweetness. McDormand makes Marge so believable, it feels good to think people like her could actually exist.

2. Kathy Bates in Misery (1990)

Bates is terrifying in this Stephen King adaptation by Rob Reiner. On the surface she's jolly and friendly, but underneath lurks a monster and Bates plays her with a controlled lunacy.

3. Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
There is an undertone of madness in Leigh's Blanche DuBois. For her mental health she ventures to New Orleans where she moves in with her sister Stella. There she has to deal with Stanley, who torments her, and Mitch, who finds her attractive though comes off clingy. Leigh gracefully plays Blanche as her sanity slowly slips away. 
4. Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night (1934)

This is exactly how you handle romantic comedy. Colbert is cute, funny and charming as a spoiled heiress running away from home. She annoys Clark Gable's character to the point that he can't live without her.
5. Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice (1982)

While she's been nominated for best actress 13 times, this is her only win in this category. She plays a Holocaust survivor, so you know there's some very difficult themes she has to deal with. But she makes it her own and produces one of the most heartbreaking performances ever.

Thanks for reading. Next week I'll be naming the best Best Pictures, so please check it out.