Top 5 Performances: Ryan Gosling

Continuing on from my reviewing of the two 'The Nice Guys' actors, I look at the best performances of Mr Gosling...

Hon. Mention: Crazy Stupid Love

Even though some of its final resolutions are a bit questionable, Crazy Stupid Love is a strong romantic comedy bolstered from predictability by some solid performances. Steve Carrell, Emma Stone, Analeigh Tipton are all pretty good but the best of show is definitely Gosling as the ultimate ladie's man Jacob Palmer. He's perfect as the smooth talking, funny and energetic presence he should be as the ultimate 'player' but also depicts his transition into a more mature man well, and has some excellent chemistry with Emma Stone that's getting me excited for La La Land.

5. Half Nelson

I'm not a fan of the film's extreme 'realism' approach, not saying great films can't be made in this style (see: The Before films), but here I can't say it was all that compelling and ends up just being a bit boring. Gosling though is good throughout the film as a drug addicted teacher trying to help himself and one of his students quit the habit. I would actually say the nature of the film limits him a bit since it mutes some of the emotional impact of his scenes by the rather bland and simple direction, but he's effective as both the inspirational teacher in the classroom and the messed up addict outside of it. Really, though, a re-watch could help him.

4. Blue Valentine

Also not a huge fan of this film's hyper-realistic approach (it's basically a more muted and depressing version of 500 Days of Summer), and Derek Cianfrance definitely made a much stronger impact on me with his successive project, The Place Beyond the Pines which also featured an effective Gosling performance. Gosling is equally strong as the charming sweetheart Dean who attracts the attentions of Michelle Williams' Cindy, and the jaded and bitter individual he becomes over the course of their marraige. Not too much time is dwelt on with regards to the transition but he always makes them feel like it's part of the same man. Gosling is effective in showing the sweetness of the courtship and also very remarkable in showing how the dissolution of his marriage wears down on the man's psyche.

3. The Nice Guys

The first Gosling performance in a while I've loved. The obnoxious traces of some of his recent turns is gone, now replaced with just a genuine enthusiasm and energy he parlays into the role of private eye Holland March. Almost every line he bangs out cracks a laugh; I particularly loved every moment of his bathroom confrontation with Russell Crowe's Jackson Healy, and every time he makes a snide remark towards or about 'Chet' the pretentious projectionist. Gosling's constantly yammering, high-octane portrayal could have worn thin very easily, but Gosling remains consistently endearing throughout the film as this lighthearted fellow and even makes the few dramatic moments he has resonate very well.

2. Lars and the Real Girl

Excellent performance in a very underrated film. I've come to realize I might never have properly appreciated Gosling's talents as an actor because he's equally good at playing the opposite extreme of introversion as he is effective as the extremely extroverted sorts in The Nice Guys and Crazy Stupid Love. Gosling plays Lars, who lives a secluded lifestyle in a garage next to his brother and his wife, and has serious problems with social interaction and personal intimacy. Now the trickiest aspect of this performance is to make this quality in Lars not just some series of mannerisms and tics that could've come across as offensive, and make it feel realistic yet not tonally inconsistent with the lighthearted tone of the film.

Gosling is great at just being so convincing in showing the social ineptitude of Lars, but also the sweetness that endears him to the whole community even though he struggles to even hold normal conversations with them. This perfectly sets up the central conceit of the film wherein Lars finds a 'girlfriend' in the form of 'Bianca' - a sex doll who he claims is a wheelchairbound missionary from abroad. This could've all gone wrong in the wrong hands but Gosling is just so endearing in showing his affection for a sex doll that he makes it both sweet and convincing that the townspeople play along with this arrangement. And when the film wades into darker waters Gosling is equally good at showing the darker side to the character, and helps make the rather moving ending of it surprisingly powerful. A very underrated performance of Gosling's that deserves more critical attention.

1. Drive

For quite a while Lars and the Real Girl was my favourite Gosling performance, until a friend told me recently to re-watch Drive. I've always liked the film and found it effective, and still do, but what surprised me most on re-watch was the complexities of Gosling's performance. It reminds me in the best possible way of something like Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West. He says very little, yet does so much within those limitations. He's now made it into my VERY cramped Lead Actor 2011 lineup which by the way, is:

1. Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2. Matthias Schoenaerts, Bullhead
3. Ryan Gosling, Drive
4. Jean Dujardin, The Artist
5. Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
6. Michael Fassbender, Shame
7. Woody Harrelson, Rampart
8. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
9. Omar Sy, The Intouchables
10. François Cluzet, The Intouchables

Anyway, as a literal Man With No Name, the Driver, Gosling is astonishing in establishing the particular style the man has to his profession, driving getaway cars, and brings such a confidence that's not cocky but rather shows that in the world of automobiles and driving, he is at one with it. Then as we gradually begin to see glimpses of his life outside his work, Gosling's performance becomes even more fascinating as he strikes up a relationship with his next-door neighbour played by Carey Mulligan. The two have a brilliant, low-key chemistry that comes not from the usual 'meet cute' tropes but by Gosling's decision to play his romantic side like a very quiet Prince Charming, so enchanted by this beautiful woman and subtly showing his love for her with brief actions and glances. When the film takes a much darker turn Gosling is equally adept at showing the brutal side to the Driver. Gosling is every bit as haunting in his depiction of the Driver taking on some of L.A.'s most uncouth criminals with his cold approach to violence, as he is transcendent in any scene where he roamnces Mulligan's Irene. In a film full of talkative characters and big emotions and violently viscreal sequences, Gosling is the beautifully quiet heart of it that beats its way from start to finish in complete control of his life at the wheel, but tragically deprived of a happy end of the road.

6. Crazy Stupid Love
7. The Place Beyond the Pines
8. Fracture
9. The Ides of March
10. The Notebook