Top 5 Performances: Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson

Two of the most consistent veterans in the business, one almost certainly bound for the Oscar this year if it all pans out, the other an actress who just churns out solid performance after performance even if the films aren't quite up to scratch.  

5. Excalibur

Morgana is a rather tasty role for any actress to dig her teeth into, and young Helen Mirren is certainly up to task in this schlocky, uneven but in parts rather entertaining retelling of the King Arthur legend. Mirren could not be more alluring and menacing in the role of this medieval femme fatale, and the highlight of her performance is in her anti-chemistry with Nicol Williamson's Merlin, which are by far the best scenes in the film.

4. Eye in the Sky

A performance I only like more and more I think about it, Eye in the Sky is one of the year's most cereberally satisfying and emotionally impactful films which drives its point along nicely without ever taking sides. It's a terrifically directed and atmospheric film with Mirren front and centre as Colonel Katherine Powell, who's determined to complete a mission to take out high-level Al-Shabaab militants meeting in a safehouse in Kenya at any cost. Mirren disappears into the tough, no-nonsense Colonel brilliantly and also allows for little moments where the more senstive side to her character seeps in, and is one of the factors that make this film a great film. 

3. The Last Station

It's not a great film, but Mirren is certainly fantastic as Sophia Tolstaya, Leo Tolstoy's wife who fights for control of his will and estate with an assortment of wily Tolstoy disciples. Mirren has to deal with a not-particularly stellar screenplay and tepid direction, but still manages to light sparks aplenty with her vivid depiction of an emotional, charismatic, complex, ambiguous but ultimately very loving wife. She injects each scene she's in with the proper amount of conviction and style and makes the film much more impactful than it has any right to be.

2. The Long Good Friday

Some might not take to this performance as much as myself, but I think it's a rather excellent piece of work that shows Mirren's complete and utter dedication at such an early stage in her film career. Mirren's stylish and rather incisive portrayal of the mob boss's wife plays perfectly off Bob Hoskins, the two generating a very unique sort of chemistry in their scenes together. Each second of Mirren's performance is particularly stylized but she's rather brilliant in each one of them.

1. The Queen

I might do a head-to-head in the future, with The Crown being such a huge thing nowadays and all, but I'll just say that this is a terrific, (near) career-best performance by Mirren as Elizabeth II which expertly brings a complex woman to life while even more importantly, being utterly convincing as the Queen Mother in every aspect of her characterization. Even if you're not all that interested in the storyline, you'll be pulled in by the strong emotional investment and conflict Mirren brings to the Queen's handling of Princess Diana's death, all coming into play for a truly powerful ending.

6. The Tempest
7. Phil Spector
8. Trumbo
9. Hitchcock
10. Woman in Gold

I'll leave discussion of her brilliant portrayal of Elizabeth I to a future head-to-head...

5. Taken

Easy enough to take this performance for granted, but despite the film being a bit generic on the whole, Neeson's performance completely defined a new wave of 'old man with gun' films. He's a brilliant 60-something action hero and it should not be sniffed at, being this convincing as a retired badass who will find you - he carries each action sequence terrifically and despite the simple nature of the role adds more than enough gravitas to his depiction of a man desperately searching for his daughter.

4. Michael Collins

The film as a whole fails to really get into the skin of the Irish political scene and Collins as a man. It's a period in history I think could make for scintillating, in your face, brilliant cinema, as it stands its a solid by-the-books biopic, but it could've been so much more. Neeson is properly charismatic and sweet as the folk hero and energetic as the rabble-rousing leader, but I do feel if the film had gone a bit more in-depth to the man he could've given a great performance. As it stands it's a good one.

3. Rob Roy

Released in the same year as Braveheart and thus somewhat overshadowed, Neeson's turn as Robert Roy Macgregor, another Scotsman who battles Englishmen for his family in the Scottish highlands, is a dynamic piece of work by the actor. He's pitch-perfect in playing to every side of the man from his badassery, to his tender and deep emotional connection to his wife (Jessica Lange). Plus, he looks pretty grand in that Scottish battle get-up.

2. The Grey

A fairly effective survival/disaster film with Neeson on absolute top form in a physically demanding role as a wolf hunter stranded in the snowy wilderness with several other men after a plane crash. Neeson brings the underlying fear and intensity to the role by his portrayal of the character's emotional state, but most impressive is watching how he constantly adjusts the personal struggle of the character to the physical struggle with his surroundings. He has mounds of presence to spare and completely owns every one of his 'loud' moments onscreen as well as he plays the 'intimate' moments; great work.

1. Schindler's List

An utterly brilliant performance that's actually my favourite of the cast in a waterright ensemble. That final breakdown scene is unforgettable, and never fails to hit me in the emotional spot; Neeson's work is one of the core reasons why Schindler's List is such a powerful film in many regards. The most highly emotional, intense scenes of the film are of course are the highlights, but in terms of being the lead Neeson carries the hefty weight of the film on his shoulders beautifully. He ells the transition of Oskar Schindler, the man who everyone loves and who can bring everyone over to his side, in a convincing fashion, while never shying away from his flaws. He even manages to be quite dynamic, charismatic, and even funny when the film requires him to be. If I had to nitpick, I guess his accent might be a bit inconsistent at points, but I hardly care to be honest. It's a great bit of work that first brought Neeson into the spotlight, and it remains to be seen whether he can top this with Silence...

6. Kinsey
7. Les Miserables
8. Non-Stop
9. Love Actually
10. Kingdom of Heaven