Desperate men of all stripes: A few are coming of age and some are coming to terms; all are absolutely fantastic
TOPICS: CASEY AFFLECK, COLIN FARRELL, DANIEL RADCLIFFE, DENZEL WASHINGTONALEX R. HIBBERTJOEL EDGERTONJOE SEO, EDITOR’S PICKS, JEFF BRIDGES, MICHAEL SHANNON, ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
(Credit: Paramount/David Lee/Picturehouse Entertainment/A24)There were some indelible performances by men on screen in 2016, but more often than not they resonated because actors underplayed, communicating more with silence and expressions than with words. Here are a dozen of the best and most blistering male performances of 2016.
Denzel Washington in “Fences” is arguably the male performance of the year. The actor also directed August Wilson’s play, deftly, and his familiarity with the play shows in this riveting screen adaption. His performance never feels stagy or too polished. As Troy Maxson, the two-time Oscar winner spouts reams of dialogue, talking about wrestling with the devil, describing a fastball on the outside corner, or recounting a story about his father. These absorbing speeches provide telling moments about his character, a flawed, obstinate man who grapples with his lot in life over the course of the film. How Troy treats his wife Rose (Viola Davis), his sons Lyons (Russell Hornsby) and Cory (Jovan Adepo), as well as his disabled brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson), define him. The potent scenes between Troy and Cory crackle with the tensions between father and son. In contrast, a scene in a bar between Troy and his best friend Bono (Stephen McKinley Henderson) is equally powerful given the restrained emotions. But it is Washington’s extraordinary body language that best conveys the pressures and problems Troy is carrying in his every movement and expression. Just watch how he reacts to news he receives in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm: He loses his balance briefly, sticks his head out the window, and shouts into the night. Troy is a man in pain, and Washington is as devastating to watch in this scene as he is in a quiet moment he has with one of his children on the back porch. “Fences” is a tour de force for Washington, who is unforgettable here.
Four of the actors in “Moonlight,” a film about masculinity, all deserve recognition for creating such vivid characters. Alex R. Hibbert as Little was heartbreaking in arguably the film’s most powerful scene, when his character asks Juan (Mahershala Ali) “What’s a faggot?” But equally impressive is the advice Juan gives Little: “At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you’re going to be. Can’t let nobody make that decision for you.” The emotions between these characters are palpable throughout director Barry Jenkins’ outstanding adaptation of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play because of the strong performances. Likewise, a scene between Kevin (André Holland) and Black (Trevante Rhodes) at a diner is magnetic, full of sexual tension as the men talk about their past and consider their present and future. “Moonlight” is a marvelous film, but it is how these actors express so much by saying so little that makes it so affecting.
As Richard Loving, Joel Edgerton explains that he is breaking the law because he loves his wife, Mildred (Ruth Negga). “Loving” shows this not just in his dream to build her a house, but in cozy, private moments, such as the iconic one captured by a “Life” magazine photographer (Michael Shannon) of the married couple snuggling on their couch. Edgerton is so invested in his role, the actor is practically invisible; viewers may feel they are watching the documentary that inspired this movie.
As the closeted David in Andrew Ahn’s exceptional “Spa Night,” Joe Seo gives one of the year’s breakout male performances. A young man who is trapped by his immigrant parents’ failure and their aspirations for his success, Seo’s shy, reserved character tries to be a good, dutiful son. However, his budding sexuality threatens to betray and expose him. The internal struggle David feels, to not displease his parents and to discreetly act on his desires, comes to a frothy head in the Korean spa where he takes a job. Seo’s phenomenal turn is accomplished with little dialogue and maximum emotion; when David rubs his skin raw as a form of self-loathing and self-expression, it is both painful and powerful.
