McQueen actually has quite a few good performances, such as Bullitt and The Great Escape, but I think this is definitely his best. He usually plays a similar type character, but this one has considerably more depth than the others. The scene where he says he can't remember who sent him the food is his best acting moment IMO.
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Mcqueen went all out for this role. I can't believe he didn't get an oscar nod. I can't believe the whole movie didn't get any oscar nods! It was a career best role in a career best film.
http://most-underrated-movies.blogspot.com/
By 1973 he had screwed too many Hollywood wives to get a nomination.
Even Hoffman, though he disliked McQueen, was objective enough to say McQueen not getting nominated was criminal.
That said, McQueen wouldn't attend award ceremonies.
That said, McQueen wouldn't attend award ceremonies
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That doesnt mean *beep* Kubrick never attended the oscars and he was nominated 13 times. Woody Allen never attended but he was nominated 21 times and even won 3 oscars. The 'screwing the wives' part makes sense though.
http://most-underrated-movies.blogspot.com/
At least the theory that he screwed too many Hollywood wives pretty much proves that his lack of a nomination wasnt down to poor performance. :)
shareHe did a good job here, but I dont know if its his best role. One main reason,is the scene where they realize their escape boat is a piece of krapp. McQueen goes into this very childish state, accusing/arguing with Dega, it just didnt work IMO, seemed out of character. Maybe he was doing the best he could with that part of the script. Just too cutesy and 'put on', that part.
shareI love this movie, but yeah, both the movie and McQueen's performance were a tad patchy in tone. But there are a number of positives to brush any quibbles aside.
I think McQueen's greatest, most even-toned, evolved performance is in "The Sand Pebbles". Saw it again 2 nights ago, and the film really holds up.
Oh yeah The Sand Pebbles had a great McQueen performance. I also think his performance in Hell Is For Heroes is extremely underrated. I have to say though that McQueens performance in Papillon is my favourite. His acting in the solitary confinement scenes is very strong. For me it is a prime example of why McQueen was such a great star. He could do so much with so little. I have spent time in solitary myself and I can tell you there is nothing forced about that performance. It was pitch perfect and pretty much how the experience is. If one watches The Great Escape one can see that McQueen was no stranger to institutions. He had the prison walk down perfectly. If only todays stars could be that authentic.
shareI think Tom Horn is his finest work. This comes a close second. As others have noted, patchy in sections, perhaps the director's fault.
shareI think it's definitely his best acting performance, although Hilts and Bullitt are obviously iconic characters.
shareI think this is his best performance with close runners up being: Junnior Bonner, Tom Horn and the Sand Pebbles. Though I don't think that it's as good as the performances I just mentioned I do think he did a great job in Nevada Smith even though his acting skills were still a bit mannered at that time.
He improved as he got older. A Great actor who is underrated in my opinion. Too many people just remember him as ''the king of cool'' from his performances in films like the Great Escape and Bullitt which weren't really great stretches for him as an actor.
I don't know if it's his best performance, but it's certainly my favorite performance.
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