MovieChat Forums > In the Name of the Father (1994) Discussion > Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis

posted 17 years ago by qjuice14
51 replies | jump to latest

I just finished watching this movie again, and I just can't get over how moving of a performance that DDL delivers. I can't for the life of me understand how Tom Hanks beat him out for an Oscar that year. I thought the acting this film was brilliant all around, so gripping and moving. I know a lot of people tend to think DDL's best performance is in My Left Foot, and for good reason, but I personally think in a brilliant career his Gerry Conlon was slightly his best performance. Though, I am really looking forward to There Will Be Blood.

[–] cineastFGD 9 years ago

The problem with DDL is that he basically could get an Oscar for every role he'd played. Because he's so far ahead in the game of everyone else. But this would become boring right? ;)

It's hard to believe, but it took me fully 25 years to realize who he was, simply because i failed to realize that it was actually the same actor playing all these roles. Well, I'm maybe a bit on the slow side, but it's also cunning evidence for his ability to completely vanish behind his character, even wrt to his voice, expressions, mannerisms. I honestly don't know a single other actor who can do this to this extend, those getting closest are in my view Gary Oldman, Mads Mikkelsen, Helena B.-C., Ralf Fiennes, and maybe, maybe Dustin Hoffman, who remain recognisable but manage to let you forget about them over the course of the film.

However, long story short, there are many very fine actors out there, people doing a great job, time and time again, and then there is DDL.

[–] 9 years ago

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