Daniel Day-Lewis.

Hello Earthlings! I’m back again.

This time I will bring you the Top 5 Daniel Day-Lewis Performances.

Oh yes! The people who know me well are probably sick and tired of me and the huge admiration I’ve got for him and his amazing acting skillls.

Sir Daniel Day-Lewis (the only man alive who has won three Academy Awards for Best Leading Acting Role) gave us through the years memorable characters and impeccable performances. The Methodical actor internalize each character that much until the point he needs time to “recover” between roles and sometimes he finds very difficult to forget the character and go back to being just himself again.

Let’s see (in my opinion) his best performances!

5. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993)

Directed by Martin Scorsese  is a tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer (Day-Lewis)  falls in love with a woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman’s cousin (Winona Ryder).

This movie is not only an impossible love story is much more and Day-Lewis portrayal of the character Newland Archer is pure, exquisite and a perfect relfection of the high society’s double moral. Young Day-Lewis, his powerful chemistry with Pfeiffer and his performance will make the audience develop a deep empathy with the character.

 

4. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER (1993)

Curiously the same year the film In the name of the father was released. Based in the true events and the tragical story about Gerry Conlon and how his coerced confession (by the English Police) to an IRA bombing he did not commit results in the imprisonment of his father (Pete Postlethwaite) as well. An English lawyer (Emma Thompson) fights to free them. Day-Lewis was nominated to several awards including a Gloden Globe and an Academy Award nomination . Impeccable performance, powerful and truthful.

 

3. GANGS OF NEW YORK ( 2002)

Directed by Martin Scorsese again Day-Lewis portrayed one of the most charismatic character of his career in the film Gangs of New York. Bill the Butcher a villain with a moral code and hints of kindness, one of my favourites and one the best villains in history that’s for sure. In this performance you can also appreciate Daniel’s capacity for changing his accent and his voice making every character different, special and particular. It was really hard to chose one between all the amazing Bill the Butcher scenes, the scene of the rabbit, the “fear” speech… all of them are a treasure. Fact: Day-Lewis learnt how to cut and dissect animals and became very skilful with the knives.

 

 2. MY LEFT FOOT (1989)

Based in true events and Directed by Jim Sheridan as well (In the Name of the Father) this film earned Day-Lewis his first Academy Award. Is the story of Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb – his left foot.

A history of overcoming and couraging life, it was also challenging for Day-Lewis who broke two ribs during filming from assuming the hunched-over position in his wheelchair for weeks of filming. He also would refuse to come out of character. On visits to the set canteen, other people would have to help him with food.

 

1.THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007)

For me this is the one and only, my favourite and one of the best performances I’ve seen in the last 15 years. Day-Lewis performance in this movie is a piece of artwork. I have already written a post in this blog talking about this masterpiece. I have not enough words to describe the amazing character and the delightful scenes that Daniel Day-Lewis gave us with his acting skills. Day-Lewis improvised the speech he gives to the citizens of Little Boston, about building schools, bringing bread to the town, etc. The director Paul Thomas Anderson says of this, “It was delicious. It was Plainview on a platter.”

 

Special mention to his performances on Lincoln (2012) and  The Last of the Mohicans (1992). Now search, watch and enjoy his performances (and the films of course)!

Hope you enjoyed it! And don’t  be affraid to leave comments and suggestions!

Peace and Love and Long life to Daniel Day-Lewis!