My ten favorite current movie actors

I think the name of this list basically explains it all, but I wanted to emphasize the movie part of this. There are some tremendous actors inhabiting television these days and some of those guys still do the occasional movie, but this list focuses on those who are predominantly movie actors. My list is ever changing but usually the only thing that changes is the placement of the actors. The names are almost always the same. So here goes


10. Matt Damon- After bursting onto the scene in Good Will Hunting, Damon continued to do great work, expanding his talents to comedy (he owns those Oceans movies) and turning out to be quite an awesome action star in the Bourne series. He takes a minimal approach to acting and his always stoic, intense face has really brought a lot to each role. He helped reinvent the action genre and has always held his own against Hollywood heavy weights. Most likely putting the Bourne series to rest we can look forward to Damon really settling into a nice career although I imagine as he gets older he will move more towards character work in the vain of Ed Harris. The two movie that best show why he is on this list- The Bourne Ultimatum and The Talented Mr. Ripley.


9. Mark Wahlberg- In the early 90's I would have never guessed this, ever. Sure in the mid 90's he turned in a nice supporting turn in The Basketball Diaries and made a nice creep in Fear, but to make a list of my favorite actors, surely you jest? Well, a star was born in Boogie Nights, a big bright shining star to quote his enhanced character from that movie. Wahlberg is one of those actors who is just bursting at the seems with energy and intensity. He throws himself totally into roles whether it is a big action movie like Shooter or a dark drama like The Yards. A man with a dark past (including jail time for attempted murder at 17 yrs old) he in not afraid of drawing on that past to find the right amount of torment for a character's soul. He deserved an Oscar for the Departed and look for him to be amazing later this year in We own the night. The two movies that best show why he is on this list- The Departed and Boogie Nights.


8. Ryan Gosling- He is actually new to this list because I have just been mesmerized by this young man over the last few years. Most people know him from the Notebook, but he is so much more than that. He gives each character a very specific nuanced gesture that makes them seem like real people. He is not afraid to tackle tough subject matter as shown by The Believer and he can go up against a brilliant actor like Anthony Hopkins (Fracture) and end up no looking foolish. He is definitely on the way up in the world of acting and expect to see him attached to a few more Oscar nominations in his life. I have seen him only in 5 movies but I have been impressed with each performance as they have all been vastly different and it is obvious he spends time getting to know his characters. The two movies that best show why he is on this list- The Believer and Half Nelson.


7. Edward Norton- For a long time he was much higher on this list, but in the last few years he hasn't really done enough to warrant keeping him higher. He is still phenomenally talented but the work one does matters. Norton always adds something dark to a movie, to his character. It works because he has an innocence about his face, but as soon as he gets into a movie it morphs and we are treated to something awesome. One needs to look no further than his debut performance in Primal Fear to see what I am talking about. His take on the upcoming Hulk movie should be something fun to watch and hopefully he will get back on track finding the right kind of scripts because movies need him. Even in a cameo type role (The Italian Job) he makes things worth watching. The two movie that best show why he is on this list- Fight Club and American History X.


6. Clive Owen- This is another fairly recent addition to this list and I have a feeling that very soon he will make it to the top of the list. Forgetting King Arthur and Derailed, I have enjoyed everything I have seen him in. That is not to say that he is not great in them, but the movies suck. However, with movies like Sin City, Closer, shoot em up and Children of men, well the dude is amazing. Along with Natalie Portman he stole Closer away from bigger stars, Julia Roberts and Jude Law and in Sin City he stood out in a whole gaggle of great actors. He is also a bad ass on screen. No one looks cooler shooting a gun or spouting a corny but funny one-liner. His face is crazy expressive but it is all subtle, like he wants you to really pay attention to what he is doing. He carried the mesmerizing Children of Men last year and helped it become one of my all time favorite movies. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for him. The two movies that best show why he is on this list- Closer and Children of men(SEE THIS DAMN MOVIE!!)


5. Denzel Washington- For countless years I have watched this man continue to be amazing at his craft. He can be a hero or a villain and make each look just so easy and no one gives a speech quite like him. He does not always pick the best scripts but he always helps make those scripts look better than they really are just by being in the movie. He has an effortless approach to acting that says "Anyone can do this" but few can do it the way he does it. In Glory he found a way to stand out in a movie chalk full of incredible black actors and he helped prove that black actors are not just black actors. The amount of brilliant performances he has racked up are nearly impossible to recount and look for him to add another one this year when An American Gangster comes out in November. The movies that best show why he is on this list- Malcolm X and Hurricane.



4. Brad Pitt- For a time Brad Pitt was merely pretty and he played the pretty roles and posed all pretty for the camera and it was obnoxious, then something happened and he did a string of amazingly dark movies- 12 monkeys, Seven and Fight Club- proving he could actually act. he still knows how to ooze charm as proven by the Oceans movies, but he can also dig deeper and find something raw and interesting. In Babel, which is over-rated, there is a scene where he just has a breakdown over the phone and it is a brilliant moment in the movie. It allowed him to do all kinds of acting without really speaking at all. Yes it is a shame that his current tabloid status is overshadowing his great abilities, but I guess that is what happens when you are as pretty as he is. The two movies that best show why he is on this list- Fight Club and Twelve Monkeys.


3. Christian Bale- He was a child star then he went away, or so it seemed. I am sure he stayed doing work, but he really re-emerged with American Psycho, a hilarious, frightening, shocking and mostly over-rated movie. However, his performance was not over-rated and people took notice. Ever since then he has been consistantly doing great film work. Referred to as a method actor, he spends months training for each role, learning the occupation of his character and changing his body for each part. The most extreme case was in a little seen movie called The Machinist where Bale lost over 75lbs to play an insomniac who never ate. Then right after that he bulked back up to step into the iconic batsuit. He is by far the best Batman and he manages to do great work outside of the suit, which is usually a problem. (What has Tobey MaGuire really done?)Even if the movie is not stellar his performance always is and I will pay to basically watch him act in anything. The two movies that best show why he is on this list- American Psycho and The Prestige.


2. Don Cheadle- He may seem like an odd choice to be so high up on this list, but everything this guy does- comedy, drama, biopic- amazes me. I remembered him from an episode of the Fresh Prince, but his role in Boogie Nights was his breakout role. He was funny as hell in an awkward and uncomfortable way in that movie and has now turned into a star in his own right. He has not done a ton of work but if you look at his resume it is very impressive because he picks the right things. He is not so concerned with getting his name out, he just wants to do good work. His comic timing in Oceans is impeccable but his dramatic acting is where he makes his money. Actually in his 3 movies released this yr- Reign over me, Oceans 13 and Talk to me- he made three totally different choices and he deserves an Oscar nomination for his work in Talk to me. The two movies that best show why he is on this list- Hotel Rwanda and Talk to me.


1. Kevin Spacey- Again another odd choice considering that in this decade he hasn't done a whole lot, but the fact remains that he is one of the best living actors we have. It is almost sad that he is spending so much time on the stage because we don't get to see him on screen. I could recount his awesomeness in American Beauty but everyone has seen that movie, so how about making K-Pax almost believable, or turning in one hell of a memorable performance in The Usual Suspects. Check him being funny in The Ref and Swimming with Sharks. Watch him in message films like The life of David and the Shipping News. He also was terrific in the role of Lex Luthor. But the one movie everyone overlooks is the Negotiator. In this movie he and Sam Jackson face off in a battle wits and it is beyond superlatives what Kevin Spacey does in that movie. He can be intense or exude an off-putting charm. He finds small humor in things that may not actually have humor in them. We need more Kevin Spacey on the big screen. The two movie that best show why he is on this list- The Usual Suspects and The Negotiator.


There are a lot of names left off- Will Smith, Sam Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Tom Hanks- to name a few, but that goes to show just how high regard I old these particular 10. Jim Carrey is another name who just missed the cut. Someone had to be removed when Ryan Gosling started blowing me away. Feel free to give me some of your favorites or say why you agree or disagree with my choices. Expect a "My ten favorite current actresses" list in the coming days.