20. Tadanobu Asano – “Silence”
Once upon a time, during the Internet’s fledgling years as a font of absurd cultural commentary, bloggers made a habit of describing the great Tadanobu Asano as Japan’s version of Johnny Depp on account of his good looks and his versatility as an actor. Well, time makes fools of all. In 2016, those old comparisons feel gauche, and not solely owing to Depp’s recent personal controversies and transgressions. The truth is, Asano is his own actor, and arguably a better actor than Depp. For proof, dig through his classics, like “Last Life In The Universe,” or make things easy for yourself and just watch him in Martin Scorsese’s excellent new film, “Silence,” the tale of doomed Portuguese Jesuits on a mission to Japan in the 1600s. Asano plays the interpreter for the Jesuits’ persecutors, a smiling, enigmatic man who flits from menace to charm back and forth, oftentimes in the same scene; the actor’s natural charisma balances his performance, keeping him from going too far over the line into cartoon villainy while sustaining his minacious and alluring qualities.
19. Jeff Bridges – “Hell Or High Water”
Few performances this year were equally as fun as they were sorrowful, and Jeff Bridges’ essential turn in the western “Hell Or High Water” managed to roll both delicate sentiments into each and every line of his dialogue. Bridges — who has made scene-stealing something of a habit of late — is nothing short of masterful in David Mackenzie’s dusty Texas thriller. The film does an excellent job of grounding all its unbridled emotions in each of the four central characters, but Bridges’ Marcus, a Texas Ranger on the verge of retirement, winds up, time and again, pulling the rug out from everybody else with his searching eyes; his natural ease; and the deep, unsettling fear buried in his silences. What seals the deal, though, is Marcus’ relationship with his younger partner, Alberto (an excellent Gil Birmingham), who serves as the butt of Marcus’ dull wit, but who he so clearly depends upon, who seems almost to be his last remaining tie to the world. Needless to say, when that tie is severed, and Bridges falls to his knees in disbelief, our hearts were broken, and his vengeance, his sudden willingness to turn against the laws that defined him, made chillingly good sense.
18. Kim Min-Hee – “The Handmaiden”
There is much to admire about Park Chan-wook’s thriller drama “The Handmaiden,” from the stunning cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung and the wicked sense of humor to the sweeping, playful score by Jo Yeong-wook. However, the film wouldn’t have worked quite as well had it not been for the two leading ladies, particularly the work by Kim Min-Hee as Lady Hideko. Having also made a mark with this year’s celebrated “Right Now, Wrong Then,” her role as Hideko proved a much more challenging affair, her character changing as the twists and turns are revealed: from a fragile, tragic character who is in need of saving; to cold, conniving and in charge of her agency; and then to a young woman swept up by a forbidden love affair. There’s a sweetness to her portrayal that allows the audience to always root for Hideko, even when her actions aren’t always motivated by good intentions. She’s instantly alluring, keeping our gaze with an effortless charisma. It’s the duality of her role, both one tragic and hopeful, that makes hers so instantly memorable.
17. Ralph Fiennes – “A Bigger Splash”
“A Bigger Splash” is a movie of seduction. It’s all sweat and sand and swimming pools and beautiful half-naked (or completely naked) movie stars running around and stirring up trouble. But if there’s a centrifugal force that the rest of the movie hinges around, then it’s Ralph Fiennes‘ off-the-wall performance. Fiennes plays Harry, a former boyfriend of Marianne, a rock star played by Tilda Swinton. Harry decides to crash Marianne’s Italian getaway, which throws the entire balance out of whack. Harry brings his young daughter (Dakota Johnson) and irks Marianne’s current boyfriend, Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts). Fiennes walks the fine line between annoying and infectious, as he dances around to the Rolling Stones, strips off his clothes, and generally causes consternation and grief. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Fiennes this electric, this energetic, this gloriously turned on. (Between this, “Hail, Caesar!” and “Kubo And The Two Strings,” Fiennes had a fucking great 2016.) It’s a testament to his power as an actor and his willingness to subvert that power that causes his performance in “A Bigger Splash” to pop like it does.
16. Jessica Chastain – “Miss Sloane”
Even for a lobbyist — a profession that seems to rank with dentists and actual politicians in terms of public dislike — Jessica Chastain’s eponymous character should be extraordinarily unlikable. She’s hard, arrogant and willing to sacrifice those characters who would be another film’s heroes and heroines to her goals. But while audiences spend the two-plus hours of “Miss Sloane” glad that they don’t know her, they can’t help but be impressed by her intelligence, drive and calm under pressure. For a title character, she’s given surprisingly little back story, and ultimately her motivations (beyond a fierce competitive streak) aren’t made clear. But Chastain fleshes out the steely lobbyist, creating a fully realized character whose actions feel true to the woman we’re watching. We cheer her victories, whether in winning one more vote to her cause or delivering a delicious dig to a rival. The mere fact of her gender also deserves attention; we see male antiheroes in this mold with some frequency, but a woman this cold and ambitious is still a rarity, and the actress’s performance provides depth to the person in Jonathan Perera’s script. Some might accuse Chastain of Acting-with-a-capital-A in her roles, but her precision works undeniably well here with Sloane’s own calculating presence. The film isn’t always worthy of her, but she makes it always worth watching.