Minutes of Love: 15 Favorite Film Performances of 2015

15.) Jason Segel as David Foster Wallace, The End of the Tour

Artists who love their art want to be challenged and audiences who enjoy those artists' work want to see those artists push themselves. Jason Segel loves his art and goes against the grain with his performance as Author David Foster Wallace. The End of the Tour consists almost entirely of dialogue and serves as a character study of its two talented leads and Segel is keenly aware of this. He channels the repressive spirit of the depressed writer, giving off just enough flashes of charisma to cue you into the fact that there is so much more bubbling beneath the surface of his quirky scribe.

14.) Michael Shannon as Rick Carver, 99 Homes

Let's get this out of the way: Michael Shannon can do no wrong. He is great even when the movies he's in aren't necessarily so (*cough* Man of Steal *cough*). The man is so talented in fact that the word "typecast" doesn't even seem to be in his dictionary. He proves this yet again playing a corrupt, borderline sociopathic real-estate broker who kicks Andrew Garfield and his family out of their house. What's great about this performance is that, while Carver is undoubtedly the antagonist, Shannon is still able to tap into and draw from the shallow sympathetic well of this character. He may be a raging loon, but at least we get a sense as to why he is this way.

13.) Benicio del Toro as Alejandro, Sicario
First and foremost, acting is about the visuals and being able to cue audiences into what their character is thinking and feeling. So you know an actor has real talent when he or she can go the length of a movie with minimal dialogue and still communicate everything to the audience. Oscar-winner Benicio del Toro does just this as he portrays a silent but strong hired gun for the U.S. government. As each of the characters' moral beliefs become increasingly defined, del Toro effectively evokes each rich layer of his damaged hitman.

12.) Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, The Revenant

As I alluded to earlier, acting is primarily a visual feat and Leonardo DiCaprio has always let his eyes do the talking. I'm here to tell you that no role better utilizes DiCaprio's talents than that of Hugh Glass in The Revenant. In a film that sort of feels like a bizarre mash-up of True Grit, Cast Away, and Die Hard, DiCaprio is largely on his own as he hunts down the man who killed his son. What's more impressive is DiCaprio only has a handful of lines yet he carries the entire film. We see in his eyes the hatred, the anger, the guilt, the sorrow, and all the other psychological complexities.

11.) Daisy Ridley as Rey, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

This pick is simply about pure joy. Now I didn't love the new Star Wars like everyone else, but I thoroughly enjoyed the performances by the new casts, particularly Daisy Ridley's. Supposedly Rey is nineteen years old at the time of The Force Awakens and Ridley triumphantly captures all the gleeful innocence as well as the teenage angst you would expect of somebody that age. Outside her age, Rey is legitimately an interesting character so it was a pleasure getting to spend time with her during the highs and lows of her journey. She will serve as a strong emotional foundation for the franchise moving forward.

10.) Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, Creed

Just like James Bond, Rocky has been around a while and has become a prominent pop culture icon. Unlike Bond, however, Rocky has only ever been played by one man and that's Sly Stallone. There are many reasons particular characters rise to status of icon while other don't. I would say it has something to do with charisma; we like our icons edgy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside, which gives us something to fall in love with. Sylvester Stallone has always played Rocky this way and continues to in Creed. You will tear up at his performance in the third act.

9.) Oscar Isaac as Nathan, Ex Machina
This may go down as 2015's most underrated performance. Yes, Alicia Vikander does an eerily
wonderful job; however, it is Isaac's more layered performance that elicits the strongest emotional response and more consistently so as Ava's genius creator. You're never sure if you trust this guy and you'll definitely flip flop on that a couple times. You can be sure though that whose ever side he's on, his big brain and strong personality is more a curse than a gift. In the end, it's a treat to finally learn the motivation behind this guy who keeps you on your toes the entire time.

8.) Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, Concussion

Thanks to Concussion, Will Smith now has his Oscar movie, playing a genius with upwards of ten different degrees who discovers that repetitive concussions can squash a football player's brain. I'm no actor but I cannot imagine portraying a real life person is an simple task. But Smith makes it look easy here, channeling Omalu's resonance with his uptight mannerisms and mastering the Nigerian accent. There's one scene in particular where Smith goes full on powerhouse. Smith shows he is as talented as anyone in the industry.

7.) Jennifer Lawrence as Joy, Joy

Jennifer Lawrence is one of the youngest recipients an Academy Award and though she's never off the screen too long, thanks in large part to her popular genre franchises, Lawrence reminds us of why she earned her prestige award early: she totally deserves it. Joy is all about her transformation from hopeful inventor to resilient businesswoman and while it may be overly long, you're never far from a laugh or a compelling character moment. Joy is another impressive turn for Miss Lawrence.

6.) Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel, Bridge of Spies
This movie could easily have been about our hero (Tom Hanks) and how he saves the lives of these POWs. That's the genius of Speilberg. He takes us deep into the mind of the man being saved. In fact, there are many moments when the main protagonist is pushed to the side to let Rylance shine as a Russian POW who's being exchanged for two of his American equivalents in Russia. His work is so compelling that I actually missed him when the story shifted focus a bit, but when he is on screen he owns it. I'm expecting Rylance to be a strong contender this year for Best Supporting Actor.

5.) James Spader as Ultron, Avengers: Age of Ultron
For all of Marvel's CU success, one thing they just cannot seem to do is develop a strong villain, with the exception of Loki (who, by the way, has had multiple movies). Writer-Director Joss Whedon has temporarily filled that void in the MCU (and did it with just one movie) with Ultron. Ultron manages to be many things at once: falsely confident, naive, egotistical, and even unsure of himself as he frantically tries to justify his own existence, which makes him so empathetic and hate-able at the same time. Spader's performance induces the physicality of the ranging emotions both with his body and voice. It's tragically beautiful work.

4.) Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman, Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs has one of the best ensemble casts this year, with Michael Fassbender playing some magnetic version of the titular character. Here he is smart, selfish, and overbearing and the only person capable of standing their ground against him is his personal assistant, Joanna Hoffman, an uptight, caring perfectionist who wants nothing more than for Steve to care for his daughter. She is the person we identify with and through whom we watch all the other drama unfold. As our window in the world of Steve Jobs, we see ourselves in Joanna's shoes and it's a testament to Winslet's work that we feel what she feels.

3.) Lily Tomlin as Elle Reid, Grandma
Lily Tomlin is superb in as the titular Grandma
helping her teenage granddaughter raise money for an abortion. The script hits on a lot of progressive ideas and flows quickly between comedy and heartfelt drama. The brilliance of Tomlin's performance is that she commits fully to her character and manages to keep up with the changing tide. You will laugh with her when she's cracking a joke and you will cry with her when she sheds a tear. Tomlin's performance ebbs and flows and so too will you as you grow more fond of her character.

2.) Samuel L. Jackson as Valentine, Kingsman: The Secret Service
Nobody had more fun at work last year than Sam Jackson. What a year he's had; but it's his role as the vivacious villain Valentine in 'Kingsman' that ultimately makes my list. Jackson is no stranger to being funny and a threat simultaneously, but here we get to see him as someone other than a badass, someone who physically is meager and intellectually rugged. It's a nice change of pace. From his lisp to his hipster getup, Jackson delivers just enough swag to pull off a performance that could easily have been labeled as "trying to hard" had the role gone to a lesser performer.

1.) Ensemble, Spotlight

This may seem like a cheap way to cram in as many talented actors as I can into my top spot, but that doesn't mean these folks aren't deserving. Michael Keaton, Liev Schriber, Stanley Tucci, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams bring a different human aspect to the Boston Globe's investigation into the Catholic Church's systemic cover-up involving their own priests molesting children. The film delves deeply into the working aspect of the journalism world; still, it's easy to follow and thanks to the performances it's anything but boring.