It's hard to imagine a celebrated actor in a bad film. Well, not only does it happen, but more
often than you would think, some of their worst movies are released the same year as their best.
After years of being a steady character actor, Michael Keaton came back in a massive way in
2014. Headlining the Best Picture-winning drama "Birdman" reaffirmed that Keaton not
only had leading man chops but that he could surprise people even decades
after his star-making performances in "Mr. Mom," "Beetlejuice," and "Batman."
It was a revelatory turn that breathed exciting life into Keaton's filmography.
"Birdman” wasn't the only motion picture he appeared in that year. 2014 also saw
the actor showing up in one of the weakest titles in his filmography,
the instantly forgotten video game adaptation "Need for Speed."
The misguided Aaron Paul vehicle saw Keaton playing "Monarch," the host of
an illicit racing competition. Keaton's work in the movie sees him largely isolated from
all the other prominent characters, speaking expository dialogue into a microphone. While
it did give Keaton a chance to deliver some amusingly over-the-top dialogue, the role
was otherwise appropriately forgettable for such a disposable action feature.
This was the total opposite of the bold work in "Birdman" that would give Keaton
his creative renaissance. At least the dismal quality of "Need for Speed" allowed audiences
to further appreciate Keaton getting a chance at a big comeback later that year.
"Devil in a Blue Dress" wasn't a box office monster when it first opened in theaters in 1995,
but in the years since, audiences have grown to love this Neo-noir anchored by Denzel
Washington. It's hard not to be captivated by Washington as detective Easy Rawlins. Meanwhile,
the visual palette of the feature is gorgeous, not to mention impressive in
how it juggles classic noir motifs without sacrificing its own creative impulses.
"Her name was Ruby Hanks from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
And I suppose all she really wanted was a place to fit in."
Even with Washington's impressive resume, "Devil in a Blue Dress"
stands alongside the likes of "Malcolm X" as the man's greatest star vehicle.
However, "Devil in a Blue Dress" wasn't the only Denzel Washington film occupying movie
theaters in 1995. This same year saw the debut of "Virtuosity" — an action
thriller following Washington as a former cop tasked with taking down a virtual criminal,
played by Russell Crowe, who's broken out into reality. The feature was decimated by critics
and now ranks as one of the more puzzling endeavors in Washington's filmography.
After several years of being a notable supporting character actor and occasionally headlining box
office non-starters, Oscar Isaac made the leap to successful leading man in
2013 with "Inside Llewyn Davis." Playing the titular cash-strapped folk musician,
Isaac was a revelation. He delivered talented performances before, but never to this degree.
With so much screen time and a rich Coen Brothers screenplay at his disposal, Isaac crafted a
character whose pain could simultaneously irritate and devastate the audience.
"Have you ever heard the expression it takes two to tango?"
Isaac was also one of the leads of "In Secret" — an erotic thriller from director Charlie
Stratton that began playing at film festivals in 2013. Whereas "Inside Llewyn Davis" became
a beloved masterpiece, "In Secret" was hated by critics. Many of the biggest complaints were
leveled at the feature's erratic tone and its unappealing visual aesthetic.
Though it had a one-week qualifying run in 2014 to ensure it could compete in
the 87th Academy Awards, the North American theatrical release of "Still Alice" didn't
begin in earnest until January 2015. Once this film landed in theaters, audiences were quickly
taken aback by Julianne Moore's staggering lead performance as a woman dealing with Alzheimer's.
It's a brutal arc to watch unfold, but Moore handles all the finer details and
quieter moments beautifully. In a career of memorable go-for-broke performances in movies
like "Boogie Nights," her work in "Still Alice" still registers as commanding and impressive.
A few weeks after "Still Alice" began its big-screen journey, another movie featuring
Moore landed in theaters. This project was "Seventh Son," a fantasy epic that saw Moore
occupying the role of the film's villain. There was no shortage of star power in "Seventh Son,"
including Jeff Bridges as a wise wizard, but it wasn't enough to salvage an expensive disaster.
Not even Moore vamping it up as a baddie was enough to make it a worthwhile watch.
By 2009, Jeff Bridges had been scoring high-profile roles in movies for nearly
40 years. In that time, he'd explored countless genres, established several iconic characters,
and been nominated for four Academy Awards. A staple of big-screen storytelling, Bridges
was long-overdue for an Oscar. That's just what happened when he played tormented country singer
Otis "Bad" Blake in "Crazy Heart" in 2009. It's a role that exploits Bridges' own legacy to
create a character whose aching weariness seems so real. You believe Blake has been
through the fire and flames for decades. It's a fantastic performance from Bridges, and one
that gave Hollywood and general moviegoers alike a chance to appreciate his gifts.
That same year, though, Bridges anchored "The Open Road" with Justin Timberlake.
One would imagine that combining two instantly recognizable names like that
would have resulted in something at least interesting, but "The Open Road" became
one of Jeff Bridges' most detested features. The movie was plagued by rampant criticisms,
suffering from weak writing and a lack of interesting material for Bridges to handle.
Looking to expand his image beyond just romantic comedies like "Fool's Gold" and "How to Lose a
Guy in 10 Days," Matthew McConaughey began to tackle challenging roles and work with intriguing
auteurs in 2012. Embracing a wide variety of projects meant that there were going to
inevitably be some duds. And such a dud came in the form of "The Paperboy." A melodrama
from director Lee Daniels, McConaughey was one of the many actors in the ensemble cast
grappling with a thick accent and a plot that could be borderline incomprehensible.
"I'm the only one, I'm your mercy. I'm your arms-wide-open, I'm your pants."
"The Paperboy" has moments where it comes to life, but it's mostly a wash thanks
to lackluster style and extremely predictable third-act narrative "twists." On the other hand,
McConaughey also managed to headline one of his very best movies in 2012 by taking on a
supporting role in "Bernie." Playing an officer who seems to be the only one suspicious of Jack
Black's titular protagonist, McConaughey portrays a unique character compared to
his usual roles while simultaneously demonstrating his deft comedic chops.
It's hard to believe Gary Oldman didn't score an Oscar nomination until 2011 with the espionage
thriller "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Regardless, the nomination was well deserved. Oldman really
excelled at communicating so much interior life for his character within the intentionally
restrained ambiance of the feature. Famous for his enjoyably over-the-top displays of acting, "Tinker
Tailor Soldier Spy" reminded us all that Oldman could do extraordinary subdued work as well.
That same year, Oldman showed up as an antagonistic figure armed with a gigantic
metal elephant in "Red Riding Hood." The talented actor is no stranger to showing
up for supporting roles in schlocky genre fare, but "Red Riding Hood" is one of the most tedious
and forgettable movies in his career. A paint-by-numbers attempt to make a moody
"Twilight" knock-off with iconography lifted from the "Little Red Riding Hood" fairy tale,
"Red Riding Hood" is neither fun nor trashy enough to be worth a watch.
While some remember Robin Williams for his rapid-fire wit and skillful impressions,
an especially lasting quality of his career is his gift for warmth. Williams could exude an
inviting aura like nobody's business, and that trait was particularly apparent in his role as
Dr. Sean Maguire in "Good Will Hunting." In this film, Williams skillfully played a
man who could help withdrawn college students come out of their shells while simultaneously
conveying that his character was somebody struggling to let go of his own past. It
was a complicated role, but one to which Williams lent incredible authenticity and vulnerability.
The same year Williams was crushing it in "Good Will Hunting," he also anchored the
comedy dud "Fathers' Day" with Billy Crystal. One would imagine that pairing up Williams and
Crystal would have inevitably resulted in something memorable or amusing. But alas,
"Fathers' Day" is the worst kind of comedy: utterly forgettable. Even with
Williams sometimes putting too much energy into the film's big comedic set-pieces,
"Fathers' Day" was a snooze. While this feature has faded away from the public consciousness,
films like "Good Will Hunting" exemplify why Robin Williams won't be forgotten.
The idea of Amy Adams playing Lois Lane sounds like a great concept. Lois is a charming character
who has endured in pop culture for a reason, and the acting chops of Adams could lend her new
levels of depth. Rather than being overwhelmed by CGI mayhem or reduced to a cornball love interest,
an actor of her caliber had the potential to stand out and command the screen. 2013's "Man of Steel"
introduced Adams' Lois, giving fans plenty of reasons to look forward to more. Unfortunately,
the 2016 follow-up "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" offers Adams nothing of substance to
do. Her version of Lois Lane is saddled with a dreary detective storyline that feels extraneous
from the central Batman/Superman plotline. Worse, her exposition-heavy investigation
scenes never give Adams a chance to indulge in her greatest strengths as an artist.
Thankfully, eight months after "Dawn of Justice," audiences would see Adams in a
more substantive role as Louise Banks, the linguist who functions as the protagonist
of "Arrival." Adams is endlessly compelling in this part and provides a distinctly human
anchor to orient a plotline involving human beings trying to communicate with aliens.
"I will take that as a compliment." "Yeah well it is."
Before he became Captain America, Chris Evans was playing another Marvel Comics superhero: Johnny
Storm, aka The Human Torch. His second outing as the character came with "Fantastic Four: Rise of
the Silver Surfer," which attempted to work more of the weird cosmic elements from Fantastic Four
comics into the big screen version of Marvel's first family. Unfortunately, these ambitions just
resulted in an even more underwhelming movie than the already subpar 2005 "Fantastic Four"
feature. The interpretations of famous comic book characters like Galactus in "Rise of the
Silver Surfer" were terrible, and the film's broad attempts at comedy weren't much better.
That same year, Evans also headlined one of the very best works in his filmography: "Sunshine." A
Danny Boyle directorial effort anchored by Cillian Murphy, Evans got far meatier and atmospherically
interesting material to work with in "Sunshine." Not only that, but the project demonstrated his
gift for working well within ensemble casts — a trait that would suit him perfectly in later
motion pictures like "Snowpiercer," "Knives Out," and even his final two appearances as Captain
America. "Rise of the Silver Surfer" proved that not even the charm of Chris Evans could salvage
this ill-conceived vision of a superhero team. By contrast, "Sunshine" offered a glimpse into the
kind of talents Evans can express when he's given the room and some quality writing to work with.
In 2003, "Tiptoes" debuted on the American film festival scene, inspiring moviegoers everywhere
to ask where Matthew McConaughey and Gary Oldman were going in their leading man careers.
But Oldman and McConaughey weren't the only ones slumming it in this miscalculated motion picture;
Peter Dinklage was also in the cast of "Tiptoes." Sadly, not even the versatility and exceptional
talents of Dinklage were enough to lift this film out of the gutter. Decades after its release,
"Tiptoes" remains a pop culture punching bag and a low point for many of the actors involved.
That same year, Dinklage anchored the easygoing and quietly moving indie feature
"The Station Agent." A movie hailing from "Spotlight" director Tom McCarthy,
"The Station Agent" gave Dinklage ample room to play a fascinating protagonist with an
incredibly gruff exterior hiding complexities that ensure you can't turn away from him.
"You don't really say much do you?"
"Guess not." "Guess not."
Needless to say, Dinklage is remarkable in "The Station Agent," establishing the kind of quality
performances audiences would see him deliver countless times over the years to come. Since
"The Station Agent" garnered Dinklage considerable awards attention, it'd be easy to forget that,
the same year that this film was released, he was connected to a movie as despised as "Tiptoes."