My Top 5 Cinematic Performances By James Gandolfini

This weekend saw the release of The Drop in UK cinemas, a Brooklyn based crime thriller that stars Tom Hardy & is penned by Dennis Lehane. It’s certainly not a bad film, but neither is it a very good one. Lehane’s narrative plods along at a pace that always burns slow but rarely bright, and Hardy seems to be subdued for the most part. What it does have in its favor though, apart from the eminently atmospheric setting, is a superb turn from James Gandolfini. Being the final film he completed before his untimely death last year, this is your last chance to see the genius of Gandolfini on the big screen; now that’s an offer you can’t refuse!

Upon leaving my screening at the weekend, I was once more found myself I awe of Gandolfini’s incredible acting abilities, and dejected at the idea that I would no longer be able to experience his range in the cinema again. Thankfully, despite only having a relatively short screen career, Gandolfini has left behind an enormous body of work to be reveled in for eternity. And here, as a final goodbye to the late, great Gandolfini, I have listed the five cinematic performances of his that I will always carry close to my heart.

1: as Albert in Enough Said

For many, James Gandolfini was, and will continue to be, the contemporary embodiment of the archetypal gangster, which is perhaps why his nuanced performance in the superbly subtle Enough Said felt so special to all those who were fans. Here Gandolfini exuded the charm of a gentle giant that bathed this subversive rom-com in eternal warmth. Displaying a regularly unseen shy & sensitive demeanor, Gandolfini’s Albert was worlds away from the aggressive gangster characters the actor was typecast as for much of his career, and there’s a sheer joy in seeing such a different side to this prolific performer.

2: as Virgil in True Romance

Playing the vicious & violent Virgil wasn’t Gandolfini’s first screen role, but it was the one that made his name. It’s the complete antithesis of Albert; here Gandolfini radiates a menacing aura from the moment here appears on the screen. When we first find him waiting for Patricia Arquette in her motel room, a shotgun on his hand and The Shirelles playing on the stereo, the sense of dread it immediately evokes is almost unbearable. But it does nothing to cushion the impact of just how ferocious Virgil becomes as he proceeds to beat and batter Arquette’s Alabama to within an inch of her life. From this truly terrifying tour de force of acting, the modern mobster was born.

3: as Lt. Gen. George Millar in In The Loop

Guided by the assured hand of director of Armando Iannucci, Gandolfini here delivers a perfect illustration of his acting range. His performance as Lt. Gen. George Millar is laced with a simmering wit, but throughout his persona bubbles with aggression. The scene that perfectly encapsulates this, of course, is Millar’s confrontation with Peter Capaldi’s scheming & sweary Scot Malcolm Tucker. It’s a short conversation that’s full of memorable moments, but the talents of Gandolfini are epitomised in the final shot, as Millar becomes overcome with confusion at being told by Tucker to never call him “fucking English again”.

4: as Carol in Where The Wild Things Are

It may not be a physical performance, but that doesn’t stop Gandolfini from being a commanding screen presence in Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved childhood novel.  It’s a gorgeous use of his vocal tones, which compounds aggression with emotion. And through it Gandolfini superbly manages to convey Carol’s distinguishably impulsive & imaginative characteristics, fuelling the film’s wildly inventive personality.

5: as Mickey in Killing Them Softly

Given how well known he was for playing Tony Soprano for so many years, it’s not much of a surprise to find him inhabiting many other gangster roles in the later part of his career. Mickey is arguably the most substantial and certainly the most effective of the bunch. Gandolfini is a bold & bitter presence as a hit man who let the greed of his formative years get to his head, and now finds himself wallowing in a pool of self-pity. Flexing his more muted acting muscles, it’s a role that’s far removed from Tony Soprano.

So there we have it, my top five cinematic performances by James Gandolfini. But which ones have I left out, which ones do you believe deserve to be on this list, and are there any I have included that you don’t agree with? As ever, leave your remarks in the comments section. And then be sure to check out my full review of The Drop over on the Culturefly website!

My Top 5 Posthumous Performances

As I’m sure you’re aware, Anton Corbijn’s A Most Wanted Man has just been released in cinemas (check out my full review here). It’s a taut & intellectual thriller, which weaves a tightly woven narrative with wider observations on the interagency feuds that bubble beneath the surface of the War on Terror. Central to it all is Günther Bachmann, played with complete assurance by the recently passed Philip Seymour Hoffman. It’s a superb swansong for the actor, a fitting epitaph to his talents, and a timely reminder of how commanding and versatile he could be on the screen.

Following the film, I began to wonder what other actors had given performances that so perfectly encapsulated their talents, only for the film to be released posthumously. Though the list below is in no way definitive, here are what I consider to be the best posthumous performances I have seen.

1: James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause

James Dean will forever be the epitome of adolescent cool. Though it was his performance as the troubled Cal Trask in East of Eden that caught everyone’s attention (and earned him a posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Actor), it was as the rebellious teenager Jim Stark that he truly cemented his image. His performance was magnificently multilayered; imbued with charm & charisma, but belied with deep-rooted pain. Sadly, Dean died in a car accident a month before the film’s release, and was tragically never able to see how much of a star he would become. 

2: Oliver Reed in Gladiator

Reed was still shooting Gladiator when he suffered a fatal heart attack. It was a colossally big loss to the acting world, and one that became all the more tragic when it was revealed just how superb his final performance was. As slave trader Proximo, Reed brought depth and humanity to what is a conventionally antagonistic role. Thankfully, director Ridley Scott was able to complete the film thanks to some exceptional CGI trickery, allowing us to bask once more in Reed’s incredible range.

3: James Gandolfini in Enough Said

Thanks to his extraordinary turn as Tony Soprano in the HBO’s televisual juggernaut The Sopranos, James Gandolfini will always be remembered as a quintessential screen mobster. Which is perhaps why his nuanced performance in the superbly subtle Enough Said felt so special to all those who were fans. Here Gandolfini exuded the charm of a gentle giant that bathed this subversive rom-com in eternal warmth. Though there is still one more gangster performance to be seen, in the soon to be released The Drop, it is here that Gandolfini proved his ability to surprise the audience and subvert his image.

4: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

The shock left in the wake of Heath Ledger’s death reverberated around the world. Though you could never call him a real star, his talents were unprecedented. He oozed charm & sex appeal in A Knight’s Tale, and painted a poignant portrait of forbidden love in Brokeback Mountain. It is as The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight that he will predominately be remembered for though, and justly so. He radiated an unending amount of menace as Batman’s greatest foe, forever defining the role in his own image.

5: Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon

Bruce Lee had already proven himself to be an enthralling screen presence in various martial arts films, but it is his starring role in Enter The Dragon that he is still remembered for. Sadly, Lee never got to see himself become a global sensation, having died shortly before the film’s release. On the screen he’s a magnetic presence, who constantly dazzles us with his incredible gymnastic abilities. The final mirror fight scene remains one of cinema’s finest fight scenes.

So there we have it, my top five posthumous performances. But which ones have I left out, which ones do you believe deserve to be on this list, and are there any I have included that you don’t agree with? As ever, leave your remarks in the comments section.