Top 200 Greatest Movie Performances of All Time

The list of the "200 Greatest Movie Performances of All Time" was released today by TotalFilm British Magazine.  Here are the top 10:

10.  Liam Neeson - Schindler's List
9.    Paul Newman - The Hustler
8.    Jane Fonda - Klute
7.    Denzel Washington - Malcolm X
6.    Marlon Brando - On the Waterfront
5.    Emily Watson - Breaking the Waves
4.    Al Pacino - the Godfather Part 2
3.   Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will be Blood
2.   Robert DeNiro - Raging Bull
and
1.   Jack Nicholson as RP McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

So what do you think so far?  My first question was:  Where's Meryl?  Well, she somehow ended up at No. 11 for Sophie's Choice.  Hmph.

I have only seen 5 of those 10 so I can't say a whole lot, but I wouldn't have complained if Daniel Day-Lewis vied for number 2 or 1 because his role as Daniel Plainview  was the movie.  He was mesmerizing.

Here's the second lot of ten:

11.  Meryl Streep - Sophie's Choice
12.  Gene Hackman - The Conversation
13.  Michael Caine - Get Carter
14.  James Stewart - Vertigo
15.  Tom Cruise - Magnolia
16.  Jodie Foster - The Accused
17.  Sylvester Stallone - Rocky
18.  Hilary Swank - Boys Don't Cry
19.  Peter O'Toole - Lawrence of Arabia
20.  Bette Davis - All About Eve

My second question was:  Where's Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch?  Can you believe...number 81!  What?  and Tom Cruise at number 15?  Where's Tom Hanks?

When I looked at the whole 200 on the list, almost everyone who has been around in the business for more than 30 years is on there for one role or another. So that kept me happy enough.  The youngest of the lot I believe is Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone coming in at number 30-something.  A few times I thought of a different movie than what was chosen for a particular actor, like Rain Man for Dustin Hoffman instead of the Graduate, or Cool Hand Luke instead of the Hustler for Paul Newman.

There were a few that didn't make it on the list at all...Ernest Borgnine (Marty), Sally Field (Norma Rae), Bruce Willis (Die Hard) (hey, even Hugh Jackman came in at no. 129 for Wolverine) and Robin Williams for Mrs. Doubtfire (or Good Morning Vietnam).

And the shocker of the whole list was #197... Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.  Huh? Over BBC's Jennifer Ehle? I don't think so!  I have a list of several ladies I could think of that weren't mentioned that could easily take that spot:  Glenn Close (who changed the whole culture of infidelity in Fatal Attraction), Judy Dench (who else can play "M" in Bond?) Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl).  I'd even choose Joel Haley Osment who saw dead people over Keira Knightly.

Well, here's the whole list.  See what you think and then Let's talk Movies and don't forget the popcorn!