best film: It’s tempting to forget Sean Penn is in The Tree of Life. That’s not a good sign for him in terms of his impact on the film’s masterpiece status. I think of Jessica Chastain, Brad Pitt and young Hunter McCracken. But Penn is in it—though it’s not a major feather in his cap and I can’t call it a cameo. I do think (at least after two viewings) it’s slightly better than The Thin Red Line which would be the next best Penn film. Penn’s work here in the gorgeous World War II epic is much more substantive and affecting. The Thin Red Line is an ensemble film but Penn’s contributions are second only to Jim Caviezel in the cast.
best performance: Mystic River. Penn is emotive and bombastic and he nails it. He has the posture of an ex-con, the anguish of an adoring father, and the stature and size of a crime boss. It’s a miraculous performance and deserving of the Oscar. It’s part of a wild 1-2 punch in 2003 for Penn with this and 21 Grams (excellent work in two of the best five films of the year—both so heavy).
stylistic innovations/traits: Penn has 21 films in the archives and counting, Two Oscar wins (MILK and Mystic River) and five nominations. However, it’s not his best film (Tree of Life) nor his best performance (Mystic River) that get him into the top 40 on this list. It’s the depth and variety. He’s in two Malick films, plays Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and chews the hell out of some scenery in two De Palma films (casualties of war, carlito’s way). He can do a chameleon-like disappearing act in a biopic (MILK) and carry a weaker Woody Allen archiveable film into the archives based on his performance almost single-handedly (Sweet and Lowdown). People hate Penn and performances like I Am Sam get some chuckles but he’s one hell of an actor. I also love how he doesn’t blink sitting across from great performances by Walken and Pacino in At Close Range or Carlito’s Way. Most actors, even good ones, would be getting their doors blown off.
directors worked with: Malick (2), De Palma (2), and then Woody Allen once along with Fincher, Stone, Van Sant, Eastwood and Iñárritu
Top 5 Performances:
- Mystic River
- The Thin Red Line
- Dead Man Walking
- MILK
- At Close Range
Archiveable films
| 1981- Taps |
| 1982- Fast Times at Ridgemont High |
| 1985- The Falcon and the Snowman |
| 1986- At Close Range |
| 1988- Colors |
| 1989- Casualties of War |
| 1990- State of Grace |
| 1993- Carlito’s Way |
| 1995- Dead Man Walking |
| 1997- The Game |
| 1997- U-Turn |
| 1998- Hurlyburly |
| 1998- The Thin Red Line |
| 1999- Sweet and Lowdown |
| 2000- Before Night Falls |
| 2001- I Am Sam |
| 2003- 21 Grams |
| 2003- Mystic River |
| 2004- The Assassination of Richard Nixon |
| 2008- Milk |
| 2011- The Tree of Life |
Is 21 grams his 6th best performance?
@Janith- yes- that would be 6th for me. Carlito’s Way is right there, too.
What do you think of Jim Caviezel’s performance in the thin red line. I thought it was a masterclass in acting.
@Dukr– thanks for the comment and visit to the site- Jim Caviezel is fantastic. He’s not alone in that film, right? I think Sean Penn and Nick Nolte in particular are superb.
I’ve watched somewhat recently Dead Man Walking (1995) along with Carlito’s Way (1993), Milk (2008) and The Thin Red Line (1998). It’s truly hard to believe that these 4 roles were played by the same guy and its made me wonder, in terms of pure talent is Sean Penn top 10 all time? I’m not talking about his overall resume although its extremely impressive.
@James Trapp- I’m a big admirer of Penn. For years in the 2000s it felt like it was him and Day Lewis sort of dueling it out
@Drake now that you are much higher on Carlito’s Way (HR/MS), surely Penn’s performance in it cracks his top 5 best performances?
@Harry- Some tough choices coming up here. That’s a very strong top seven with these five Carlito and 21 Grams.
@Harry – Curious to hear Drake’s take but I’ll throw in my 2 cents
1. Mystic River
2. Dead Man Walking
3. Milk
4. Carlito’s Way
5. The Thin Red Line