2012 brought with it some fantastic films, in some ways, far deeper in number and caliber than its preceding year. And so, the decisions for The Best Performances of the Year, and among those, the winners of the Golden Chalice, were especially trying. Yet, this is the type of problem those cinema aficionados long for.
Below you will find those impressive performances divided by male and female performances (although the distinction between supporting or lead is not part of the criteria.) You can see last year’s winners (2011).
Best Female Performances of 2012
Amy Adams as Peggy Dodd (The Master)
“…Adams also elevates her game in this film. A notable, highly regarded actress prior to this film, here she delivers a frightening performance, giving audiences a sense for the depth of her talent, like a cinematic iceberg with more underneath 
than meets the eye. She is cold and controlled, coolly managing the scenes around her with effortless and unstoppable resolve.”
It is the cold and control that Adams employs to bring this character to life that are truly remarkable. Dodd is a silent, menacing villain, calculating, cruel, and singularly determined. Despite living in a man’s world, supposedly at the whim of her husband, it is Ms. Dodd who sees and controls everything in her world. This is the strongest, most nuanced performance to date from an actress who only provides us with strong performances. (See Full Review)
Helen Hunt as Cheryl (The Sessions)
“…Helen Hunt: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? At every moment in this performance, at every syllable, every cringe, every expression, every tear, every smile she is better than most. She is flawless and manages a stirring confidence that transcends her role in the film, forcing audiences to consider her on a meta-level, reminded with every breath that she won an Oscar standing up to Jack Nicholson. And with a character as nuanced and subtle as Cheryl, accompanied by her daring nudity, she may be even better.”
Hunt is perfect in the film, delivering a vulnerability juxtaposed with stunning strength and confidence simply not present in the arsenal of most actresses. She is a force on screen, strikingly likable yet infinitely complex, and not a moment goes by that audiences will sit, awe-struck by the depth of her delivery. (See Full Review)
Emmanuelle Riva as Anne (Amour)
“…And Riva is brilliant, certainly one of the more tragic and trying performances of the year, possibly the decade. The complexity of her agony,
the nuances of her expressions, the impact of her silence and the depth within her eyes are weapons she uses to deliver a memorable character that will haunt audiences long after the film ends..”
This is one of the more powerfully understated roles this year and perhaps this decade. Riva fills Anne with a witty, soulful strength in the earlier parts of the film that contrasts painfully with the latter, where she is falling into disrepair, where the agony of the future that awaits her is ever-looming. At every moment her pain shows through her eyes and every tragic scene reveals more of her range and power as an actress. (See Full Review)
Annie Hathaway as Fantine (Les Misérables)
“…Only Hathaway can stand before such a performance and cast doubt upon it. While Fantine is lamentably in comparatively little of the film, Hathaway is a gale-force wind on screen. Every movement calculated, every expression measured, every agonizing tear controlled with fragility, grace, and unmistakable realism. And her rendition of “I Dream a Dream” is flawless, a stunning testament to her talent, and her ability to interpret the song -a dark, chilling, monstrous masterpiece about Hope’s demise- perfectly….”
It is quite an actress that can take only a relative few moments on screen and turn them into the most powerful and memorable of the film, and perhaps the year. Hathaway is no stranger to accolades, but it is her gradual yet also somewhat sudden on-screen transformation from timid worker to ruined woman and all the unleashed emotion that this entails, that really drives home to the strength of her performance. It is no wonder she has been unstoppable in awards contention. (See Full Review)
Nicole Kidman as Charlotte Bless (The Paperboy)
“…Kidman manages to seem both alluring and revolting in the same moment, delivering a performance that is as intoxicating as it is suffocating.
She is beautiful and profoundly sad and self-destructive and we can feel the cold of her demise pulling her away..”
A largely overlooked performance, Kidman as Charlotte is a confused, frightened but also deliberate character. There is a desperate darkness that haunts her in every scene and yet Kidman delivers each motive, each weakness, each sad, lost moment with stunning reality. (See Full Review)
Honorable Mention – Female Performances
Jessica Chastain as Maya (Zero Dark Thirty)
Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany (Silver Linings Playbook)
Jackie Weaver as Dolores (Silver Linings Playbook)
Best Male Performances of 2012
Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell (The Master)
“Phoenix delivers not only THE best performance of his career, but a transformative one, using every aspect of his talent to cogently produce both a monster and a man, two equal but opposing forces that are in eternal struggle. His physical transformation
followed by his consistent mannerisms, laughter, and line delivery tell us more about this character than we could ever dream.”
At many points in this film, Phoenix is unrecognizable, his body altered, his expressions distorted. Moment after moment, like a wrecking ball perpetually hurtling towards its wall, Quell is unsettling to watch, putting audiences forever on edge as they observe the damaged, ruined being before them. Phoenix delivers flawlessly throughout and his fearless performance elevates an already powerful film to new heights. (See Full Review)
Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker (Flight)
“The acting in this film is top flight, leading from Washington in what will no doubt become a signature performance. He is real, vulnerable, and damaged in a manner so effectively displayed that it harkens back to his turn as belligerent slave in Glory. He is the core of this film and at no point is there any doubt that a performance masterpiece is taking hold before audience eyes.”
Puns aside, Washington brings his full talent to the table as the self-destructive Whitaker, a man who performed a miracle just as easily as he endangered more than a hundred lives. He is reckless and lost, crushed by his own demons, his regrets, and a level of drug addiction and alcoholism that might make traffickers concerned. It is the darkness and vulnerability with which Washington juxtaposes pure heroism and likability that lift this performance. (See Full Review)
Javier Bardem as Silva (Skyfall)
“…Of course, despite this casting cornucopia, the real star in this film is Bardem. He delivers one of the more intriguing villains of all time in 
Silva. His slithering nature on screen, his quips, his facial expressions and gestures come together masterfully – it is impossible, I contend, for anyone to take their eyes off this character and not be thrilled by his decadent evil. The only thing missing would have been a white-haired feline and a prominent scar to remind us more of the past while also so effectively inhabiting the present..”
It is rare that an actor can both strike fear in the hearts of observers and still also entertain them. Bardem constructs a perfect villain in general, and perhaps even more so as a Bond villain, capturing the creepy charisma known to the species, while also making him terrifying in all the right ways. He is more than simply a match for Bond, he is a stunning nemesis, always a step ahead, ruthless and cunning as he is troubled and hilarious. And he manages to be more than just evil; he is a deeply betrayed man whose spirit was so crushed that rather than wither, he survived but on the venomous yoke of vengeance. Brilliant to watch again and again. (See Full Review)
Bradley Cooper as Pat (Silver Linings Playbook)
“…Cooper delivers one of his best performances of his career, somehow both endearing and painfully frustrating. While there is still somehow Bradley Cooper in the character, his ability to create such a nuanced persona is a testament to his tremendous talent.”
Cooper is edgy, aggressive, pathetic and lovable at every turn. The complexity of the deep emotional issues he experiences cannot be undersold, and yet Cooper never falters, providing audiences with a sad and hysterical show. Despite an all-star cast, Cooper helms the show throughout. (See Full Review)
Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean (Les Misérables)
“…Jackman, it must be said, delivers one of the most powerful performances of the year, by far. He takes daring risks with his character, allows 
himself to be transformed over and over again from vile destitute to upstanding gentleman to war participant. He pushes the envelope consistently and it is impossible to look away as Jackman delivers a truly stunning, raw performance…”
It is the depths to which Jackman goes to demonstrate such range of emotion and for such a long film that is the first of many points that must be understood about his performance. He evolves as a character yet at every turn manages nuanced forms of continued catharsis. His trajectory is the backbone of the film and his talent shines from moment one. (See Full Review)
Honorable Mention – Male Performances
Jean-Louis Trintignant as Georges (Amour)
John Hawkes as Mark O’Brien (The Sessions)
Dwight Henry as Wink (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
1. Whiplash
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