Top Ten List: Best Actor 2010

10. Casey Affleck in The Killer Inside Me - I will fully admit that 2010 was not a strong year for lead male performances, in my opinion. If there are better performances out there, I didn't see them. That's why a performance from one of the worst films I saw this year manages to creep into my top ten. This movie is over dramatic and pretty awful but Affleck manages to be creepy and charming at the same time, delivering a slimy portrayal of an out of control man.

09. Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer - Again, in a better year, McGregor wouldn't get into my top ten, but this year he manages to do that. His performance as the titular ghost writer is very subtle and manages to uplift a film that might have been a whole lot of cliches had it been in lesser hands.

08. Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs - Gyllenhaal has been better (Brokeback Mountain, for example) but he is still stellar here as a playboy young man who flirts with every girl to get what he wants. Until, of course, he meets the one girl not influenced by his charming ways. Then he turns from cad into lovesick boyfriend with ease. He's very, very good, and very, very nude!

07. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Let Me In - In the remake that I thought was better than the original, Smit-McPhee stars as a bullied young boy who finds comfort in the friendship of his new mysterious neighbor who only comes out at night and never wears shoes. After last year's The Road and now this, Smit-McPhee is definitely someone to look out for in the future.

06. Michael Nyqvist in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - It's a tough job as an actor to have your character be accused of something in the very first scene but still manage to be likeable. That's the case here, when Nyqvist's character is convicted of slander and sentenced to prison within seconds. While his character is not buzzed about, he still demands the screen, becoming sympathetic although he does a lot of questionable things throughout the film. His subtlety, matched with the fierceness of Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth, is perfect.

05. Ben Affleck in The Town - A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a movie called Gone Baby Gone. I remember saying then that Ben should quit acting and focus on directing since he is so much better at the latter. I take it back. Affleck is fantastic in The Town (it's also directed damn well, also). In a movie with powerhouse acting performances, Affleck manages to never let you forget that there was a time he was THE leading man in Hollywood. He seems to be more careful with the roles he chooses these days, and that means he's just getting better.

04. Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter - Although this is very much CHRISTIAN BALE'S MOVIE, Wahlberg manages to shine as well. I've never been a fan of his dramatic work. I think Wahlberg is a damn good comedic actor (see: I Heart Huckabees, i.e., the performance of his career), but he also proves me wrong here. His Micky Ward is so torn in his alliances, and you see that pain in his face at all times. He just wants to make it as a boxer and be loyal to his family and he plays that internal struggle so perfectly well.

03. Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception
02. Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island - So, maybe not so much of a stretch. In one, he plays a U.S. Marshall with a dead wife who still haunts him. In the other, he plays a theif with a dead wife who still haunts him. But, come on, whether you still hold the whole "pretty boy / Titanic" thing against him or not, you have to admit that DiCaprio has been one of the best actors around for at least the last decade. This year, he gave us a sublime one-two punch of great performances, each nuanced and intense. You literally can't take your eyes off him when he's on screen, and, really, who would want to? He is long, long, long overdue for an Oscar!

01. Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network - Is Mark Zuckerberg a huge asshole? Or is he just a geek-genius who is uncomfortable in social situations? Because of Eisenberg's complicated, perfect, mysterious performance, we really have no idea. Not only did Eisenberg give the second best performance of the entire year, but also he was involved with the best acting ensemble of the year (and every single one of them was under 30!!). I've been a fan of his since The Squid and the Whale, but all of his previous film work pales in comparison to what he does in this film. Maybe it's director David Fincher pulling the best out of him, or just that amazing script, but Eisenberg shines. He strips away his constant neurosis and adorableness and disappears into a cold, determined genius who will stop at nothing to create the defining creation of the 21st century. A perfect performance in a perfect film.

Tomorrow - Best films!