Friday Top Five: Kevin Spacey

So, last week, Friday sort of came and went and I was unaware it was even Friday until the day was nearly over. I guess it's a good problem to have (that my work week went so quickly) but also, it's the perils of working 60 hours a week. Time flies when you are having fun, ha! Anyway, this week, I am focusing on the best roles of Kevin Spacey, mostly because I just finished watching House of Cards (which I super highly recommend, if only for Corey Stoll) but also because I can't think of another topic!

05. David Gale in The Life of David Gale (Alan Parker, 2003)
I know this movie is a tad heavy handed and may play at times like a Lifetime movie of the week, but I also have a pretty huge soft spot for it. Of course, it's much tighter and better executed than any Lifetime movie, and the performances alone are worth watching for. Spacey is compelling as the brilliant but flawed professor who is an activist against capital punishment only to find himself on death row for murdering a friend.
Best Quote: "Fantasies have to be unrealistic. Because the minute- the second- that you get what you want, you don't- you can't- want it anymore."

04. Lester Burnham in American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999)
Spacey had a string of roles in the mid to late 90's which was just perfection after perfection. And this Oscar winning role was seemingly the culmination of all those great character actor pieces he had been doing for a decade. Spacey impeccably plays Lester as a sort of loser who is treated badly by everyone in his life, who has a bit of a mid-life crisis and immediately becomes anything but a loser. He's brilliant in this movie, in every sense of the word.
Best Quote: "You don't get to tell me what to do ever again."

03. John Doe in Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
First of all, Fincher is probably my favorite director of all time, so I may not exactly see the flaws which are in his films. But, to me, Se7en is a pure psychological masterpiece and the best part of this amazing film is Spacey's completely calm and stoic serial killer who is seemingly unperturbed by the absolute chaos he is causing all around him. Spacey is terrifying and frightening and, also, kind of funny. And, of course, that ending may seem trite now (what with all the rip offs and jokes made about it still today) but at the time, it was the best ending, you guys. The best!
Best Quote: "You will accept my apology, won't you? I feel like saying more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise."

02. Mickey in Hurlyburly (Anthony Drazan, 1998)
If you are someone who is interested in acting in film, you should probably watch Hurlyburly immediately as it is a masterclass, of sorts, featuring two tour de force performances from Spacey and his co-star Sean Penn. Both of these men absolutely kill it in this tail of drugs and Hollywood and backstabbing. The performances from Penn and Spacey are absolutely intense in every sense of the word, and while this movie's super dark tone may not be for everyone, the performances certainly are.
Best Quote: "Did I fuck... Darlene? (picks up phone) Last night?"

01. Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995)
Was there every any doubt that this would be number 1? Spacey plays everyone in this movie, his friends, the detectives and, most importantly, the audience. We are on this wild ride with his impaired character, trusting his every word, his version of events, completely unaware that he is drawing you in just to spit you out. Even now, even if you know the ending and you've seen the movie a dozen times and you know what's coming, even know that ending still gets you. This movie is so perfectly crafted from beginning to end and Spacey's Oscar winning performance is just the cherry on top.
Best Quote: "Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone."