Welcome to the 2021 SiftPop.com Sifties!
This year, the SiftPop writers came together to nominate five performances for Best Performance. Unlike the Oscars and other major awards shows, we didn’t differentiate between lead and supporting performances or between actors and actresses. This is simply a countdown of the five best performances that we collectively saw!
2021 was another year of great performances at the movies. Between unconventional biopics, historical dramas, and straight up great performances in original films, there was a wide variety to appreciate. The SiftPop crew nominated five performers for Best Performance: Andrew Garfield in tick, tick… BOOM!, Nicolas Cage in Pig, Jodie Comer in The Last Duel, Anthony Hopkins in The Father, and Kristen Stewart in Spencer. Here’s how the voting played out:
8.7% of votes
In a movie whose premise makes it seem like it will be Nicolas Cage’s turn to do a past-his-prime action movie in the manner of Liam Neeson or Keanu Reeves, Cage actually gives one of the most touching, subdued, and internal performances of the entire year. So much of Cage’s performance is under the surface as he is mourning the death of his wife and the loss of his prized truffle pig. Through this, he’s able to deliver a heartbreaking, yet hopeful performance that includes one of the best line deliveries of the year with, “We don’t get a lot of things to really care about.”
13% of votes
In a time when so many biopics can come across as a performer doing an extended impression of the subject, Kristen Stewart went in a completely different direction for her turn as Princess Diana. Stewart is simply otherworldly in the role, and the way she portrays Diana in Pablo Larraín’s masterpiece isn’t intended to be an impression, but rather captures the feelings and ideas that Larraín is going for. It’s an incredibly diverse performance where much of it appears under the surface, but at the same time, Stewart has a few scenes that are perfect for her Oscar clip along the way.
17.4% of votes
There are many reasons to watch The Last Duel: the importance of this story about sexual abuse, the Rashomon style of storytelling, the absolutely gorgeous sets and costumes, the cinematography, and above all the performances. When you have a movie starring Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon you know you’re in for a spectacular show, but the standout here is absolutely Jodie Comer. In the role of Marguerite, Comer brilliantly portrays a woman who is sexually assaulted and is trying desperately to get other people to believe her. The Last Duel really needed a performer who could portray a woman falling in love, a woman slowly resenting her husband, a woman who could demonstrate the immediate panic, and someone who could show the frustrations of constant harassment on many forms after accusing her assailant. Jodie Comer delivers on every front.
21.7% of votes
Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for The Father at last year’s ceremony for good reason. With a stacked career full of incredible performances, it really says something that The Father is Hopkins’ best work, and it will be very hard to top it. In the film, Hopkins brilliantly portrays a man who is suffering from dementia, and his world around him crumbles as his mind continues to deteriorate. This film works precisely because of Hopkins’ performance, as he makes us buy into the lunacy and confusion that we are supposed to experience. Most of us have experiences of loved ones in the same position with dementia, and The Father, in large part due to this performance, gives us a chance to see that experience from the other side.
39.1% of votes
Andrew Garfield has long been an under appreciated actor in Hollywood, likely thanks to his turn as Spider-Man being a famous disaster. But he’s given great performances in a good number of movies now, and tick, tick… BOOM! just might be his best. He plays Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent, and shows off his newfound singing and piano skills, making it seem like he’s been at it for years. His unapologetic and unafraid performance is what holds the film together — amidst all the singing, he’s still capital A acting, and that’s what drives home the film’s ultimate themes and emotions, giving him the Siftie for Best Performance!
Check out the winners of Best Audio Experience and Best Visual Experience, and check back tomorrow for the winner of Best Movie!