Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge” (Summit Entertainment)
Sit through director Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” and it’s clear no other actor could play World War II hero Desmond T. Doss as astutely as Garfield. The “Social Network” and “Amazing Spider-Man” star turns in the best performance of his career—and it’s one of 2016’s standouts.
Doss was the first-ever conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor after saving dozens of his comrades on the titular battlefield. All the while, he refused to bear arms as a medic, citing his strict religious beliefs. While times of war bring out the worst, most primal behavior in men, Doss is a hero who stands by his convictions, keeps his faith, and doggedly sees good in the world, even in the face of violence and death. There’s hardly a moment in all of “Hacksaw Ridge” when Garfield, who fully embodies Doss’ unerring devotion and loveable aloofness, doesn’t have a smile slapped on his face. Watching him fall in love with Teresa Palmer’s Dorothy is especially touching. Then, when the going gets impossibly tough through the trials of training and warfare, Garfield sets his shoulders straight and steels his gaze, precisely hitting all the most dramatic notes with understated yet devastating strength. —Benjamin Lindsay
Nate Parker, “The Birth of a Nation” (20th Century Fox)
Bringing a little-known but controversial figure of American history to the silver screen comes with its own specific set of difficulties. But where for most actors the challenge would have begun with delving into the film’s script, for Parker, as lead actor, director, producer, and co-writer, the preparation began eight years prior to the film’s release. After countless hours of in-depth research on Nat Turner, the Virginia preacher who led the most successful slave revolt in history, and countless more sketching him out on the page, the effort culminates in a gripping performance from Parker that captures the man behind the legend.
Parker visually measures his character’s gradual shift from peaceful man of God’s word to one who exacts his wrath. The actor’s onscreen portrayal embodies a demeanor that is initially docile, underlined by downward-facing gazes and hushed tones. But as the film unfolds, his presence evolves from one of insidious rebellion to one that unabashedly incites vengeance on the unforgivable. It’s a stark difference that packs a wallop in the film’s final scenes.
While controversy over a rape accusation against Parker have marred the film and the actor’s previously guaranteed standing in the awards season race, the film garnered critical acclaim and Sundance’s highest honors—the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize—making “The Birth of a Nation” and its resonance with filmgoers undeniable. —Briana Rodriguez
Miles Teller, “Bleed for This” (Open Road Films)
Teller takes on a new type of role in this Open Road biopic about one of the boxing world’s greatest comebacks. Starring as Vinny “the Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza, the actor, who first broke onto the scene with his explosive performance in “Whiplash,” brings the same kinetic energy to this awards season contender. Based on the true story of a renowned fighter who suffered a broken neck in a car accident and went on to box again, Teller wonderfully captures Paz’s relentless power, reckless attitude, and Rhode Island accent. The role lends itself to Teller’s knack for comedic timing as well as his skill at building an undeniable onscreen chemistry with his co-stars. Setting aside the part’s physical demands (Teller trained for months to look like a professional boxer), the actor’s commitment to the role is apparent in his attention to minute details only Pazienza could provide, like playing out the mechanics of moving on a bench press with a halo brace on. He delivers with acting acumen that compels. —BR
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