Oscars 2015: Best Actors in Their Worst Films

Marion Cotillard – A Good Year

(nominated for Two Days, One Night)

When I think of Marion Cotillard, I first think of “Inception.” But despite her role in the sci-fi epic and Oscar nomination for “Two Days, One Night,” Cotillard let one slip past us with the film “A Good Year.”

Although it seemed like a film showcasing the European countryside, “A Good Year” turned into a film showcasing the bad quips and derailed dialogue of Russell Crowe. I would call it the male version of “Under the Tuscan Sun” but without substance. Marion Cotillard of course played Crowe’s love interest but it is difficult to knock her performance, instead we’ll just call her guilty by association. The film was more of “The Russell Crowe Show” anyways so little room was left for any other actor/actress to make their way into the spotlight.

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Fifth Estate

(nominated for “The Imitation Game”)

Benedict Cumberbatch is currently a go to man in Hollywood and it’s not surprising. He’s a great actor and given the “freshness” of his career, it’s hard to find a film that he wasn’t good in but “The Fifth Estate” was a considerably bad film. While Cumberbatch still gave a more than adequate performance as Julian Assange, the film was essentially a let down at the box office with a plot that seemed to drag out.

It is tough to find something on Benedict Cumberbatch that can be deemed as just awful. Given that he is such a new face and has a smaller film list on his repertoire, there aren’t many bad ones to choose from. While the inclusion of “The Fifth Estate” is not a testament against his performance as Julian Assange, the film was a failure at the box office and poorly received among critics. Much of the film was long-winded and boring if you weren’t knowledgeable about the subject matter, but despite an adequate performance, this film is still considered a failure for Benedict Cumberbatch.

Julianne Moore – Next

(won Best Actress for “Still Alice”)

“Next” was a Nicolas Cage film…need I say more? That used to hold some clout but given his recent list of films, being in a Nicolas Cage film is not a good thing, even if you’re Julianne Moore.

Julianne Moore played a FBI agent that teams up with Nicolas Cage and his unique ability to see into the near future. While the plot seems like it could make an intriguing sci-fi flick, “Next” was filled with poor dialogue, an uneventful storyline, and of course…Nicolas Cage.

Felicity Jones – The Tempest

(nominated for The Theory of Everything)

Felicity Jones is still a very fresh actress. Much like Benedict Cumberbatch, she has a short film list but even Shakespeare couldn’t save her from the horrible adaptation of “The Tempest.” While her performance wasn’t necessarily bad, the film probably had Shakespeare turning in his grave.

While “The Tempest” had the potential to be interesting it lacked any engaging content and everyone suffered that was a part of this film. Felicity Jones’ performance wasn’t necessarily bad, but like the film it lacked any kind of passion which was far different from her role in “The Theory of Everything.”