Best Performance in Killing Them Softly

[QUENTIN]

So whether you liked it, loved it, or hated it, most of you will have seen Killing Them Softly by the end of this week (it's right up this board's alley if you haven't) and I'm sure everyone agrees that at the least it's an incredibly well-acted film from a great ensemble cast.

With so many stand out performances, I'm curious who you think outshone the rest.

[Gordon]

It's been about a month since I've seen it, so it's by no means fresh in my mind. But the scenes that still stick in my mind are James Gandolfini's. He manages to display a much fuller character than anyone else in the movie -- he's the only character that really feels like a full human being. For Gandolfini to pull of his performance you have to see both who he was and who he is now and I think you get a real sense of that.

[Bourne101]

It's a tough choice on the best performance. Gandolfini is fantastic, but his scenes were almost too bleak for me to watch (about 8 walkouts during the hotel scene, no joke). I think I'm going to go with Scoot McNairy, who I felt stole the show.

Everyone is great though.

[Hucksta G]

Gotta go with Mendelsohn

[SpikeDurden]

I chose Scoot, even if someone cleverly pointed out that he's basically doing a Casey Affleck impression.

[ilovemovies]

Nobody really. There really isn't any standout performance. Nobody is bad, but I didn't really give two shits about any of these characters and I really didn't like the movie at all. I suppose I went with McNairy since he was the only semi sympathetic character in the movie. But even he I really didn't care much at all.

[Lazy Boy]

James Gandolfini

One of those great extended cameo, William Hurt in History of Violence type roles where he's in and out but creates a fully realized character and world that I was sad to see him go. The buildup to "New York" Mickey as some big shot killer, only to have expectations subverted and have him grouse and booze and fuck and basically be a sad shell of a man.

[echo_bravo]

I'll go with Pitt because his character was almost as cool as Tyler Durden.