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Gary Oldman
ACTOR FILMOGRAPHY (ONLY REVIEWED ENTRIES)
FILMMAKER FILMOGRAPHY (ONLY REVIEWED ENTRIES)
Oldman made a name for himself in a number of British productions during the 1980s, notably films like Sid and Nancy, Prick Up Your Ears and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. He showed great promise early on, but it wasn’t until the early 1990s – when he began to appear in a number of high-profile, intensely crafted character roles – that he truly came into his own. For a period of 6-7 years, Oldman had the rare ability to elevate almost any film he participated in. Many of these were already high-quality productions, but even when they weren’t, Oldman’s presence alone could ensure that they would be. In the mafia drama State of Grace (1990), he impressed opposite Sean Penn and Ed Harris, before bringing Lee Harvey Oswald to the screen with an unforgettable intensity in Oliver Stone’s biopic JFK. But it was between 1992 and 1994 that Oldman delivered a string of distinctive, explosive, and utterly captivating performances that perhaps only Marlon Brando in his 1950s prime could have rivalled. Oldman's seductive, chameleonic turn in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) was followed by his bravura portrayal of faux-black-guy Drexl Spivey in True Romance, before he stunned again as a tormented Ludwig van Beethoven in Immortal Beloved. Oldman was also riveting in Romeo Is Bleeding before delivering one of the most iconic villains in cinema history in Luc Besson's magnificent Léon. By the late 1990s, Oldman was no longer as prolific or groundbreaking as he had been, but no actor could be expected to maintain such a peak indefinitely. He continued to divide his time between large-scale Hollywood productions and smaller independent films. A testament to Oldman's multifaceted talent was his nomination for the Palme d'Or at Cannes for the one and only film he wrote and directed – the highly personal Nil By Mouth. During the early noughties, Oldman took on roles in more commercial film franchises such as Harry Potter and The Dark Knight trilogy, elevating both series and particularly shining as the principled and quietly heroic Jim Gordon. In 2012, the Academy finally acknowledged Oldman's talents when he was Oscar nominated for his work in Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, although it was hardly among his best performances. Then in 2018, he won a host of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor for his singular portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.
TRIVIA
Sid and Nancy (1986) "At the core of the film are two remarkable performances, by Oldman and Webb, who don't seem to be performing at all: they are Sid and Nancy." - Leonard Maltin Prick Up Your Ears (1987) "Stunning performances by Oldman (...)" - Leonard Maltin "Gary Oldman plays Orton and Alfred Molina plays
Halliwell, and these are two of the best performances of 1987. Oldman
you may remember as Sid Vicious, the punk rock star in SID AND NANCY. There is no point of similarity between the two performances; like a few gifted actors, he is able to re-invent himself for every role. On the basis of these two movies, he is the best young British actor around."
-Roger Ebert State of Grace (1990) "Gary Oldman's performance in the movie is the best thing about it." -
Roger Ebert True Romance (1993) "Oldman, as a drug dealer in dreadlocks, is a standout in the uniformly first-rate ensemble"
- Leonard Maltin
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Dracula (Oldman) to Harker (Keanu Reeves) "They say you are a man of good... taste" Hannibal (2001) Mason Verger (Oldman) "He said: Would you like a popper? And I said: Would I? Wow!"
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Few,
if any, character actors have demonstrated the diversity and range that Gary
Oldman did during the 1990s. There’s an unwritten law of fame
and achievement that the media and public will try to bring down those
who have pulled themselves up, but that was always going to be difficult with this
talented Brit. Sure, Oldman has been subject to some criticism: he never
truly became a prolific leading man, he often gravitated towards roles
that allowed for a touch of extravagance, and in recent years, his
performances may not have
maintained the same level of intensity. Still, what Gary
Oldman achieved during his heyday is difficult, if not impossible, to
match.