Best Jack Nicholson film.

[Sugar Ape]

Love Jack Nicholson, superb actor. Where do you reckon he rates on the all time greats list?

 

I'll put a poll up, impossible to list all his films so I'll leave the earlier ones out mainly because I haven't seen many of them.

 

Feel free to put the GIF's up as well.

[lifetime fan]

You can't handle the truth.

[lifetime fan]

Private poll?

[Sugar Ape]

His eyebrows alone convey more acting ability than most other actors. You can tell when he is angry, happy or sad just by his eyebrows.

[Sugar Ape]

Private poll?

 

It's not is it?

[Trumo]

Not seen everything on that list, but he has been in some really great stuff. For me though, his best is Cuckoo's Nest. It's a shame that in the past decade he has gone the same way as De Niro and Pacino and basically parodied his own public persona in every role.

[Markmywords]

He's a fucking legend, one of my favourite actors of all time. No one plays the slightly unhinged character as well as he does.

[KinskiRage]

Chinatown

 

Followed by Cuckoo's Nest, Five Easy Pieces, The Shining, About Schmidt, Easy Rider.

 

Some list of films he's been in though, he's fucking ace.

[Rex Banner]

Cuckoo's Nest is a great film but for me The Shining is an easy choice from the ones I have seen which is most but not all.

One of my favourite films and he is great in it.

 

Mars Attacks! very unlucky to miss out.

[ChrisM]

Best performance - Cuckoo's Nest / The Shining.

 

Film that he's in that I enjoyed the most - The Departed.

[lifetime fan]

It's not is it?

 

I'll let you off mate, the number of options meant it didn't automatically show who had voted.

 

Great thread though.

[Strontium]

Tricky one, do I vote for his best film (Chinatown) or his best performance (The Pledge)?

[lifetime fan]

Tricky one, do I vote for his best film (Chinatown) or his best performance (The Pledge)?

 

You vote for Cuckoo's nest.

[Strontium]

But he plays "Jack Nicholson" in that film, as he does in about 75% of his films.

 

I'd prefer to pick a film he actually acts in.

[lifetime fan]

But he plays "Jack Nicholson" in that film, as he does in about 75% of his films.

 

I'd prefer to pick a film he actually acts in.

 

Stronts I won't pick on you specifically for that argument as I've heard it countless times before but as someone that has worked in mental health services for donkeys years that performance is fucking outstanding.

 

The little subtleties and nuances in the performance are incredible. Sadly they are lost on many, but that is no criticism of them.

[polymerpunkah]

Difficult to choose between Cuckoo's Nest and Chinatown.

 

Cuckoo's Nest.

 

I don't know if he was "Jack Nicholson" at that point, so much as that was the role that made him "Jack Nicholson".

[Strontium]

I don't know if he was "Jack Nicholson" at that point, so much as that was the role that made him "Jack Nicholson".

 

 

I think that's probably the case. I believe lifetime fan when he says it's an outstanding performance, the issue is whether the power of that performance has been diminished by it being essentially recycled in a dozen more films.

 

This sounds like a criticism of Jack, it's really not, I could watch him reading the phone directory.

[lifetime fan]

I think that's probably the case. I believe lifetime fan when he says it's an outstanding performance, the issue is whether the power of that performance has been diminished by it being essentially recycled in a dozen more films.

 

This sounds like a criticism of Jack, it's really not, I could watch him reading the phone directory.

 

Then use that as a stick to beat following films, not the original.

[Edward.]

Hells Angels on Wheels or One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Not seen everything on that list, but he has been in some really great stuff. For me though, his best is Cuckoo's Nest. It's a shame that in the past decade he has gone the same way as De Niro and Pacino and basically parodied his own public persona in every role.

 

I disagree with that mate; I think Nicholson is at his very best when he just turns up and is himself ! I think the guy is a grade A movie star and ledge, but a very, very average actor.

 

FWIW I voted for Cuckoo's Nest too, ahead of The Departed and The Shining.

 

Awesome films, and performances, all three.

[Strontium]

a very, very average actor

 

 

No, not a chance, when he's not playing himself he's an excellent actor.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Tough one... went for Cuckoo's Nest but I'm a big fan of As Good As It Gets as well.

[mlwilliams]

I voted for The Departed and then I remembered One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Dammit.

[James]

The Postman Always Rings Twice.

[KopOut]

I voted for 'Postman', but on reflection, I mean 'Chinatown'.