20 Best Movie Performances Of 2019

By Jack Pooley /

1. Adam Driver - Marriage Story

Netflix

And finally, our #1 slot goes to Adam Driver for his incredible performance as Charlie Barber in Marriage Story. Driver has been on the verge of becoming an awards fave for several years now, and as far as probable Oscar winners go, there are few as decisively locked-in as his inevitable Best Actor win.

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Driver is perfect as the bourgeois theater director - which some have speculated is an avatar for director Noah Baumbach himself - struggling to reconcile his crumbling marriage with his artistic success.

As with Johansson's performance, it never feels less than stunningly real, felt no better than in the already-iconic central argument scene, where Driver's explosive rage is at once terrifying and resoundingly human.

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With the Star Wars sequel trilogy now put to bed, it's evident that Driver isn't going anywhere: he's going to be on our screens and likely winning awards for a long time.