6. Michael Fassbender - Hunger
Michael Fassbender's vivid portrayal of Bobby Sands shows a dedication that is very rare in modern cinema. Fassbender starved himself to portray Sands on his hunger strike and it is a brutal watch as the harsh conditions of the Maze are truly realised. The film is all about commitment to a cause and Fassbender's commitment to his director (Steve McQueen) and the film is unbending as he endures hell to fully embody Bobby Sands - even if it cost him his health. The film and the performances are intensely realistic - perhaps too much so - the dirtiness of the film and low-budget make it seem as if it were a documentary. The setting makes you feel as if you were trapped in the Maze yourself and whilst Fassbender bears no physical resemblance to Bobby Sands, he captures the essence of the IRA man and you don't doubt who he is for a second. The film will test your will as Fassbender gets skinnier and skinnier - his life beginning to slip away - but the pure will of man is as inspiring as it is poignant. Fassbender mutates into something very few actors have the nerve or ability to do and the result is a performance that is excruciating to watch but no less riveting or heart-stopping.