5. Mario Ruoppolo - Il Postino
Many forget that Michael Radford's Il Postino was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars not that long ago, but the real reason for its success is the rousing central performance from Massimo Troisi, for whom it was clearly a passion project, given that he delayed heart surgery to finish the film, only to die of heart failure 12 hours after principal photography wrapped. Even putting sentiment aside for a minute, Troisi - who was posthumously nominated for a Best Actor Oscar - is spellbinding as Mario, a young man dissatisfied with his station in life, who ends up being hired by a local exiled poet named Pablo Neruda to handle his incoming post. The chemistry between the two is really what sells the film, with Neruda's political and romantic sentiments rubbing off on Mario, who in turn is trying to woo a young local woman who, with Neruda's help, he actually manages to (even if the results are ultimately tragic). A touching, heartfelt film about the mutual means through which people can aid one another, Troisi's postman creates one of world cinema's most affable and enduring screen characters.