14 Awesome Performances In Otherwise Awful 2015 Movies

10. Javier Bardem - The Gunman

The Movie: Sean Penn certainly got into shape for his attempt at forging a Taken-esque middle-aged actioner franchise, but unsurprisingly, the script he co-wrote is hilariously heavy-handed, there's not much action, the romance is painfully bad, and on the whole it just feels like a turgid vanity project for the Oscar-winner. Neither enjoyable as a straight-up genre flick nor meaningful as a message movie, The Gunman shoots itself in the foot. The Performance: There are probably fair arguments to be made that Bardem's work here as Penn's former colleague is either the film's best or worst asset, as he goes for broke and leaves not a scrap of scenery left unchewed. Sure, he's playing an alcoholic, but even with that in mind, his work borders on pantomime, providing relief in a film that's otherwise offputtingly self-serious. Sadly he's not in the film for long, but he is a ton of fun while he's around, and easily the most alluring, memorable and entertaining presence in the entire sorry venture.