15 Awesome 2014 Performances That Deserve Oscars (But Won't Get Nominated)

12. Brendan Gleeson - Calvary

Brendan Gleeson has earned consistent acclaim for his marvelous performance in John Michael McDonagh's thought-provoking drama ever since it premiered at Sundance in January. Gleeson plays Father James, a good-hearted Catholic priest who, when hearing a confession, is told by the confessor that he will kill him in a week to avenge the man's sexual abuse at the hands of another priest as a child. Gleeson does a superb job of depicting a man at an existential crossroads, struggling with his faith and counting down the days to his (apparent) demise. Meanwhile, his interactions with his suicidal, largely estranged daughter Fiona (Kelly Reilly) add another emotional dimension to proceedings, and again, the actor totally knocks it out of the park. Much like several other performances on this list, it's not an over-the-top, particularly showy performance, but it's for the most part a quietly dignified turn that many expected would land Gleeson square in the Best Actor race. Sadly, that hasn't panned out and he hasn't really been campaigned at all, despite easily besting many of the more vociferously-opined performances. The airy nature of the film itself might not be to all tastes, but the mastery of Gleeson's work cannot be denied.