20 Best Movie Performances Of 2020
12. Mark Rylance - The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin's storming courtroom drama is more of an ensemble piece than a showcase for any one actor, though the easy MVP is the ever-brilliant Mark Rylance, who plays the Chicago Seven's defense attorney William Kunstler.
Again and again, Rylance has proven himself a master of soft-spoken dignity, a fact that Sorkin takes full advantage of here, with Kunstler typically serving as the voice of reason between all the squabbling.
But the brilliance of Rylance's performance is how a frustration slowly builds as he witnesses the injustice taking place in the courtroom, leading to him finally blowing his top in one of the film's most unforgettable scenes.
Though the lion's share of the film's acting awards attention has been given to Sacha Baron Cohen, it's Rylance whose less-showy but more persuasive performance truly rises to the top.