Anthony Hopkins: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

The Merchant-Ivory adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's highly acclaimed novel was a major success, earning 8 Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Hopkins (though he lost out to Tom Hanks' turn in Philadelphia).

Hopkins plays Mr. Stevens, the quiet, composed butler of Darlington Hall who, in flashbacks, appears successful both personally and professionally, owing to a tense and apparently platonic relationship with Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), but in the present, the Hall is in dire straits and Kenton has since married.

What makes this performance so superb is that by the virtue of the character's stoic restraint, Hopkins has to convey a lot with his eyes and subtle facial expressions without ever coming out and just saying it; his character believes that a relationship with Kenton would be improper, yet constantly endures an internal struggle, much to the anguish of both himself and Miss Kenton. Hopkins' portrayal is absolutely unique and singular; there is no other cinematic portrayal quite like it.