Colin Firth: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

4. Robert Lawrence MC - Tumbledown

Okay, this might be a bit of cheat because this was a TV drama and I've not included that other huge success, Pride and Prejudice, but as will become apparent for this top five, he has made so many good pieces of work that some will fall by the wayside. If Where the Truth Lies was his Hollywood calling card then this Falklands drama was quite simply his call to arms. Focussing on Scots Guard officer Robert Lawrence, this tells his story as he arrives in the conflict and, at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown, is shot in the head by an Argentine sniper. He is left paralysed through his injury and the film tells of this rather difficult individual as he is forced into a painful rehabilitation. The piece was incredibly controversial when it was aired on BBC because it not only depicted Lawrence as an arrogant egotist but also a man who loved the smell of the battlefield. It also showed the indifference of many of the people back in Britain when he returned for his rehabilitation. It gave particular criticism of the government in the face of their 'heroes' although both sides of the House held criticism for the piece. This was a brilliantly brave, and stark, performance from Firth at a particular turning point in his career. The criticism of the piece was harsh but the praise for his performance was unflinching. He was nominated for a Best TV Actor Bafta for this honest portrayal of a wounded man left for dead by his country.