Shuvrajit Das Biswas
5. Natural Born Killers
Woody Harrelson plays the role of Mickey Knox in this Tarantino written and Oliver Stone directed film. Harrelson plays a complete psychopathic killer which is to some extent the reason for his being cast as Charlie Costello in Seven Psychopaths. Mickey Knox who was based on a real life serial killer is adept with guns, knives and is also comfortable with bare handed murders. Harrelson delivers a chilling performance as a killer devoid of empathy and someone to whom killing is second nature. This is definitely one of his best performances till date and proves why he should be treated with the utmost respect for his acting prowess.
4. Seven Psychopaths
Woody Harrelson is psychopath number three, or Charlie Costello in this crime comedy film which is one of the finest in this genre. He plays an unstable, trigger happy gangster who is obsessed with the safety of his dog. Harrelson plays edgy characters well, and this gangster’s eccentricities shine through the stellar performance of Harrelson. Seven Psychopaths is an excellent film to watch, a film with an impressive cast and fantastic performance and yet Harrelson still manages to stand out among his distinguished co actors.
3. Rampart
Woody Harrelson plays Dave Brown a LAPD veteran. While the film itself is only moderate, Brown’s character and its devolvement throughout the film is captured brilliantly by Harrelson. He portrays estrangement from his ex wives, his tendency to quick violence and his knowledge of the case laws to a fine degree of precision in this film. A movie that lacks much vitality, is held together by the stellar performance delivered by Woody Harrelson.
2. The Messenger
Harrelson plays Captain Tony Stone, a recovering alcoholic who is partnered with a decorated soldier to deliver news of fallen army people to their families before the news and media channels reach them. While the film itself seems to reiterate the same point in different ways about the futility of the loss of life, and does not deal much with character development, Harrelson plays the role of a recovering alcoholic with some panache. He shifts from his usually part comic roles to a much more serious part, where he retains some of his saltiness in his character but shows Captain Stone to have a soft center.
1. True Detective
Woody Harrelson plays Martin ‘Marty’ Hart, the partner to the enigmatic nihilist Rust Cohle as they investigate a series of murders in Louisiana. Harrelson’s character plays a brilliant foil to Rust’s pessimistic outlook and nihilist philosophy. Hart’s grounded police procedural approach to crime is contrasted with Rust’s cerebral approach and Harrelson is just as important to True Detective’s first season as Matthew McConaughey is. He adds an undertone of balance and grounded aspect to the show which might otherwise have devolved into Rust’s madness. The character of Hart is not without the flaws either and his infidelities and family issues spill over into work and Harrelson does a brilliant job of bringing this character to life in front of us. This is what sets apart Hart from the rest of Harrelson’s roles, and makes it one of the finest acting performances he has delivered.
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