by Matteo » Oct 30, '14, 3:44 am
Nicholson is an immense talent, there is no denying that, and arguably has a superior overall filmography to Williams, but I've never been too overly-sold on his actual acting. He's still vastly better than most, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't place him in the top-tier of on-screen performers. I do, however, for the great Robin William who I simply believed was a remarkably gifted, versatile and accomplished genius. Perhaps nostalgia is slightly clouding my evaluation (and his tragic passing a few months back), but he's given us a handful of truly unforgettable roles and performances. His ability to go from spontaneous, impulsive slapstick comedy to restrained and effortless drama is simply admirable.
It's hard to believe that the same actor who dressed up as a woman in Mrs. Doubtfire depicted a dejected, isolated and socially inept introvert in One Hour Photo. Or how an eccentric and dynamic radio presenter in Good Morning, Vietnam went to an sensitive and careful intellectual in Dead Poets Society. Or how a bubbly and hilarious doctor in Patch Adams went to an understated and attentive professor in Good Will Hunting. Or how a vivacious and buoyant 'traveler' in Jumanji went to a reserved and quiet gentlemen in Awakenings. Or how a lively and dexterous Russian immigrant in Moscow on the Hudson went to a depressed and emotionally downcast father in World's Greatest Dad. Or how a boy with a rare ageing disorder in Jack went to a withdrawn and puzzling villain in Insomnia. The sheer diversity he's exhibited in his roles has impressed me greatly.
But, yes, Nicholson is toweringly good, too. His performances in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chinatown, and The Departed are remarkable, but I simply think Williams is the more accomplished and impressive talent, as unpopular an opinion as that may seem. Still, I think Nicholson has worked with a greater array of filmmakers; Scorsese, Kubrick, Forman, Polanski, Brooks, Antonioni, the list goes on and on. But there is something that is simply a bit more distinctively memorable about Williams' performances. I look at something like Terry Gilliam's masterwork, The Fisher King, and see that Williams could even pull of the spontaneity and insanity of his comedy just as much as he could the sentimentality and restrained beauty of his drama, in the same film, almost simultaneously.
I think Nicholson has been fortunate enough to work with some incredibly dexterous filmmakers and some incredibly well-written works. That's what I think makes him so iconic - it's the films, at times, more than the performances, themselves. Williams could take even the most empty and poorly written of scripts and still dish up something impressive. He has always been a favourite of mine, and I will continue to cherish his remarkable performances and films. He was not only a comedic genius, but an accomplished talent when it came to real human drama. He had a special understanding of the human condition. Add to the fact that he just seemed to be a beautiful, kind, compassionate, sensitive soul is all the more reason to select him here, too. I mean, he essentially paid for Christopher Reeve's rehab after his accident, and would ring up Steven Spielberg everyday during principal photography of Schindler's List to cheer him up and make him laugh because of the subject matter Spielberg was dealing with. I admire him greatly. In saying that, I won't be ardently disappointed if Nicholson wins this round, either.
