2) Frank
It’s an odd role for one of the best-looking men in Hollywood to take on, as he hides his face inside a giant papier mache head for the entire film. But before we finally get a glimpse of the real Frank at the end, Fassbender is indeed required to act without the help of facial expressions. And in this weird, amusing little film about mental illness and the pursuit of artistic perfection, the actor manages to steal the show.
Perhaps most surprising, other than the fact that he reveals a uniquely impressive set of pipes as lead singer of The Soronprfbs, is how funny Fassbender turns out to be in Frank, giving a turn of deadpan delivery and oddball slapstick.
When Frank finally emerges from the head, though, there’s a performance of tragic sensitivity by Fassbender. He reveals Frank to be not quite a genius, but a normal guy who just doesn’t know how to function in the real world.