8) Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina
After 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis, it became clear that Oscar Isaac was going to be a major star – but even his staunchest fans couldn’t have predicted his 2015. You could pick any one scene of The Force Awakens, in which Isaac’s a modern day matinee idol, A Most Violent Year (which went wide in January), in which he recalls a young Pacino, or TV’s Show Me a Hero, in which he tragically embodies real-life figure Nick Wasicsko, and find Isaac outdoing most of the leading man competition out there.
[zergpaid]Alex Garland’s science fiction chamber piece Ex Machina was the best showcase for Isaac’s talents this year, however. As Nathan, the tech bro with an ego almost as big as his fortune, Isaac is dangerously, brutally charismatic, using his intelligence and powers of manipulation to enforce his superiority over both his human guest and the AIs he builds almost as companions. In particular watch Isaac’s eyes dim as Nathan downs one beer too many, and his inner misanthropy begins to take over…
Published: Jan 7, 2016 10:07 am