Daniel Day-Lewis is incomparable. A looming, legendary figure in cinema, whose stature has cemented after five decades of work as one of the greatest actors in the world, and one of all the all-time greats – period – up there with the likes of Laurence Olivier and Marlon Brando. Known for his all-consuming method approach, which includes staying in character the entire time during the production of a film, like all mysterious figures who are semi-recluse —he doesn’t give a lot of interviews, he goes years in between films and once retired to become a cobbler—everyone seemingly wants a piece of Day-Lewis. This includes filmmakers of all stripes, the public and especially the media.
READ MORE: ‘Phantom Thread’: You’ll Want To Live Inside This Masterful Film [REVIEW]
But Daniel Day-Lewis simply moves to the beat of his own particular, unrushed rhythm. Since 1971, Day-Lewis has appeared in 21 films. That’s an average of 4.2 films a decade, and in the last twenty years, he’s only appeared in seven films. It’s not that Daniel Day-Lewis doesn’t want to work, it’s that a role becomes something he disappears completely into, and clearly, he wants to make that time well spent.
But he’s perhaps not the rigorous perfectionist that we all imagine. “Perfection would be the wrong word to [describe him] because that’s not Daniel,” Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed him in his most recent film “Phantom Thread,” recently told us in an interview. “He works hard. And that, unfortunately, gets translated into obsessive or perfectionist, but fuck, I’ve known him for a while, we’ve done two movies together and searching for perfection is certainly not what he is about. I will speak for Daniel and say, there’s no pursuit of perfection because that’s what a crazy person does and Daniel certainly isn’t that.”
Amassing a relatively small, but indispensable body of work, most of it crafted alongside some of the world’s greatest directors, with “Phantom Thread” hitting theaters on December 25 and the Quad Cinema in New York putting on a Daniel Day-Lewis retrospective that launches today, we thought now would be the perfect and long overdue time to look at his most essential roles.
“My Beautiful Laundrette” (1985)
Stephen Frears’ “My Beautiful Laundrette” is a daring, revolutionary independent achievement, a beautifully bold, taunt, intelligent and bruised look at race, immigration, social and economic impoverishment and hidden homosexuality in downtrodden ‘80s England that isn’t merely elevated but invigorated by the blooming, sensual wit, integrity and dauntless talent of a young Daniel Day-Lewis. Though the film doesn’t completely belong to the future three-time Oscar winner, as it’s lead marvelously, heartfully and sensitively by Gordon Warnecke, his undeniable screen presence is powerful and pulsating. Even from an early age, his greatness is mesmerizing. His electric, palpable chemistry with Warnecke is, at once, stark and stimulating, melancholy and warm. His hardened edge and the tender sexuality he provides throughout this early performance are just a glimpse into the rich versatility he’d bring to his future lead roles. Though initially shot for Channel 4 television, “My Beautiful Laundrette” is also filled with many quiet moments of cinematic intimacy and grandeur. Frears promises the impeccable talent that would come into fuller fruition throughout his impressive filmography. As a stepping stone project, “My Beautiful Laundrette” is gorgeously, astoundingly accomplished. But that’s selling it short. This early Day-Lewis stunner wasn’t just a preview; it’s a greatly dreary, impassionately homespun drama which passionately and rightfully lead these incredible talents to their unstoppable careers – Will Ashton
“My Left Foot” (1989)
In many ways, it was his widely acclaimed, much-discussed performance as Christy Brown in Jim Sheridan’s moving, gorgeously realized directorial debut “My Left Foot” that turned Daniel Day-Lewis, a rising, blooming, promising young British talent, into Daniel Day-Lewis, a man of near legend and an actor with an unparalleled dedication to his chosen profession. Embodying an improvised, celebrated Irish painter/author with cerebral palsy, one who could only use his left foot, Day-Lewis captures every precise move, every difficult shake, every struggling ache, every mumbled quip with gripping authenticity and sincerity. It hardly ever feels like a performance. Never escaping the character during production, Day-Lewis broke two ribs, lost a frustrated agent and forced other people to feed him during production. Through going those extra miles, and never allowing himself to dispel the illusion, Day-Lewis’s performance is never offensive or in poor taste. Where other biopics feel insincere or illusioned, Day-Lewis brings a realism to the part that makes this film all the more harrowing, absorbing and emotionally gratifying to watch. It’s the point when Day-Lewis went from becoming a great actor to the best living actor of our times. It rightfully won the actor the first of three Best Actor Oscars, and it finally made Day-Lewis a household name. -WA
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” (1988)
An epically, immensely erotic European drama, Philip Kaufman’s sensitively stimulating “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” is a lyrical, heartfelt, mindful and prolonged adaptation of Milan Kundera’s best-selling novel, liberally littered with passionate, contemplative scenes of sexuality and forward politics. But what truly sells this expansive, intimate 170-minute tale are the brilliant, beautifully humane performances from Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin and, naturally, Day-Lewis. It’s because of their exquisitely sensual work that the movie never deserves to be called “unbearable.” Their central characters are filled with love, lust and intense longing, notably in a time of oppression. Each actor expresses the inherent vulnerability of their individual characters, but it’s through Day-Lewis’s charismatic, intuitive lead performance that “Unbearable Lightness” finds its stern anchor. As Tomas, a renowned doctor and expert flirt, Day-Lewis’s performance is patiently controlled and commanding, captivating and reserved. It’s not nearly as showy as his other roles, but through this gentle man learning to control his intense feelings admit unending repression, it contains everything that makes Daniel Day-Lewis the world-renowned thespian he’d become. Few actors are as arresting and intensive, gentle and demanding, brash and present as Day-Lewis. – WA
“The Last of the Mohicans” (1992)
“There is a war on. How is it you are headed west?”
“Well, we kind of face to the north, and real sudden-like turn left.”
Michael Mann’s sweeping take on James Fenimore Cooper’s novel has Day-Lewis performing two characteristics we rarely see in his portrayals: Playing the action hero, and having a sense of humor. As Hawkeye – a half-white adoptee to the dying Mohican Indian tribe – Day-Lewis is a dashing reluctant hero, choosing not to fight in the French and Indian War, until the daughter (Madeleine Stowe) of a British colonel is attacked. This marked Day-Lewis’ first foray into studio filmmaking after a run of independent features, and in hindsight, it is strange to see a film starring Day-Lewis where his performance is not the focal point. His performance – and many of the other actors’, good as they are here – are often overshadowed by the film’s sheer scope, the beautiful, blaring score by Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones, and Dante Spinotti’s cinematography. However, those aspects enhance the performances in the film’s most dramatic, and memorable, scenes (“Wherever you go, I will find you”). And even if playing “action man” never quite suited Day-Lewis, his commitment to his roles is still very evident here, as he lived off the land by hunting, fishing, and camping for several months prior to shooting the film. – Ryan Oliver
“The Age of Innocence” (1993)
In more recent years, Day-Lewis’ performances are often characterized by how transcendent and massive they are. But, there is something to be said for a performance that is not only subdued, but manages to be subtle amidst voiceover narration of their inner monologue. Such is the case in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s romantic tragedy set in the 1870’s New York high society. As Newland Archer – torn between his fiance May (Winona Ryder) and his love for her cousin, recently-divorced Countess Olenska (Michelle Pfieffer) – Day-Lewis follows the old adage that “acting is reacting.” At the risk of being crucified by these old New York families, Archer must keep a straight face – suave, charming, all smiles – to mask his true feelings for the Countess. It also helps that Day-Lewis has terrific actors to react to. Pfieffer gives one of her best performances as someone who decided to stop living a lie and became ousted for it, and she and Day-Lewis together make that buried-within passion believable. Ryder is also good as the seemingly-innocent but not-as-naive-as-you-think May. On the surface, this may seem less a fit for Scorsese, but given that it’s about a man who broke down after years of not dealing with their emotions or issues, it’s not too far off from “Raging Bull” or “The Aviator.” – RO
“In The Name Of The Father” (1993)
Even in the midst of his formative years of acting, Daniel Day-Lewis offered audiences a glimpse of his uncontested exceptionality. Having already been established as one of the premier talents, Day-Lewis’ humanizing portrayal in “In the Name of the Father,” pushed him into the upper-echelon of all-time actors. Playing the falsely accused IRA Bomber, Gerry Conlon, Day-Lewis wrings out every ounce of emotion from such a devastating script, as his performance relies on frustration and heartbreaking physical vulnerability, proving just how versatile a performer Daniel Day-Lewis really was early on. As the film’s protagonist, Day-Lewis’ Conlon takes viewers on a poignant roller coaster through fear, anger, despair, but above all — humanity. – Kyle Kohner
“Gangs of New York” (2002)
In what was at the time, his first performance in five years, Day-Lewis as the sinister Bill “The Butcher” Cutting was supposed to play second-fiddle to Leonardo DiCaprio’s Amsterdam Vallon. However, in typical Day-Lewis fashion, his talent supersedes that of any other on screen. With that being said, not only does the decorated actor steal the limelight from other established talents, he saves what is otherwise, a subpar project from Martin Scorsese. As a seemingly invincible ringleader of crime, Daniel Day-Lewis is remarkably repulsive, yet exudes an unsettling magnetism as Bill the Butcher. In fact, it’s a masterful role that marries voice and action harmoniously. With Day-Lewis’ imposing performance, you could pretty much cut DiCaprio’s impassioned role out of the film and have it just be about an inspiringly twisted leader defined by both bloodshed and community, and it would probably be better than the film as is. Now, this is not a slight against DiCaprio, that’s just how good Day-Lewis is. As we look back at an unforgettable career, Daniel Day-Lewis’ towering portrayal in an otherwise underwhelming film, stands as one of the most monumental and image-embedding “supporting” performances of all time. – KK
“There Will Be Blood” (2007)
The crowning achievement of Daniel Day-Lewis’ career, Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling portrait of capitalism and American exceptionalism is merely a playground for Day-Lewis to unleash one of the most ferocious on-screen monsters cinema has ever seen. As oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, Day-Lewis shows no remorse, no empathy, and no love. He will say or do anything to get ahead (“I have a competition in me”), and no one will stop him, least of whom Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a self-righteous Christian charlatan who Daniel constantly bests, simply because he has self-awareness in his own swindling. Major props to Dano in this role because, like Eli Sunday, you know he is no match for Day-Lewis, but he keeps on swinging anyway until the very last breath. As big as the performance gets (“I’ve abandoned my child!”), there are still moments where Day-Lewis shows a tiny flicker of potential humanity left in Plainview. The initial scenes with Plainview’s “brother” (Kevin J. O’Connor) show an actual longing for a familial connection, brief as it may be, which just further fuels Daniel’s fire as to why he doesn’t trust anyone, and why he has no reason to do so. – RO
“Lincoln” (2012)
“Epic, yet intimate” is an applicable phrase to both Steven Spielberg’s film, as well as Day-Lewis’ portrait of the 16th President of the United States. Spielberg made the wise decision to narrow the focus down to the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment and make an actual story, as opposed to the traditional, decades-spanning biopic. And Day-Lewis, coming off his biggest performance in There Will Be Blood, scales back considerably, which is something you wouldn’t expect in his performance as Abraham Lincoln, given that a larger-than-life actor is portraying a larger-than-life figure. But, much like Newland Archer in The Age of Innocence, Lincoln has a persona to keep up in front of Congress, but is also fighting familial troubles behind closed doors. In many scenes, Janusz Kaminski’s camera just lingers in one long take as Day-Lewis’ Lincoln gives lengthy monologues. And while it may have the feeling of a play at times (it was written by Tony Kushner, after all), Day-Lewis is so captivating that he makes those moments and monologues work, where they easily could have failed. Far from a perfect movie in and of itself, but Day-Lewis’ embodiment of Abraham Lincoln is so convincing that you may think you are watching a ghost. – RO
“Phantom Thread”
Daniel Day-Lewis’ second collaboration with director Paul Thomas Anderson is perhaps not radically different than his character in “There Will Be Blood.” Both are demanding, controlling and kind of monstrous people, but to be fair, they are very different human beings, the “Phantom Thread” character not really a murderous and hateful of the world. But there is scorn. In “Phantom Thread,” Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker known for his exacting, meticulous work, a strict, do-not-fucking-interrupt-my-process routine, a severe, perfectionist personality and vampiric quality when it comes to acquiring and discarding muses. Woodcock does not like it when you butter your toast loudly at breakfast and you will be reduced to ash with a harsh glare and merciless dressing down if you dare such a thing. But when a new woman enters his life (Vicky Krieps), she challenges every notion in Woodcock’s body. There’s a fundamental, corporeal rejection of her very being when she disrupts the flow of things, but through her own machinations, she dominates, or at least equals, the dictating figure. As one might imagine, Daniel Day-Lewis studied tailoring and dressmaking for the role and essentially learned to make some of the gorgeous, ravishing dresses and gowns in the movie (or at least understand the mechanics of what goes into designing them). And as one will figure, he brings a furious precision to the role – a ruthless, unforgiving rigor – and perhaps is one of the most perversely demanding characters you’ve ever seen on screen. Impatient, bitterly sarcastic and cruel, Day-Lewis cuts a cruel figure, but there’s also a wry humor and of course, fearful vulnerability beneath it all as this character laments the absence of his dearly departed mother. Day-Lewis announced his retirement after the film was completed, seemingly just drained of his acting life force. While he’s retired before and come back, if this is the thespians’ last role, well, hell, he’s left it all on the table, slammed down with uncompromising fury. – Rodrigo Perez
Honorable Mention:
There’s not really a bad Daniel Day-Lewis performance out there, but we’d like to shout out the very underrated film, “The Ballad Of Jack And Rose,” from Day-Lewis’ wife Rebecca Miller. There’s also “The Crucible,” Jim Sheridan‘s “The Boxer” (a performance which is admittedly as good as any of these films on the main list), “Sunday Bloody Sunday” his supporting role in “Gandhi” and James Ivory‘s “A Room With A View.” Daniel Day-Lewis can do no wrong and so if this is indeed his very last role, let’s luxuriate in what we have here, cherish it and never forget the unassailable performances he gifted us over the years.
“Phantom Thread” opens on December 25th via Focus Features. Quad Cinema’s retrospective — All or Nothing: The Fearless Performances of Daniel Day-Lewis” — in New York is running now.
