Top 5 Edward Norton Performances
By Austin Johnson
5.) Lionel Essrog in Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
“Fuckin' mess is right. The nun said my soul wasn't at peace with God and I should do penance. Frank said anyone teaching God's love while they hit you with a stick should be ignored on every subject.”
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I went to see Motherless Brooklyn at the Bijou Theater here in San Antonio strictly because Edward Norton is the director, writer, and star of the film. I’ve been in love with his acting since I was in middle school and I think I could grow to love his writing and directing if he does another film like Motherless Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the film didn’t make its money back at the box office or make any noise during award season except a Golden Globe nomination for Daniel Pemberton’s efforts on the score, which is fantastic. The atmosphere is very much like the 40’s and 50’s film noir as it is set in 1957 New York City. Norton plays this private detective named Lionel Essrog with Tourette's syndrome who is extremely determined to solve the murder of his mentor. 2019 was a jam packed year and I really hope Motherless Brooklyn finds a second life because films like it don’t come around too often these days and Norton is fantastic the whole way through. It’s the last film Norton has appeared in, but we will see him again when Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch comes out later this year.
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4.) Aaron/Roy in Primal Fear (1996)
“Will you t-tell Miss Venable I'm sorry? Tell her I hope her neck is okay.”
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My parents are both massive fans of Primal Fear, so they showed it to me when I was a freshman in high school because they knew I had a new found love for Norton. He was 27 years old when he appeared in Primal Fear, which was his film debut. It makes total sense that Ed would go on to have a dominant career because he is easily the best part of Primal Fear. Gregory Hoblit directed Primal Fear, who is more of a TV guy and it shows because the film feels very episodic at times. The dual character of Aaron and Roy is perfect for that kind of structure and Norton shined brighter than his co stars, Richard Gere and Laura Linney, demanding the attention of Hollywood with an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor. He’s creepy as hell one minute and then tender like a Cane's chicken strip the next. Primal Fear was the beginning of one of my all time favorite careers that I will continue to rewatch because he was so damn good in it.
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3.) Mike Shiner in Birdman (2014)
“Popularity is the slutty little cousin of prestige.”
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2014 was a big year for me as a fan of film. I turned 19 that year and I was consistently voicing my frustrations about the films that were in theaters. It was mainly because I wasn’t looking in the right places or even going to the right theaters. That summer, my life was changed when Richard Linklater’s Boyhood came out because I simply had to see it on the big screen. I was willing to drive to Austin if I had to, but then I found the motherfucking Bijou online and that’s when my life changed. I’m sure Boyhood was playing at most theaters, but when I found the Bijou, I opened myself up to a bunch of new stuff. A couple months after I saw Boyhood, I went back for a trip that I will never forget. It was October 18th, a Saturday and I had the day off so I wanted to go see a film. The week before, Whiplash got released and the day before, Birdman was released. It was a no-brainer for me, so double-feature it was! I had the time of my life and was blown away by both films. Edward Norton is exquisite in Birdman, completely letting loose and having fun. He’s one of those actors that is known for being able to pull anything off so it was cool to see him play a sort of stereotype of himself. Birdman won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Norton got a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It seems like it would be a dream to work for Alejandro G. Iñárritu on any of his films, but especially on Birdman. Norton is really intoxicating as he barges his way through each scene with the camera moving constantly. This role is essential to Norton’s career and I could watch it over and over.
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2.) The Narrator in Fight Club (1999)
“You met me at a very strange time in my life.”
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Cue the Pixies… Fight Club appeared on my Top 5 David Fincher list at number 3 and at number 2 on my Top 5 1999 list. Fight Club is the first film I watched where I took note of Edward Norton. I was in the 6th grade and watched it on FX with my older brother. We both had to get our hands on the DVD because we could tell a lot was edited for television. It had a big budget and made some money, but the critics were torn and it still stirs up conversations today. I think it’s one of the more misread films I’ve ever seen and I haven’t stopped watching it ever since we watched it on FX, even though I can’t stand some of the baggage that comes along with it. The Narrator is a voice for the voiceless and an extremely relatable character if you look past the fighting. Anxiety and loneliness are both things that every human has had to endure on some level. He’s a character for the people and I can’t imagine anyone other than Edward Norton playing the part.
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1.) Lester "Worm" Murphy in Rounders (1998)
“Rolled up aces over kings. Check-raising stupid tourists and taking huge pots off of them. Playing all-night high-limit Hold'em at the Taj, where the sand turns to gold. Stacks and towers of checks I can't even see over.”
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I wrote a Top 5 Matt Damon list back in December and his role in Rounders as Mike McDermott was number 1 and probably always will be. I feel the exact same way about Norton’s role as Worm. Rounders is a film I kind of found on my own as I started to get really into film as a whole. I was 21 and stumbled upon it on HBO one random night and I took one look at the cast and was totally in. It has become a film that I can’t stop suggesting to friends and quoting even when I’m alone. I’ve played real poker with real money like five times in my entire life, but the culture fascinates the hell out of me. What fascinates me even more are the individuals that play cards non-stop. Worm is a grade-A gambling degenerate and I love every word that comes out of his mouth. Norton was born to play punks like Worm and he does it in Rounders right alongside Damon, John Turturro, Martin Landau, and John fucking Malkovich. John Dahl is a massive name as far as television directors go, but I’m way more of a film fan so Rounders is his greatest achievement for me. Norton has a long resume that spans over 20 years now and I think he might have a second gear in his career that just may get him the total recognition he deserves. It doesn’t really matter though, because Edward Norton will always be one of the coolest dudes in the industry.
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