This year will mark the return of the legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis. He’s coming out of retirement to star in Anemone, a psychological drama directed and co-written by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, that hits theaters on October 10. The Academy Award-winning actor will play a former soldier who returns from his hermit life in the woods to be reunited with his brother.
Since Day-Lewis hasn’t been in a film for many years, some might need a refresher on the acclaimed figure. There are likely some young folks who haven’t even heard of this man who became an icon for his roles in dramas, both historical and romantic. You need to see these Daniel Day-Lewis films before witnessing his return to the big screen.
10
My Beautiful Laundrette (1986)
The young Pakistani Omar (Gordon Warnecke) hopes to turn his uncle’s London laundromat into a better business. Unfortunately, he also becomes the target of racist punks, with one of them being his childhood friend, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). Despite this, the two try to put their differences aside as they rekindle their relationship amid rebuilding Omar’s business, even with oppressive forces threatening them both.
Although set against the bubbling racism of the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette has aged gracefully by focusing on discrimination and queer romance. It was a highly progressive picture for the era, and a young Day-Lewis left a lasting impression. It’s also one of the rare times when award groups nominated him for Best Supporting Actor.
9
In the Name of the Father (1994)
The 1974 Guildford pub bombings, just south of London, led to four people being implicated, referred to as the Guildford Four. Among those four is Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis), a flawed man from Belfast trying to avoid any association with the IRA. Despite this, he ends up being in the wrong place at the wrong time, forcing him to endure a corrupt British system that throws him into prison.
Based on Gerry Conlon’s autobiography, In the Name of the Father is a fascinating film that highlights the true stories of injustice. Day-Lewis is notable for his performance in prepping his body for the role by losing over 50 pounds to match the real-life figure and spending days in jail to get used to the mindset. Day-Lewis earned an Academy Award nomination for his extra efforts in portraying a wrongfully imprisoned man.
8
A Room with a View (1985)
E.M. Forster’s British novel comes to life in the historical romance of James Ivory’s A Room with a View. The young Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham-Carter) takes a vacation Italy where she becomes smitten with the charms of George Emerson (Julian Sands). This attraction complicates her prospect of settling down with the wealthy British Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). Torn between two men, Lucy debates which lifestyle she prefers and where her heart will take her.
Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance in A Room with a View is fascinating because he does not ultimately win the girl. He clearly won’t be Lucy’s husband because he is a snobby socialite, as Day-Lewis plays him so well with his glasses and mustache that they just scream upper-class jerk. As an early role of Day-Lewis, he doesn’t dominate this picture, but he first perfectly into one of the best historical romances of the 1980s.
7
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
For The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Daniel Day-Lewis played brain surgeon Tomas, living in Czechoslovakia during the Communist era (which led to banning the provocative Daisies). He is torn between the artist Sabina (Lena Olin) and the photographer Tereza (Juliette Binoche), especially when they’re all forced into Switzerland amid the Soviet invasion. Amid all the oppression, Tomas is forced to choose his love and risk his life amid a rocky political landscape.
Based on Milan Kundera’s novel, director Philip Kaufman crafted a compelling romantic drama set against the Prague Spring. Equal parts erotic and political, Day-Lewis is unforgettable in a performance with his big hair and sexual desires amid an era of social upheaval. It’s a remarkable performance in a highly provocative film for more than just the intoxicating sexual tension of the love triangle.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
- Release Date
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February 5, 1988
- Director
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Philip Kaufman
- Writers
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Philip Kaufman, Milan Kundera, Jean-Claude Carrière
6
Lincoln (2012)
Director Steven Spielberg tackled the inspiring story of a US President in Lincoln. Daniel Day-Lewis meshed into the titular role of Abraham Lincoln, as the film covers the president’s decision to end the Civil War and slavery. It was not easy, as the historical figure struggled to change the government, which was resistant to his devotion to finding humanity in America.
Based on the book Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Lincoln was like a stew of great talents, with Spielberg and Day-Lewis posing an inspiring portrait of the most iconic President in US history. If anybody could portray such a revered politician well, it was Day-Lewis, as he once more became a chameleon that melted into a bearded man dripping with calm and confidence. That award-winning performance was so good that it’s hard to imagine Day-Lewis initially turned down the role and was only convinced to accept the position after being talked to by other actors.
5
Gangs of New York (2002)
Fresh out of prison and hungry for revenge, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) takes to the streets to find his father’s killer. That killer happens to be William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), a man rallying against immigration in 1860s New York. Desiring to get close enough for a kill, Amsterdam must infiltrate Cutting’s gang, plunging deeper into a world of hatred and violence.
Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the book by Herbert Asbury, Gangs of New York was Scorsese’s dream project, considering he’d been hopeful to make a movie adaptation since the 1970s. That dream became a reality with a fantastically faithful production design that is equally stellar as Day-Lewis’s incredible performance. While the film wasn’t as revered as Scorsese’s more acclaimed works, having Day-Lewis launch himself into a violent tale of historical rage was a rousing highlight of the actor’s filmography.
Based on a true story, My Left Foot features Daniel Day-Lewis as artist Christy Brown. Born with cerebral palsy, Christy cannot walk or talk, but he can paint and write using his left foot. With some encouragement from his mother (Brenda Fricker), Christy will rise from his condition and poor environment to become an inspirational artistic force.
Daniel Day-Lewis is known for his method acting, and he went all-out for his physically complicated role in My Left Foot. Using your foot for everything from painting a picture to putting on a record sounded like a challenge he was willing to undertake. For getting so immersed in the role, Day-Lewis gave a genuine performance for the inspirational figure, strong enough to win him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
3
The Age of Innocence (1993)
Director Martin Scorsese shifted from films about flawed men of the 20th century to a romance of the 19th century in The Age of Innocence, based on Edith Wharton’s novel. Set in 1870s New York, Day-Lewis plays the rich lawyer Newland Archer, a man about to be wed to the equally wealthy May Welland (Winona Ryder). What might’ve been an ideal pairing becomes complicated when May’s cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer), enters the picture. It’s a love triangle that leads to Newland questioning romance amid societal perceptions.
It’s hard not to fall in love with Day-Lewis as a dapper gentleman, critical of the ethics surrounding his world of riches. Of course, he looks immaculate for this costume drama, but the way he portrays the drained passion of a man disillusioned with society makes this story come to life. Aided by the spectacular cinematography of Michael Ballhaus, this is a gorgeous film that finds the best ways to use Day-Lewis as a romantic lead.
2
Phantom Thread (2017)
As a revered dressmaker, Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) maintains his status as a legend of British fashion with top clients of the 1950s. Operating from his estate with his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville), Reynolds is a bachelor and places a distance between himself and women. His life changes, however, when he encounters the waitress Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps), a woman he becomes so infatuated with that she becomes his muse. This shift could break his carefully crafted routines.
As a decadent drama, director Paul Thomas Anderson made Phantom Thread as an alluring and amusing intersection between art and love. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a quietly nuanced performance as he meshes easily into the world of fashion that has placated his ego with higher expectations. Nominated for numerous Academy Awards, this is one of the finest films by both Day-Lewis and Anderson, with performances and dialogue as rich as the lifestyles portrayed.
1
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis made a meal from his towering role in There Will Be Blood. He played Daniel Plainview, a cunning man who went from being a silver miner to an oil baron, striking rich amid the oil boom of the late 19th century and early 20th century. In his greedy quest for riches, he also deceived the preacher, Eli (Paul Dano), who confronts him about the money owed and reveals Daniel’s true weaknesses.
This is one of Day-Lewis’s most memorable roles for his loud and intimidating performance, specifically for his line about drinking milkshakes in relation to oil drilling. Director Paul Thomas Anderson knows how to make the actors explode on the screen, as intense as the gritty setting and off-putting soundtrack. The scenes between Day-Lewis and Dano are so viciously brutal, especially the final scene, which may change how you look at bowling alleys forever.
It’s rare to think of any living actor putting as much effort into their performances as Daniel Day-Lewis. While method acting is controversial in how effective it truly is, it’s hard to argue with the results, as Day-Lewis consistently delivers the most acclaimed performances. From romantic leads to US presidents, the range of such talent is hard to ignore. Anemone opens October 10.