10 Daniel Day Lewis Best Movies That You Should Watching Update 04/2024

Daniel Day Lewis Best Movies

Daniel Day-Lewis will do anything for his character, from refusing to wear clothes that weren’t available to him in the year of the film’s setting to suffering pneumonia to making crew members wheel him about on set because his character can’t walk. Rather, in terms of his persona. As the son of poet laureate Cecil Day-Lewis and the in-law of the legendary Arthur Miller, the English actor admits he is currently retired. Day-Lewis hasn’t put a lot of emphasis on volume in his nearly four-decade career. Rather than being a household name, he’s been identified as an actor because of the roles he’s portrayed, not because of his reputation or standing as a global celebrity, although it would be irresponsible not to do so. His co-stars claim to have only met the actual Day-Lewis after the filming had finished.

During one of their two collaborations, Paul Thomas Anderson remarked, “From a director’s point of view… it is wonderful.” You have a three-dimensional persona that you can interact with at any time. “You just follow him around and videotape him.” His virtuosity as a performer has been rewarded handsomely by prestigious honors, including three Academy Awards for Best Lead Actor. Day-Lewis’ characters’ lives are a kaleidoscope of experiences. The list goes on and on: a gay working-class man; an American President; an Irish boxer; an American oil tycoon. We’ve decided to compile a list of some of his best work to date, till he returns a few years from now as an actor who’s been retired for five years and has since taken up fashion designing, or gardening, or shoemaking since. When you have him, you can do anything.

10. The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

When Daniel Day-Lewis wrote The Unbearable Lightness of Being, he was still trying to find his “bearings” in the industry. With the actor’s uncanny ability to sink into his characters even in this early role, Tomas still holds up as one of his best. He is a womanizer, a con artist, and a hustler who understands how to get the best out of every circumstance.

Human consciousness is the dissatisfied protagonist in our lives’ stories, and his confused love triangle with an older artist and younger waitress is a reminder of this.

It is not just political intrigue into one of Europe’s most turbulent social revolutions, but it also weighs sincerely on a more intimate level about human individuality and vulnerability that is surprisingly quick to control our decisions in times of adversity, which is the point of the film..

Day-Lewis is able to show off his impressive emotional range because to the dramatic shift in tonality between the two sections of the film. Aside from keeping the character’s promiscuous and morally bankrupt ideas in tact, it is the character’s flawed but appealing desire to be both altruistic and delusional when it comes to love that redeems the performance as an acting masterwork.

9. My Beautiful Launderette (1985)

My Beautiful Launderette, directed by Stephen Frears, captures the spirit of the era in which it is set. His narrative of the Thatcher era is infused with a deep and abiding affection. Childhood friends Johhny and Omar, who come from quite different backgrounds, rekindle their friendship in the most bizarre of ways: with the former putting a knife to the throat of the latter. Even so, it doesn’t stop a friendship from developing that finally defies social expectations about love and blossoms into something genuinely wonderful. A sustained exposition by Frears touches on both light and somber tones.

Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warnecke are able to experiment and demonstrate their talents thanks to this blend. With admirable intensity, the former portrays a guarded street punk, while the latter assumes the more deluding and open-minded simpleton wanting to start a new life. My Beautiful Launderette is a superb portrayal of the filmmaker’s personal expression of class and lives made at either end of the spectrum, even though it was released over twenty years before the rainbow era.

8. The Age of Innocence (1993)

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Pre-release, Martin Scorcese was thought to only be capable of making films starring Robert De Niro as damaged characters, or mob movies with a large ensemble cast and an overarching story. An upper-class American guild movie that is more concerned with conforming to social rules and tidy behavior than it is with the heart on the sleeve appears to be an odd departure for Marty.

It’s hard to compare Newland Archer, the star of Scorcese’s The Age of Innocence, to the great filmmaker’s other famed characters. There is nothing in common between Archer and Jake LaMotta, Travis Bickle, or Rupert Pupkin. It may not feel like a tragedy at all to you. A life amidst the opulence of late-19th-century New York society is a dream come true for everyone. Though “love is classless,” the old adage holds true. Isn’t that what love is?

A heartbreaking and devastating triangle of intricate connections and repressed passions lies beneath Scorcese’s grandeur visual breadth and royal cultural remnants of those times. Disarming twists from the primary actors make you feel like you’ve been transported into another world. A wide range of emotions are on exhibit and at stake, even though the tale is essentially uninteresting.

7. The Boxer (1997)

“Daniel could easily be a professional boxer,” Barry McGuigan, the actor’s trainer for the film, said on a morning show before the film’s production began. Maybe put him up against the top 3 or 4. “He’s going to win.” In the absence of a gripping story, Jim Sheridan’s hefty drama relies solely on the genius of its key leads. There are varied views in the community after Danny Flynn’s release from prison. After 14 years in prison and reflecting on his violent past, the former IRA renegade wishes to live in peace. His old coworkers can’t believe it, and his ex-girlfriend is now married, which makes him feel even worse. When Danny finds himself in a tight spot, will he fight back or give in?

The film immediately realizes that its subject matter is broad and shifts gears to accommodate and endorse its star as the picture’s crown jewel. Sheridan leaves a lot to interpretation in Danny and Maggie’s dialogue, relying heavily on what is left unsaid. “The Boxer” may not be the most powerful theatrical depiction of the chaotic period of the IRA and the subsequent violence in Ireland, but it gives Daniel Day-Lewis the opportunity to play a guy who is not just the sum of his parts, but a kaleidoscope of broken dreams and hopes.

6. In the Name of the Father (1993)

In the Name of the Father (1993)

Injustice often elicits the strongest and most ferocious level of human indignation, which can be dangerously close to a violent reaction. As we see in the United States today, institutional corruption and bigotry often generate helpless, miserable victims but also develop resolute and iron-willed individuals who can take on the system that destroyed their life alone. For example, the character of Gerry Conlon in Jim Sheridan’s In the Name of the Father is one of these men. They were falsely accused and ethnically targeted in 1974 for bombs in Guildford. This is the subject of a poignant film. “When They See Us” and “Detroit” are two examples of films that expose the unethical, unethical, and disgusting role played by police in imprisoning innocent men through the use of intimidation or pressure techniques.

Gerry’s relationship with his father is one of Sheridan’s most interesting tangents in the novel. When Gerry is imprisoned with his father, Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite provide one of the best performances of their careers. Anger over his father’s poor image and indignation over it unravels his plan to become a bum (in Marlon Brando’s words) and take responsibility for nothing. In prison, their friendship undergoes a dramatic transformation, bringing them closer together than ever before. To remove a corrupt and prejudiced police force and criminal justice system, the spread of the prison itself is employed to dismantle a corrupt and prejudiced police force and criminal justice system. Considering the current political context, Gerry is an excellent example of someone who feels helpless and abandoned in the face of a racial accusation.

To put it another way, Day-Lewis’ central performance in Sheridan’s picture is one of a controlled blend of rage, determination, and cruelty.

5. Phantom Thread (2017)

This is a filmmaker with a very specific taste in movies. His irrational mashups of form and content never fail to catch you off guard. Apart from anything else, his stature as a modern-day filmmaker is practically flawless. When he works on something, it’s almost always a topic of debate that divides and irritates rather than brings people together. The film Phantom Thread is a good fit.

Critics swooned over the film, but the audience had varied opinions about it. Reynolds Woodcock (cheekily named by himself) was Day-Lewis’ principal character in the film, an accomplished and confident fashion designer who was also insecure and adrift in his personal life.

While struggling with the memories of his mother and useless love affairs, he has a scowl on his face. Alma, a free-spirited, daring lady, shatters the episodic nature of Reynolds’s love life with her need for more than what he has to offer. Day-Lewis has plenty of room in the film’s storyline to build a captivating character introspection, despite the fact that the film’s core is the dynamic and confrontation between Reynolds and Alma.

4. Gangs of New York (2002)

Gangs of New York (2002)

One of the most horrifying villains ever on screen, Bill the Butcher, was played by Daniel Day-Lewis in his second Academy Award nomination. His fiery nature and piercing stare make him an easy target. An unrestrained torrent of fury and power capable of melting even the hardest metals is unleashed by the great English actor in his latest role.

Gangs of New York’s long-winded plot has a lot to offer in terms of sub-themes besides its characters. Scorcese could have made a number of films based on the tiniest snippets of information from either the local community or the social life that surrounds them. However, his depiction is centered on a limited number of aspects, and he explores them all.

The way he builds up the historical rivalries and the effect they have on the rule of law and society’s confidence is superb. He typically creates an edgy atmosphere in his films, but Gangs of New York takes it to a new level. If you’re doing your own thing, you have to be willing to accept flaws in order to do so. And that makes us all very happy!

3. Lincoln (2012)

With the story of one of humanity’s most significant laws, Spielberg also reintroduces the idea of an actual political leader, one who can work with his adversaries to achieve his goals. For both Americans and the rest of the world, the 13th Amendment is a towering symbol of equality and social justice.

Emancipation was a long time in the making. It had to contend with a civil war that seemed to have no end, rising racial tensions, and political turbulence that threatened to bring the nation to its knees. It was, nonetheless, bearable. When it comes to Lincoln’s legacy, he is more than a historical figure.

This means that Lincoln’s legacy isn’t simply about the man, but more about the triumphant notion of human principles and natural justice that stayed firm even when everything else was against it. On screen or in text, Day-Lewis’ portrayal of Lincoln is perhaps the most accurate depiction of the former president. Mr. President is the only person who can be seen in this magnificent replica. Sighing and turning to empty space and searching within oneself for answers are all examples of cinematic excellence. This is the pinnacle, in my opinion.

2. My Left Foot (1989)

My Left Foot (1989)

Life isn’t fair to everyone. It’s not fair that some people be more fortunate. Chris Brown was one of the lucky ones to have the gift of art and not let his physical limitations keep him from expressing it. Christy’s cerebral palsy meant that he could only utilize the toes of his left foot. Eileen, a young carer, discovered and nurtured his genuine talents, which led him to worldwide renown. When it comes to these kinds of responsibilities, there is minimal room for error.

Daniel Day-Lewis is a master of the fine line between undercooking and overcooking physical actions. It’s just as difficult for Christy to deal with the outside world as it is for him to deal with his own self-perception. Compared to Jim Sheridan’s honest and serious depiction of Christy Day-Lewis’ extraordinary life, there is little to say about Day-Lewis.

1. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Daniel Day-Lewis noted in an interview with Oprah that “the voice is the fingerprint of the soul” when describing his preparation for the part of Abraham Lincoln. His admission that he originally reconstructed this facet of the former President’s persona emphasizes what he said before. When others hear our voices, they form their impressions of us based on what they hear.

However, Lincoln’s mild and polite dictation did not fit the typical definition of control and authority, as a rich, gritty baritone is commonly associated with. Daniel Plainview’s mastery over the scenes in which he appears reflects this significance fairly forcefully. Only he can keep the audience’s attention and drive the story ahead.

In a nod to Upton Sinclair’sOil, There Will Be Blood tells the narrative of a conman who, paradoxically enough, ends up conniving no one but himself in its depiction of the late 19th century oil boom. Anger, betrayal, vulnerability, and fear are just a few of the many emotions Day-Lewis displays here. Unlike other towns, Plainview is an institution in and of itself.