2. Jerry Hickfang/ Bosco/Mr. Whiskers in The Voices
Now, time for the real heavy hitters. The Voices does not just contain one of Reynolds’ very best turns, but for this writer’s money it just may be one of the greatest horror comedies ever made. The story centers on Jerry, a sweet, somewhat infantile man working in small town’s bathtub factory. He’s got a raging crush on Fiona (Gemma Arterton), a radiant British woman, but he simply can’t seem to tell her how he feels. However, a simple case of social awkwardness this isn’t, as every night he goes home and speaks to his cat Mr. Whiskers and his dog Bosco, as they engage both the innocent and potentially murderous sides of his personality. It would be very easy to over-play a role like this, especially when you throw in the voice over roles, but the balance between adorably sweet and heart-breakingly terrifying that Reynolds hits is nothing short of amazing. It’s a turn both indicative and worthy of Anthony Perkins in Psycho, with notes both hysterical and deeply disturbed. While there a great deal of exaggerated and humorous flourishes, director Marjane Satrapi is brave enough to sharply turn the film into a deeply tragic direction in the second half, and Reynolds is right there with her. While Reynolds has given another performance that I find superior enough to this to rank number one, make no mistake, this is the best film he’s ever been in.
Advertisement
