First making his mark in our collective consciousness’ opposite Bill Murray in the cult classic Groundhog Day, over the past few years the supremely talented Michael Shannon is securing roles that showcase his range earning him much deserved recognition. He’s been nominated for Academy Awards, SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and his intense brooding style has gained him serious critical plaudits.
Speaking of the Oscars, with the AMPAS polls closing on Tuesday 21st, this is a great time to remind any voters out there why Michael Shannon is amazing. His powerful characters with mysterious, potentially dark depths, has served him very well in the last 12 months, with huge critical acclaim for Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, he now stars in Frank & Lola, a modern film noir that looks at the nature of romantic obsession, violence, and all consuming passion..
As you can see from the trailer below, it’s going to be an intense one, with Shannon once again delivering an acting masterclass in the type of roles he’s mastered like no other.
To celebrate Frank & Lola’s release on digital download on Monday, and to make it a little easier for the Academy members amongst you, we’re taking a look back at some of Michael Shannon’s most impressive recent performances. It was difficult to narrow it down to five, but here goes…
Nocturnal Animals
Michael Shannon’s most recent Oscar Academy Award nominated turn was a slight departure, with his hardened, cynical Texan cop Bobby Andes. He helps Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Tony Hastings get revenge on the parochial group who killed his wife and daughter, determined to exact justice on evil. Ok, so perhaps not that much of a departure, but the soft edges of the coarsened character make for a compelling and nuanced performance.
Boardwalk Empire
In an age of cinematic television, the enormously popular Boardwalk Empire saw Shannon taking on the role of Nelson Van Alden, the senior prohibition bureau agent well and truly on Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi)’s tail. Often verging on fanatically religious, and deeply repressed, Van Alden’s need to see Nucky locked up was far more than the mere illegality of his Atlantic City alcohol racket. That characteristic dark side was present in the character, punishing himself in violent ways for his sins and misdeeds. Indeed he succumbed to corruption to the extent that he eventually ended up on the run from the law himself, although in the interests of not ruining things with any spoilers, we won’t say why…
99 Homes
Playing a straight up bad guy, Shannon plays charismatic Rick Carver, who takes advantage of Andrew Garfield’s down on his luck and recently unemployed builder Dennis Nash who is struggling to get back a foreclosed home – the twist is, Rick Carver is the real-estate broker who is after his house. Carver coerces Nash into working for him, inviting him into a risky life of scamming and stealing from the system, revealing how the rich get richer. Nash sells his soul to the devil, and is required to evict families from their homes, as Carver did to him. The film is a visceral portrayal of greed and the cruelty of modern capitalism, and Shannon gives an exceptional turn as the corrupt real-estate.
Elvis & Nixon
The untold true story of the impromptu 1970 meeting between Elvis Presley and President Richard Nixon, Shannon assumed the role of The King of Rock’n’Roll for this incredible insight into what really happened in the oval office the day of the iconic photograph, which has since become the most requested of all time from the National Archives. The film looks at the most popular man in the world’s bizarre request to meet the most powerful man in the world, citing concerns about drug culture, the Black Panthers, and the hippie movement, telling Nixon that he wants to be sworn in as an undercover narcotics agent. It’s a humourous and revealing account of two men who, at opposite ends of the fame spectrum, feel underappreciated by American culture, which is developing at a rate that they can’t keep up with and no longer recognise. Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon may not have physically resembled the parts they played, but they breathed life into cultural and political icons.
The Iceman
In this biographical dramatisation, we see Shannon as the real life ‘Iceman’ Richard Kuklinski a notorious and prolific hitman. The titular lead, for all his questionable morals, does have some strict rules, which eventually spark his downfall. Shannon gives a truly scary performance, deploying the dark, dangerous and violent character he’s got nailed to impressive levels – Kuklinski is able to keep his criminal life and profuse murderous activity secret from his family, and is terrifyingly good at balancing the two, although the violence does increasingly creep into his family life when he’s suspended for a hit gone wrong…
You can see Michael Shannon in another dark and dangerous role when Frank & Lola comes out on digital download on 20th February – if it’s quiet, brooding intensity and passionate violent outbursts you’re after, you won’t be disappointed.
Frank & Lola is available on Digital HD on February 20th and DVD on April 10th
Originally published February 20, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
