The Best and Worst of Colin Farrell

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "The Lobster" star Colin Farrell.

Film starring Colin Farrell that I've seen:
Minority Report
Daredevil
Phone Booth
S.W.A.T.
In Bruges
Crazy Heart
Horrible Bosses
Fright Night 
Total Recall
Seven Psychopaths

Best Performance: Seven Psychopaths (2012)
Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths is one of the most twisted and absurd comedies to be released in the United States in recent memory. Amidst all the pitch-black humor and mentally-unstable characters, Farrell's Marty, a struggling screenwriter whose long in-progress script shares a title with the film, serves as a pillar of sanity. Farrell's subtle, level-headed performance does an excellent job of highlighting the off-the-rails insanity the rest of the film offers up and makes you empathize for his character as he unintentionally gets dragged into a series of dangerous and often highly illegal situations. 

Worst Performance: S.W.A.T. (2003)
When Farrell first arrived in Hollywood in the early 2000's, studios were trying really hard to make him an action star. If you're wondering why the action hero tag never gained any traction, all you have to do is watch S.W.A.T. No matter how hard this film tries to sell him as the brave, borderline indestructible SWAT Team leader, his mannequin-esque presence and awkward line delivery ensures that he's never even remotely believable in the part.

Best Film: Horrible Bosses (2011)
In the wave of breakout comedy hits of the 2010's, Horrible Bosses regularly gets unfairly glossed over. The combination of an elite ensemble cast that's collectively firing on all cylinders and a clever script that wasn't afraid to delve into dark territory made Horrible Bosses one of the most consistently laugh-out-loud comedies of this decade so far.

Worst Film: Phone Booth (2003)
Thrillers that entirely take place in one setting can work if they have quality acting and maintain a constant level of suspense (see Buried and 10 Cloverfield Lane.) Phone Booth is not one of those films. While it's not without its tense moments, the below-average acting and ridiculous resolution manage to derail the entire film.  
 
Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "The Nice Guys" star Ryan Gosling.