The Best and Worst of Bobby Cannavale

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 Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature" star Bobby Cannavale

Films starring Bobby Cannavale that I've seen:
The Station Agent
Snakes on a Plane
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
The Other Guys
Win Win
Movie 43
Parker
Lovelace
Blue Jasmine
Chef
Danny Collins 
Adult Beginners
Spy
Ant-Man
Daddy's Home
The Fundamentals of Caring

Best Performance: The Station Agent (2003)
Since the bulk of Cannavale's most acclaimed performances have come on the small screen (Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, Will & Grace, Vinyl), his film work has gotten unfairly slept on over the course of his career. The beloved 47-year old character actor has showcased his versatility with a number of terrific performances in indie dramas (Blue Jasmine, Danny Collins), goofy comedies (Daddy's Home, Spy) and even an absurd B-movie classic (Snakes on a Plane). Despite the near-constant success he has in the roles he takes on in both mediums, Cannavale's career-defining performance (and arguably the reason he got an opportunity to star in so many quality TV shows) came in Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent. In this understated film that focuses on a group of small town New Jersey loners (Cannavale, Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson) brought together by coincidence, Cannavale's genuine, unwavering warmth serves as the catalyst for the formation of the unlikely bond that emerges between the protagonists and helps make The Station Agent an incredibly moving watch.  

Worst Performance: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
I genuinely don't think Paul Blart: Mall Cop is that bad of a movie, but by God does Cannavale suck in it. Cannavale's "hey look I'm an adult bully" routine becomes grating within the first 30 seconds he appears on screen and made me wish they gave more screen time to Mike F'n Vallely.  

Best Film: Blue Jasmine (2013)
With the erratic quality of his recent output, the question of whether or not writer/director Woody Allen is past his prime has gained some traction among hardcore movie nerds. He's been releasing almost a movie year since 1969 and at age 81, it's not a stretch to say that his storytelling is starting to get stale. In my eyes, movies like Blue Jasmine prove that the film icon is still capable of creating cinematic magic in his twilight years.  Anchored by an unbelievable performance from Cate Blanchett, this clever, often darkly funny character study addresses the "hardships" that occur when someone from high society is suddenly forced to assimilate back to normal life. The denial, delusion and pettiness Blanchett's character displays as she interacts with the people around her is stunning to behold and the script is full of the type of biting observational brilliance that only Allen can pull of.

Worst Film: Movie 43 (2013)
The time has come for me to once again trash this misguided anthology comedy. How the Farrelly Brothers and producer Charles Wessler were able to coerce so many talented actors (seven Academy Award nominees and three winners appeared in the film's 14 sketches) into appearing in such a sophomoric, unfunny and just generally poorly-made movie is a mystery too perplexing to ever be solved. 

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 "Logan Lucky" star Daniel Craig.