NY Times’ Wesley Morris Names Tom Hanks as Sully Among the Best Performances of the Year

Wesley Morris has given the “best of” idea a redesign here with his selections, which include Samantha Bee of the Daily Show, among others. But he does give a shout out to one actor in contention in the Oscar race and that’s Tom Hanks:

TOM HANKS, ‘SULLY’ This man playing Capt. Chesley Sullenberger is casting so obvious that it’s redundant: national treasure on American hero. But Mr. Hanks, who was also fantastic in this spring’s barely seen “A Hologram for the King,” has no obvious use for vanity. Once again, he proves himself the most reliably interesting star in American movies. Playing Mr. Sullenberger doesn’t become a quest for glory. Instead, Mr. Hanks is up to something more fascinating: submerging his own iconic humility in a humble man famous for, on one terrifying day, being extraordinarily good at his job. (Read the review)

Having watched Sully a few times now there is no doubt that Hanks’ performance, and really the film itself, holds its shimmer all of these months later. It is just a really well directed, well acted, well written movie across the board. It is the kind of film that the American film industry does best. And the kind that my friend David Carr used to call a “movie movie,” the kind you scrape together a few dollars to go see and get back more than your money’s worth. This kind of thing is going to make a big difference moving forward as ticket prices get higher and higher. It’s Hanks, for me, and it’s Aaron Eckhart as his co-pilot, but it’s also Clint Eastwood’s directing of the event itself. He wonks the shit out of it, gives us viewers a chance to watch that landing, the particulars of it and how easily it could have gone wrong. That’s really my favorite thing about Sully other than Hanks — it’s that wonkish detailing of the landing. What a thrill.