Oscar or not, these were some of the best performances of 2022

Great movie acting provides an extraordinary passageway into a protagonist’s soul. This mysterious alchemy is the height of the performer’s art. The actor fuses with the role and, in a sense, so do we. More than simply identifying with the character, we are that character. 

Movie acting rarely reaches such heights, but when it does, or even comes anywhere close, it can transform a middling film into a must see.

We are now in the run-up to the Oscars, airing March 12 on ABC, and, as usual, along with a few favorite nominated standouts, there are many performances I admired in 2022 that went unrecognized by the Academy of Motion Picture