Best Leading Actor 1974

5. Albert Finney - Murder on the Orient Express
In Murder on the Orient Express Finney has a famous and iconic character to play and he's surprisingly lackluster as Hercule Poirot. He's just overshadowed by supporting actors in the film and this only changes in the end of the film, where the other actors only sit and listen to him. I have to confess that I didn't actually enjoy the film (except from the end) and so didn't I enjoy Finney's performance. He wasn't bad and he did what was needed to do, but nothing more...

4. Dustin Hoffman - Lenny
I haven't seen Lenny's original performances so I can't compare it with them and all I know is Hoffman's exhibition. I say exhibition, because this really is not a performance, but an exhibition. I never really saw Lenny in this performance. All I saw was Dustin Hoffman playing. He has chosen to play Lenny Bruce rather than just be him. I enjoyed some scenes from the judge, but they also were a little bit overacted...

3. Al Pacino - The Godfather: Part II.
Excellent and iconic performance given by a legendary actor. He gives a great performance in which he uses the right way of subtlety that makes this performance memorable. I like the way he shows us the difference between Michael Corleone in the first film and Michael Corleone in the second film, but we still see it's the same Michael, but he changed. Performance, you will remember...

2. Art Carney - Harry and Tonto
Some people hate this performance, because it's not as iconic as Nicholson's or Pacino's, but it certainly is great. I'm satisfied with this winning, but there still was a little bit better performance this year. Carney is really charming in his character and he's done everything what was needed. I believed him almost everything, except from some scenes he's angry in. In them he uses a thing I call "old-fashioned overacting". But all the other scenes were really really wonderful...

1. Jack Nicholson - Chinatown
Performances in Chinatown are all really great. Nicholson as detective Jake Gittes gives a wonderful and memorable performance that never fails to be convincing. His chemistry with Faye Dunaway is just excellent. Another thing I really appreciate about his performance is that he is never overacting. For example the scene where he is telling to Faye how much he likes his nose. Many actors would overact this scene, but that's not Nicholson's case. It's not one of Nicholson's best performances, but it definitely is really great...