Honestly when you look at Tim Roth it’s easy to think that he might not be that kind of guy that can act tough on screen. And it’s true, he looks like the type that would be more of the weasel-faced individual that would be the perfect character that gets kicked around and abused most often. But when he cranks up the dial on his acting he’s actually a scary individual since he’s played a few characters that have allowed him to really cut loose when it comes to being a true psychopath. Roth impresses a lot of people since he can get into a role and make it look and sound so realistic that you have to wonder what he does to wind himself back down once he’s done shooting. Some of his roles have gone so far over the top that it’s a wonder he hasn’t been to the Oscars on multiple occasions. But then again, it’s probably better he’s never been subjected to the Oscar’s curse, as it’s allowed him to keep his edge. He did get nominated once for Rob Roy, but that’s about it.
Here are five of his best movies.
5. Hoodlum
One of the best parts about this movie is that despite the fact that Hollywood took a lot of liberties there was a war for the Harlem numbers racket back in the day between Schultz and Johnson, though Johnson was working for Stephanie St. Clair at the time. However much the movie glammed it up a bit and added in a few things that weren’t reported to happen. The point here though is that Roth played the part of Schultz so perfectly that people actually became interested in learning the overall history and probably came to find out that Dutch eventually met his end in a much different way than the movie depicts.
4. Rob Roy
When the term ‘no quarter asked and none given’ is handed down during a fight, it’s evidence that things are about to get nasty. That’s the case in this scene when MacGregor and Cunningham enter a duel to decide whether MacGregor will be held accountable for the crimes that he didn’t commit, or if his debts will be wiped clean and his honor restored. Cunningham is, as you would expect from a character played by Roth, confident, arrogant, and quite sure of himself, but of course that only goes so far when you push your opponent again and again. Sometimes all it takes is one good strike to end a fight.
3. Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino certainly knows how to make a film gritty, bloody, and impossible to look away from since this one manages to grip a person and hold on until the extremely bitter end. A crew of almost complete strangers, as most of them are known to the boss, gather to perform what should be a textbook heist. But the problem is, Mr. Orange, played by Roth, is an undercover cop that’s been sent it to try and break things up. When he gets shot and then has to shoot one of the robbers to keep him from killing a hostage things get messy really quickly since the game is up at that point and backup just isn’t quick enough to arrive.
2. Four Rooms
This movie is just multiple levels of crazy and it could have something to do with the fact that it features stories written by three different directors. Ted, the poor bellhop, is tasked with watching the hotel on his own for the most part and as a result has to handle the calls that come in from various rooms during the night. From being summoned up to help a coven of witches to being asked and paid to watch two unruly children and then participating in a strange roleplaying event, being asked to chop off a man’s pinky to settle a bet by the end of the night is actually pretty a tame way to end it.
1. Pulp Fiction
“Ringo” is that guy who thinks he’s smart and has a good idea and also has it all laid out perfectly in his head, but doesn’t account for the variables. The variable in this instance happens to be Jules, who isn’t about to be intimidated by a guy in a loud shirt with a wheel gun pointed at his face and threatening to kill him. Of course when he whips out his own gun and makes a convincing argument as to why the robbery isn’t going to happen as Ringo wanted we get a pretty good conversation that occurs and in the end the movie kind of gets to go out on a very interesting note, even though the time jumps that occur during the movie leave us with the knowledge that Jules’ partner Vincent will be dead eventually.
Seriously, he doesn’t look like a tough character, but he can certainly play one.
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