In honor of Frank Langella's terrific supporting role in All Good Things (out today on DVD and Blu-ray) -- as the patrician real-estate mogul perpetually disapproving of the bohemian leanings of his son David (Ryan Gosling) -- here's a look at some of the best work from this often-unappreciated character actor who's unsurpassed in his ability to inject quiet menace into even the most innocuous-seeming scene. (This is a guy whose breakthrough stage and screen role was Count Dracula, let's not forget.)
The Box: Richard Kelly's brilliantly whackadoodle adaptation of the Richard Matheson short story ranks, for its admirers, among the most misunderstood and unappreciated movies of the last few years -- and one of its strongest assets is Langella, as the mysterious stranger who shows up at the home of a financially-troubled couple (James Marsden and Cameron Diaz) with an offer they seemingly can't refuse. Ingenious makeup effects make it look like major chunks of Langella's face is missing, but even without the FX, he's absolutely chilling in his relatively few moments on screen. (Langella brings the same goosebumpy gravitas to his one scene with Bruno Ganz in the recent Unknown.)
Starting Out in the Evening: Langella got a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his role as the disgraced former president in Frost/Nixon, but his work one year earlier in this indie flick should have won him equal acclaim. Playing a literary lion in his twilight years who finds inspiration from a young grad student (Lauren Ambrose) who wants to put him and his novels back in the spotlight, Langella brings a quiet grandeur to the role, giving us a glimpse at the character's ferocious intelligence, at his loneliness, and at his complicated relationships with both the student and with his daughter (Lili Taylor).
Dave: The cold chill that Langella brings to this otherwise breezy comedy about an everyman (Kevin Kline) filling in for the POTUS was an eerie preview of the feeling we'd all get when Dick Cheney lurked in the background of W.'s press conferences. Only Langella was funny.
I'm Losing You: Langella plays a Jewish paterfamilias who's running out of time, living in a Los Angeles that seems itself to be skidding towards the grave from disease, disaster, and a general exhaustion of the species. The actor so often gets cast in villainous roles that it almost feels like a revelation when we get to see him playing someone compassionate and vulnerable and generally human.
Superman Returns: No, seriously -- Langella gets maybe one or two speeches as newspaper editor Perry White, but he imbues them with a seriousness and a epic quality that's in sorely short supply in this superhero reboot. When an actor can waltz in and steal the show with a minimum of screen time, you know he's one of the greats.
Want to make a case for The Ninth Gate, Masters of the Universe, or the remake of And God Created Woman? Share your own personal favorite Langella appearances in the comments.