Russell Crowe\u2019s <\/a>performance in the new World War II<\/a> drama Nuremberg<\/a> has floored film critics, with many eagerly predicting he will earn his fourth Oscar nomination for his \u201ctowering\u201d and \u201csuperb\u201d portrayal of Nazi war criminal Hermann G\u00f6ring<\/a>.<\/p>\n Directed by James Vanderbilt (Truth) and out in theaters Friday, Nuremberg is about U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (played by Rami Malek)<\/a>, who gets locked in a psychological showdown with accused Nazi<\/a> war criminal Hermann G\u00f6ring (Crowe) as the Nuremberg trials are set to begin.<\/a><\/p>\n While the movie itself has divided critics \u2014 it currently holds a 73 percent on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes \u2014 they at least appear to unanimously agree that Crowe gives one of his best performances in years.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cVanderbilt\u2019s film hinges on G\u00f6ring being painted as a sinner and as a saint, equally,\u201d TheWrap<\/a>\u2019s Matthew Creith wrote. \u201cBut Crowe never wavers in taking G\u00f6ring to heights unseen by the actor\u2019s film career in quite some time, as he interprets the Nazi as a towering figure in a brilliant performance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCrowe gives a towering, subtly frightening performance as G\u00f6ring,\u201d Roger Ebert<\/a>\u2019s Zachary Lee lauded. \u201cHe\u2019s dangerously charming, humble, and suave, even while his egotistical nature is so baked in that he can\u2019t imagine a possibility where he\u2019s convicted and on trial.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell Crowe leads James Vanderbilt\u2019s new World War II drama \u2018Nuremberg\u2019 about the trials of the Nazi leaders (Sony Pictures)<\/p>\n Rami Malek (left) as American psychologist Douglas Kelley (Sony Picture)<\/p>\n Brian Truitt of USA Today<\/a> heaped praise on Malek\u2019s \u201ceffective\u201d portrayal as Kelley, yet it was Crowe whom he found to be \u201ceven more superb \u2014 and ready to crash awards season.\u201d<\/p>\n Variety<\/a>\u2019s Owen Gleiberman similarly opined that Malek \u201cbrings a conversational energy to the role, also brings a weird insecurity; along the way, his Kelley almost seems to forget what his job is.\u201d However, \u201cCrowe, in contrast, acts with consummate command even as G\u00f6ring, by design, keeps the audience at arm\u2019s length,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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