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When I decided to do a Their Best Role piece on Sir Michael Caine](http://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/michael-caine/1192588/main?icid=movsmartsearch), I knew that choosing one character would be difficult. Caine’s body of work is rich, diverse, and filled with classic parts – many of which could very well be his best performance. Even then, I underestimated how many options there would be. Looking at a list of Caine’s credits and trying to pick one that defines him above all others is a daunting task. The thespian won a Supporting Actor Oscar for Hannah and Her Sisters](Amazon.com: Hannah and Her Sisters : Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, Carrie Fisher, Joanna Gleason, Barbara Hershey, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rusty Magee, Lloyd Nolan, Maureen O'Sullivan, Short, Bobby, Stern, Daniel, Turturro, John, Walsh, J.T., Allen DeCheser, von Sydow, Max: Movies & TV) and The Cider House Rules](Amazon.com: The Cider House Rules (Miramax Collector's Series) : Jane Alexander, Kathy Baker, Michael Caine, Kieran Culkin, Heavy D, Delroy Lindo, Kate Nelligan, Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, K. Todd Freeman, Paul Rudd, Erykah Badu, Paz de la Huerta, Erik Per Sullivan, Lonnie Farmer, Paz De La Huerta, Lasse Hallstrm: Movies & TV). He was nominated for Best Actor after appearing in Alfie](Amazon.com: Alfie (Widescreen Special Collector's Edition) : Jude Law, Rene Taylor, Jane Krakowski, Jeff Harding, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Rahm, Max Morris (II), Omar Epps, Nia Long, Gedde Watanabe, Jo Yang, Tara Summers (III), Sam Vincenti, Katherine LaNasa, Claudette Mink, Anouska De Georgiou, Anastasia Griffith, Jefferson Mays, Deborah Lynn-Shyer, Veronica Clifford, Sondra James, Dick Latessa, Susan Sarandon, Graydon Carter, Steve Morphew, Sienna Miller, Finlay Robertson, Edward Hogg, Martha Cope, Ben Jackson (III), Charlotte Moore (III), Cosima Shaw, Marjan Neshat, Gilbert S. Williams, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Stephen Gaghan, Paul Brooke, Angela Frye, Gunna Wilson, Daniel Solazzo, Liam Young, Amber Cather, Jacqueline Lovell, Steve Hamm, Cynthia Granville, Charles Shyer: Movies & TV), Sleuth](Amazon.com: Sleuth : Michael Caine, Jude Law, Harold Pinter, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Sternberg, Simon Moseley, Jude Law, Simon Halfon, Kenneth Branagh, Marion Pilowsky, MRC II Distribution Company L.P.: Movies & TV), Educating Rita](Amazon.com: Educating Rita : Julie Walters, Michael Caine, Lewis Gilbert, Lewis Gilbert, William P. Cartlidge, Oaktree Prods NV (APL Intl): Movies & TV), and The Quiet American](Amazon.com: The Quiet American : Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen, Rade Serbedzija, Tzi Ma, Robert Stanton, Holmes Osborne, Quang Hai, Ferdinand Hoang, Pham Thi Mai Hoa, Mathias Mlekuz, Kevin Tran, Phillip Noyce, Christopher Hampton, Graham Greene, Robert Schenkkan: Movies & TV). You can’t argue against any of those performances – each of them is memorable and demonstrates why we revere Caine’s work. But, while those performances are great, I think a performance that Caine didn’t get an Oscar nomination for stands as his best: his portrayal of Jack Carter in the 1971 British gangster film Get Carter](Get Carter (1971) - IMDb).
If you’ve never seen Get Carter, you’re missing out. It’s a mean little film about a gangster (Caine) trying to unravel the events surrounding his brother’s unexpected death. It’s one of those classic examples of 70’s crime cinema that proves “They don’t make them like they used to.” It’s drawn comparisons to Lee Marvin’s Point Blank](Point Blank (1967) - Movie | Moviefone) and is often cited as the inspiration for the new wave of British gangster films from directors like Guy Ritchie. Its story of a professional killer seeking to vengeance and retribution at any cost isn’t particularly profound – but the direction of Mike Hodges and an absolutely mesmerizing performance from Caine move Get Carter beyond its pulpy origins and place it amongst the best British films of the era.