NEW YORK

Colin Farrell chuckles when I let him know I am preparing a list of his most underrated performances and/or films. Like many actors, every role is a passion. That is true even when some films turn out badly and he feels embarrassed, as he did when his ancient epic Alexander was first released: “I felt I owed everyone an apology,” he exclaimed.

But Farrell does have one request for the list — Neil Jordan’s Ondine. So we lead off with that odd yet interesting love story as we offer five of Farrell’s most underrated or overlooked acting efforts:

Ondine (2009):

“For me,” Farrell says, “I’m not saying that anything’s been underappreciated. But nobody — and I mean nobody — saw this film and I think it’s a film that has certain virtues.” Farrell plays an Irish fisherman who plucks a beautiful, half-drowned woman from his nets, believing her to be a selkie (a water nymph or mermaid from mythology). Reality sets in and it turns out she was a drug mule. Offscreen, Farrell began an affair with his co-star, Alicja Bachleda-Curus, now the mother of one of his two sons. On screen, Ondine was enchanting but the distribution of the film was almost non-existent

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Tigerland (2000):

Playing a rookie U.S. soldier, Farrell staged his American breakout with energy and passion. Set at Louisiana’s infamous Tigerland training centre, the film showed how America prepared its young men before sending them to wage war in the jungles of Vietnam in the 1970s. Joel Schumacher directed the gritty piece, and plumbed the depths of Farrell’s off-kilter personality for the actor’s memorable American debut.

In Bruges (2008):

For a small release, Martin McDonagh’s comic crime thriller did reasonably well, with $33 million in worldwide box office. But the movie still rates as one of Farrell’s most underrated because few people recall how brilliant the performances are. That particularly applies to Farrell, who plays an unsettled hitman awaiting further orders in the historic Flemish city of Bruges, Belgium, after a job has gone terribly wrong. This film is a minor masterpiece and Farrell’s sweet fragility is showcased. Farrell reunited with McDonagh for Seven Psychopaths in 2012.

Intermission (2003):

Framed as a quirky comedy, a crime drama and a mystery, this Irish film became a cult classic in its home country. Farrell exploded as the catalyst of the piece, a petty thief whose antics help to connect the various losers whose lives intersect in the story. Director John Crowley shot the film in Dublin, Farrell’s hometown, and it shows off a seamy side that Farrell somehow makes more attractive.

Alexander (2004):

The original theatrical release failed. But director Oliver Stone master-minded an extended director’s cut that rescued his biopic of Alexander the Great from ignominy. “I believe it’s a much better film,” Farrell says of the improvement. “I believe it’s a great film!” Okay, not quite great, but it is better and Farrell’s heroic performance makes more sense in the longer version. Farrell says Stone was dedicated to the project: “Oh man, how much does that dude care?”