When Matthew McConaughey -- or McMatt as I call him -- takes the time to invest in a character, something interesting happens ... he can act! When he knows the movie he's appearing in isn't a complete goof (like his recent release, Fool's Gold, appears to be), the man can be a solid actor and it's a shame he doesn't do it nearly enough. Usually, watching McConaughey in a movie is akin to watching a friend's vacation video. Those things are torture. You're just watching him walk through the movie, having a grand ol' time. Okay, Matt, great. I get it. You're having a heck of a time shooting a movie under the sun with Kate Hudson or Jennifer Lopez or Steve Zhan.

Still, he does have his fair share of good performances (no, really). Everyone already knows how great he was in Dazed and Confused and how earnest he was in Time To Kill. Here are five other strong performances some people may have forgotten about.

Frailty
This is an underrated and under-seen thriller that will stay with you long after you've seen it. It's got one of the best gutsy endings to a film I've ever seen because of what's implied. McConaughey plays more of a supporting role (most of the movie is about his adolescent self), but it's another helpful reminder of his knack for character work.

Reign of Fire
This silly but fun dragon movie features some of McConaughey's absolute best work. McConaughey goes all-out here, once again proving he works best when he's playing deranged people.

We Are Marshall
Speaking of deranged, he plays a real wackadoo in this movie. Overall, I thought this movie was disappointing and dull but I kept watching because his characterization of Coach Jack Lengyel. In fact, the only reason I did watch this movie is because of some people that told me they didn't like it because McConaughey was "weird" in it. Sign me up!

Lone Star
McConaughey isn't weird here (but he is dead so that's kind of strange), yet he's still damn good as Buddy Deeds, father to Chris Cooper's Sam. This is one of John Sayles's best films and is a must-see if you haven't checked it out already.

Amistad
One of Steven Spielberg's most underrated films has McConaughey playing an abolitionist lawyer. Admittedly, Djimon Honsou (how wasn't he nominated again?) and Anthony Hopkins do steal the show. This movie packs a real power punch, and even though McMatt plays a small part of it, it's the kind of quality project he's capable of selecting and holding his own in.

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Dre writes three times a week for Film.com. Email him!

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