I went to the midnight showing of I Am Legend on opening night and loved it. So much so, that I went and saw it again Saturday at the IMAX theater.

Will Smith has been one of the hottest actors in Hollywood lately, with everything he touches turning to gold, and there is no better actor in all of Hollywood to play the role of Robert Neville.

Will Smith is the only actor I can think of who has the ability to give heart-wrenching sincerity (Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness) while also possessing the ability to be the only actor on the screen for large portion of the film (Men In Black, I Robot).

The director deserves credit as well, for providing the angles and cuts that tell the story, but the truth is that Will Smith pulled off a last-man-on-earth portrayal that makes Tom Hanks in Castaway look like the amateur hack actor I think he is. If it weren’t for the SFX creatures in the movie, I think Smith would be a shoe in for an Oscar.

It was obvious to me that he put serious work into understanding the mind of a person who has been alone and looking over his shoulder for three years. He talks to mannequins, keeps detailed journals, and is meticulous about where every little thing belongs, even down to moving his coffee cup and glass of orange juice into their expected places.

In his most impressive scene, he gets no help from the cameramen, lighting crew, or director, and has to carry out the implicit action while selling the emotion using only his face… and he does it triumphantly. In a closeup shot with only his face, Smith manages to tell the audience every sad and painful thing he’s doing off screen, while revealing the torturous consequences it has on him.

Once you’ve seen it, you’ll know exactly what scene I’m referring to. Both times I’ve watched it, that audience let out a sigh of anguish at the end of the scene. Marvelous.