Daniel Day-Lewis is the actor any casual observer can tell has prepared for his role.  Unlike some of the stars who are his contemporaries, the viewer should have no expectations when going to watch one of his films, other than he will be intense and entirely committed.  With a few Oscars under his belt, Day-Lewis never had much to prove and does not take on too many roles.  Nonetheless, here are his five most mesmerizing performances now paying on satellite TV networks.

5. My Beautiful Launderette.  It was the beginning of Day-Lewis’ career, but his style was already down: chance-taking, taboo-breaking and all around immersed in his character.  When you line up a friendship between a Pakistani and an English punk, you could have trouble.  When you make the two men lovers, you have a really controversial picture.  Stephen Frears made his name here along with his star actor, a film which can be seen on the Independent Film Channel by satellite TV subscribers.

4. The Age of Innocence.  This role represents something of a departure for DDL, but that departure is trivial compared to that of the director, Martin Scorsese.  There are no guns, no mafia and certainly no Joe Pesci to be found.  However, there is plenty of violence — emotional violence, the cruelty of a social order which Edith Wharton’s novel described so well.  DDL plays Archer, a man torn between his true love (Michelle Pfeiffer) and the wife society says he should marry (Winona Ryder).  This film also plays regularly on IFC in high definition.

3. In the Name of the Father.  A stirring tale of IRA terrorism and fixed trials, this Jim Sheridan film was all the rage at the time of its release.  Day-Lewis once again undergoes a transformation, this time playing a hippie who moves to London from Belfast.  While Day Lewis received his customary Oscar nomination, he was joined by Pete Postelthwaite who plays his father in the film and Emma Thompson, who plays an attorney who tries to reopen the case.

2. Gangs of New York.  Another Martin Scorsese film, this picture was loosely based on the Herbert Asbury book which depicted the rise of gang life in New York in the late nineteenth century.  While expectations ran high and were impossible to meet, the film was saved by the breathtaking performance of Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher.  Hacking up meet and snarling in an accent that’s a work of genius, Day-Lewis reminded everyone what a heavyweight Method actor can do.  See this film in HD to appreciate the terrific art direction.

1. There Will Be Blood.  Just when his Gangs performance could not be topped, Day-Lewis proceeded to stun everyone as Daniel Plainview, an oil man in the Old American West.  Paul Thomas Anderson’s film has a roughness which is perfect for the material, but it’s DDL’s show all the way.  Any film organization that exists awarded him Best Actor of 2007.  This film still lights up satellite TV networks like HBO and Showtime.