I actually had written a very long and very awesome post here already that I was very proud of, but like an idiot I accidentally deleted the whole thing right before I finished it. Suffice to say I was beyond pissed at myself. And it unfortunately cooled my zeal to write again for awhile since I knew it would be really difficult to re-write everything I had already spent a good deal of time on and capture exactly what I was thinking after watching these movies. So in saying all that, I don't think this post will be my best unfortunately and I do apologize for that.
When I did finally come to this group, I was beyond excited since I had already seen 4 of the 5 films and loved them all. Knowing I'd get to watch them all over again and write good things instead of criticism really had me pumped to do this one. Micheal Shannon's inclusion was the wild card for me. I wasn't sure what to expect out of his performance but was hoping he would make it a perfect 5 for 5 in great nominations. I definitely already know that Ledger's performance will be my favorite, though. I think I will try a more direct approach that's less flowery than I how normally write since I don't want to try to re-write word for word what I already wrote.
2008 Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
I just want to say, this is the quintessential Joker ever for me, in any medium. I've read in some places that people feel this was a sympathy award for Ledger, but I frankly feel that is pretty insulting to the performance he made. It's an instant classic and is nothing short of brilliant, captivating, gripping, memorable, and downright mesmerizing. When the Joker is on screen, you can't look away because you don't want to miss a second of his twisted and demented actions, even if you've seen the film 20 times. That's how great Ledger's performance is. It goes way beyond just a comic book character and even further beyond being just another caricature of a zany, kooky Joker. It's real, it's gritty, it's powerful. He's an amoral psychopath that seems like he has a plan to plague Gotham and hound the Batman but you soon realize he really has no plan and essentially makes things up as he goes along. He is not concerned about money or power per se, more about just causing mayhem and chaos in a world that is there for the Joker to bend to his will. The Joker comes off in a very controlled crazy way and there's many scenes where Ledger expertly teeters on the edge of sanity/insanity. In one scene the Joker can play either side of this line and it never feels too over-the-top or uncontrolled. Even the movements of the Joker factor into how creepy and psychotic he can be. The way Ledger moves quickly when he walks, smacks his lips when he's annoyed, the sometimes rhythmic cadence of his speech, the intensity of someone determined to bring the Batman to his level...all make for one of the greatest performances of all time.
Josh Brolin - Milk
Brolin does a great job in working under the confines of his character. From the beginning when we first meet Brolin's character, we instantly get the feeling we won't like him as the film progresses. The audience is able to see through his thinly veiled good guy persona and see the bubbling animosity underneath. He's a fearful individual who feels he's being demeaned which really sets him off and pushes him towards the edge and possibly over. Brolin has very few scenes in which to transform from family man to cold blooded killer but he does a great job in selling us the abrupt change in personality. The viewer never feels comfortable with Dan White on screen which is a testament to the script and Brolin's acting ability. It's an arresting performance of a chilling character.
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Good for the Academy in recognizing a comedic role in having more than just the ability to make us laugh. This is what is at the heart of Downey's portrayal of an Australian method actor who churns out Oscars that actually undergoes a skin pigmentation to play the role of a black Vietnam War soldier. There is no doubt that Downey can easily make us laugh in this movie with his great one-liners and over-the-top accent. But he also succeeds in making this role more than just a caricature of blacks and gives is some pretty remarkable depth. He lampoons not only those actors who submerge themselves into the roles they get in hopes of awards but also the hypocrisy of non-minorities receiving roles meant for minorities. Downey also treats the racial aspect of the role with some very deft handling by having Kirk Lazarus come off very sincere in playing a black man and trying to avoid stereotyping himself too much. Of course, we also laugh hard when he sometimes fails to realize how far he has or hasn't gone in his method acting, too. What was so great about this performance for me was that Downey really avoided making the role offensive or even come off like a white guy trying to be black and it totally worked.
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
I'm amazed that this film was able to garner 4 acting nominations while not being nominated for Best Picture. A great reason why I love the decision to increase the nominees for that category. Hoffman plays this role of a Catholic priest perfectly. It's such a joy to watch him match wits against Streep in this film that lives up to it's name. As much as we doubt Hoffman's innocence every time Streep's character seems to think he is guilty of corrupting the only black kid in the school and acting inappropriately, possibly sexually, with him, we also doubt whether or not we believe Streep when Hoffman and the two cross paths multiple times. Hoffman is able to portray his character as the beloved priest that is only helping a disturbed young boy and mentoring him after hours. We never really know which side to believe, the loved priest who is looking to modernize his parish or the smarmy, quick tempered, power monger who preys on the young boys. This is all due to how effortlessly Hoffman can change from one persona to the next which leaves the audience unsure of what is truly going on in this church. The believability of Hoffman in this role speaks to his acting prowess.
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
I had no idea what to expect from Shannon in this role as I didn't know much about him or what he was capable of besides his awesome work in Boardwalk Empire. I'll admit I was sorta expecting to be letdown but am glad to state that wasn't the case. This is a powerful performance that blew me away because Shannon steals the two short scenes he's in (maybe 10 minutes total in the film) and really saves the movie from itself. And this is pretty incredible since DiCaprio, Winslet, and Kathy Bates were all in the scenes with Shannon. I loved this role because it really grounds the two main characters in reality as Shannon's just released from a psychiatric hospital character delivers the caustic truth and is able to sense all the lies and BS that's floating around and call it all out without caring about pretenses or decorum. He's a kind of controlled crazy that is very refreshing. You can tell he's still somewhat normal but is able to use his "illness" as a way to say whatever he wants, which in turn makes everyone else seem crazy for trying to lead normal lives while hiding all their demons. A masterful performance that kept this move from caving in under it's own self importance.
I am really surprised that the Academy got this group so damn right. Every performance is amazing and Ledger absolutely earned his posthumous win. It was actually only the second posthumous award ever presented and the first in the Supporting Actor category. It was also fantastic to see the Academy reward a comedic performance since I know those have been few and far between in the later years of the Oscars. I would have been happy to see Downey win if Ledger's Joker hadn't been such an instant classic. Shannon's performance really surprised the hell out of me in how much I actually liked it. I thought it would easily be 5th out of the 5 but felt it was powerful enough to be right in the middle of them. Brolin and Hoffman could have easily won this award if they had been nominated in any other year, which says a lot about how strong this group really was. This is the reason I decided to start this blog; to find these amazing groups and see how often the Academy really got things right.
Oscar Winner: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
My Winner: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Robert Downey, Jr.
Michael Shannon
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Josh Brolin
