I know it's been a long time since I last posted. Instead of listing my excuses, I'll just get right into it! One thing I love about the Supporting categories is that it seems to be very representative of the world of film and ahead of it's time. By that I mean, the Academy doesn't hesitate to nominate young actors with old, minorities and foreign actors and stars from minor movies. Maybe you could say these two are a dumping ground so as to avoid looking predominantly white and old and stuck in the "glory" years. But I love that I can be exposed to so many different performances from a wide variety of actors. I've seen 2 nominees in this group and look forward to finally having some films and performances I haven't seen for once.
2006 Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
She may not have won American Idol, but I'd imagine an Oscar and a financially sound singing career cures the sting. In Dreamgirls, she plays Effie White, a singer with lofty aspirations who is determined to be heard. I recognize that she sings well, but her singing is just not appealing to me at all. I don't like her style of singing, though I can understand why she was chosen for the role. There's no subtlety or nuance with Effie, everything is bombastic and over the top. She's not likeable and her character never really grows. She starts off as a selfish, temperamental, drama queen and continues down that path the entire movie without budging. I think we're supposed to be rooting for her to succeed after she gets bumped from The Dreams but throw away lines about her personal life like how she drank away her money for 2 years doesn't really endear her to the audience. I never connected with Effie in any meaningful way, she gets all these opportunities that don't feel deserved and certainly don't feel like someone that has worked hard to climb out of any kind of hole that the movie wants us to believe. I still don't understand how Effie became the cause de celebre within the film and I honestly didn't care if she made it back to the top because I was never given a reason to root for her. So I guess besides the singing part, I don't see what was so worthy for a win here.
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Honestly, this is a kind of ho-hum performance. Barraza plays a woman who runs a household for a well-off white couple and looks after their kids. Ho-hum might be a little harsh because it's definitely a capable performance but there is nothing that wows the viewer. There's nothing that endears us to Barraza's character and therefore we feel we are just watching from far, far away. We don't feel connected to her and only watch as if we're sitting in a theater and everything is happening on a big screen. The choices she made seem a bit far fetched, as if she couldn't find anyone at all to watch the kids for a bit and would actually take them into Mexico without the parents' ok. Her character is very caring for those kids but it comes at a cost to herself and for a woman who is an illegal alien, her actions just seem incredibly contradictory. It's obvious the story was meant to shock but Barraza's narrative was the weakest of the bunch. Let me be clear that I don't think it's a bad performance, I just don't think it's all that Oscar worthy. It seems that Barraza's nomination may have got swept in with the other Babel nominations because I don't think it could stand on its own.
Cate Blanchett - Notes on a Scandal
Blanchett is a way better actress than she shows here. She floats through most scenes and it's irritating knowing she could easily turn up the acting power and deliver something to rival Dench's performance in this overly ambitious film. What's equally sad is that at the end of the film she does turn up the volume only to give a laughable, highly overacted take on her character finally breaking down. I don't know if Dench makes Blanchett look worse than she really is or if Blanchett makes Dench look better but I'd venture it's a little of both at different times. Part of the blame can fall on the rest of the movie itself - the inappropriate score that is usually the opposite of what is needed for specific scenes and the lazy story/script which doesn't challenge the viewer or ask much from the characters. I never completely bought Blanchett falling for a young student even with the idea that she was bored in marriage being floated about. She just easily gives in and we never really see any moral doubts in her character or thoughts of the consequences of her action. Without Dench finding out and eventually telling on her, the film and script never was really concerned with painting the affair as illicit or morally reprehensible because it was all done in a matter of fact way. I would have hoped that Blanchett recognized this and brought it to the attention of the writer/director. Maybe that's expecting too much out of an actress but I felt like Blanchett was just along for the ride and didn't put enough into her role.
Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine
Quite a feat to be 10 years old and nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Breslin plays a spunky young girl who enjoys performing in beauty pageants even though she's a bit of an ugly duckling. Her character is the motor that drives the film and it never feels like it drags because of her. Her performance is natural and not obnoxious like most child actors. You almost wish she was your daughter/niece/etc. because she's so pleasant and has such an unfettered sense of adventure and has yet to be corrupted and jaded by society. You root for her which ultimately makes the film better because at times it can be a little too satirical and cliche but her natural joy keeps you emotionally invested. Breslin is great in the ending scene where she performs her routine she practiced with her grandfather. It's a great moment of be who you are and don't worry about anything else type attitude and Breslin absolutely shines in that moment. You can't really say anything bad about her performance and I think any other actor would have floundered in the role, a testament to Breslin.
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel
Kikuchi plays a girl dealing with being deaf, her mother's suicide prior to the film taking place, her father who is emotionally and physically absent, and the typical complexities of being a teenager. Her desperation at belonging and fitting in in a world where she thinks she doesn't, is very palpable and convincing. She is hyper sexual due to wanting attention from boys her age and ends up licking her dentist, flashes random guys, and tries to seduce a detective who comes to her home. All of this shows the vulnerability of Kikuchi's character. She's been traumatized by the death of her mother and acts out in rebellion as her form of grieving. Though her character is Japanese, it's a form of coping that transcends cultures and nations. That behavior could easily be found here in the States and her frustration rings as universal. Her best scene is when she goes to a nightclub with a group of her friends and the guys they just met and we see the club from her perspective. There's no sound but the pulsing lights and the moving bodies and Kinkuchi looks like she feels both free and restricted. Kinkuchi does a god job of building a character we can all understand.
Another year of Best Supporting Actress nominees, another year of being extremely underwhelmed by the choices. I don't know why it is that I seem to always have issues with this group but 2006 didn't really offer any that wowed me and honestly none of them was head and shoulders above the others. I was irritated with Blanchett because I know she could have been way better. Barraza was an able performance but just that - it didn't really grab me at all. Hudson was too over the top for me and lacked any real subtlety and at times it looked like it was her first time acting. Kikuchi does a great job of building an interesting character that I wasn't expecting to like. Breslin gave the most fun performance and I'd say had the easiest one of the group, as well. Right now, I give the slight edge to Kikuchi but my opinion could change at any moment if asked to rank them again. I really do like the diversity in this group, though. Black, white, Hispanic, Japanese, old, young. That's the one plus I'll take from this group and be happy with the Academy these last few years for getting out of their comfort zones.
Oscar Winner: Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
My Winner: Rinko Kikuchi - Babel
Abigail Breslin
Jennifer Hudson
Adriana Barraza
Cate Blanchett
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