Supporting Actor 2015

When the announcement was read, I thought it was somewhat surprising that Idris Elba wasn't on and that they went with Tom Hardy instead but I think you can chalk that up to the Academy not embracing a Netflix film so easily and Hardy was in two Best Picture films another film with a dual lead role. Del Toro not getting in was also unfortunate but it is what it is.

2015 Best Supporting Actor

Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies

I'll be honest, my first time watching this film I had to ask who was Mark Rylance when it was over because I knew he was kind of the front runner for Best Supporting Actor and because I had no clue who he was. When I found out it was the spy who was the basis for the whole film I about laughed. I knew Rylance was a hugely respected British stage actor and yet I couldn't deduce this kinda Irish/British inflected Russian spy was the guy I should have been paying attention to! I think that should count for something for Mark Rylance but I'm not sure what. His performance is one that is easy to overlook but hard to forget. That's cliche as hell but it really applies because he blends into his character so well. Knowing now that he is the Russian spy, I thought he gave a very measured performance. His role is pivotal, but also quiet in terms of his character doesn't actually do all that much. He's caught at the very start of the film and from there is basically just sitting in court and jail before getting released. So there's an opportunity for this to be a boring performance, because what can you do with something like that? Well, Rylance showed us what you can do. I think his stage acting came in very handy here since you don't have the luxury of different angles to better show off your acting. You are presented as is on stage and Rylance applies that here. He gets a lot of mileage out of just a look or a the way he says something. He has commanding presence when on screen and also kind of calms the action down and his delivery of his lines is pitch perfect. It's a performance that could easily be overacted or worse - made into a stock character. Rylance is the best thing to me about Bridge of Spies and that's due in large part to his acting ability. It won't surprise me at all if he ends up winning come Oscar night and I think he'd be a pretty worthy winner.

Sylvestor Stallone - Creed

Here's something I didn't know: Stallone's Golden Globe win for this role was his first - and only - personal win for his entire career. I always thought he won for Rocky, but that was Best Picture. I was sure he had won somewhere along the line, but nope, he has not. So it makes sense that he's getting the standing ovations and all the love for this nomination here. I think this will win. I also think Rylance can take it but as of now, Stallone looks like the veteran, feel good win. I can't say I'm well versed in the Rocky world. I've seen the first couple and that's it. But what I saw from Creed and what I expected were two totally different things. I wasn't expecting much, yet it might be one of my favorites of the year. Michael B. Jordan deserved some Best Actor love for injecting some much needed life and charisma into a dying franchise. Stallone, too, was reinvigorated. Jordan's character finds Rocky in hopes of getting trained and then they train and fight. It's a reverb of the original film but Stallone hits all the notes he should as the trainer. I read somewhere that Stallone was the same age as Burgess Meredith and Jordan was the same age as Stallone in the first one. That seems like karma or something divine because they both seem to channel their predecessor. Rocky is so human and that's in big part to Stallone's acting, delicate as ever in not wanting to take over the film. Jordan also coaxes out the best from Stallone, never settling for a shitty remake. I think both the actor and director helped elevate and rejuvenate Stallone's performance because without them he'd be ridiculous. Even without the cliche cancer story, Rocky feels refreshed and I believe that's why we get such a good performance from Stallone.

Christian Bale - The Big Short

Just like with Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight (you can tell which one I wrote first), Bale's nomination is for the entire ensemble of The Big Short. Honestly, I feel any of the other actors would have been just as deserving to be included here but I do think one nominee from that film was plenty enough. Bale as Michael Burry, a man who sees the housing bubble coming and bets against it, is probably one of the better entries from the ensemble. Burry is a very quirky character and acts almost as a functioning loner, content to do his own thing, his own way. He also stands alone in the film, not really interacting with the other guys as far as I can remember, which seems to highlight how he was able to see the bubble before anyone else. Bale's performance as Burry is also a take it or leave it type of thing. It's like he doesn't care if you see him or how you see him, he just does his own thing - as if the cameras weren't there. The personal tics that Burry displays don't seem as noticeable but when all put together and thought about bring a lot to the character. Bale is constantly drumming and is standoffish to people, busts out with a random smile or laugh and it all works for the character. There's a weird sincerity to all of these eccentricities and tics It feels like a very lived in role and that's obviously something you can say about most of Bale's performances. He is Michael Burry. It's also a very comedic performance without being overtly funny, it has a subtle humor to it that I found very satisfying. I feel it fit the tone of the film very well, especially in combination with all the other actors, and really made what could have been a boring subject into something so irreverently compelling.

Tom Hardy - The Revenant

As noted above, Hardy was in two Best Picture nominees (this and Mad Max) and had a lead dual role in Legend, so it's not surprising to see him on this list even if he wasn't everyone's 5th choice. I do think it's a reward for his year and they probably just wanted to finally reward him as an actor who has been pumping out interesting roles for a few years now. I'm not a big fan of this performance even though I was hoping it would be really great. There are a lot of people online that seem to love this one, though, and I can't figure out why except for fanboyism. Unfortunately, Hardy does his whole mumbly speech thing where you have a difficult time understanding him and I have no idea why that's become part of his repertoire. It doesn't make for better acting and annoys me that I have to focus so intently on just him to figure out what he's saying so I don't miss something important. Another part of the problem is that Hardy really acts out of sync with everyone else in this film. He stands out in a bad way for me and every time he's on screen I was taken out of the film. I felt he was too intense if that's even possible? It's like big acting of sorts and Hardy doesn't exactly integrate into the story and scenes like everyone else. Everyone else is trying to act, while Hardy is trying to take over the scene. I don't think Hardy is bad, per se, but I wish he would have toned it down and let the film speak for itself. He does have some interesting moments like when he's telling stories about his life, which injects some energy into the film. But all in all I wasn't as impressed with Hardy in this role and I really wish I was. Maybe a toned down Hardy would have been a better fit.

Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight

This was the flashiest role and performance of the whole film and it's not even really all that flashy. I think the reason Ruffalo sticks out is because, well, the Academy has nominated him a couple times in the past. But also because his role is the one that has the most obvious acting. His voice is affected and it disturbed me a little bit. It's a very put on voice and coming from his Foxcatcher nomination is very jarring. It just doesn't sound like Ruffalo is your first thought. But once you settle in and realize this is a straightforward, no bullshit film you begin to focus on the Spotlight team who are out there doing the work. Ruffalo sticks out the most, besides Keaton (who deserved a nomination and would be my winner but I guess the Academy hates him or something), and provides the showiest of non-showy roles. His investigative journalist is super eager and jumps on every lead and shows off just how talented the Spotlight team is. He's using his brain to dig up key information and he's a steadfast journalist. There's a brief point where we see 9/11 happen from the newsroom and find out that Ruffalo's character is already en route to Florida to follow up on the flight school narrative we heard ad nauseum in the beginning of that tragedy. He comes home early to tend to the priest matter and really makes for some compelling and not at all manufactured drama. Like his coming home early doesn't feel contrived or story driven. It feels natural to what the Spotlight team does and it feels like the next step in a bunch of plodding steps. As I said, Ruffalo gets the showiest moment in the entire film when he explodes at Keaton for not going to press sooner. It's a very organic and natural moment but one that highlights why Ruffalo is so good. Once his weird voice wears off, you realize that he IS an investigative journalist. There's no extraneous bullshit, just a guy going about his job to the best of his ability. I see this as the representative of the men of Spotlight, because Keaton should be here and John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, Brian d'Arcy James, and Stanley Tucci all deserve recognition. I get that this is most likely an ensemble nomination but Ruffalo is probably the most likable of the bunch. One day Ruffalo will win one, but he'll have to be content with the nomination here and be glad (or maybe not) that it didn't go to Keaton.


An interesting group for sure, but I don't think for the right reasons. As I'm writing this right now, I don't know why I'd rather want to win: Stallone or Rylance. I think I'd give the win to Stallone for playing Rocky as a nod to his character lasting and being an influential part of cinema. Rylance would be a fine, if unremarkable, winner which sounds like a slight but isn't. Then you have two nominees that are representatives of their films more than anything, though they both give pretty good performances. I'd edge Bale over Ruffalo just because I think Keaton would have been a better choice. Hardy is last because I just didn't think he fit all that well in his role for whatever reason. On paper it looks pretty strong but when you really sit down and think about it I don't think it's as strong at first sight. I think I may have to stew on this one for a while before I really make sense of it.

Oscar Winner: Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
My Winner:  Sylvester Stallone - Creed
Mark Rylance
Christian Bale
Mark Ruffalo
Tom Hardy