Back after a long layoff. Lots of stupid things going on in my life but you meet it all head on and move on. Also been trying to watch more other movies and documentaries and TV shows and just try not to get burnt out doing this. That all said I'm looking forward to this group. I already know my top two because I love Amadeus a ton. Just need to see where the rest end up.
1984 Best Actor
F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus
There is no doubt to me that Abraham delivers one of the greatest acting performances ever with his Salieri. This is a win that the Academy got so right that my only complaint is that I wish Tom Hulce could have won right alongside Abraham because both are absolutely amazing in this terrific film. But there are times where Abraham is almost on another level. He has the dual role of playing young and old Salieri and is brilliant at both. Abraham's strong suit is that he can portray emotion better than most actors without over emoting. His face and voice seem to register any emotion you can think of and I honestly could watch him read the phonebook, he's so good. That's why I love Abraham as Salieri because when he's so expressive. He's kinda weasel-y in that he puts on a good face for both Mozart and the King of Germany but he's plotting his jealousy and to eventually kill Mozart (though he actually doesn't) and in dealing with the various women and when older and talking to the priest. He has all these different sides and facets to him and Abraham is the perfect person to portray all that. He's both a sympathetic and tragic figure while also being an almost villain type character. The fact that Abraham controls all of that and makes it into a cohesive performance is telling of his ability. Salieri is a classic figure and Abraham is great. I hate that this review isn't longer because all I can offer up is that Abraham is great but it's true. Not much else to say other than go watch it and see for yourself. There's no doubt you'll agree that it's a hugely deserving win and one of the best ever.
Jeff Bridges - Starman
Okay, so this nomination is amazing. There's a ton of reasons why it shouldn't even be nominated yet here it is and I'm super happy it is. So this is a film directed by John Carpenter who you should know and if you don't, look up his filmography. He's made a ton of great scary films but this one is so complete. The main thing I noticed about it is that it looks great. The acting is top notch and it has such a great sense of tension and dread to it. It's really a great film and no one ever, ever talks about it! I have no idea why but it should be up there with Carpenter's other beloved films like Halloween and The Thing. Bridges is the Starman. He answers our galactic call by way of satellite to come see earth. So this alien does and is shot down by the US Military and the film covers his escape to the pickup site to get out of here. Bridges actually studied birds to get the movements of his host's body right. He pecks around and looks very angular until he becomes accustomed to our language. What makes Bridges' performance so good is that he is so dedicated to the way the alien speaks and acts. Some might think it too weird or too much physical acting but it hits the spot for me. And looking around the internet I feel I'm mostly alone in thinking it's pretty awesome. Yeah, Bridges is kind of emotionally void but he's an alien visiting our world and learning how things go as he's on the run to get picked up. He's not going to act human so that argument baffles me. I think he's appropriately different and weird and he makes the film interesting. I personally like his monotone delivery of his lines and blank face, just adds to the whole alien thing. I get that others don't see this as amazing but I love the hell out of it.
Albert Finney - Under the Volcano
The main thing I kept hearing about this performance was that Finney was great but the film was not that great. After watching it, I'd agree to a point. Finney plays a British consul person in Mexico, I was never really sure what he was exactly, who has lost his job or quit - again not sure. But he is a man who has a lot of issues going on in his life, the biggest of which is his alcoholism. He is a huge alcoholic, we first see him knocking back like 6-7 shots of different liquor and he never really lets up. The thing with playing an alcoholic is that is it believable or is it cliche? There are very distinct differences between good and bad alcoholic portrayals. I guess you can make the distinction between drunk and alcoholic because it does matter and Finney is the latter. He can drink and drink and that's how he survives through life. This isn't him being drunk and stumbling and slurring and acting a fool, though that does sort of happen at times in the film. This is a man who needs to drink to function and deal with all his problems. His ex-wife comes back into the picture which is sort of the plot of the film and he resists getting back with her because he knows he has a problem and doesn't want to burden her with it. The film mostly focuses on Finney as he ventures around a little town in Mexico with the ex-wife and his brother who are both concerned about him. The film kinda meanders and doesn't make a lot of sense but the main thing is that Finney is really good. He is the only reason to watch (unless you are a John Huston completionist) and is worth the watch. This is one of those underrated and little seen films and performances that if people saw it, would probably be talked about more. It's good but when you compare it to the others in this category it gets overlooked.
Tom Hulce - Amadeus
The Best Laugh (or Most Annoying, depending on your viewpoint) Award definitely goes to Tom Hulce for playing Mozart. It's the most recognizable thing about the brilliant performance and gives it a fun quality. I think Hulce is amazing along with Abraham and as already mentioned both deserve the award equally. While Abraham's Salieri carries and drives the film, Hucle's Mozart steals the show at times and the pair are hard to separate. Mozart is portrayed as this crass, goofy, genius with undeniable talent that comes easy to him so Salieri hates and respects him for this reason. Hulce brings Mozart to life and I'm glad he's not portrayed as a stuffy, boring, classical music/opera writing lame ass. Wolfie is annoying but Hulce never makes him annoying to the audience, which is no easy thing given his character traits. I never tired of seeing him onscreen, though, and loved the interplay with Salieri. The two of them onscreen is a delight to watch because they are both so incredible. Seriously, either one could have won the Oscar and neither would have been a bad choice. Hulce imbues his Mozart with so much childlike passion that you can clearly see the genius behind some of the greatest music ever but also the real person that Mozart was. That's where Hulce succeeds for me. I only wish that he and Abraham would have tied that night because both deserve the win. I hate that this seems like such a short write up for a performance I feel is so great but it is what it is. Hulce is tremendous and really makes Mozart stand out but he also makes Abraham a better actor and vice versa. I wish they could both win but I can understand giving it to Abraham. Hulce shouldn't be forgotten or overlooked though, because his performance is just as good.
Sam Waterston - The Killing Fields
There are two things that really jump out immediately when watching this performance and film: that even though Waterston is considered the Lead, he's more of a supporting character and that Haing S. Ngor is the real star and draw of the film. It's neat to see Waterston before his Law and Order days looking and sounding really young. He plays a New York Times journalist in Cambodia covering the Vietnam War when all hell breaks loose in the country after the Americans start bombing it. The Khmer Rouge take over and the journalists, along with Waterston's pal, Dith Pran, need to get out of the country. Waterston offers up a realistic portrayal of a man trying to make his way through a bad situation. There are no histrionics or grand speeches or showy Oscar moments in the performance, just Waterston and his dodgy Boston accent reacting to everything going around him like a real person. His friendship with Ngor is authentic and not prone to unbelievable big scenes of affection. It's like we are plopped down in the middle of these guys being friends and they don't have to show and explain that they are, in fact, friends - which is actually refreshing. Yes, there are moments where it's reinforced but it never seems forced. As the story goes on, Waterston is able to get out of the country and Pran must try to evade the Khmer Rouge. Waterston's Schanberg feels guilty that he put his friend in the position to be killed while he easily escapes. He also seems to use him in his writing and wins awards and has to deal with his conflicted and tormented feelings of leaving Pran behind. Waterston plays this to great effect and does what is necessary of the character. When Waterston finds out Pran is alive and well, he is excited but not annoyingly so like in some films. He keeps it natural and real and the meeting between he and Pran is a fantastic scene because the two don't really have to say much, they just let the moment speak for itself. Waterston isn't blowing anyone away with this performance but it is very strong. It's definitely overshadowed by Ngor's performance but the two compliment each other well. It's strong but there's also not all that much that he needs to do for the film. When he is conflicted about leaving Pran, we only get shown a little bit of those emotions. Waterston is more the everyman we can identify with but don't go too deep into the character while Ngor does the heavy lifting. It's still a good performance and well worth the watch because I feel like people have forgotten about this film.
This is a great Best Actor group. There is not a bad performance in the bunch. The Amadeus guys are brilliant but everyone else is very good in their films as well. I would love for Abraham and Hulce to tie. It's my dream scenario because I can't and don't want to separate the two. They are amazing because of each other. I'll go with the Academy here but I'd give them the tie in my own parallel universe. Bridges blew me away the most because I wasn't expecting to love the film and the performance. This ranks up there with his The Dude and Rooster Cogburn characters. It's so good to me and I'm glad I got to find it because of this project. Finney is fourth simply because he is very strong in his lackluster film but is more the lead than Waterston is in his film. Waterston disappears for a long bit but Finney rocks his film. It's good and worth watching as is Waterston. This is one of the better Best Actor groups, for sure. This is what I'm hoping for every time I start a new year. I hope 1983 can compare!
Oscar Winner: F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus
My Winner: F. Murray Abraham - Amadeus
Tom Hulce
Jeff Bridges
Albert Finney
Sam Waterston
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