It's weird how set in stone the Supporting categories were for this awards season. Ali was the presumptive leader almost from the start and never really relinquished his lead. By Oscar night it was a foregone conclusion that Ali would win his second Oscar in just three years. There was some hope that Elliott could get a veteran win but he was the only real competition. Rockwell had just won the year before and Driver and Grant were just happy to be there. I hope that when I do watch them all, the competition will at least be a little closer than just a runaway favorite.
2018 Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali - Green Book
So I was definitely unsure if this was an earned second win or just a win because he was well liked and had won before. I'm not a big fan of the film as a whole but I do like his performance. He plays Dr. Don Shirley, a piano virtuoso who happens to be black and embarks on a concert tour in the Midwest and Deep South. Ali plays the character as this sophisticated, holier than thou kind of guy. We first see him in sort of regal African garb sitting on a throne interviewing a white man to be his driver. He's cool, calm, collected at all times because he's been trained to be that way. He's on an even keel always and rarely gets excited or heated or deviates from being the same. He tolerates Tony and tries to educate him but also gets educated about black culture from a white man which seems inherently wrong. He's also gay and tries to step out and get some but is found out and arrested and beaten. There is a lot to this character that really goes unexplored. This gay aspect is only alluded to in one scene that makes Tony look tolerant and that's it. Never mentioned after that. I commend Ali for creating this character that is so proper and robotic at first but eventually melts into an actual human being. Yes, he and Viggo have great chemistry which is important to make the two seem friendly. Their burgeoning friendship is what makes the film fun to watch even if the whole shtick of becoming more tolerant and all that is a bit cheesy. Ali is fine in the role but it never really captured me as being the best overall. It's something you watch and know is a good performance from a great actor but just doesn't wow like a winner should. Ali's first win blew me away with how powerful his acting was and how he created such an interesting character. This character and performance feels a bit more milquetoast than anything truly interesting. Yeah, Dr. Shirley is an interesting guy but the way he is written in the film makes him seem like an alien. It is enjoyable and there are way worse winners and nominees throughout the years but this feels like the Academy going back to the same well again out of comfort. A decent performance but nothing to really get too excited about.
Adam Driver - BlacKkKlansman
Adam Driver is a guy you've seen everywhere and is immensely talented. More talented than you'd assume a Star Wars character to be. But it seems like he is becoming a hot commodity in Hollywood and elsewhere and that's what really defines him as an actor. He's won Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. This is his first of two straight Oscar nominations. He was recently nominated for Best Actor at the Tony Awards and is an indie darling as much as he is a bonafide movie star. He's got a couple Emmy nominations under his belt so all he's missing is a Grammy nomination, which I'm sure will come down the line. He's amazingly talented and you can see why. He melts into his role yet still keeps them distinctly his own. That's a fascinating quality for an actor to make you forgot about them but still recognize it's his work. In this film, Driver plays an undercover cop who is the white face that infiltrates the KKK for John David Washington's black voice who initially sets everything up. It's a really great film and Washington owns his role, but Driver does some great work in support of him. We don't really get too in depth in who Driver's character is besides a brief scene where he talks about his Jewish faith. But we do get a character who balances the serious with the comedic expertly and doesn't go over the top with either one. Driver has perfect comedic timing and it helps buoy this character. He never overshadows Washington, though, which I think is important to make the film work so well. He's supporting character that shines when he needs to and steps back when he's not needed at all. This is the kind of performance you watch and think is a perfect first time nomination for someone that is bound to win an Oscar at some point in his career. And the beautiful thing about Driver is that he takes on risks in his role and with the projects he takes on and who he works with. He kinda does what he wants and makes good art and isn't looking for the fame and the awards. He just goes out there and delivers incredible performances in everything he does and the Academy has finally taken notice. I can't wait for what else this man does in the future.
Sam Elliott - A Star Is Born
There was a lot of hope that Elliott could actually win an Oscar because so many people adore him as an actor and a person. Obviously he didn't win but it was great that he did get nominated because it just feels right for him to be here. His role is rather limited and short but he still is able to impact the film in an emotional way. He plays Cooper's older brother who raised him and gave up a music career to do so. Now he is the manager of Cooper and covers for him when Cooper shows up drunk. It's a very loving brother role that has these tough, no bullshit moments. He gets punched by Cooper but also stands up to him and calls him out on his alcoholic behavior. He enables him but then quits to take another job. Elliott seems to just pop in at the right moment to spark a confrontation or give some fatherly/brotherly/human advice to Cooper about not screwing everything up. Then he has his Oscar scene where he cries with Cooper and it's super emotional and feels real and also shows that Elliott can do more than be this tough Southern cowboy type with a thick drawl. That's what I really liked about the performance is that it's not exactly to type and Elliott gets to play a real person and not just a caricature that we can sometimes come to expect from him. It's a short but perfectly supporting role and one that Elliott nails wonderfully. I really enjoyed it but understand why he didn't win.
Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
I didn't know who Grant was before this nomination but I did find out he was in an indie film years ago that has become sort of a cult favorite called Withnail and I. It looks interesting and I'll check it out eventually and that's what I like about this project - discovering new films and actors. Now, he's an older guy and that indie film is from 1987, so Grant isn't exactly new, but you get what I mean. Grant is one of those quintessential British actor types. He reminds me of a Bill Nighy or Steve Coogan type of actor with his boozy, witty charm and carefree, irreverent demeanor. His character is a writer or artist type (he runs in the same social circle as McCarthy's character but I never could figure out what he does) who is down on his luck and runs into McCarthy. They form an unlikely friendship of two melancholic alcoholics who start forging letters from famous people and selling them to collectors. The film is really more about the two performances of Grant and McCarthy and their friendship and look at their sad, insular lives. There's a dark wit to them both as they delight in their sad state of affairs and feed off each other's desperation. Grant has an effortless charm to his performance that endears him to us. He's a gay man who is constantly drinking or doing drugs or trying to get laid. But his earnestness in wanting a friend in McCarthy is a touching thing to watch because we can identify with him in just wanting a friend. We all do, even if that friend is mired in misery like we are. This is a strong performance because it's not showy, it's just good acting. Grant was really the only other choice acting wise to possibly win. I'll have to finish the category but he may just have my vote when this is all done.
Sam Rockwell - Vice
Rockwell had just won the year before so this nomination was very much in the Academy's wheelhouse of nominating someone who had just won for whatever they did next. It's happened many, many times in Oscar history and this is just another iteration of that. Not to say Rockwell is bad, because his George W. Bush is very funny and is a good performance overall. It's just that it felt like he was going to get nominated no matter what he did because that's what the Academy does. Anyway, he does play W and at times looks nothing like the man and at other times looks dead on. I get that his portrayal was supposed to come off as treating Bush like a frat boy or just here to have a good time because that parodies what we know of the man as a doofus who somehow came to power backed by some truly awful people that started some wars that killed many. Run on sentence aside, Rockwell does well with the material and is hilarious at times as Bush, which is all you can really ask from him. That should end the review because it sums it up perfectly. But I do feel like Rockwell does do a good job with the material and the role. I want to point out that yeah, he probably was nominated for the reason I stated above but if you take it on it's own and someone in the future is watching this in reverse...well, maybe it will have a better look than just automatic nomination. I dunno, it's a good supporting nod but there was probably better acting this year but this is what we got.
I gotta say, I'm not the biggest fan of Ali getting his second Oscar for that role and performance. I think the performance is fine, if a little put upon, but it could have been better. I think he's middle of the pack here and really shouldn't have won. Just goes to show that the Academy has favorites and likes certain films. Rockwell is last because he had just won the year before and is nominated for playing W. Bush. I'd rather he not even be nominated to get someone else on here but the Academy loves rewarding those who already have won. Driver is next because really John David Washington is the star of that film. It feels like the Academy anointing Driver as the next big thing, which is true and they want to recognize that with nominations. That's fine. He deserves to be here. I put Elliott second because it would have been awesome if he won and because he was very good in a way we haven't really seen from him before. It was nice to see a different side to him. Grant is my winner, though. I really enjoyed his performance and felt he helped elevate that film. Now I want to see more from him but it seems we might not get that, which is a shame. So I'm glad we got this at least. Would have really liked a new winner as I can't stand multiple winners now. Spread the love! Give other people their time to shine unless of course the performance is just too amazing not to reward. Ali didn't fit that this year, no matter how nice and gracious he always comes off. A good year, but not an amazing year. We could have done better.
Oscar Winner: Mahershala Ali - Green Book
My Winner: Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Elliott
Mahershala Ali
Adam Driver
Sam Rockwell
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