Leading Actor 2005

Favorite category time! And with 3 performances that I've actually never seen before which is always nice. A fresh take is great to have. Which also begs the question: Is a first impression definitive? I'll say usually yes. But sometimes it's easy to change your opinion. I know that there's been a few films and performances that just didn't click until the second or third time I saw them. But I also like to think I'm not being overly critical or hateful with this blog and have been very open with my mind. It's something interesting to think about because critics always write about a film after seeing it once, so how many would change their reviews after a year or ten? It will be interesting to revisit all of my reviews after some time and see how they all hold up. On to the performances, though!

2005 Best Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote

It's strange to be reviewing Hoffman's winning performance right now. I always seem to review a few films/performances at a time before getting stuck on a film for a few months, usually due to being busy with life but also because I've seen a film a few times already. But I'm writing this just a few days after Hoffman was found dead of an overdose and this was the film I was stuck on. So it seems poignant to write about Hoffman now, somewhat out of disbelief but mainly out of celebration. This is the role most people seem to remember him by and with good reason. Hoffman was an actor that gave his all for every single performance he did, whether it called for it or not. His acting never hurt a film and almost always helped to elevate it to something greater. He was a genius -  a man committed to his craft in the fullest sense and he left us with amazing performance after amazing performance. His turn as Truman Capote is more than just mere impersonation, it's the realization of a character. The affectations are somewhat jarring at first, but Hoffman never falters with them and effortlessly makes the viewer see past the voice and the antics which is not an easy task. For some this would be the role of a lifetime, and it is that good, but Hoffman was able to bring the earnestness found here to every role he had. No doubt he would have had many more. As the film progresses, it's a little hard to tell if Capote is in love with one of the murderers or just sees a lot of himself in the man - or both. This ambiguity is expertly portrayed by Hoffman. There is longing and torment and caution and excitement written all over Hoffman's character. You almost feel for Capote as if he's losing a friend or family member before remembering this man brutally murdered a family. Hoffman is able to get us to feel right along side his character which is invariably a tough task given the subject matter. I'm so glad Hoffman was able to win an Oscar in his lifetime because he really was one of the best working when he was alive. His Truman Capote is one of those times where you can actually say the Academy got it so perfectly right.

Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow

Howard absolutely elevates this film into something more profound because at times it comes off like a B movie (a bit harsh, admittedly, because it's an entertaining film for sure). It's a role that you wouldn't think the old, white Academy would even think of nominating, so I gotta give some props to them here, mang. There was surprisingly a lot more to this role then I imagined and anticipated. Howard brings complexity and depth to the character. He's not just this hard living pimp that's playing down to the typecast. I don't want to say he's a pimp with a heart of gold, either. He's a struggling black man that has dreams just like any other person and though he keeps his hos in line it never seems unnecessarily cruel. DJay works hard to make a living and the depth Howard brings to the character is from the humanity he infuses into the role. We see DJay as more than just a predatory pimp. We see the man behind the rough exterior who wants to make something of his life and achieve his own American dream. Howard puts his all into this character and it shows for the better. It transcends being just a rapper or a gangsta, it's a fully realized character that interests us even if we don't care for the subject matter. He also kills it with the rapping. It's earnest, raw, captivating. Those songs aren't just rap songs by some anonymous guy. When you hear them you feel the hurt and the anger and Howard does a fantastic job of portraying all of that while performing them. That is a sign of Howard's tremendous talent on display here. This is very much his movie and he rises to the challenge and doesn't bend under it's weight. Howard delivers a surprisingly strong performance.

Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain

It's always great when an actor who you knew had potential early in his career puts it all together and delivers with some fine acting and becomes more than a handsome face or teen heartthrob. Ledger achieves that with his gay cowboy Ennis here. Ennis is the prototypical cowboy: strong, stoic, handsome, and temperamental. Ennis is a man of few words and those are usually deep voiced and mumbled. Ledger does a great job with the accent which gives his cowboy a sense of authenticity. You can really see Ledger as being a cowboy, hunting and fishing on his own in the elements and begrudgingly interacting with others. Ledger adds a lot to the love story and makes it very believable on his end. The actual relationship with Gyllenhaal leaves a lot to be desired, though that's no fault of Ledger who gives it his best shot. He's a man of few words but also few emotions. So when those emotions do come up they seem all the more real. The love never seems too forced. Ennis is a man that is able to adapt to his surroundings and lives out of necessity. His marriage and kids and working in a small Wyoming town are because society won't accept the other part of Ennis' life and I'm not too sure Ennis would be ok with living openly anyway. Ledger portrays these subtleties of his character wonderfully. He knows how to survive on the ranch and that equivocation makes him all the more human. This is Ledger's movie and he gives a good performance in a tough movie.

Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line

Joaquin is undoubtedly a fantastic actor. And in Walk the Line, it's almost as if we watch him mature in front of our eyes. When Phoenix fully inhabits Johnny Cash, there's a confidence about him that is striking. He goes all in and gives a mesmerizing performance in those instances. He also does a good job at the singing part, which is difficult because Cash is so well known with his own style and so damn iconic. Walk the Line as a movie, though, isn't exactly top notch. There are plenty of moments where the writing is bad, particularly in the beginning and it's as if the actors are fighting through it. It does the actors no favors and if not for the abilities of Phoenix, a lesser actor would have made those parts unintentionally comical. But as Johnny's career takes off so does the performance of Phoenix. He is especially good in the musical scenes which is where the film shines, thanks in large part to Phoenix. The family life stuff and romance junk just isn't as compelling and usually comes off a bit hokey. And try as he might, Phoenix isn't able to salvage these scenes. It also doesn't help that a lot of these scenes bring to mind Walk Hard which makes them seem so damn funny! It's not fair but I can't unsee it. If the film had a better script and was less by the numbers biopic-y, Phoenix would have been in the discussion for a win

David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck

David Strathairn does a good job of playing up to the role he is given in this film. He is Very Important and stately. He has unblinking eyes and unwavering focus that really tells you all you need to know about the character. He's serious, no nonsense, and just. But if you really wanna get down to it, Strathairn does play Murrow very one note. He's not given much else to do but imitate Murrow and come off as being very important. That's all there is to the performance and to this version of Murrow. We never get to see anything below the depths of his visage and Murrow just comes off as too God-like, a white knight crusading for something so morally right that we can't question anything else. Strathairn's delivery of his lines did come off like watching Robert Stack on Unsolved Mysteries, I was half expecting the theme to start playing at times. It seems it was done to obviously imitate Murrow, but also to hammer home the importance of what was being said. Strathairn plays it straight the whole time through but I wish that the movie allowed for more glimpses into Murrow, where Strathairn's acting could have actually been a lot more useful and evident. Imitation is fine but definitely feels ways too hollow.


Always a great category to watch and write about it. There's not a performance I dislike. Choosing a winner is a bit difficult. I do believe Hoffman delivered an excellent performance, one that was easily beloved by the Academy. But I'm not the Academy, so the margin between Hoffman and the rest of the group is not so wide to me. The rest gave him a serious run for his money. Ledger was the one I was most curious about since I'd never seen his film and had heard good things about his role in particular. He did go on to win a posthumous Oscar and you can see an actor coming into his own here. I'm glad we got to see this performance from him. Howard is nominated partly because of Hustle & Flow and partly because of his acting in Crash, I believe. I think they rewarded him with the nomination and it was a really inspired choice. Phoenix, too, provided us with a pretty good musical role. His performance stumbles a bit due to the writing and film itself but it's still really good when he's on. Finally, Strathairn. The straight man to everyone else nominated. A serious performance that makes Strathairn shine. As I said, really damn tough. They are all kinda equal here. I can nitpick them all or gush about how much I like them all. I like the fact that this turned out to be a win for Hoffman because of his early death, meaning he at least got 1 Oscar. I almost feel bad about picking against him here. So in respect for his acting ability I'll go with Hoffman but I really did enjoy Howard also. I'd give him the win if not for Hoffman's untimely death and still could later. It would have been a hell of a choice by the Academy for sure.

Oscar Winner: Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
My Winner:   Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Terrence Howard
Joaquin Phoenix
Heath Ledger
David Strathairn