Supporting Actor 2000

By names alone this looks like a heck of a group. I'm eager to see a few of these that I've wondered about for years.

2000 Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro - Traffic

I was honestly expecting to be a little more blown away by this win. I've read that he won a few precursor awards even for Best Actor not just Supporting, so what did everyone see in it? I do think that this nomination represented the film as a whole and I wonder if people voted it to win to seem progressive? I'm not entirely sure and I don't want to make it seem that this is a horrible performance because it absolutely is not. Del Toro is probably the character in the film that has the most depth and is used as almost the guide through the film. He's sort of the moral point by which to gauge the film as a whole. He is a Mexican cop that finds himself in a tough position of, well, being a Mexican cop that is supposed to stop drug smugglers yet the cartels and the Army are all battling for supremacy of the area and can easily control the small cops like del Toro. They all reach out to him in some capacity so he has to deal with that in order to survive and make money and keep a job. It's an untenable position and while the story doesn't focus solely on this plot line, del Toro makes the most out of his screen time. It's a very realistic portrayal and easily the best acting out of the entire film, which includes a very star studded cast. It's a good enough performance but I just don't see what everyone else sees that makes so great that it was heavily touted before the ceremony.

Jeff Bridges - The Contender

Jeff Bridges is actually pretty presidential...but in a cool way. Or maybe I should say a Jeff Bridges way, because let's face it, The Dude will always be cool. So obviously Bridges, plays the President in this film and he is nominating a female for the vacant Vice President position. She goals through all kinds of controversy during the confirmation hearing because she's a chick and chicks are sluts and whores and not fit for higher office. It's a dumb conceit and I don't think it would play today, especially as Hillary is poised to maybe be a presidential nominee here soon. Anyway, Bridges is a real charmer and schmoozer. He's the real likable President that can disarm, dissuade, and distract anyone from anything by his good ol boy charm and honesty. He is straight out of an Aaron Sorkin piece and belongs on The West Wing. He has this final speech that's very American and Democratic and For The People and just oozes idealism. Bridges plays it all casually but forcibly. He's a natural at the presidential thing and I'd almost want to see him in another film in a not so blatantly idealistic role to see what he could do. He's nominated here most likely because he is Jeff Bridges. And that's not a bad thing. I like the character and performance but wow is Gary Oldman better in this film. If Oldman didn't have a reputation as an asshole he probably would have been nominated in place of Bridges here. His sleazy, conniving Republican character is what makes this film for me and makes it worth the watch. Oldman is terrific for sure even if he has the more theatrical role in this. The life he brings to his character is really something to see. So all in all, I'm not against Bridges here but Oldman is the better pick from the same film.

Willem Dafoe - Shadow of the Vampire

It should be obvious by now that the Academy loves to reward actors and films that portray the history of cinema, essentially allowing the Academy to pat themselves on the back and wink at each other knowingly. In this film, Dafoe plays Max Schreck who was the actor that played Count Orlok in Nosferatu. So it's pretty meta but this comes with a twist: Schreck is actually a real vampire. Now that makes for a compelling conceit! However, for being such a quick, little film Dafoe is quite fantastic in this. He's almost unrecognizable as Schreck/Count Orlok and if I understand it correctly there are scenes from the real film spliced in and I couldn't notice a difference. Dafoe has all the creepy movements down flawlessly and he's able to inject some pretty good humor into the character. I mean, he's a vampire who the rest of the crew (except for the director) thinks is just really method but he wants to feast on them. It's not laugh out loud funny but just the way Dafoe acts as Schreck/Count Orlok is really funny to me. The performance even has a bit of melancholy to it as the character is the only vampire around and there's some fleeting moments where he seems almost human in his sadness. I never would have watched this film, though, because I'm not much of a horror guy including vampires and the like so I would have avoided this on name alone. I'm glad the project made me watch this because it was really good performance from Dafoe that I wasn't expecting at all and I imagine most people wouldn't, either.

Albert Finney - Erin Brockovich

I think I've said it before, but this is what a veteran nomination should be. One that is incredibly solid and helps carry the film and never seems out of place. I actually feel bad calling it a veteran nomination because that kinda carries a negative connotation with it and Finney really does deliver a strong performance. He's just supremely likable and acts as the meat and potatoes of the film. I think his character helps ground Julia Roberts' Erin Brockovich but doesn't do it in any kind of false or contrived way. Their interaction feels very natural and that's due to the abilities of Roberts and Finney. They do make a pretty good team and are a lot of fun to watch together. It's also a bit unbelievable to me that Finney is English (which I knew beforehand) because his accent is so very American and not the proper way, either. He does sound like some old crusty lawyer and it makes the character that much more believable. What I like about the performance, too, is that there is no fluff. He doesn't oversell anything, he doesn't try to be too subtle. He just takes it straight on and gives us a solid piece of acting. I think that the whole no frills thing is what I like the most about Finney here and that's somewhat funny given that I really enjoy Dafoe's performance which is very showy and full of frills! It's amazing that different films and performance can elicit different reactions but also that two disparate performances can both be equally interesting and awesome. This certainly makes me want to watch some more of Albert Finney to see if he can bring the same quality. Luckily (hopefully), I'll get 4 more chances.

Joaquin Phoenix - Gladiator

This performance and nomination should have been the eye opener that Joaquin Phoenix would become a phenomenal actor because the talent is very present here. He plays Emperor Commodus and brings a bit more depth to a role that would otherwise just be purely villainous and nothing else. His character is essentially a spoiled brat who craves attention from his father who realizes his son is an embarrassment. Once Phoenix becomes the Emperor and banishes Crowe's Maximus we see his petty nature come alive. That is what's so good about Phoenix in this movie, that yes this is a strictly villainous role but he doesn't just play it in a singular fashion. He brings an intensity to the role that makes it stand out and brings the Joaquin touch to it. That means he doesn't half ass it or give a familiar performance, he gives us his version. His Emperor is such a dick and so acidic and just a little snake that we hate him so much. It makes Crowe look better and gives the movie more of a rooting interest. I just think it's a pretty good evil Emperor type of role and I'm glad that Phoenix was recognized here because who knows if we would have gotten the great performances from him in the future if not for this nomination. This is one of those times where the Academy identifies an up and comer and gets it so right. Hopefully Phoenix will win an Oscar at some point because he's consistently given some pretty great performances starting with this one.

Here's to another Best Supporting group that didn't let me down! Benicio was always the favorite from what I've read because he even got some Best Actor play in various festivals. Did he make my winning cut? Nope! I didn't get the hype at all, not that it was a bad performance or anything. Just not the greatness I was led to believe it would be. I very much liked both Phoenix and Finney. So who gets my vote? I'm gonna have to go with Albert Finney because he gave a strong performance that really resonated with me for whatever reason. Like I just genuinely liked him in his film. Phoenix is the slight 2nd place for me, but juuuuust slightly. Dafoe created a very fun character and surprised me very much with how interesting it was. Then you could reach into a hat and come up with both Bridges and del Toro. They are about equal but I'll give the edge to del Toro for this blog. He does a good job as does Bridges. Both are definitely worth watching. All in all, another pretty damn good Supporting Actor group and I hope this continues forever.

Oscar Winner: Benicio del Toro - Traffic
My Winner:  Albert Finney - Erin Brockovich
Joaquin Phoenix
Willem Dafoe
Benicio del Toro
Jeff Bridges