Leading Actor 2024

This race was kind of annoying, because it was pretty much Brody's second Oscar all the way through. If you have read this blog at all, you would know I hate multi-Oscar winners. I would rather reward someone new because I then feel like you'll be rewarding someone down the line because they lost to Brody's second Oscar. Maybe that's Chalamet or Fiennes, or even Stan, though the first two were more of a threat to win than Stan. Not to say Brody's win won't be my winner or won't be worthy, but I just hate second winners when you have the opportunity to crown someone new and deserving. We shall see if anyone else is deserving.

2024 Best Actor

 

Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

 

Some say Adrien Brody is still delivering his acceptance speech to this day. Kidding aside, Brody is/was 2 for 2 at the Oscars and apparently the only male actor to achieve this feat, though the number of guys who have won 2 Oscars is low. Apparently the key for Brody is to be in a Holocaust or Holocaust adjacent film. Maybe Timmy should follow suit since he's pretty emaciated looking already. I keed, so let's get back to Brody's performance. He plays Laszlo Toth, a fictional accomplished architect who survived Buchenwald and made his way to America. He joined his cousin who made furniture and seemed to be unfulfilled until a drunken night with his cousin and cousin's wife gets weird and they encourage Toth to sleep with the woman and then later afterwards the woman accuses him of trying to sleep with her and it leads to Toth leaving. But during this time, the cousin landed a renovation gig at a wealthy man's house as a surprise and Toth leads the reno as the accomplished architect he is. They are found out by the owner, Guy Pearce's character, who screams and yells at them to get out. Later on, Pearce tracks down Toth because he saw his work in a magazine and wants to be his benefactor and the two strike up a relationship based on Toth building a huge complex/building for Pearce. Mild drama ensues and a weird scene where Brody is raped by Pearce happens and you can see how intense this film can be. What I like about the performance is that this feels like a fully realized and complete performance from Brody. He creates a character with so much depth that we almost inherently know that he's been through some shit without having seen or been specifically told of it, simply because he looks ragged and like he's been running from Nazis for a long time. He survived being at Buchenwald and we see that in his eyes and his hesitance to connect with people. One of the things I liked about this performance is how Brody would kinda change when introduced to new people, like he'd take a drag of his cigarette and almost bow up and saunter around while looking at whoever in a cockeyed manner and it feels like a defensive gesture to protect himself. It's a choice that serves the film and performance so well for me. It's little things like that that make a performance feel lived in and like it's second nature for Brody to do. Brody comes from Hungarian lineage and his Hungarian is great; I don't care about the AI upscaling controversy. I like his relationship with his wife, Felicity Jones. It's almost business like in the film. When she comes into the film, they don't seem lovey dovey, it feels matter of fact. She questions him a lot and always thinks before responding to him as if she needs to choose her words carefully. Brody's portrayal grows as the film goes on from someone who was unsure about the world and about life into someone very sure of himself and what he was meant to do. It's a great arc played well by Brody. He also is a heroin addict in the film, yet this isn't played up to some crazy degree where it overtakes the story and film itself. It's too easy to get lost in a drug performance, but Brody plays it natural and let's it be more of an inconvenience and something that happens than something that needs to be played up to a histrionic degree. There is soooo much depth and nuance to Brody's performance. I feel like it's just dripping off the screen and feel like essays and video essays will be done on this performance in the future to dissect everything people see and don't see going on in Brody. I see why the Academy loved this performance. I think he has grown and matured a ton as an actor which is interesting for someone who has already won an Oscar previously. Just like the other nominated performances in this film, Brody's has stayed with me days after I watched the film. It's gotten better in my mind and I can see the brilliance and have settled into being perfectly fine with this win.

Timothee Chalamet - A Complete Unknown

I am definitely a big Timmy Tim fan and he is apparently the second only Best Actor nominee to lead two different BP nominated films in the same year, behind Brad Pitt in 2011. That's pretty cool and just points to Timmy's meteoric rise as the top young actor in the business. I love everything he does and was keenly interested in how his Bob Dylan would come out. And I am impressed! He definitely has the look of Dylan and I do like his effort in sounding like him, as well. I am most impressed by his singing and guitar playing ability, all of which was actually done by Timmy and isn't a voice double or actually Dylan and isn't a hands double for the guitar. I just find it so amazing when actors dedicate themselves to learning a whole new medium or activity/ability to be able to do it convincingly so, too. He sounds great and he looks great. I just wish that the film around him was great. I am not the biggest fan of this story that doesn't really dive into who Bob Dylan is or where he comes from or anything really about his motivations. It's like he's a folk music savant who can instantly come up with classic songs after some noodling o waking up in the middle of the night. But that's not really any fault of Timmy and not much he can do with a terrible story. The main thing I hate about the film is how it makes Dylan out to be this fuck boy type of player. He's in a relationship with Elle Fanning, yet hooks up with Monica Barbaro's Joan Baez, without any second thought and keeps coming back to Fanning even after broken up for a place to stay. I say all that to make the point that the film treats him as this enigmatic, mysterious figure and that's the way Timmy has to play the character because the script and story doesn't give him any other choice. So Timmy is hamstrung and still gives us something wholly interesting just because of his own movie star gravitas. Him not winning the Oscar doesn't come as a surprise because he does exactly what the film demands of him. But we can see exactly why Timmy is becoming one of the biggest stars in the world and why he will one day, probably soon, win an Oscar of his own. I can't wait to see what that performance will look like. And why am I calling him Timmy?

Colman Domingo - Sing Sing

It's funny because Domingo is in the same exact spot that he was from last year, I just had to change the film name. And I told y'all he was going to be nominated here again for this film, that one was too easy to see. I've become a fan of Domingo solely because of the Oscars, as I didn't know who he was before this, though he did have an Emmy win for Euphoria and some other awards nominations and love. And he'll probably get nominated for another Emmy at the next show for The Four Seasons, a Netflix show where he gets to be really funny and probably more like himself than we have ever seen in this space (and he did end up getting nominated, damn I'm good). It's a fun performance and it makes me want to see more of him in better films. Rustin and Sing Sing are not great films by any stretch of the imagination. Domingo is what elevates those films into something you need to watch. This film has him as a prisoner who I guess was innocent and we watch as he takes part of a program where the inmates put on theatre shows and watch their process and interactions. It's kind of an inspirational, nothing film - I hate to say it, but you are really only watching for Domingo, as most of the other actors are former prison inmates from the theatre program and there's also a Paul Raci sighting, which was nice to see. Domingo's character is a guy who tries to help mentor the new guy to the program and be a friend but can't quite breakthrough the tough guy exterior. But eventually he does soften and the two are friendly and Domingo helps the guy with his upcoming parole hearing. Domingo has his own clemency hearing which is where the performance really starts to shine as we see him talking to a board that talks over him and seems to gloss over the fact that he had new evidence that showed he was innocent and had the audacity to say she couldn't reach the DA's office to talk to them even though it seems like that's part of her job. During this I could see how frustrated Domingo was getting and I could feel my blood pressure rising in response to him not really getting a fair shake. That proved to be Domingo's breaking point as his anger boiled over at a rehearsal and he quit on the program in righteous fashion that was so palpably poignant. He was like why the fuck does any of this matter as we are still in prison, which I think we can all understand the anger and frustration he had, which was incredible to see. It's what I want more of from Domingo. Yes, he's a great actor in the quiet parts and the internalizations of emotions, but he is a force of nature when he wants to turn on the feelings and raw emotions. It's why I hope he can find some big or great film to show off in soon, because he fully deserves it.

Ralph Fiennes - Conclave

 

I am a big Fiennes fan (a fienned perhaps?) and feel like he should have already won an Oscar for Schindler's List. But alas, here we are after like a 30 year drought where he was still giving great performances that Oscar overlooked. Nominated again this time for playing a Cardinal who runs the Conclave to elect the new Pope. This is a thriller film that has twists and turns and is adapted from a popular book, so it definitely has a bit of a pulpy vibe to me which is where the gravitas and acting ability of Fiennes comes into play to sort of control how serious the tone can get. Because Fiennes' Dean of the Cardinals character controls how the Conclave goes with calling for votes and trying to keep the drama that comes to a minimum. The good thing is that Fiennes looks and feels every bit the part of a Cardinal with how he dresses, moves, and talks, as some parts are in Latin and he impressively makes it sound natural. It's good, serious work for a role and film that demands it, since it is the guy leading the process to pick a new Pope. I think that's what I love most about the performance as a whole is that Fiennes is wholly believable and helps guide us through the process along with the Cardinals and it never feels like he stands out in a bad way. You can see the burden of the job in his face as he navigates the process and the political back room dealings and gossip and drama. This role is heavy and obviously matters a great deal and we see that reflected in the performance. But when Fiennes needs to bring the authority, he very capably and dutifully does. Like when he confronts the group about the woman who was brought in as a nun who had had relations previously with the African frontrunner Cardinal or in dealing with the Italian Cardinal who is fiery and conservative. There are some internal conflicts going on within Fiennes as he questions his faith and wonders why the old Pope wanted him to stay when he wanted to retire. I think these are handled well by Fiennes as he keeps it mostly internalized and we don't get any corny down on his knees cursing God scenes or anything over the top. It's just another great performance from Fiennes who should get an Oscar eventually if he puts in the work because I think the Academy is ready to recognize him for his career efforts.

Sebastian Stan - The Apprentice

 

It's good to see Stan in something that isn't Marvel. Sometimes those actors get so bogged down in Marvel things that we don't get to see them do some real, good acting for a long time. Dude is a great actor and in like the prime of his acting life, don't waste it all on Marvel movies coming out intermittently. Do it on stuff like this, where you are rewarded with an Oscar nomination, which is a win in itself because there was a dislike of voting for someone playing Trump that was a real thing. But what I love so much about Stan's performance is that he treats Trump as a character and not a caricature. The latter is the easiest thing to do and we have all seen the SNL stuff and all the various things that have satired and lampooned Trump. What Stan does is build an arc and make a fully believable character come to life. In the beginning of the film, Stan's Trump is almost meek, a guy unsure of himself looking for guidance. He meets Roy Cohn, who he will eventually emulate to the worst degree, and finds someone to envy and imitate. Stan plays Trump so perfectly because we see the mannerisms of his body and his speech come to life and get more pronounced as the film goes on. It's incredible work from Stan and is better than just mocking him and making the mannerisms into something funny or ridiculous. Again, Stan kind of plays the early Trump as someone almost scared of what it takes to get power and what it means to do all it takes. As the film goes on, (which is really entertaining) Trump starts to transform into the mogul he becomes by acting like Cohn, even as Cohn dies of AIDS. I just think the transition is so good from Stan as he fully becomes Trump as we know him. It's incredible that this was nominated as I said early because this film had lawsuits trying to keep it from releasing, but I feel his work in A Different Man helped him get here. It's always when an actor has two high profile films that are filled with controversy that it seems to help them get nominated. This is probably the fairest take Trump will get in film for a long time. I can see an Adam McKay film about him coming in the next 20 years that will be crazy and ridiculous, but Stan offers up a legit performance of this garbage human being.

The usual group of solid acting MEN. Stan is the clear fifth nominee, because FUCK TRUMP, and I would never nominate his garbage ass. But power to Stan for getting people to vote for him that wasn't illegally manipulated by Elon Musk (2024 election was stolen). Fiennes is great but nothing that stands out for the win. Domingo is just below him but he is kinda like Fiennes in that he is wasted in his efforts now and will hopefully win in the future, and I am going on record that Domingo will be nominated for the Michael Jackson biopic (so brave of me). Timmy Tim should have won (ok, maybe not, calm down fan boy me) but Brody gave another insane performance in a Holocaust adjacent film and how can you deny him that. It's his bread and butter.

Oscar Winner: Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

My Winner: Adrien Brody - The Brutalist

Timothee Chalamet

Ralph Fiennes

Colman Domingo

Sebastian Stan

Leading Actor 2023

I feel this was the category that most people were looking to as the feel good story of the night. People love Murphy and Giamatti and while Murphy started steamrolling through everything, there was a little bit of maybe Giamatti can pull off the upset. Obviously, he didn't but this was probably my favorite moment of Oscar night. Murphy looked so happy and relieved and had a big genuine smile that reminds you that these are people who get pitted against each other but have a ton of respect for each other at the same time. I think that moment of realization that the industry loves him, hit Murphy hard in a good way. None of these five had won previously and I'm always happy to see new winners and nominees in these categories. Excited to watch all of these performances.

2023 Best Actor

 

Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer

 

Somehow I forgot to write this review after watching the film. I wrote the 10 other ones for this film, but forgot this one. Damn. It sucks to try to write this literally weeks later because I like to get my immediate reactions into this review where everything is still fresh. I only realized as I went to publish this that it wasn't completed and yelled WTF out loud lol. Whoops. Murphy had this one in the bag all the way through the season and he was the very first Irishman to win Best Actor, which is wild when you think of all the Irish actors there has been in the 96 years of this award. So happy that Murphy won, because he seems like such a genuine dude who would never really campaign for an award like this to try to actually win. Obviously, he is the eponymous Oppenheimer, who helped create the atomic bomb and we see that this was a journey that wasn't quite straightforward. The word that keeps popping into mind when watching and thinking about this performance is captivating. Murphy just has "it" in the role and everything he says and does has us hanging on every word, no matter how scientific, because we know what's at stake. We follow Murphy into the story because we trust where he'll take us and the ride is a fun one. He helps humanize an otherwise mythologized figure (didn't mean to write a bar right there lol) and we can feel the fear and apprehension in creating something that will forever change the world, maybe not necessarily for the better. It's great work from Murphy who gives us that now iconic thousand yard stare that has been gif'd to death. Happy for this win and to say that he has an Oscar which just feels right.

Bradley Cooper - Maestro

If you've kept up with my blog at all (it's ok that you haven't, I know you haven't) you would know I'm a huge Bradley Cooper fan. Not a weird fan boy or anything, but someone who thinks he is one of the best actors currently going (and maybe director, too) to the point where I can't wait to see what he does next. Well, this next one was him playing American composer Leonard Bernstein in a biopic that sort of spans his career and highlights his relationship with wife, Felicia, and his extracurricular homosexual activities. There was a lot of talk about the fact that Cooper wore a big prosthetic nose to appear more like Bernstein, which to me was a lot of nothing. I mean Nicole Kidman did the same thing for The Hours with same sort of ridiculous talk which didn't matter because she still won the Oscar for that performance and didn't matter to me here for Cooper because by the end of the film, I had completely forgotten he was wearing it because he had become Bernstein, which is all that matters. Now, I do get the criticism that this was a very Oscar baity performance and Cooper's behavior while campaigning didn't help things with him saying some ridiculous things about Bernstein and clearly trying to win the Oscar and being a bit over the top. But I found the performance to be very intense and passionate from Cooper, who really wanted to become Bernstein and wanted to really be a composer. Which was a strength to the performance for me, I liked his sincerity in looking and acting like a composer. This is something that Cooper said was that he had learned and practiced for years to nail that six minute plus scene where Bernstein composes fervently, which became that scene that got shown over and over as his Oscar moment. I also liked how Cooper didn't shy away from the gay scenes in the film and embraced them because it was part of who Bernstein was. I think some other actors may have hesitated to do that. I really enjoyed the relationship between Cooper and Carey Mulligan because it's such a bizarre give and take and like a tug of war of emotions between she who loves him but he cheats on her in her face with young men but also showers her with love. It's so interesting to witness in part because how wonderful Mulligan is at handling all of the chaos she endures from Bernstein. Some of the criticisms of Cooper is that everything he does is excessive in the performance but I did say I liked the intensity and passion he displayed. So I guess it's based on how much you like or hate Cooper. I do understand that critique though, as this was definitely a vessel to try and win an acting Oscar and there are some ridiculous scenes and moments in the film. Oh well, I loved it but also know it shouldn't have won the Oscar, either. Still excited to see what he does next.

Colman Domingo - Rustin

This was a film and performance that I had been hearing about for what seemed like a couple years. Filming ended in August 2022 and there was some talk online it could maybe enter that years' Oscar race late, which obviously didn't happen. But Domingo's name kept staying in the discussions and when it moved to 2023, he became a contender for this category. I didn't know anything about Domingo or the film itself at this time. But as the Oscar season ramped up, Domingo did a ton of press and I saw him in one of those Actors Roundtable videos from The Hollywood Reporter and fell in love with him (and realized he had just won an Emmy for Euphoria and was also Tony nominated, so I realized he was hot stuff in Hollywood right now.). Not literally, but his charm and charisma is undeniable and his voice is great and he's a guy that you would love to just sit and talk with for like 10 minutes because he would actually engage with you. Just so full of personality and it actually mirrors his performance in this film. The film is about Bayard Rustin who was a seminal figure in the Civil Rights movement and was a huge reason the March on Washington event was able to be organized to such a great degree. Just one of those unknown Civil Rights figures who finally got their due with a film and is actually worth a biopic. That was one of the main issues with the film, that Domingo was so domineering in a very basic film but I thought it was actually a pretty good biopic. A little heavy on montages and exposition, but brought to life Rustin and gave us Domingo, too. Domingo's performance at first, to me, was so theatrical and overbearing that I was scared this was going to be some falsely heralded amazing work. But he settled into the role which is of an activist who is also a homosexual which permeates the story. Domingo himself is gay and the gay parts of the story never felt exploitative or shoehorned in for some perceived dramatic effect. Domingo does a great job of being a bit larger than life but reigns it in whenever necessary and never lets the character or the idea of the character get away from him. The film doesn't really get too deep into who Rustin is as a person, we only get lines or short scenes explaining he was a Communist or of his arrest for being gay, or much of his history before we first meet him. That's okay, not every biopic needs to go in depth especially when Domingo does what is necessary for the story. Maybe I'd like to see more of his faults and reactions to those, but Domingo is the reason you are watching this film point blank. Without him there is nothing to this film and that's a testament to his acting ability. It's quite possible we see him back in this category for Sing Sing, which is getting great reviews for his role, and that tells me Domingo could be a force for years to come (and this was written months before the 2024 Oscars, so this may age like milk or fine wine, I don't know.).

Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers

 

The race came down to Giamatti and Murphy and come Oscar night, even though Murphy had taken most of the precursor awards, the vibe was very much can Giamatti upset this and win the Oscar. And it was close because Giamatti's character and performance probably would have won in a weaker year. Giamatti was freaking fantastic in the role of a professor at a boys school who has to oversee the boys leftover during Christmas break (ya know, the Holdovers). Eventually those boys are only Dominic Sessa (who deserved a Supporting Actor nomination) and Giamatti has to look after only him. Giamatti's character is a guy who is reviled because of his wandering eye, his terrible fish odor syndrome, and because he's an asshole of a teacher. If that right there doesn't describe a quintessential Paul Giamatti character, then I don't know what does. I mentioned already that I wasn't the biggest fan of Giamatti's character in Alexander Payne's Sideways but that I think that this was the perfect character for him. He's an odd duck, thrust upon a situation that he is not really able to handle. He handles the holdovers when it's five boys and he can rely on compliance from the kids, but when it's just Sessa, that's when the film takes a turn. And that's when we see Giamatti have to deal with a student intimately and they begin to bond along with Da'Vine Joy Randolph as an unlikely group of friends, I guess you could call it. I'm not mentioning that this is probably a new Christmas classic and that the whole vibe of the film is nice to just take in. But legitimately, I have never seen a Giamatti character fit him so well as this one does. I dare you to watch this film and not think about giving him the Oscar here. That is how good Giamatti is in the role and how perfect it is for him. I can't articulate why I wasn't a fan of Giamatti before this other than he played some smarmy characters and was often a villain and wasn't very likeable because of those things, but Giamatti here has caused me to take another look at his oeuvre and judge it based on the content and not my opinion of him. If this had won on Oscar night, I'd actually be okay with it looking back. I'm now in that camp where I actually hope he does win an acting Oscar. Great film because of Giamatti's great performance, so let's enjoy this one.

Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction

 

I am a big fan of Jeffrey Wright. I don't know if I have ever seen a bad or mediocre performance from him and I don't know if I've seen him in a film like that, either. This feels so deserving because we have seen, or heard, Wright in so many amazing things starting with Angels in America. From there, just go to his Wikipedia or IMDB page and look at all he has been in as an actor or lent his voice to as a voice actor. James Bond, Batman, Hunger Games, The Last of Us, Marvel, HBO series, Wes Anderson films, Shaft - the list goes on. But you recognize him and certainly recognize the deep, dulcet tones of his smooth, iconic voice. And here he is at last nominated for an Oscar after winning a Tony, an Emmy, and somehow not a Grammy...yet. Just let him read some book and give him the Grammy like Viola Davis did. I kid, but it really points to just how talented Wright is and he is terrific in this film as an author who has been struggling to get his next book published and sees a young, black woman get huge acclaim for writing a stereotypical "black" book. He decides to do the same to point out the absurdity of it all, but the book actually becomes almost a modern classic with mainstream media falling all over themselves to say how much they love it and relate to it and get it. The film is hilarious at times and Wright actually does a lot of subtle physical things that you need to pay attention to fully get all the humor the film has to offer. He is so good at the deadpan or sarcastic delivery and it makes me want to see Wright in some more comedic roles because he nails it here. It also has the dramatic tinges that you would expect in a film that also showcases family issues. We know he's great at eliciting emotions, so when he's confused, we are confused. When he's exasperated, we are exasperated. When he's fed up with the absurdity, we are, too. Wright is a great everyman and a great actor and I am so happy that he finally got a nomination. I just hope he can win one someday.

Another solid group of guys. Just a great group of diverse actors and films, that's all I can ask for year in and year out. Domingo comes in last through no fault of his own, he seems like an amazing person that I'd love to sit down and talk to and just enjoy his presence. He carries Rustin, but it's just not a great script/film for him, unfortunately. I'll see him again soon because he was indeed nominated for Sing Sing like I predicted. Cooper is next up simply because I know most folks don't like how effected the performance is and felt he was trying too hard even though I loved it but recognize it shouldn't probably be a winner. Maybe one day, Bradley. Wright was his usual solid self and I'm glad he finally got recognized for it. The nomination was the reward here, but I hope it isn't the last time. Giamatti surprised me as I wasn't his biggest fan before this one. But this one was terrific and so warm and endearing that if not for Murphy, he'd be an easy winner. Murphy becomes the first Irish man to win Best Actor which is kinda crazy with the number of Irish actors we've seen throughout the years. He was unequivocally the best and I am glad he won, as it was a nice moment. Now let's get to 2024 finally.

Oscar Winner: Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer

My Winner: Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer

Paul Giamatti

Jeffrey Wright

Bradley Cooper

Colman Domingo

Leading Actor 2022

This was another very intriguing race that was essentially a three headed monster most of the season. Fraser, Butler, and Farrell all seemed to take the lead at various times and, again, we had no idea who would win on Oscar night. The fact that this year had so many categories up in the air was awesome. It's much better to be on the edge of my seat to find out who wins than to know the winner even before the Globes. I am interested in seeing who the winner should be and if Fraser's feel-good story makes a good win or not.

2022 Best Actor

 

Brendan Fraser - The Whale

 

This was another of those feel good stories that this year's Oscars seemed to be all about. Fraser had been sexually assaulted by some guy from the Golden Globes/HFPA in 2003 and along with a divorce and health problems, he stopped getting work for a while and the once top earning actor was now getting bit parts in foreign films or bad movies. Eventually he broke back into TV and started getting more roles which led to this performance and winning an Oscar. I can't say I am one of those Fraser fan boys that seem to be all over the internet and it honestly just feels like a meme, really, but I always enjoyed his work. When he started getting major buzz for this film, I was intrigued because all I knew was that he played a morbidly obese guy who never left his apartment. Would this be exploitative? Would it be pure Oscar bait? Was it a legit comeback? I don't think it's exploitative, but it definitely is baity for sure. And obviously it was a legit comeback. The film is based off a play and besides Fraser and Hong Chau's performances (not as big a fan of Sadie Sink in this as others are) the film is a bit lackluster. We never leave the apartment besides some outside establishing shots and that feels appropriate for a film based off a play. A lot of the film is just him sitting on the couch in his fat suit talking with other people. The performance is strong, though. Fraser had to wear like a 300 pound fat suit/prosthetics and his movement in that thing is convincing. It looks realistic and it provides Fraser with something to act with while struggling to get up off the couch and walk to the bedroom/bathroom. It really is impressive that he makes it look so realistic and learning that he studied with a dance instructor on how to move around at that weight just shows his dedication to the role and that he was all in on this one. Fraser's character is an English teacher for online schooling and is super pleasant and very self aware of his condition and that he is dying from congestive heart failure. Fraser brings a bit of warmth to the character and we see this whenever he interacts with his home health nurse, his estranged daughter, or the missionary who stops by. He exudes empathy and tries to find the good in everyone and that feels right up Fraser's alley. What I liked most about the performance is the times when Fraser eats. Sounds silly maybe, but it's the small bits of acting where his eyes half close and he stares off while eating pizza or fried chicken and we see the power food has on making him feel good. He got fat because his partner killed himself or died somehow and that sent him into a depression he fought with food. But just watch those scenes where he eats and just notice how his whole demeanor changes and he seems to go into another world. That's great, subtle acting that really helps define his character. He has to do a lot of physical acting and also has to act while just sitting on a couch talking to someone and make that interesting, which he does. This film would suffer in lesser hands which is a compliment to Fraser for hard carrying this film and being the emotional center of a rather tepid film. Fraser is extremely likable and will get you fully invested in his dying, obese character. Just wish it was a better film overall that could have better highlighted Fraser's performance. Happy with the win and it was a great moment on an Oscar night that was chock full of them.

Austin Butler - Elvis

There was a very real possibility that Butler was going to win come Oscar night. It was mostly decided that Fraser had it in the bag, but Oscar is Oscar and likes to throw us some eephus pitches at times (if you know, you know). Out of the three headed race, Butler seemed like a lock playing Elvis but of course Frase had the comeback story in his favor. But Butler was transcendent as Elvis. He had the appropriate gravitas and look and accent to pull off being the King during all phases of his life. Butler lived in this character from almost three years because of Covid and delays, so he got immersed in the accent. It's so good and is honestly key to a good Elvis performance. It's a fine line between impersonation and embodiment and Butler knocks it out of the park. He said that he lived in that accent for so long that he had trouble getting rid of it and had to get a dialect coach to find his original voice. Don't know how true that is but if you watch the Masters of the Air series he did right after this film, you can still hear that Elvis voice in some episodes. So it makes since he got the voice down pat. And Butler looks like Elvis. Yes, prosthetics were used in the film to make him look more like the singer in the cheeks and chin, but Butler has the look of Elvis and that helps with fully believing in his performance. Once you get the looks and voice out of the way, Butler has the gravitas and charisma to pull off Elvis. He can dance and sing and damn if he doesn't look cool doing all of that. It's really great stuff and Butler was a Disney kid actor coming up, but I guess transitioned to Broadway and worked with Denzel who recommended Baz Lurhmann to hire him even though Denzel had never met Baz. I mean, that's a ringing endorsement if there ever was one. It's just a matter of time before Butler is back and winning this award. He is currently in the new Dune 2 film and is getting buzz for his character in that, so guy is going to be around for a while and I look forward to what he can do on his own cognition without the spectre of Elvis hanging over him. This is a great performance that would have won in the previous years, but ran into a sob story for voters. Hoping we see him here again soon.

Colin Farrell - The Banshees of Inisherin

I would have loved a win here for Farrell as this is hard to believe is his only nomination by the Academy. It feels like he should have more as he has long been a hearthrob and box office success who has churned out some really great performances in smaller or more dramatic roles. Farrell and writer/director Martin McDonagh have hooked up a few times to great effect. Farrell was fantastic in In Bruges and lots of fun in Seven Psychopaths. It's fitting that he gets nominated for his fellow Irishman with his fellow Irishman in Brendan Gleeson. The story is about Gleeson very suddenly ending his friendship with Farrell. Farrell does a great job at being incredulous, frustrated, motivated, desperate, and eventually violent. All those emotions we feel right alongside Farrell as we try to suss out what's up with Gleeson as Farrell does the same. His character is rather simple, though not village idiot simple. Just a guy who lives a simple life on a remote island with a small community who loves his donkey and his sister and his friend. Part of that has unraveled and we feel for Farrell as he increasingly becomes desperate to fix the friendship that he has no idea what he did wrong with. Even when Gleeson threatens to cut off his fingers whenever Farrell next talks to him, Farrell still tries to see the best in the situation to snap his friend out of it and get back to normal. We feel Farrell's exasperation of the moment and feel his burgeoning loneliness and depression. That's what the film seems what it may truly be about deep down and it's all these characters dealing with loneliness and despair. We also feel the turn when Farrell decides to reciprocate the hardness of Gleeson and attack him and it feels earned. I think Farrell does a great job at just playing this character who is overwhelmed with not knowing how to fix his friendship because he is good guy at his core and can't just let that go. The performance is also hilarious at times, though it's a very dry, understated comedy that Farrell pulls off. Some of his offhand comments absolutely sent me and I imagine that's a result of his great comedic talent and McDonagh writing great material. This is also just a sad performance from Farrell. This dude wakes up one day and his best friend won't even acknowledge him and he spends a whole film trying to figure out why and trying to win him back, so to speak. It's devastating in that regard and Farrell does a great job of balancing all of those aspects of the performance into one cohesive piece of work. I think we all have had friendships end in various ways, but I can't imagine one as brutal as this one. It is incredible work and I do hope the Academy is able to reward him in the future.

Paul Mescal - Aftersun

 

To start off, if you haven't seen this film yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it without knowing anything about it. I think knowing what happens and what the film is about may temper some feelings and emotions this film elicits from the viewer. Having said that, Mescal is phenomenal and perfectly cast. Mescal has quickly become the newest hot actor that seemingly has come out of nowhere to being Oscar nominated and with lots of people online singing his praises and eagerly waiting for his next role. He was in last year's Olivia Colman nominated film The Lost Daughter and he was charming in that one. I started hearing his name super early in the awards race, even before it began, and he just picked up steam on his way to a nom. And I have to give credit to the Academy because this is not your typical Oscar fare and doesn't have any big, showy moments. This is very much a subtle, understated performance that is mostly internalized and filtered through the memory of a little girl. The story is about a woman remembering a holiday to Turkey she took with her dad like twenty years ago. A simple enough story until you realize that she is watching the videos she took on a camcorder trying to see any reason as to why her dad was the way he was and did what he did. We presume at the end that Mescal takes his life and this trip was a last time thing where he could bond with his daughter and leave her with good memories of their time together. None of this is shown or stated in the film, but it's what I think happens. We see the glimpses of pain and sadness in Mescal throughout the film. A lot of it so subtle that it may be interpreted another way at first. It seems in the beginning, Mescal is a normal dad who gets to take his daughter on a holiday, but the little things we notice start to add up. When he can't sleep at night, when he perks up a bit when his daughter says she feels down after an amazing day, his starting to drink more, not going on stage to sing karaoke with his daughter, not wanting to answer his daughter about what he thought he'd be doing at his age when he was young. There's a lot of other moments even smaller than those that allow Mescal to show this internalized sadness and depression. We can see the pain behind his eyes and know there is something else going on inside him, though we never learn any reason as to what or why. Often in the film, Mescal is half out of frame or the lighting is bad from the camcorder and it's like he lets his guard down at times. I love when someone can quietly express emotions or change them up with the smallest of details and Mescal shines at doing that in this performance. He's a father hiding his true self from his daughter but some of that truth slips out. This is a performance that demands to be watched instead of just reading reviews about it because it can be hard to fully describe how great the performance is when it's so low key. I am excited to see more from Mescal in the future and I hope this is the start of many more great performances to come and not a flash in the pan.

Bill Nighy - Living

 

This is an incredible film. I am very disappointed that this didn't make the Best Picture group and didn't get more love overall during the Awards season. The film comes from a great pedigree that includes a story by Leo Tolstoy and is based off the film Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa. This one was written by Kazuo Ishiguro who himself is a Nobel Prize winner in Literature and was nominated for Adapted Screenplay. That's how you know this film was in good hands and it shows. Story and direction and all that is superb, but Nighy is the one who brings it all together and makes this a must watch performance. Yes, this is essentially a career nomination for Nighy, but the performance is deserving enough on its own merit. The best review I read for this film and performance was that it is exquisitely sad, and that simple description nails the entire feel of both film and performance. I have enjoyed Nighy's performances through the years and Love, Actually is one of my all-time favorite films. This is a whole other side to Nighy that we have had glimpses of before, or at least I have in what I've seen of his work, but he plays this character who finds out he is dying of a terminal illness and decides to start living his life with such beautiful restraint and subtlety. In the beginning, he is rather cold and a man that doesn't say much and is very economical with his words, but eventually grows into a man with a purpose and newfound happiness in life. The journey from the start to the end is profoundly engaging to me. Watching Nighy contemplate his diagnosis or go to the beach and sing in a bar until he breaks down or lights up when he meets one of his female underlings who moved on to a new job is so touching because all of those moments are littered with nuanced acting that we start feeling his despair and hopelessness turn into joy and determination. It really is something to watch because I was just expecting a curmudgeonly old man who maybe lashes out before changing for the better in the blink of an eye. But no, Nighy's character runs through a whole gamut of emotions and it doesn't always pay off in a neatly wrapped up moment. So yes, this is an exquisitely sad performance and just may be the best thing Nighy has ever done. Highly recommend not skipping over this one as it might just contend for a win for me.

I honestly don't know what to do with this group. I'll Start with Fraser being my bottom five. I love his comeback and his whole story and all that, but I didn't quite enjoy the performance as much as the others. The Academy loves the fat suit and uglifying yourself, so Fraser had it all right there. I just didn't really get into this narrative as so many others did. Farrell was good and it is surprising that this was his first ever nomination. Enjoyed the back and forth with Brendan Gleeson but didn't see enough to vote for.  The remaining three really have me scratching my head. Butler was so freaking good as Elvis. I don't think many other people could have pulled off that performance and made you believe he was Elvis. In a weak year going up against a Rami Malek, Butler would win easily. No question. But there was Nighy and Mescal. Both had some very understated performances that really blew me away. I cannot believe we got that performance from Nighy. I never knew he was capable of that! I keep thinking about Mescal's performance, though. Like I want to watch it ten more times to see all that he does. I want it as a Criterion offer with awesome features. I was wrestling in my mind about giving Nighy the win because that's probably it for him versus Mescal who could legit win one or two in the future. That's why right now, I'm giving it to Nighy. He deserves it and Mescal may actually win another one in the future. Ask me tomorrow and I'll give to Mescal because he was incredible. I'm finishing this just before the 2024 Oscars and know that it, too, is kinda set in stone with Cillian Murphy. He would be the first Irishman ever to win Best Actor, so maybe I don't feel as bad keeping fellow Irishman Mescal out of the win column. A phenomenal group though. No one here is bad at all and all have a case to be made for a win. Let's get to Murphy's win, now.

Oscar Winner: Brendan Fraser - The Whale

My Winner: Bill Nighy - Living

Paul Mescal

Austin Butler

Colin Farrell

Brendan Fraser

Leading Actor 2021

Unfortunately, this was Smith's Oscar all the way. It felt like it was predetermined by everyone that he was going to win no matter what even though from what I've heard others gave better performances. This felt like the Academy felt it was his turn or his time to get one. It sucks that the slap overshadowed everything about this night and allowed Hollywood to shot its ass yet again by giving him a standing ovation like an hour later as he rambled on a really terrible acceptance speech. Smith was banned for 10 years from the Academy and didn't get to present at the next year's awards as is tradition. Honestly, good riddance to an absolute garbage person and hypocrite, but I will keep my mind open to his performance in case it actually is deserving. Let's find out.

2021 Best Actor

 

Will Smith - King Richard

 

Yes, Smith was an idiot on Oscar night and everything that happened was beyond absurd and he deserved his punishment. That said, this is about the performance, which I was keenly intrigued about before all that crap went down. He plays the father of Venus and Serena Williams and we see how his overbearing presence shaped them into tennis legends. It was touted as being a major player before the film even came out, though a lot of his roles start out that way and then fizzle once people actually see them. But this one had staying power and I think a lot of that is due to it being a very engaging and likable film. It's easy to root for Venus and Serena even though we know what they become later on. Smith dominates the film, but the girls standout as well. Smith's accent is okay, it's like a mix of Charles Barkley and Mike Tyson at times. But he is effective in the role of the overbearing father who has to have the final say in everything. I like that this performance doesn't rely much on Smith's big smile and his charming personality. Richard is not always the nicest guy and Smith shows that off to great effect. You can also see Smith really settle into the role as the film progresses and he becomes more confident in his Richard and we get some good scenes. There are some corny scenes, which is to be expected from a film told in a positive light with the sisters' blessing about their father since it barely touches on Richard being a piece of shit with multiple other kids in real life. What I like about the performance is that it doesn't feel like Smith just playing Will Smith playing some real life person. The humor and charm is toned down. We don't get a lot of the baity scenes that don't feel true to life but are designed to get Oscars. I like that it's toned down but Smith still elevates the work into something worth watching and paying attention to despite what he's known for. I would have liked if this film and performance took on more of the negative about his life and his approach with his daughters because I feel like that could have wrung even a little bit more of some truly great work from Smith. I feel he's capable of it and though his work here is strong and easily the best out of his three nominations, it could have been so much better. I'd like to have seen more complexity and depth besides a righteous man who thinks his way is the only way and who gets to riff on others while they sit back and take it, but this is a feel good film partly produced by the sisters so I get it. Smith does what is necessary for the role and does it well and ends up creating a crowd pleasing performance that the Academy fell in love with and rewarded. I can't hate on it at all, it's a good watch, it's entertaining, and that's in large part due to Smith.

Javier Bardem - Being the Ricardos

I was very interested in this performance from Bardem because he is a great actor and I've loved his previous three Oscar nominations. He plays the role of Desi Arnaz ,who we have all seen from the I Love Lucy Show, so there is an expectation of the kind of performance we should be getting for that role. But unfortunately this is a massive miss for Bardem. I don't think he was the right choice at all to play Desi. Never mind that there isn't much of a resemblance, Bardem simply cannot match the presence and charisma that Desi exuded on the show. His attempts, if you can even call it that, at matching the higher pitched voice are awful and he doesn't even stick to it for most of the film. Desi was a peppy, energetic force with an expressive face and eyes and Bardem doesn't convey any of that in the performance. It feels like a producer should have stepped in and said this isn't working out, we need to find someone else (Oscar Isaac was an early choice before Bardem). Even the real life portions of the film where we see the behind the scenes machinations, it feels very by the numbers acting for Bardem, which is a shame because it seems like he wants it to work but just can't get it there. The chemistry with Nicole Kidman's Lucy is fine, but it's not anything that sizzles or feels authentic to what we understand their relationship to be like. The crisp, witty writing that Aaron Sorkin is known for falls flat out of Bardem's mouth and it's just an overall disappointing film and performance, neither helps the other. Not sure what the acting branch saw in all three of the performances nominated from this film other than recognizable characters and previous Oscar winners. This is one to skip, sadly.

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power of the Dog

The race this year was between Will Smith and Cumberbatch and for a time I thought it was going to be Cumberbatch and I would have been ecstatic at that win. But we got a horrible winner and this film just died a hard death only receiving Best Director after being a front runner in a few categories. This is honestly the best I have ever seen from Cumberbatch. I'm a fan of his TV work, his Marvel work, and his other films but this is his peak so far. Cumberbatch plays Phil, a cowboy/rancher who lives with his brother Jesse Plemons who brings home a new wife, Kirsten Dunst, who is widowed and has a son, Kodi Smit-McPhee. Those are all the players in the story and Cumberbatch is this grumpy, tempermental, mysterious guy who apparently was college educated but became a cowboy from following his mentor, Bronco Henry. He has bought into that lifestyle which is Montana in 1925 and is a hard ass and doesn't wash himself for days. Cumberbatch nails the American accent and just has the gruff, lived in feel to his performance. I read that he stayed in character, didn't wash for weeks, and didn't talk to Dunst on set, really going the method route. The performance has a lot of internalized acting, where we read Cumberbatch's eyes, face, or body language to gleam what his intent is in whatever moment. He only explodes a couple times and they hammer home that his character is in charge and that he can be genuinely hurt by others' actions because it directly affects him. Like when the cow hides are sold or given away (wasn't sure if the gloves Dunst got were payment or not) that scream from Cumberbatch was not in the script and was improvised and surprised all the other actors whose reactions are real. That reaction is because he couldn't use hide strips to make the rope for KSM's character who he had developed some camaraderie for (maybe love, but I can't quite tell if the vibes are homoerotic or not) and wanted to finish the rope and also because Dunst one upped him. If you pare it all down, it's a performance where Cumberbatch is wrestling with himself on who he really is. Is he the strong alpha cowboy who everyone follows? Is he a man attracted to KSM and doing things for his attention? Is he trying to be a mentor like Bronco Henry was to him (and I got the vibe that Bronco Henry was more than a mentor)? There is so much subtext that I feel like you have to watch this film like two or three times to fully figure out your thoughts on who these characters are and even then you'll never truly know. It's a great performance from Cumberbatch and it's what I want to see more from him and less of the Marvel shit because he can easily win one of these in the near future. I didn't do this performance any justice so just go watch it yourself and marvel at how good his acting is.

Andrew Garfield - Tick, Tick...Boom!

 

Oh. My. God. This is brilliance. I am not kidding. This film and performance resonated with me like few others ever have. While watching this I kept pausing and saying what the actual fuck, I love this film. I like Garfield's previous work whether as Spider-Man, or a conscientious objector who goes to war, or a televangelist who grifts folks. This guy can play anything you throw at him. I was not prepared for him to knock my socks off as a version of Jonathan Larson, who everyone knows for creating the RENT musical. This film looks into his life before that success while he was trying to get his other musical shown which became tick, tick..boom! That play debuted after he died suddenly in 1996, but he obviously left a huge, gaping legacy that made it wait until the 2000s for his work to gain resurgence. Larson is interesting, but Garfield is beyond perfect and a once in a lifetime connection to Larson. I love unequivocally that Garfield learned to sing for a year before shooting began because you cannot tell me that he didn't have the chops to sing those songs before this film. Dude's voice is perfect for a musical and he matches the style of some white dude creating his own musical. Not a slight, but a very legit compliment. His energy and dedication to the character are second to none and I can't believe that Garfield isn't a musical veteran and that he hasn't sung much before. I do know that Garfield won a Tony Award just before this started filming for Angels in America, so at least he knows the stage. This dude even did the swimming scenes because he was better than the stunt double they hired. What the hell can't Garfield do? I am still blown away that he wasn't a singer and practiced for a year and gave a performance that I am going to consider one of the best ever. Because I feel it is and can be and the film should have been nominated for Best Picture and maybe Best Director. I wish we could have got more out of Larson but this will do.

Denzel Washington - The Tragedy of MacBeth

 

It's actually pretty cool to see Denzel in a Shakespeare play/film, especially as MacBeth. It is also the first time an actor was nominated for a Shakespeare role since Kenneth Branagh in 1989 for Henry V. Obviously, these types of nominations used to be more commonplace, but I think the tide has turned against them because we have seen so many different adaptations on stage and on the big and little screens through the decades that you need to stand out to be noticed and nominated. Or just be Denzel and that will work for you, too. I jest a bit, but if this were anyone else I highly doubt they would have even sniffed any type of awards, let alone an Oscar nomination. This was Denzel's ninth nomination which is absolutely incredible and is testament to his long, illustrious career. It feels like the Academy has been really pushing for him to get his third Oscar in the last couple of years and I understand the sentiment, I just want him to earn it if that's what happens. You should know the story of MacBeth because even if you never read the play in school or watched a version of it, you've seen a remake in some capacity that had a different name since this story has been told over and over forever. Denzel's MacBeth is good and my fear going into these is just how does the actor treat the lines. Denzel has been on stage plenty of times and is no stranger to that kind of acting, so it's only natural that he fits the role of MacBeth just fine. And while his line delivery isn't the most natural and effortless (I like Brendon Gleeson's delivery in this film for comparison), he plays it like a regular performance of his bringing that gravitas to the role and making you invested in his version of MacBeth. The lines also don't sound so foreign coming out of his mouth which is a good thing because some actors can be wooden or a bit awkward with them or feel like they or simply reciting lines with rehearsed movements. The film is gorgeous and filmed by Joel Coen (minus his brother, Ethan) and his work lends a lot of power to Denzel. It's filmed in black and white and has this ethereal sense to the whole thing and so we don't see Denzel in these garish, period piece costumes with elaborate sets. It's a stripped down version of the story that focuses on the characters and the story and that allows Denzel to act the best way he knows how. He's great in the quieter moments and we know he's amazing at the times he has to get loud and be a force. He's really good at making the paranoia seem real alongside Shakespeare's words. It's as good of a performance of Shakespeare that you can expect from Denzel. At this point, though, I need something like this to blow me away and transcend acting to get me to vote for a Shakespeare performance to win. But this is one that Denzel can hang his hat on and be proud of playing.

Okay, so Smith wasn't awful and was his normal Oscar bait self in those types of films he's done throughout his career. It's fine and if it hadn't won, we'd just think of it as maybe belonging in the group but not entirely deserving of the award. I still don't think it should have won and it seems the Academy was desperate to reward him for whatever reason. The less we say about the bizarre events and that weird standing ovation the better. Interesting that this was a minority majority for the first time ever in the category if I'm not mistaken and that is again because of the new look Academy. Bardem is unfortunately so bad that I can't believe he got nominated. Nothing against him, but that was hard to watch. Washington doing Shakespeare is fun to watch, but you have to be beyond amazing or do something never seen before with the role to get any awards traction with these kinds of performances. Cumberbatch came close to winning and probably would have if not for the push to get Smith an Oscar. I think he was strong but not the best of the year. That goes to Garfield who I just absolutely loved. That performance resonated so well with me for whatever reason. I may need to come back down from it a little but it's easily one of the best musical performances ever in my book. It should have won and we should be hailing Garfield as the gifted actor he is. Just brilliant work. A decent group of nominees with the wrong winner. Hopefully 2022 gets it right.

Oscar Winner: Will Smith - King Richard

My Winner: Andrew Garfield - Tick, Tick...Boom!

Benedict Cumberbatch

Denzel Washington

Will Smith

Javier Bardem

Leading Actor 2020

Ugh, this fucking category, man. I hated that they essentially broke protocol or eschewed tradition, however you want to say it, to have this category be the last one announced on Oscar night all because they thought Chadwick Boseman was winning and they could go out celebrating his life and achievement. Yet, Hopkins won because a lot of voters still believe in awarding the best performance and not just because someone died. And Hopkins wasn't even there, so it ended with a resounding thud as the ceremony abruptly ended. No doubt that Hopkins' stature played a part in his win and maybe even the fact that he's getting up there in years. But all I've heard during the awards season and since his win is that his performance is brilliant, so I'm eager to see if that's true or not. Same goes with Boseman's performance, because maybe that should be the winner. Or one of the other three. That's why we watch them all and decide from there.

2020 Best Actor

 

Anthony Hopkins - The Father

 

It was embarrassing and downright stupid of the Academy to push Best Actor to the final award of the night because they thought they would reward Chadwick Boseman and get a tearful family acceptance speech. It was also disrespectful of the other nominees who were in a lose-lose situation. Hopkins didn't bother to come to the ceremony because he thought Boseman was winning based on things like the award getting moved. I am sure there are people to this day who hate Hopkins because he won and who have never actually watched this film or performance. My question going into this was did this performance actually deserve the win? Was this maybe the older folks, the British contingent wanting to reward one of their own one last time? Hopkins became the oldest acting winner ever with this so those questions have merit to me. But the performance is legit and allows you to judge based on performance alone and not just extracurriculars like age or race or popularity or whatever. Interestingly enough, both roles were from plays originally but Hopkins feels more rooted in reality than theater. He is a gentleman suffering from dementia and trying to deal with that reality while his daughter tries to take care of him. It's a remarkable performance because Hopkins has to be able to switch between different emotions and feelings in an instant. One minute lucid and joking around to then becoming excessively cruel with his words because he doesn't want a care taker. Walking around doing daily tasks to looking around in bewilderment at him not recognizing someone or his surroundings. Trying to pretend he knows what's going on when talking to people but stuck in a reality he doesn't comprehend or understand. There's a lot of physical acting in how he looks, how he moves and interacts with the environment, to his eyes doing a lot of acting. It's the work you would expect from a seasoned veteran actor and he doesn't disappoint. It's a heartbreaking gut punch to see him go through this terrible thing and to see his daughter become emotionally fraught by it all. I will still have to see if this ends up my winner, as there are some great names on this list but this is worthy of being an Oscar winner, without a doubt.

Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal

Ahmed is just one of those dudes where you know he's going to get an acting Oscar some day, or at least it feels like it with the quality of work that he's done. He actually won an Oscar at the next year's awards for a Best Live Action Short, which was pretty awesome to see. It's great to see him get this recognition for acting because he is truly fantastic in this film. He plays a metal drummer who starts going deaf and has to deal with that new reality. Ahmed acts a ton with eyes and looks on his face as we kinda see him processing this huge change in his life. He can be bombastic and trash some equipment in his RV to show his anger and frustration or we can see him embracing the change and drumming on a slide while a deaf boy "listens" to the beat. This is an emotional film and Ahmed traverses all of the different emotions and interactions with perfect balance. It's never too put on and never too internalized, deftly moving between different levels of sometimes the same emotions. He has a co-dependent relationship with his girlfriend/bandmate and it's clear they both used the relationship to switch from drugs/whatever to relying on each other for help. We see those moments from Ahmed's side since she can't stay with him at the shelter and he sneaks away to check up on her music and where she is. We feel that anxiety of wanting and needing to be with her and trying to assimilate into a new community. This is a man torn between two worlds and not being able to make good decisions because of that. We see him become comfortable with the group and helping others and being a productive member of the group but never really comfortable with himself. I actually thought that he was going to hookup with the one teacher lady and be all in with his new community, but kinda glad that cliche didn't happen. It felt more real that he got a cochlear implant and went off to find his girl and reunite, because it's not a happy ending totally and because he is still finding himself despite Raci's character trying to convince him to embrace who he is now. There is so much going on with this character and Ahmed is able to make this tough performance shine and deliver us something raw and real and not a perfectly neat character all wrapped up in a bow. Great work from Ahmed and cannot wait to see what he does next.

Chadwick Boseman - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Everyone thought he was winning, including the Academy who moved Best Acting to the final category of the night only to get blue balled when Anthony Hopkins won and wasn't even there. It was a terrible way to end the night, though I understand they were hoping to celebrate Boseman's life and career in that moment. Boseman was a terrific actor, a perfect Black Panther, and a guy that had an amazing future ahead of him. He was more than just the biopic characters he portrayed early in his career, which were all good, but he was an actor and only just getting to show it off. People thought he would be double nominated in Supporting Actor for Da 5 Bloods, which he was also good in this year. This film was based on an August Wilson play, a prominent black playwright who is considered one of the best black Americans to do it. So with that in mind, this is a very theatrical film. This means that the dialogue comes fast and heavy and the intensity ratchets up at different times. This is perfect for Boseman because he can be that jovial type easily and then careen off into some tense, heated scene where he threatens other band members. Boseman plays Levee, a trumpeter in a band for Ma Rainey. He has written his own music and is trying to get it recorded amid teasing from other band members and shit talking them all the same. Boseman's character goes from lighthearted ribbing with give and take over his new gold shoes and trying to record his own songs to being increasingly pissed off that he is denied or taken advantage of at every turn when trying to just go his own way. To the point that he loses his cool and stabs a band member. Spoilers, but it's wild in the context of the film and feels so theatrical to me. Something unexpected that comes out of nowhere in a play rather than being built up to or foreshadowed in a film. But Boseman is great in the role and brings it the energy that it needs. He calls out everyone including Ma and the white recording studio owners, bangs Ma's eye candy, and goes crazy when someone smudges his gold shoes. It shows Boseman's range and it would have been great to see him do this on stage. Sadly, this is all we are left with so at least he went out on a high note and we can always wonder what if a talented actor like him had given us 50 more years. No doubt he would have won an Oscar continuing on this trajectory.

Gary Oldman - Mank

 

Oldman was still in that window where a previous winner will get nominated if they put in some good work, but his performance here easily stands ahead of that little Academy quirk. Mank is a bit of a complicated, heavy film where your knowledge of film history and knowing Old Hollywood comes in handy and I imagine is tough to follow for an audience coming in blind. Oldman does a fantastic job at navigating such a complex character who, as the title suggests, carries the film. And Oldman does indeed carry the film as his Mank is so effortlessly charming, cunning, and witty. Every line seems to drip with deeper meaning or literary references and you realize just how intelligent the character is and how he could create something like Citizen Kane. The film yo-yo's back and forth between Oldman writing the film while recovering from a broken leg and battling alcoholism in a Mojave retreat and flashbacks of Mank and his career in Hollywood that lead up to now. I think Oldman plays a good drunk here, which can be hard to make convincing and not let get out of control and distract from an otherwise great performance. He  exaggerates it a bit but not the detriment of the performance or the film. Oldman is a chameleon and his career bears this out. His transformation into Mank is wonderful and we can forget that he is British with a superb old school accent. His scenes with Amanda Seyfried are great and really serve to highlight the film the film with them as they have great chemistry and it feels like a paternalistic type of relationship to where you want to see more. If you can get through a film that is a bit dense in subject, you can find a rather terrific performance from Oldman that stands up to the rest of his impressive oeurve.

Steven Yeun - Minari

 

My how far Yeun has come from his The Walking Dead days! He was a force in that show and then once free from TV,  he has blossomed with Burning, a great Korean film, and delivers this wonderful performance. Without Parasite, though, I honestly don't think that Yeun becomes the first East Asian to be nominated in this category, which is absolutely wild. Yeun plays Jacob, an immigrant from South Korea who has had a couple stays in America before settling in Arkansas to work at a chick hatchery but ultimately start a farm for Korean vegetables. Family drama ensues and this is sorta based on director/writer Lee Isaac Chung's childhood so it is grounded in realism. What I love about this performance is just how natural Yeun approaches everything. It's almost entirely spoken in Korean with some English mixed in when interacting with the locals, but Yeun never falls into any stereotypical idea of someone new to a country speaking English. Even with his lone worker who begged him for a job, he has a Korean attitude and accent but it never feels exploitative which I think is due to the director being the driving force of the film. Yeun is very much a father figure and a dominant husband who also listens to his wife but puts his farm first. In saying that, Yeun balances the many aspects of his life in support of his family and farm. Tough when he needs to be, but not overly so. And while hints that he and his wife had way happier times, he treats her with respect but makes it known he doesn't want to be a failure to his family if the farm doesn't succeed. Yeun does a lot of delicate balancing with his character and it works out so well for him. I will say I am honestly surprised the Academy nominated this film and this performance because it just seems like something they would overlook. But the previous year obviously played into this getting seen and I love that Yeun was the recipient of almost a century of people being overlooked. Yeun gives a delicate performance that is absolutely deserving of a nomination and is something you should watch as soon as possible.

I just want to say first that I am not against Boseman at all. Had he won, after watching all of these performances, I'd have been okay with it and enjoyed that his career ended on such a high note. I'd have been even more pumped if Yeun or Ahmed won because both are great actors doing great work. And this is the first Best Actor category to have a majority of the nominees be minorities or not white dudes. Which is pretty cool because it doesn't feel unearned or have any token nominees that shouldn't be here. In saying that Boseman is probably my number five spot because I don't think it's the best even though I said I'd be fine with it winning, because I would. But the others are just all so good. Yeun is fantastic as a man trying to support his family by becoming a farmer and dealing with all kinds of obstacles. Oldman is his normal amazing self giving us a performance that is wryly funny and full of heart and intensity. Ahmed is incredible as a drummer that begins to lose his hearing and is fighting with his addiction and loss of his sense of purpose in life. And Hopkins delivers a heart breaking, tough to sit through in a good way performance about dementia. I think I'll just go with the Academy on this one and give it to Hopkins, but everyone in this category is good to some degree. This year will be tough to top, but let's see what 2021 has for us.

Oscar Winner: Anthony Hopkins - The Father

My Winner: Anthony Hopkins - The Father

Riz Ahmed

Gary Oldman 

Steven Yeun

Chadwick Boseman

Leading Actor 1960

Going back we start to see these all star lineups where everyone is an acting legend. It's fun to watch these guys work and create that legend status in almost real time.

1960 Best Actor

 

Burt Lancaster - Elmer Gantry

 

I have said over and over how much of a fan I am with Lancaster's acting style. I just love his delivery and presence and it just works for me. It also works for this character who is a traveling salesmen and is a loquacious, wild man who catches a revival act with a pretty woman and decides he wants in on that grift. He weasels his way into Sister Sharon Falconer's (a great Jean Simmons) entourage and lies his way into delivering some testimony. This kind of role is right in Lancaster's wheelhouse because the guy he plays is so over the top and loud and he laughs at everything with a big toothy smile and it doesn't feel weird. It just fits him to a tee. This is a smooth talking, womanizing, manipulating guy who looks for his next play. He has an answer for everything and when called out by a skeptical journalist, he essentially defeats him with scripture and clever lines. Lancaster excels so much in this role because he can just let loose with this character and be so gregarious and charming while being serious at the same time. And it's like the film stands back and lets the viewer judge Gantry because he seems to get away with being a piece of shit to those around him. Lancaster is a force both verbally and physically as he just has that preacher energy and you kinda start feeling his energy. Just a great synergy of Lancaster's talents that resulted in him winning a well deserved Oscar. Definitely a must see for both him and Shirley Jones and Jean Simmons who should have been nominated.

Trevor Howard - Sons and Lovers

You will watch this film and observe this performance and then wonder why was Trevor Howard nominated for what is clearly a barely supporting performance. I may have the answers to that, though it is hard to understand why the Academy does what it does sometimes. This was Howard's only Oscar nomination in his long and illustrious career. You can go look at his filmography and see he is in quite a lot of great films (Brief Encounter, The Third Man, Ryan's Daughter, Superman, Gandhi, to name a few) and kind of realize what is going on. This was a chance to nominate someone the Academy respected and whose previous works they probably loved and wished they had nominated. But also, Howard was top billed in this film and the actual lead of the film, Dean Stockwell (who was pretty good) gets nothing despite doing all the heavy lifting. It just kinda feels like his billing and stature in the film community is what got him nominated and not anything he did onscreen. He plays the drunken, sometimes violent father of Stockwell, who is an artistic young man who wants a better future than just being a coal miner like his dad. Howard really doesn't do all that much in the film. We see him as this rough man who stumbles home drunk at times and assaults his wife and locks her out and then apologizes the next morning by making breakfast. He doesn't approve of Stockwell's artistic desires and is really just the one tie to the old, hard working lifestyle that the film has. Howard also doesn't really do anything amazing in this role. He does what is needed, but you're not looking at this like it's some great piece of acting. You are scratching your head wondering how it got nominated and in this category to boot. The film is worth watching but not for this performance. Go watch his other works to get a better appreciation for his talents.

Jack Lemmon - The Apartment

I feel like I should just change this to a Jack Lemmon fanboy blog because show me a Lemmon performance and I'll never hate it. He's just so fucking good at his craft and I love what he is able to do in every film I see him in. I love that he is equally great at both the comedic side and the dramatic side and when he puts them both together, just look out. This film sees both of those sides coming together. I thought going in that this was a mostly comedic film and it is equally comedic and dramatic. Lemmon seems to relish these dual roles because he knocks them out of the park each time. His comedic timing is impeccable and I have always loved his energy, but his dramatic sense of timing is also so great. He knows when to let a scene breathe and when to reel it in and defer to whoever he is working with. And it never feels insincere. You never feel like some funny man is trying out drama for the first time or some thespian is trying to crack a forced joke. He makes both sides work so well and it makes this film work especially great. He has great chemistry with Shirley MacLaine and it's a delight when both are riffing off each other. It's also nice to see that Lemmon never gives up what he does with his apartment and takes all the blame for MacLaine's issue as his own. It speaks to his character and is just one of those nice acting flourishes from Lemmon. He's got this sweetness and pathos about him that makes you root for him. I feel like I could give every win to my guy here, but there is stiff competition here that I am excited to see play out and figure who is best.

Laurence Olivier - The Entertainer

 

I went into this one completely blind. My guess was Olivier would be playing some entertainer (shocking!) and have issues making it big. Almost correct, but Olivier is playing a third-rate vaudevillian actor whose audience is dwindling. His actual future wife, Joan Plowright (with beautiful, expressive eyes by the way), is his daughter (lol) and our guide to see him struggle to find backing and be relevant. Olivier's character is a scumbag. He cheats on his current wife, doesn't care about his kids, and will do anything for money. When he is found out as a scam artist, the funding is withdrawn and he has to enlist his father to help him who is a vaudeville legend. His dad dies before things can go off and he entertains a paltry audience. Olivier is fantastic in the role, though. Read the previous bit and see me praising him, you're like whaaaat? Not the greatest character, but Olivier does a lot with it. The role was written for him by a progressive playwright who hated the old guard and Olivier challenged him to write something progressive for him. Genius by Olivier to stay relevant as the theater world underwent a revolution and then capitalized on it with this play and then film. Nominated for a Tony and obviously nominated for the Oscar. I love Olivier here because he acts old and has lived in this performance for awhile. Every response and movement is thought through. And his vaudeville persona is put to good use because we can see him as this washed up artist. He is trying to maintain it and keep it going, but that is obviously not succeeding. His character is fun but washed, and we only get the true glorious moments when we see when his funding is dried up or when speaking to his daughter privately. The character has so many dimensions that it can be hard to know what is the true Archie. It's an incredibly interesting character and performance that only Olivier could pull off and make into something digestible. Recommend this to see who Olivier is outside of the Shakespeare stuff.

Spencer Tracy - Inherit the Wind

 

This was Tracy's seventh of his nine nominations throughout the years, so I've got a lot more of him to come including his back to back wins. This film is about the Scopes monkey trial, which was about a guy being prosecuted for teaching evolution in early 1920s Tennessee where it was against the law. Tracy plays the Clarence Darrow character with a different name in the film and is the defense attorney for Scopes. It's a classic trial film and I love these types of films. Tracy is his usual solid self. It's very similar to his Judgment at Nuremberg work and the rest of his later work. It all looks so easy and natural for him where it doesn't look like he's acting at all and just playing himself. Some would call that a problem, but I have enjoyed all of these later performances I have seen. Put this up against Fredric March's heavily put upon and overacted William Jennings Bryan film counterpart and you can easily see the difference in style and tone with the characters. It kinda works, though, as the two butt heads in court and March is the more radical and fervently religious type, so his bombastic performance fits as much as Tracy's measured, pinpoint performance. Unfortunately, the film doesn't really go too in depth with Tracy's character. He's actually religious himself and not an atheist, but this isn't explored at all besides some mention at the end of the film in talking with Gene Kelly's character (who is excellent in this, by the way). This film felt more like two forces or ideas going against each other rather than any kind of character study or an accurate look into a notable historical trial. Still worth watching for Tracy and for being an entertaining trial film, though.

As usual, an excellent group of nominees. The lone head scratcher is Howard, who definitely should not have been nominated. I could see Kirk Douglas getting nominated instead for Spartacus. And if that was the case, I'd be hard pressed to even rank this group. I'll let Lancaster's win stay because I think that was probably some of his best work and just felt like a Burt Lancaster performance. Lemmon just doing what Lemmon always does which is give a performance that in a weak year would win hands down. Just great work from Lemmon, it's unbelievable. Olivier gives us a really interesting character that has all these different dimensions to him and it's fun to watch him work. Tracy is good and this film would make a great double feature with Judgment at Nuremberg. It's also a bit of the same flavor as that performance, so not really ever going to win, but still good. Just another solid year for this category with just a minor slip up. Looking forward to a new decade for sure, though.

Oscar Winner: Burt Lancaster - Elmer Gantry

My Winner: Burt Lancaster - Elmer Gantry

Jack Lemmon

Laurence Olivier

Spencer Tracy 

Trevor Howard

Leading Actor 1961

Some big names and some unknown names, which is what I love about this project. Because I hope that the unknown's will beat out the known names every time. I think that's a natural thing, rooting for the underdog. Let's see what happens here.

1961 Best Actor

 

Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg

 

The main thing I have heard about this performance is that a lot of folks argue that this is more of a Supporting role than Leading. Having watched it finally, nah, this is right where it belongs. Schell actually originated this role in a TV movie two years prior and you can see why he's so comfortable in the role. His passion is palpable throughout the whole film and his delivery at times is so powerful and enthralling that you almost forget to breathe so as to not miss a single word or moment. I was riveted by Schell every time he was onscreen. He is serious the entire way through and has this demeanor that tells you he also wants justice along with a fair trial. He may be defending Nazis, but he makes us respect his handling of the trial on his end. Some people have criticized this as big acting, a pejorative for a bit too much or over the top. I think it's simply a powerhouse performance that is up there with the greats in this category. I really loved Schell's introduction in the beginning of the film as he starts out talking in German with translators speaking for him and then transitions to him speaking English, though they still use the translator ear pieces as if he's still speaking German. It was a pretty clever way to drop the cumbersome translating and let us understand him. Schell is the driving force of the film, and though he doesn't have much of an arc and we don't get to really know him much as a person, it is still very much a leading role to me. You could throw Richard Widmark into that as well, as he is the prosecution attorney and has a great performance in his own right. It just shows that maybe a film focuses a lot more on one actor or character, but another can also be co-lead. I just love the way Schell speaks and his accent and I think he makes a lot of deliberate choices in how he delivers his lines that really help elevate the film. It's a true joy to watch so much better than his other two nominations from the 70s.

Charles Boyer - Fanny

I kinda feel like this isn't really the proper lead of this film. You can say it shares the lead with Maurice Chevalier's character, but he seems to have much more of an impact on the story than Boyer. I would try to say oh, well Boyer was a previous multiple nominee in the 30s (and one in the 40s), but so was Chevalier. Chevalier campaigned hard for this nomination given it was one of his first English speaking roles where he didn't sing, so in other words, actually acted. Boyer somehow got the nomination though and I'm not really sure why other than he had a lot of friends in the Academy. Both men had actually been given Honorary Oscars in the 50s, so both had wide support and were well liked but I guess Boyer was more well liked. Boyer plays the father of Mariusz, a young man who gets Leslie Caron pregnant but goes away to see for adventure before that is discovered. She marries a rich old man in Chevalier and family issues then pop up. Really all Boyer does is play an amiable and father like character. There is no real intensity to the character or much to do with the role. It's rather simple and doesn't really stand out. If you watch this film and try to pick who was nominated in this category, you're going to pick Chevalier. Boyer advises his son against disrupting the marriage and accepting the way thing are which just seems so wrong and hollow to me. You'd think he'd fight for his son, but seems more interested in his grandson being brought up rich. Nothing about the performance sticks out to me besides him favoring his grandson and it doesn't seem like it will even stick in my memory more than Chevalier. And I don't even think Chevalier should be nominated! He is the better performance, but the film is boring and I feel like this was the Academy dipping into it's old timer's well and picking a name. Not worth a nomination, unfortunately.

Paul Newman - The Hustler

I am unfortunately coming quickly to an end of reviewing Newman nominations with only one more to go. But as I have gone back in time, the performances have just gotten better and better and am excited to finally have watched this one. His work in The Color of Money is perfect and I wish I could have seen the natural progression of the character instead of going in reverse, but it does offer a unique perspective. This role is obviously like Tom Cruise's in the sequel and is a lot of fun to watch. Newman is cocky and arrogant and determined to face off against Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) who is considered the best pool hustler going. The film essentially bookends the story with two head to head match ups between the two. The film shows Newman's growth and goes from him losing control to finally finding it in the end. Newman is great and I love that he plays a lot of the pool scenes himself, which really lends weight and authenticity to the role. Because I honestly feel like Newman could be some masterful pool player in real life. That's what he brings to the film besides his normal charisma and stellar acting chops. Their is a romantic side story that intertwines with the pool playing that helps add some intensity to Newman's role and the film itself. Piper Laurie plays an alcoholic woman who catches Newman's eye and the two have a very depressing, tragic relationship that fuels the ending of the film. What more can I say about Newman, really? Think about every Newman film you have watched and you'll see the same steady, strong acting in every one of them. This one is no different, yet Newman somehow makes it so he isn't just playing himself over and over. It's why his roles resonate even decades later because they transcend time and easy to get lost in. Just more great work from one of the best to ever do it.

Spencer Tracy - Judgment at Nuremberg

 

I feel like I have seen a bunch of Tracy nominations already, but this is only his second I have seen so far. He has been in a bunch of other films from this project, so I guess he's getting more familiar to me and I know he has a ton more coming up, films and nominated roles. This film focuses on Tracy and we follow him as he sits as the head judge of the Nuremberg trial. Obviously he does the judge thing, but he gets a full story outside of the courtroom. He stays at an old Nazi general's house (who was executed after an earlier trial) and eventually meets that guy's wife, played by Marlene Dietrich. It feels like these outside moments are to see what life is like in postwar Germany and to see how the people react. The thing with Dietrich's character doesn't really go anywhere, but we get to see Tracy interact with folks and help with his final judgment. Tracy has a character arc and is the conduit for the typical American watching the film. He is the focus of the film, but he is more like the camera who comes along and then focuses on the more important parts. He does have this iconic like 10 minute monologue at the end of the film that secures his Oscar nomination. It's highly talked about and is one of those things where people may not even know the context or the film but know it's usage. It was a one take shot from multiple angles and is a thing of beauty. Tracy is the definite lead in the film, but Maximilian Schell is also flexing that he is doing all the heavy lifting and I believe him. Tracy's acting is so nonchalant and natural that I enjoy his style for this character. He is soft spoken and jovial until he has to command his courtroom. He is earnest in his pursuit of justice and noble in that regard. He is this quietly strong character in contrast to Schell's emphatic and loud defense attorney. I like Tracy in this role, but it definitely gets overshadowed, and rightfully so, by Schell's incredible performance. Tracy himself felt the same way on set remarking something along the lines of well, looks like the Oscar is Schell's. He knew it early and still gave a very good performance in his own right.

Stuart Whitman - The Mark

 

This is probably the name most won't recognize for a film they have never heard of before. This was Whitman's only nomination and his career sort of turned into TV and B films, sadly. But he had a full life, only just dying back in 2020 at 92. This was actually a tough film to track down, but it felt worth the payoff as it is definitely a forgotten gem of the early 60s. It's actually probably for the best if you go in completely blind, as I think that makes the film's impact feel much stronger. So spoilers now, but it's a film about a guy who has sexual inclinations towards young girls but is now paroled from prison as his psychiatrist (wonderfully played by Rod Steiger) champions his release and feels he's over his disease so to speak. This is a tough subject to do a film about but Whitman gives a delicately balanced performance of a man who is conflicted and tormented by his past as he tries to move forward in a positive way. It is also a good thing that Whitman plays the main character because Richard Burton was originally slated to star and Whitman brings more of an everyman quality to the role. He's not a movie star, he's not an ugly creep. He is a normal looking guy who stopped himself from acting on his impulse and essentially turned himself in. It's a very complex role that Whitman gives equal measure to all the various states of mind someone like that would have. He's wary when he is released that he can assimilate back into society and then hopeful when things start looking up, We see the frustration and self doubt that creeps in at various times, and the relief that his therapy sessions has helped him break away from his past issues with his mother to finally love an adult woman. All of these emotions are swirling around throughout the film as we go back and forth from flashbacks to present day and as his past is slowly revealed and how poorly the local reception is. Whitman gets us to sympathize with his character because even though the subject is reprehensible, we can kind of connect it to our own issues like drugs or alcohol or gambling or whatever terrible thing from our past. We would never want to be defined by that especially if we have taken strides to fix it and overcome it in a real way. I like that Whitman never gets too high or too low in an acting kind of way, he just trudges on to get past all of this even with some slight setbacks and hesitations. Honestly, a really refreshing performance that surprisingly comes from the early 60s on such a taboo subject. A shame that Whitman did not have sustained success in roles like this. It will be interesting to see how he stacks up against the others for me.

Great category, Boyer is the worst of the bunch. Not awful, just one of those nominees who should be represented by someone else. Tracy is great and is a big part of his film, but Schell just transcends and reminds me of DDL. Whitman is so fucking good. That is absolutely a hidden gem. Such a good performance, everyone needs to see it. Newman does such great work and if not for Schell, he gets his billiards Oscar. A very good category that is just solid all around. Love this one and need to move on to get out of this decade.

Oscar Winner: Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg

My Winner: Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg

Paul Newman

Stuart Whitman

Spencer Tracy

Charles Boyer