2011 Pretentious Film Awards - Best Supporting Actor

 And the nominees are...
 

Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin

Arguably a cartoonish portrayal of a villain, but never atonal as the movie itself operates on a certain level of hyper-reality from first frame. Extremely well cast in his almost otherworldly androgynous beauty, he is a formidable scene partner for Tilda Swinton. Bonus points for his final scene. He absolutely nails it by not trying to humanize Kevin in any obvious or cloying ways.

Christopher Plummer in Beginners

One of the best portrayals of a man in the winter of his life. Much of the film's success can be attributed to his humanity, his register and the way he takes what could have easily been a larger, more outwardly showy role (even in this film) and anchors it in a deep well of years of emotion. Bonus points for the way he asks about house music.

Patton Oswalt – Young Adult

Plays a needy, desperate man without any of the usual, predictable beats. In a character study full of ugly people and even uglier behavior, Oswalt understands the temptation to play the film's ethical compass. He instead opts for the more difficult, but much more interesting route of showing Matt's moralizing as the result of a man with clear vulnerabilities and limitations. Bonus points for the scene in the woods. He gets the best out of Theron and himself in these scenes.

Brad Pitt – The Tree of Life

Malick's film, accomplished as it is, contains not so much characters, but markers and guideposts for larger concepts. Pitt manages to eke out an accomplished, career-best performance as the stern yet emotional Mr. O'Brien. His age and wear, something most roles try to suppress, are his greatest asset here as he employs them to a past his prime, unwilling to face it, flawed yet loving patriarch. Bonus points for the lighter scene. The way he asks for a kiss from his son is both character-deepening and fascinating.

Corey Stoll in Midnight in Paris

Plays not just Gil's (Owen Wilson) idea of Ernest Hemingway, but what many perceived him to be. Stoll's Hemingway is thinly written, but masterfully elevated. Every line-reading, mouthfuls they may indeed be, seem to roll out of him effortlessly with gruff humor and fierce intensity, unmatched by any of the imaginary figures in this piece. Bonus points for the eyes. So expressive, never relenting, never ceasing to pass judgment, even in silence.

2010 Pretentious Film Awards - Best Supporting Actor

I am happy to announce the nominees for the 3rd(!) Annual Pretentious Film Awards given by yours truly. The first category is Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. And the reliable men are...


Christian Bale in The Fighter
Showy and actorly, but not without purpose. He chews the scenery, yes, but he does so while imbuing Dicky Ecklund with humor, specificity and deep felt humanity.



Andrew Garfield in Never Let Me Go
In many ways, Garfield's Tommy is the center of what makes Never Let Me Go so devastating. Communicative, evocative and nuanced. Bonus points for the eyes, which seem intent on breaking your heart at nearly every turn. (Note: He's also fabulous in The Social Network).



John Hawkes in Winter's Bone
An underappreciated character actor, Hawkes is a best in show for Winter's Bone. He sells Teardrop's shift from a near caricature, to a deeply emotional fleshed out human with an integral backstory. The film's best lines ("I already told you once with my mouth") seem to roll off his tongue with shocking ease.


Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
Seemingly effortless, but so funny and so controlled. Every movement, every verbal nuance speaks to the charm, the smarmy exterior and the self-satisfaction. Ruffalo proves his chops here as an underused and underrated comedian ("Let's just go for it. It's out there..."). He earns the film's biggest laughs.




Miles Teller in Rabbit Hole
A brief role, but a pivotal one played with aching realism. He gifts a movie filled with burned, jaded adults with untested and naive optimism. Nicole has Teller to thank for some of her best scenes in the film.






Finalists:
Matt Damon works wonders in True Grit. Vincent Cassell is delightful in Black Swan, but the turn feels slightly unrealized.

Semi-Finalists:
Jeremy Renner adds another great turn to his impressive resume with The Town. Ben Mendelsohn is subtle and frightening as "Pope" in Animal Kingdom.

Pretentious Film Awards 2009--Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

And the nominees are...

Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
For gifting the movie with an equal mix of humor-masked sadness and shell-shocked gravitas that only he could provide.




Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
As the even-keeled Sgt. Sanborn, Mackie carries the tough task of being our portal into a world and characters we scarcely understand. Renner's impressive lead performance can't work without a reliable screen partner to react and give greater emotional context. Amazing work.



Fred Melamed in A Serious Man
As Sy Ableman, the disturbingly earnest adulterer, he does wonders. Much of the film's humor and sadness relies on his unwavering and (above all) offensive insistence and interest in the most superficial aspects of Larry's well-being. He never breaks or falters.




Paul Schneider in Bright Star
Not just for the accent, which he masters quite well. His portrayal of Charles Armitage Brown is a specific thing of wonder. The humor, mixed with anger, resentment and flourishes of chauvinism provide the movie with a much needed counterbalance to all the lovin' going on. There's so much to keep track of here.




Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Hans Landa is finely hewned here, from the inside out. Waltz knows that the courtesy is never meant to overshadow the monstrous leanings as he navigates around the tongue-twister that is a Tarantino script. He was natural, fully-realized and deeply terrifying.


Finalists:
Brian Milligan is quite good in Hunger, but suffers from a purposefully unrealized character arch. Dominic Cooper and Peter Sarsgaard do fine work in An Education. The best performances often look effortless.

Semi-Finalists:
Brian Geraghty has scared and timid down to a science in The Hurt Locker. Stanley Tucci has very little to do in Julie and Julia, but does just fine in a fluffy role, in every way superior to his grating and maddeningly lauded turn in The Lovely Bones.

Oscar Nomination Predictions--Best Supporting Actor

1. Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds (lock)
2. Woody Harrelson - The Messenger (probable)
3. Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones (probable)
4. Matt Damon - Invictus (shaky)
5. Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker (wild card)

Alternate:
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station, Alfred Molina - An Education, Christian McKay - Me and Orson Welles

This is the most volatile of all the acting categories. Outside of Christoph Waltz, who should be writing his acceptance speech, no one is a guarantee. Woody Harrelson is likely to make it, but no one seems to be talking about The Messenger anymore. Stanley Tucci is likely to make it, but the general consensus is that his film is terrible. Matt Damon is possible, but how much do they like Invictus? And finally, here's where I've decided to get crazy and make the wild card prediction of Anthony Mackie. He's gotten no precursor love, very true. But The Hurt Locker is a giant at this point, not to be ignored. It's either passionately loved or at least respected by most. I don't see how this film garners so many nominations and doesn't sweep Mackie along for the ride, especially when you take the alternates into account. There's Christopher Plummer, who's been perennially ignored by the Academy for his entire career. Why start now, and for a film nobody saw? Alfred Molina would have more of a shot if An Education hadn't evaporated. And Christian McKay seemed to be here one day and gone the next. Call it wishful thinking (mostly because it is), but I feel like Mackie might just make it.

The Pretentious Film Awards--Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

The Pretentious Film Awards nominees for Best Supporting Actor are:


James Franco in Milk
Plays the supportive spouse role with softness, hitting just the right tone. Less surprising to those who are more acquainted with his work, even in lesser films.

Bill Irwin in Rachel Getting Married
Spastic, yet welcoming. Enthusiastic, yet filled with pain. What a wonderfully complicated character Paul Buchman is.

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
For sidestepping all of the (mostly) undeserved hyperbole (I'm guilty myself) of The Dark Knight to be the one thing that remains consistently laudable and great about the year's most popular film. This is sure to be an iconic performance.

Eddie Marsan in Happy-Go-Lucky
For being a great foil for Sally Hawkins's Poppy. The film doesn't work without the great balance he provides.

Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road
Easily the best in show here. Why this performance didn't catch on is beyond me.


Runners Up: All the Milk boys (Brolin, Hirsch, Cross, Garber, etc) contributed to this film's great ensemble work. Tunde Adibimpe was sweet and natural in Rachel Getting Married. Benoit Magimel played a jealous manchild with great ease in A Girl Cut in Two. Haaz Sleiman provides wonderful pathos in The Visitor...if only he was given more to do. Gael Garcia Bernal tries to spin gold out of flimsy characterization in Blindness in an admirable failure.