And they Call him Oscar (the Acting Edition)

[puppetmaker]

This Sunday is the 81st edition of the Academy Awards. So over the next couple of days I am going to be writing about the nominations.

This year, thanks to the WGA, I have seen most of the films nominated.

Here are what I liked and who I think will get the statue even though others may be more deserving but politics will get you every time.

Actor in a Leading Role
I have not seen Richard Jenkins in The Visitor but I have seen all the other performances. There are a lot of strong performances here and I have two that I really liked. I thought Brad Pitt did well as Benjamin Button but there was a lot of CGI helping him with it although the narrative voice was another character in the piece. Sean Penn as Milk was really good as well but honestly I have seen Penn play those kinds of tropes before so there was nothing new.

The two that stood out for me were Frank Langella and Mickey Rourke. Langella was amazing as Nixon and he didn't need a lot of make-up and prosthetics to make me believe he was Nixon and that is the core of acting at its finest. Mickey Rourke was playing a character who was little closer to home for him probably. It is a raw powerful performance that harkens back to some of his early work but now with a edge of quiet desperation.

I'd give it to Langella but I am thinking that either Rourke (if Hollywood has forgiven him) or Pitt (because the concept was so strange) will get it.

Actor in a Supporting Role
I will be very surprised if this doesn't go to Heath Ledger. His Joker was just that disturbing that even if he was still alive, I think he would have still gotten a nomination but probably not the statue. There are some other very strong performances in this catagory which are going to be ignored.

My favorite was Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder. It was such an insane idea and he played it beautifully including the breakdown of the character. Even though this was a comedy, there was some really fine acting on all the cast's part. Hoffman was Hoffman was Hoffman. I have honestly seen him do better with less. Brolin is a fracking chameleon and he proves it again in Milk but I have seen him do better. The underdog in the race was one of the better performances. Michael Shannon was probably one of the best actors in Revolutionary Road and he really did something with very little.

So Heath is going to get it but I think both Downey and Shannon are being overlooked.

Actress in a Leading Role

I haven't seen Frozen River, Rachel getting Married,or the Changeling so this one is a littler harder for me to judge but I really liked Kate Winslet in the Reader. She made it so interesting to watch and since this is one of those films that goes over a span of time, she did a great job of aging. I hadn't read any reviews for the film so that the reveal for me was real and very powerful. I found out the same time as the lead character. Meryl Streep was great as always but I have seen her do this before so I came away with nothing new from her. Personally I preferred her role in The Devil Wears Prada for something new from her.

So I would give it to Kate Winslet on the strength of what I saw. I have heard that Anne Hathaway was amazing but that they might pass her over since she is so young and that Melissa Leo is the dark horse of the group and might amaze everyone.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Taraji P. Henson deserves it. She was amazing in Benjamin Button. I think Amy Adams and Viola Davis are going to cancel each other out since they were in the same film and both were excellent in their roles. I felt so sorry for Viola's character who was put in a bad position by doubt. Marisa Tome was good in The Wrestler. I didn't realize it was her for quite a while which is a sign of some really good acting. Penelope Cruz is very much the outsider on this race but she might pull it off. I think that was some of her best work.

Over all, I though the actresses in the supporting role were stronger than the leads this year. Not the first time this has happened in my book.

I am grateful that have seen so many of these films.

Comments

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

This was an interesting post. I have not seen all the films nominated this year. But I do think that Mickey Rourke deserves the award over Brad. His performance was amazing. We shall see. Hope this finds you well!

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I am doing OK. Two conventions in a row really takes it out of you.

Mickey Rourke does deserve it over Pitt but the SFX added to the character of Button and I wonder if the Academy is going to see that.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Agreed. The SFX were pretty interesting

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I rarely see the nominees for Best Picture, often because of time, money, and lack of interest. But I did Benjamin Button, and then it got nominated.

I agree about Ledger. Brilliant performance, and I predict he will win.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

Slumdog Millionaire is the best thing I saw last year but I'll get into that in a day or so.

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this! I love watching the Oscars, even though I don't always see the movies nominated. This is the first time in a few years I've seen so many of the movies nominated. I'm very excited about it.

Looking forward to more of your posts about it!

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

It is nice that the nominated films did get wider distribution than they usually do. It doesn't feel as elite as it has in the past.

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

FYI the four you haven't seen are all available on netflix if you have it, that is how I've been catching up. I should have 'Changeling' arriving today and then I'll have seen all the acting nominees.

I agree with your actor assessments completely, I don't think Langella is going to get it but I think he should.

As for the actresses I think that Anne Hathaway had a showy part in her movie, but I was more impressed with the woman playing her sister. I wish Kate Winslet had been nominated for 'Revolutionary Road' instead, but on the strength of the two performances I think she should get it.

Supporting actress is wide open. I have trouble even picking a favorite because they were all so good.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

We may pick them up at our local favorite video store that specializes in this sort of stuff to be all caught up. We do have the advantage that we can take a break from "work" and watch a film so we can be all caught up.

[ghilledhu.livejournal.com]

I still think Robert Downey Jr. was robbed. He should have gotten a Best Actor nod for Iron Man.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

We're getting closer. Ledger for supporting for the Joker opens the door to honor comic book movies.