So here it is, my annual blog posts where I decide I know
better than that random (and apparently super white, super male and super
middle aged) collective known as the Academy (of something Motion Pictures or
something else. Can’t be bothered to Google it). Yep, it's a bit long, but the performances are worth talking about this year, for ever so many reasons.
I’m going to start with the Acting categories in this blog
and give the run down on Best Picture in the next one.
So let’s start with Supporting Actor, partly as it’s the
best place to discuss the biggest issue of this year’s Oscars - #Oscarssowhite
The nominees are:
Christian Bale - The Big Short
Tom Hardy - The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone – Creed
First thing to say is the favourites are Rylance and
Stallone and I didn’t see Creed so I can’t comment on whether Stallone deserves
this.
Mark Rylance is absolutely brilliant and it is really
difficult to believe anyone was better than him. Mesmeric, fascinating and
unpredictable, basically exactly what you’d hope for from Mark Rylance, but
also adjusted to fit the film. It let Tom Hanks do his big Jimmy Stewart
all-American moral conscience thing and ensure that both parts fitted together
really well. It truly supported the
film, and was a critical part of the film – Rudolf Abel is not the big villain
of the piece, but nor is he or should he be entirely sympathetic. It’s a fine
line to tread and one that Rylance does superbly.
To me, the next best performance is probably Mark Ruffalo
who, as he so often does, pitches just the right mix of sincerity and cynicism.
He is very effective in the role, but also less memorable or interesting that
Rylance. Mark Ruffalo is always excellent in pretty much everything I can think
of, and will surely win, and deserve to win, an Oscar one day. But on the scale
of Ruffalo Performances (it’s like the Richter scale but less earthquakey) this
isn’t exactly a stand out one. Very, very good, but it is such an ensemble
piece, and my favourite performance was probably from Stanley Tucci who stole
every scene he was in.
Christian Bale is fine in another ensemble piece, The Big
Short, but again, this wasn’t one of Bale’s best performances, nor does it feel
particularly Oscar worthy. And to be honest, it occasionally felt a little
mannered and forced. Most of the wisecracking bits of The Big Short are in the
other segment with Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, the latter of whom is the one
who narrates and breaks the fourth wall. Bale’s story line is largely separate
to them, and sometimes it felt like he was upping the social awkwardness and
oddball nature of his character to fit with the tone of the film, rather than
it coming naturally from his character. I have to say I’d be pretty
disappointed if he won.
As for Tom Hardy, of all the many awards worthy performances
that he has given over the last few years, this is the one you nominate him
for? The Revenant is a wild and epic film, and like Bale it occasionally felt
like Hardy was forcing his performance to fit with the scope and tone of the
film. It was still a very good performance, I don’t think Tom Hardy can be anything
other than watchable (ok maybe I’m just careful about what I choose!) but he
just occasionally felt a bit too over the top, a bit too overtly villainous.
Hardy is so good at conveying a hidden dangerousness (for example in The Drop)
that the slightly more cartoonish dangerousness here was a little jarring. I
don’t want to suggest it was a bad performance, he was frequently chilling and
was able to project a nastiness that drove the narrative. To me, it just
contrasts with the way in which Rylance pitched his performance so that it made
all the other parts of the film work as well.
There will always be people missing from categories,
overlooked performances and perceived snubs, and it seems the most egregious
here were Idris Elba and Benicio del Toro, both nominated for the Bafta. I
haven’t seen Beasts of No Nation as I don’t have Netflix, but given that he
seems to have been nominated for, and in many cases won, so many awards leading
up to the Oscars, it seems shocking that he wasn’t nominated. Del Toro was fascinating in Sicario, you
never knew what the character would do next or what he would be further capable
of. It was his continual unknowableness (I’m sure there is a better word than
that) that gave the audience an additional way into Emily Blunt’s character and
how out of depth she was. We were out of our depth with Del Toro and the uncertainty
he inspired mirrored hers as the film progressed.
I know many people will think in the scheme of things that
it doesn’t matter that much that only white actors were nominated for the
Oscars but I really feel it does on so many levels. #Oscarssowhite is in many
ways a symptom of a much wider, and much more serious diversity problem in
Hollywood, in entertainment and frankly in life in general. Some have said that
Idris Elba wasn’t nominated because his film was made by Netflix and the establishment
are not keen on Netflix. But his film was on Netflix because despite having a
well-known and well-respected director, and a big star in Elba, they couldn’t
get it financed traditionally because it was an African story with an all-black
cast. Congratulations Idris, have your doubly-discriminated against card, collect
ten and get a free coffee at Starbucks.
Why is it important? Well the Oscars is sold to us as giving
an idea of what denotes ‘quality’ film making, but what it is giving us is a
reasonably homogenous membership with tastes that say it is white, male,
straight, rich that is important and good. And that does influence us
culturally, It keeps telling us that these are the important people, these are
the important stories. It influences how people see the world and how they
think the make-up of the public world. I think film and other culture is
incredibly important in reinforcing how wonderfully varied the world is, about
helping us empathise and understand people who have a completely different
background, to making all humans be valued as humans. Anytime I read a book or
seen a film or listened to a song that allows me to see a completely different
perspective, see the world in a different way is always special. But the Oscars
is putting a mark of quality, giving a funding boost or additional exposure to
only certain groups and it seems to be getting worse than getting better.
Yes it is a much, much wider problem than just the Oscars,
but if Academy members were willing to look further afield, stop seeing things
through only the lens of what they can identify with personally, be more
willing to reward the brave, the unusual, the new perspective, that will give
those film makers and actors the cachet and prestige to be able to make more
films that give something other than the same white, male perspective that we
have had for decades. We can’t just keep hearing the excuses that the parts
aren’t there – who wins an Oscar influences who gets cast, who can open a film,
who we expect to see in a film. It might stop sorry excuses from people like
the Coen brothers (who I love, and who are too talented to need such a stupid
excuse) that writers set out to write characters, rather than deliberately
write a black character or a Chinese character. Because what’s happening is
they and others are writing the default white man with every character,
deliberately but perhaps subconsciously. If Academy members could think a bit
further afield than the same narrow section of films, then maybe they will
start to realise that characters don’t always default to white, just like
people don’t. The Academy can’t change
things by itself, but hopefully diversifying the membership will stop a repeat
of what has happened the last two years. Because if I ever see as crap a
performance as that by Bradley Cooper beat out as astonishing one as David
Oyelowo again, my head might explode.
I’m writing this in a hurry and diversity in film both in
front and behind the camera is such a big topic, I can only scratch the
surface. As I think I’m becoming more rambling and less coherent by this point,
probably time to move on to Best Supporting Actress.
Now this is a weird one, there doesn’t seem to be a clear
favourite but the nominees are:
Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara - Carol
Rachel McAdams - Spotlight
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
Two of these, Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander are clearly
co-leads, but it says a lot about the strength of the Best Actress race this
year that they have been put forward for the supporting award.
To me, Vikander’s performance is the outstanding one here. Her
performance seems to run the full spectrum of human emotion, managing to make
Gerda a brilliant character both big and warm and exuberant in the more public
scenes and nuanced, and emotionally subtle in the scenes with just her and
Lili. She balances a character who is trying to be supportive but has her own
needs and gets the balance right. Like with Mark Rylance, her performance is
critical in allowing the character of Lili to take the path she does in a way
that works for the audience, and balancing the film between Lili and Gerda
instead of allowing either to overshadow the other. Had she not pitched this
right, the film would have been undermined. It is an excellent performance,
although it is so central, it really does feel like the co-lead performance.
Rooney Mara on the other hand, also giving a co-lead
performance, does feel a little overshadowed by Cate Blanchett’s brilliance. I
mean, of course, most actors do tend to be, as Blanchett is as good as any
actor out there. Maybe it is the contrast, but Mara’s performance was one that
feels like a good performance while you’re watching the film, but afterwards it’s
hard to remember what, if anything, was particularly good about it. She’s not
particularly charming, or enigmatic, or mysterious, or compelling. It just all
feels a bit detached, which I suppose Therese is meant to be, but it’s not
clear if this is deliberate or down to a lack of charisma and spark in Mara’s
acting. It may be that I need to watch the film again to appreciate it, but
where I remember the complexity of Carol, and Blanchett’s brilliant performance
several weeks ago, Mara’s performance feels forgettable.
Kate Winslet is certainly not forgettable in Steve Jobs, and
she is clearly having a lot of fun. She manages to just about stay in control
of Aaron Sorkin’s script and let the character be more than just the lines she
says. She is the part of the film for the audience to identify with, and the
perspective that her character gives the audience on Steve Jobs is critical for
understanding what Sorkin is trying to say about him. It’s not the most subtle
performance, but perhaps that isn’t what is called for. It doesn’t have the emotional
depth or range of Vikander’s performance, so although I wouldn’t be upset if
Winslet won it, I’m not sure she really deserves it.
Jennifer Jason Leigh also gives a big fun performance in the
Hateful Eight, and does a brilliant job of not allowing Daisy to slip into
caricature, which would have been easy. It’s such a no-holds barred performance
of grim spite that she makes sure the audience both loves and hates (or loves
to hate) Daisy, which is exactly what the story needs. We have to hope both
that she survives and doesn’t survive at different times as our sympathies
switch between characters and Leigh really balances it right. It won’t win, but
it is a very different performance from the others on show, that again, it
would be hard to be disappointed if she did pull off a shock.
I haven’t got a huge amount to say about Rachel McAdams
here. She was very solid, sympathetic and determined but I literally have no
idea what about her performance made anyone say this is the best supporting
actress of the year. She isn’t given much to do, but does well enough with what
she’s given, and that’s all that there is to really say about it!
On to Best Actor, which it almost seems pointless in
discussing because Leonardo di Caprio is going to win for the Revenant. He’s
been nominated for better performances, but for sheer commitment to a role he
probably deserves it. Unlike Tom Hardy, di Caprio does a better job of meshing
the wildness of his performance with the wildness of the film, somehow capturing
something between human and animal that can survive in an unforgiving
wilderness, but that even at his starkest and most lost, still maintains some humanity.
There are other nominees and they are:
Bryan Cranston - Trumbo
Matt Damon - The Martian
Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl
I didn’t get around to seeing Trumbo, but hey it’s Bryan
Cranston, I’m sure he was good!
And in brief the others are:
Matt Damon – excellently cast and a lot of fun. It’s not
easy to play the hero or indeed any part when you are mainly talking to
yourself but this is one of the best, if not the best, performance I can
remember Matt Damon giving (well up there with The Informant) and he gave the
performance that was needed to stop what could have been a very bleak story
becoming to bleak, but without venturing into silliness or flippancy.
Michael Fassbender – committed, steely and a decent job with
a thankless task. Steve Jobs is a strange film, trying to say something without
being completely sure what that is. But Fassbender does his best to bring to
life a character that Sorkin is trying to sell as too brilliant for his time
and also too flawed for the real world. He absolutely disappears into the role,
and even if I don’t think it was his best performance ever, it makes up for
Fassbender not getting nominated for Shame.
Eddie Redmayne – emotionally sincere and well-crafted. I’m
in a bit of a weird position with the Danish Girl since I found out that it was
based on a novel that turned Lili Elbe’s life into a bit more of a
stereotypically unhappy one that it was in real life, which has made me feel a
bit uncomfortable about the film when it is selling itself as a true story, but
then stealing much of Lili’s happiness from her. And there remains the fact
that a lot of trans people are understandably upset that such an important
trans role didn’t go to a trans actress. Still this isn’t Redmayne’s fault
really, and it shouldn’t take away from what was a moving performance that
really matched perfectly with Vikander’s and brought a relationship that felt
true and deep to life. Even before the character starts more overtly presenting
as female, I did feel like I was watching a female character on screen, however
she was dressed or styled, and it is an achievement to do that convincingly.
But it is hard to separate it from the context and therefore hard to hope that
Redmayne gets a second win in a row.
And finally onto Best Actress (yes finally!), where the
nominees are:
Cate Blanchett - Carol
Brie Larson - Room
Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
I’m going to try keep this short, or I may still be writing
next week.
Cate Blanchett is brilliant in Carol, bringing a complex and
not always obviously sympathetic character to life in a way that make you
really care for her and want her to find happiness, she is gloriously elegant
and witty but also emotionally brittle in a sometimes destructive way. Few
people other than Cate Blanchett could have played this role and it was a
memorable performance, with small echoes of Blue Jasmine given the character’s
social background, but distinctive and compelling in a completely different
way.
Jennifer Lawrence is definitely the best thing about the
slightly odd film that is Joy, and as usual somehow manages to play a character
of a completely different age to her in a convincing way, creating someone
careworn and exhausted but also determined and creative. But it’s not her year,
and she isn’t one of the standouts.
Charlotte Rampling is undoubtedly very good in 45 Years but
I don’t think I’ve ever watched Charlotte Rampling without being aware that I’m
watching Charlotte Rampling Acting and it wasn’t that different in 45 Years.
That doesn’t mean that she wasn’t interesting or compelling, it’s just compared
to what the remaining two actresses were doing, I just don’t think it was that
special, or ever felt like as real as person as the people played by Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan.
Well I certainly don’t envy voters their choice between Brie
Larson and Saoirse Ronan, and although Larson is almost certain to win, I know
I would give it to Ronan 99 times out of 100.
Brie Larson is so good, not only in her own performance but
in drawing out such a brilliant one from Jacob Tremblay too. The character
evolves through the film, and she is utterly convincing, even when the
character acts out in a way that the surrounding characters might not want her
to do or expect her to do. She absolutely carries the film, and it really is a masterclass
in emotional realism.
But, and it’s a big but, there is Saoirse Ronan.
There is no way I can capture how good her performance is here. I’m putting it
up there with Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven and Lesley Manville in Another Year
in my favourite performances of recent years.
Eilish is not a demonstrative person. She isn’t given to outbreaks of
emotion or big speeches, Ronan doesn’t give big speeches telling you what’s she’s
thinking. But Eilish is caught up in her life pulling her in so many
directions, so many conflicting loyalties, duties and emotions, between Ireland
and America and the myriad of people in her life. She could have been passive,
cold, uninteresting, unsympathetic or boring. But Ronan does something I’ve
rarely seen. She conveys one, or two, or three emotions at once, just by
changing her expression slightly, by changing her tone slightly, by moving
slightly differently. You instantly know exactly what she’s thinking, the
emotion she is trying to suppress, the decision she is struggling with, just by
how she is, not what she says or what she does. It really is extraordinary,
technically astounding and utterly and heartbreakingly moving. An actress as brilliant
as Saoirse Ronan will win an Oscar or perhaps several in the future and I just
hope she gets dozens more chances to play people as real and interesting.
