Friday 30 June 2017

Alternate Best Actor 2003: Results

5. Alex Frost in Elephant - Frost does a lot of important walking while looking bored, then becomes an overt psychopath in the last few seconds of the film.

Best Scene: The special act of walking. 
4. Rémy Girard in The Barbarian Invasions - Girard's performance is often fairly one note as this stubborn and dying intellectual. He plays the role most often in an excessively broad way, as a caricature of a fussy intellectual. When he tones it down a bit he's fairly effective but such moments are rare.

Best Scene: Leaving his classroom.
3. Ivan Dobronravov in The Return - Dobronravov gives an appropriately raw portrayal of the mess of emotions of a boy when his absentee father suddenly appears.

Best Scene: Ivan "conquers" the tower.
2. Daniel Brühl in Goodbye, Lenin! - Brühl gives a charming and delightful portrayal that manages to make his character's most unusual actions not only believable but also deeply affecting. 

Best Scene: Meeting his father.
1. Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa - Good predictions Michael McCarthy, Tahmeed, Luke, RatedRStar, Jackiboyz, and Omar. Thornton gives a great performance as he manages to be absolutely hilarious by in no way softening the edges of his very crude criminal yet his approach also manages to earn the character's transition to a better man by the end of the film.

 Best Scene: "For God's sake it's Christmas"
Updated Overall

Next Year: 2003 Supporting

62 comments:

Omar Franini said...

Ray Liotta - Identity
Francis Ng - Infernal Affairs II
Bernie Mac and John Ritter - Bad Santa
Park Hae-il - Memories of Murder

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the lead performances you've seen.

Your Female Top 10s and other 4+ honourable mentions.

Jason Isaacs - Peter Pan
Francis Ng - Infernal Affairs II
Bernie Mac and John Ritter - Bad Santa
Charles Dance - Swimming Pool
Ray Liotta - Identity

RatedRStar said...

Jason Isaacs - Peter Pan
Francis Ng - Infernal Affairs II
Bernie Mac and John Ritter - Bad Santa
Charles Dance - Swimming Pool
Ray Liotta - Identity

I will give my request later

Luke Higham said...

I'll wait until the supporting lineup's up.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Have you seen Down with Love? If you have, can you give your thoughts and ratings on both McGregor and Zellweger? If not, do you think you can check it out? I'd really love to read your thoughts on it and its two leads.

Psifonian said...

Mac and Ritter ~ Bad Santa
Robert Duvall ~ Gods and Generals
Charlie Hunnam and Ethan Suplee ~ Cold Mountain
Jason Lee ~ Dreamcatcher

Charles H said...

Louis: By the way, i changed my prediction twice on Frost's review. So i think i won too.

Mac & Ritter - Bad Santa
Robert Duvall - Gods and Generals
Jason Isaacs - Peter Pan
Park Hae-il - Memories of Murder(Better than Lynch in Zodiac to me)
Charles Dance - Swimming Pool

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Jason Isaacs - Peter Pan
Francis Ng - Infernal Affairs II
Bernie Mac and John Ritter - Bad Santa
Charles Dance - Swimming Pool
Ray Liotta - Identity

Louis: Thoughts on the opening title sequences of Game of Thrones, Westworld and Stranger Things.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I'm glad to see Crowe finally have a win, although it does pain me to see that Dinklage has been inched out of the top 10.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: I see that you've gotten around to watching Holes, Elf and Finding Nemo. Could I have your thoughts on those films?

Robert MacFarlane said...

I hope Caan and Crudup get boosted in the rankings.

Charles H said...

I agree with Robert, especially on Caan.

Scott Gingold said...

Dustin Hoffman, confidence
pruitt Taylor vince, identity
Morgan Freeman, levity
Eugene levy, a mighty wind
john hurt, owning mahowny

Calvin Law said...

Well Wiseau is dead last but you know what, though he's last for me too he brought more enjoyment than perhaps any other performance on my personal rankings.

Anonymous said...

Yes I disagree with Wiseau being last, I think there are worse performances in that list, that are more offensive and unfunny.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Quite a leap for Wiseau, going from #496 to #70 xD

Luke Higham said...

Happy 101st birthday, Olivia De Havilland

RatedRStar said...

Wow happy birthday Olivia De Haviland.

How would everyone rank De Havilands five Oscar nominations?

Álex Marqués said...

I didn't know she was alive, I've just read she sued "Feud" for a radically false use of her image. I haven't seen the show, but that's quite a lame move by them, if I'm being honest.

Luke Higham said...

1. The Heiress
2. The Snake Pit
3. Gone With The Wind
4. Hold Back The Dawn


5. To Each His Own

Anonymous said...

For 2003 Supporting:
Jason Isaacs in Peter Pan
Francis Ng in Infernal Affairs II
Bernie Mac and John Ritter in Bad Santa
Charles Dance in Swimming Pool
Ray Liotta in Identity
Louis: Your 50's and 60's Dogville casts.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the fight scene between Batman and Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the grail theme from The Last Crusade.

Anonymous said...

Louis: So, how do you feel about the Aquaman movie? Do you think it'll be good?

Charles H said...

Hopefully Wantanabe's rating gets officially changed.

Luke Higham said...

Charles: Watanabe should be his winner out of the nominees. With Robbins' rewrite, he'll go down to a 3.

Anonymous said...

Just watched Transformers: The Last Knight. What a piece of shit. Most of the cast was awful, with the exception of Cullen and Welker. Special effects were fine though.

Anonymous said...

Happy 101st birthday to Olivia de Havilland.

Anonymous said...

I am not sure about Robbins being downgraded, Penn deserved to be downgraded but I am not sure Robbins does.

Anonymous said...

The Last Samurai is a pretty average film overall and I think Ken can only do so much.

Charles H said...

I agree with Anonymous. But i thought Ken was great in TLS. Although his talent doesn't go far beyond what was shown there.

Luke Higham said...

Louis has stated that his opinion of Robbins has gone down and he's not even on the results page. That's enough concern for him being downgraded.

Luke Higham said...

Believe me, I don't enjoy seeing a performance get downgraded unless it's Sean Penn in I Am Sam.

Luke Higham said...

Also, If Robbins only went down to a 3.5, then what's the point rewriting the whole review.

Luke Higham said...

Does anyone plan on requesting a silent era performance in future. I'll be choosing Albert Dieudonne in Napoleon and maybe Lon Chaney in The Phantom Of The Opera.

Anonymous said...

Luke: I'll choose Chaney in Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Luke Higham said...

I don't think both Chaplin performances need to be reviewed, I'm happy enough with The Gold Rush.

Anonymous said...

Luke: I was glad to see Leto getting downgraded for his horrendous performance in Suicide Squad.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I thought he was a 1 initially. In that case, I'm pleased about that one too. :)

Anonymous said...

Luke: It's hard to believe DC screwed up Joker and Lex Luthor by casting Leto and Eisenberg. But they did it.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: They brought Joker back way too soon and I'll admit, even though I wanted Cranston for Luthor, I actually welcomed Eisenberg with open arms, because I wanted to see a fresh take on the character. Boy was I wrong.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Michael Rosenbaum (the best Flash voice) did a younger Luthor better than Eisenberg IMO, although I was never a fan of Smallville.

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I meant to say on film. I saw some of Smallville in the early to mid 2000s, but didn't find it all that interesting. I did watch Sam Witwer's scenes some time ago, being a big fan of his.

Anonymous said...

Luke: Live-action superhero tv shows are like that for me. They're never interesting. When I first heard that they were going to make the Green Arrow show darker and more realistic, it went to my head that the people behind the show were ashamed of the source material.

Anonymous said...

And besides, most of the people in live-action superhero TV shows can't act to save their lives.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Turturro - 4.5(Although the film itself is ultimately an unsatisfying film, Turturro's work is the strongest aspect to the film as he offers the right unambiguous emotion to the role. His delivers well the unsettled nature of the man who seems just on the edge not out of hate, but rather in this painful uncertainty along with sorrow. He remains compelling, even as the overall narrative becomes too ambiguous for its own good, by portraying so effectively the man's state seems to worsen as every time he seems to get close to answers he's always pulled further away.)

Kitano - 4(Kitano offers the right striking and consistent presence with his Zatoichi. He's incredibly unassuming yet carries with him the right intimidating quality in his physical manner as the man who always seems not only keenly aware of who is around him, but also that underlying intensity like a snake ready to strike. His performance is static given he's the visitor to someone else's story, yet that does matter as Kitano carries the film effortlessly.)

Scott - 4(Though I might say a perfectly cast Dennis Leary just might steal the film. Scott though gives an interesting performance though as he manages to make his performance work as this boring man, though purposefully so. Scott portrays his Dentist as very dull, but his performance is not. He works in well through a largely subtle performance as he conveys that growing desperation and insecurities in a way fitting to a man who self-represses in a rather modern way.)

Mikkelsen - 4(I did not know anything about the film before watching it but the moment I saw Mikkelsen cutting up meat as a butcher I just knew someone was going to get eaten. Mikkelsen is easily the strongest aspect of the film as he manages to find the right balance of tone in the black comedy. As he manages to be rather funny and surprisingly endearing by portraying his character's fall into murder as a comically absurd endeavor due to the man's lack of social skills. Mikkelsen is properly out of it, and I wish all of the film had lined up with his performance.)

Hoffman - 3.5(Hoffman is kept back by the film that leaves the main character at such a distance. It never feels like we really get to know him since the film focuses so much on those manipulating him instead. When the film bothers to rest on him a bit Hoffman is compelling in portraying this meek man yet conveying that powerful attraction of sorts just to the act of gambling.)

Clooney - 3.5(I did not care for the film really, which played like the parody of a Coen brother's film by someone who doesn't like the Coens. Clooney though I felt to be the highlight actually as being this hapless buffoon is somewhere that he works, and with the Coens he can capture the right sort of energy for a screwball comedy something missing from much of the overall film.)

Brooks - 3.5(Brooks voicing anything is always a good thing really as there is something so real and distinctive to his voice work. He brings that comedic energy with such ease, while never compromising the more emotional moments by any measure.)

Pitt - 3.5(The film did not come together for a variety of reasons but I thought Pitt did his best though to make something out of his role. He provides at least some honest to the writing portraying particularly well simply his character's reactions to the strange siblings and everything going on around him.)

Gotaro - 3(His transition from stiff worker to a more easy going charmer was actually a bit stiff. He also only has decent but not great chemistry with Collette who overshadows him throughout their scenes together. He's okay, but his performance never leaves the impact it needs for the film.)

Laboeuf - 3(One I actually saw a while ago just did not include it on the overall for whatever reason. I recall Laboeuf being decent and charming enough in the role. Finding more of an endearing energy that would eventually become a bit off-putting later on.)

Louis Morgan said...

Farrell - 3(I never love his man-child shtick but this was probably it at its most tolerable for me since he brought a more earnest quality to it as well as it was fitting to his character.)

Johnson - 3(He's a touch rust in places yet the strength of his qualities as a performer do shine through, and he manages to carry the film quite well.)

Wilson - 3(Like Holes, haven't seen this in a long time, I recall him being fine though.)

Lie Kaas - 3(Struggles a whole lot in his two roles as he is just a bit too much on one side then just a little dull on the other. He's not terrible but I never felt his performance made there a reason for his side of the story to really exist since his best moments are his honest reactions to what Mikkelsen is doing.)

Scott - 2(He's no Charles Grodin, not one bit. There's a few overt emotional moments where he's okay, but for the most part he is rather grating most of the time. His comic moments in particular fall quite flat.)

Actress:

1. Charlize Theron - Monster
2. Nicole Kidman - Dogville
3. Uma Thurman - Kill Bill Vol. 1
4. Toni Collette - Japanese Story - 4.5
5. Isabelle Huppert - Time of the Wolf - 4.5
6. Jamie Lee Curtis - Freaky Friday - 4.5
7. Cate Blanchett - Veronica Guerin - 4.5
8. Hope Davis - American Splendor
9. Naomi Watts - 21 Grams
10. Alison Lohman - Matchstick Men

Supporting Actress:

1. Yum Jung-ah - A Tale of Two Sisters - 5
2. Katrin Sass - Goodbye, Lenin!
3. Shohreh Aghdashloo - House of Sand and Fog
4. Patricia Clarkson - Dogville
5. Annette Bening - Open Range
6. Vivica Fox - Kill Bill Vol. 1
7. Patricia Clarkson - Station Agent
8. Sarah Bolger - In America
9. Catherine O'Hara - A Mighty Wind - 4
10. Patricia Clarkson - Pieces of April


It might be one of my favorite motifs by Williams honestly as it calls back to the biblical epics of old, yet not in a way that feels dusty, but rather in a way that so effectively invokes the imagery attached to the grail.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Game of Thrones is one of the all time great sequences from the legendary title music that is brilliant in its simplicity, all the while the animated areas provide one of the most compelling geography lessons you'll ever see.

Westworld's main theme is not quite on the level of GOT but it still is quite the effective tune as it manages to combine a western sound with a sci-fi bent. The intro itself is very much the same with the highlight easily being when the piano player and the music combine.

Stranger Things's wears its inspiration on its face right down to the type face which is fine with me for its better than Tangerine Dream synth, and such beautiful red neon. Simplicity at its best.

Holes - (Again actually saw this awhile ago but I recall it being a pretty enjoyably straight forward family film.)

Elf - (This won't be a Christmas classic for me at any point as I felt the film excelled best in its more comedic elements such as in the depiction of the elves methods, most things involving James Caan particularly Peter Dinklage, and the North Pole being the one from Rudolph. Not that I hated it the rest of the time though, just somewhat forced the Christmas spirit for me, which should never be forced.)

Finding Nemo - (Well I am always the grump when it comes to animated films but I did quite enjoy this one. I felt it managed to more effectively cohere the comedic, even when juvenile, elements along with the dramatic in a natural and affecting way unlike some other efforts where they are a little too separate. It managed to be consistently just enjoyable for all of its acts, and made just for a fun road trip movie.)

Alex:

Well frankly for that horrible portrayal of her, right down to the performance itself, Feud deserves to be sued.

Anonymous:

50's:

Grace: Joan Fontaine
Tom Edison Jr: Dirk Bogarde
Tom Edison Sr: Edward Arnold
Ma Ginger: Ethel Barrymore
Liz: Geraldine Page
Chuck: Ed Begley
Jack: Donald Crisp
Vera: Jessica Tandy
Bill: Tim Holt
The Big Man: Edward G. Robinson
Narrator: Ray Collins

60's:

Grace: Janet Leigh
Tom Edison Jr: Peter O'Toole
Tom Edison Sr: Cedric Hardwicke
Ma Ginger: Billie Burke
Liz: Louise Fletcher
Chuck: Lee J. Cobb
Jack: Herbert Marshall
Vera: Jennifer Jones
Bill: Vic Morrow
The Big Man: James Cagney
Narrator: Charles Laughton

Anonymous:

Well any scene that leads to Martha! can't be all that good. There are some moments in there, but overall it is more than a touch overblown with the excessively evil behavior of Batman right down to using basically Luthor's hallway of death from the original Superman.

Anonymous:

As long as they let James Wan make his movie I think it has a great chance at being good. Doing a underwater movie with a live action cast will be an interesting challenge, but hey I'm more than willing to give it a chance.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on Collette, Huppert, Curtis, Blanchett, Jung-Ah, Bolger, O'Hara, Clarkson and DeGeneres (Finding Nemo).

Omar Franini said...

Louis: your thoughts on Colette, Huppert, Lee Curtis, Blanchett, Yung-ah, Bolger and O'hara?
Also, ratings and thoughts for Catherine Zeta-Jones in Intolerable Cruelty and your thoughts on Time of the Wolf.

Michael McCarthy said...

Is McGregor still a 4 for Big Fish?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: And Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday.

Omar Franini said...

Louis: Is Fox a 4 or a 4,5 in Kill Bill Vol.1? And what's your rating for Watts and Davis?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: And Crispin Glover in Willard.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Lastly, Ewan McGregor in Young Adam.

Calvin Law said...

What did you think of Pieces of April, Louis, and Katie Holmes' performance/rating?

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Collette - (The film is more or less set up as this standard romantic comedy, and given the film's final act I might have preferred that actually. Collette though grants a reality though to her frustrations towards the Japanese man she's basically giving a tour for. She does much of the heavy lifting in creating the relationship and making it naturally develop which she does in rather moving way. She creates the right distance yet connection in the way she portrays a growth in an understanding yet still this hesitation towards another step. The film then ends on what is a third act made out of epilogue, which I didn't find really worked. Collette to her credit is there every step of the way in creating the emotional exhaustion and confusion in her heartbreaking depiction of her attempt at some sort of acceptance to her experience.)

Huppert - (The film did not quite work for. As one should expect it is deeply atmospheric but it never quite took the next step for me to go beyond that to something that left a greater impression past that. Nonetheless Huppert gives a strong reactionary turn in conveying the sheer devastation of the situation. Although the film itself never quite took me in so to speak, this at no fault of Hupper who does at the very least create the emotions of the situation within her performance.)

Curtis - (One I actually saw awhile back but just did not remember it came out in 2003. Curtis though makes the most of the concept with her performance as she manages to avoid the fatal mistake, which is to go too young with her performance. She finds the right energy and mannerisms and she even hits the more comedic moments incredibly well but she never goes overboard even with the heightened tone the film has to begin with. Curtis manages to be funny but actually makes something out of the central idea of making that connection.)

Blanchett - (The film is about as surface as it gets but I will give Blanchett credit for giving it some substance just through her performance. She actually seems to try to create an element in the story that isn't even there in the film. In that as much as she portrays sort of the gutsy qualities to go further, she also portrays a certain ego in her endeavors as well. she tries to portray more of a conflict which she finds to the degree she can considering it seems she's doing it entirely on her own. Further though she fulfills what is needed directly in the film particularly in giving such a visceral intensity in the violent scenes.)

Yum - (I think the film's story got a bit too unwieldy for its own good, though it is an effective film overall. One of the best parts of the film to me was Yum's performance which I found most effectively created the idea of the broken mind and perspective of the film. She's terrific when she's being the truly psychopathic step-mother giving the chilling intensity, she's even great as just the venomous one who has just a few too many remarks, then though she's surprisingly humane and warm in portraying the step-mother attempting yet failing to make some sort of connection. She's great in every facet and side of the character. They are not really connected but they are not suppose to be.)

Bolger - (Jim Sheridan clearly has quite the way with child actors as there is such naturalism with both of the little girls here particularly the elder Bolger. She's sweet and earnest to be sure yet in such a honest way. She's never cloying or even wise beyond her years. She just comes off as a kid who we really get to know.)

Louis Morgan said...

O'Hara - (She's works so well with Guest's style as he she captures that particular spirit of the comedy in that she is so funny by saying so many of her lines with a straight face. At the same time working so well in creating this real sense of the real emotion behind her character in her scenes with Levy, even if it is still funny.)

Clarkson - (Perhaps I should watch All the Real Girls to finish her foursome, any who, this is the least of the three efforts, which of course is the one she was nominated for. She's good though despite the film being rather flimsy. Clarkson though overcomes some questionable lines behind her character's relationship to her daughter. The fact that she offers any reality to these is quite impressive, and she manages to elevate every one of her moments as best as she can.)

DeGeneres - 3.5(For the repetitive sidekick she managed to make Dory's constant repetition actually rather endearing, and brings that overt energy as expected in a way that always works. She never feels she overstays herself due to her performance, though I can't quite say she was able to keep it up for the sequel.)

Lohan - 3.5(Curtis does steal the film from her overall I'd say but Lohan does more than a half-decent job herself in creating the sort of adult presence. She doesn't quite reach Curtis's heights but she does stay her ground well enough in also creating that certain combination of the humor and certain drama involved with that.)

Glover - 3.5(I haven't seen this since 2003, and another one I missed placing originally. I recall him being a great fit though for basically playing a Batman's villain origin without ever facing Batman. Glover doing a creep can over do it, but here I thought it worked, at least back 03.)

McGregor - 2.5(This is an odd film and an odd role for McGregor. It's out of time, since it's really an angry young man film but made in the 00's. McGregor struggles in the role I find to truly create the state of the man who goes from charming to completely amoral. He lacks the needed edge in those scenes, yet doesn't quite deliver in creating the presence of such an alluring figure here.)

4.5/4

Calvin:

I did not care for it. It certainly puts the LOW in low-budget and taking it a bit too far. The real problem is the script and well the direction. The script though inspires to find real truths yet it dances around them in these cute, yet not charming, diversions that never reach any real poignancy or power.

Holmes - 2.5(Holmes isn't a very good actress and here I thought she struggled with problematic material to begin with. Her performance never dives deeper though as Clarkson, and even Allison Pill's performance manages to do.)

Omar:

Zeta-Jones - 2.5(Well she's certainly very attractive her, and does that sexpot thing okay. She doesn't find the comedic potential in the role like say Jamie Lee-Curtis in A Fish Called Wanda.)

Michael:

Yes.

Deiner said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: My request is Naseeruddin Shah in Sparsh for 1980 Lead.

Thamos Liam said...

This website is the best place if you are looking for any sort of help with the workings of the Swimming pool filtration plant, the team is very helpful and also the services are offered at affordable prices.

Thamos Liam said...

For smooth installation of swimming pool filtration plant and for all the information associated with it, one should visit this website everything given here is very easy to understand.