Wednesday 3 June 2015

Alternate Best Actor 2007: Results

10. James McAvoy in Atonement - McAvoy is oddly smarmy for a romantic lead and leaves much to be desired as our guide through the horrors of war.

Best Scene: Saving Briony I guess.
9. Cillian Murphy in Sunshine - Murphy gives an interesting take on the sci-fi thriller hero by playing it cold but still giving his character humanity. Although the director's self-indulgence covers up what should be his emotional climax.

Best Scene: The first action sequence.
8. Chris Cooper in Breach - Cooper creates a believable portrait of a man who contradicts almost everything he says, yet speaks with such conviction.

Best Scene: The arrest.
7. Joaquin Phoenix in We Own the Night - Phoenix is given a character arc that is fairly well worn, but he makes it feel honest and gives a compelling performance.

Best Scene: Bobby hears about his father.
6. Lau Ching Wan in Mad Detective - Wan gives an entertaining off beat portrayal of a schizophrenic who actually embraces his madness.

Best Scene: The detective with his wives.
5. John C. Reilly in Walk Hard - Reilly gives a very enjoyably parody of the troubled popular musician, largely by bringing so much conviction to the role.

Best Scene: The final song. 
4. Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn - Bale gives an effective portrayal of the mental and physical degradations in his journey to survive and escape from a pow camp in Laos. 

Best Scene: Dieter is shot at in captivity.
3. Casey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone - Affleck acts quite effectively as the audiences guide through the dark world involved with the film's kidnapping, and gives a strong portrayal of how the journey changes him.

Best Scene: The raid.
2. Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford - Brad Pitt gives a complex portrayal of Jesse James as he creates the myth, but also the man.

Best Scene: The assassination.
1. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Good Predictions Luke, mcofra7, GetDonaldSutherlandAnOscar, and moviefilm. Hoffman gives a great performance as he presents us with a commanding calm man, and is heart wrenching as throughout the film he peels away the layers of his facade to reveal the fearful mess he truly is.

Best Scene: Andy's solution.
Overall Rank:
  1. Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
  2. Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood
  3. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
  4. Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
  5. Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
  6. Casey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone
  7. Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn
  8. Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz 
  9. John C. Reilly in Walk Hard
  10. Gordon Pinsent in Away From Her 
  11. Ethan Hawke in Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
  12. Mark Ruffalo in Zodiac
  13. Lau Ching Wan in Mad Detective
  14. Russell Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma
  15. Joaquin Phoenix in We Own the Night
  16. Chris Cooper in Breach
  17. Jake Gyllenhaal in Zodiac
  18. Cillian Murphy in Sunshine
  19. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Savages
  20. Denzel Washington in American Gangster 
  21. Christian Bale in 3:10 to Yuma
  22. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Lookout
  23. Adrien Brody in The Darjeeling Limited
  24. Tommy Lee Jones in In The Valley of Elah
  25. Thomas Jane in The Mist
  26. Owen Wilson in The Darjeeling Limited
  27. Clive Owen in Shoot 'Em Up
  28. Will Smith in I am Legend
  29. Russell Crowe in American Gangster
  30. Jason Schwartzman in The Darjeeling Limited
  31. Glen Hansard in Once
  32. Liam Neeson in Seraphim Falls
  33. Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd
  34. Denzel Whitaker in The Great Debaters
  35. Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild 
  36. Pierce Brosnan in Seraphim Falls
  37. Tom Hanks in Charlie Wilson's War
  38. Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters
  39. Patton Oswalt in Ratatouille
  40. Charlie Cox in Stardust 
  41. Gerard Butler in 300
  42. George Clooney in Michael Clayton
  43. Andy On in Mad Detective
  44. James McAvoy in Atonement
  45. Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 
  46. Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard
  47. Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End  
  48. Matthew Macfadyen in Death at a Funeral
  49. Freddie Rodriguez in Grindhouse
  50. Dan Castellaneta in The Simpson Movie
  51. Freddie Highmore in August Rush 
  52. Ryan Phillipe in Breach
  53. Michael Caine in Sleuth
  54. Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  55. Patrick Dempsey in Enchanted
  56. Jude Law in Sleuth
  57. Nicolas Cage in Ghost Rider
  58. Rowan Atkinson in Mr. Bean's Holiday
  59. Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 3
  60. Ioan Gruffudd in Fantastic Four: Rise of Silver Surfer
  61. Shia Labeouf in Transformers
Next Year: 2007 Supporting

28 comments:

Psifonian said...

Ben Foster, 3:10 to Yuma/Alpha Dog
Steve Zahn, Rescue Dawn
Dillon Freasier/Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Eastern Promises
Garret Dillahunt, The Assassination of Jesse James
Albert Finney, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
John Carroll Lynch, Zodiac

Luke Higham said...

Louis: The requests and Lee Jones, Finney, Zahn, Foster and Dalton.
My request is Oliver Reed in The Devils.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Ben Foster in 3:10 to Yuma (PLEASE not Alpha Dog. Possibly his worst role.)
Steve Zahn in Rescue Dawn
Sam Rockwell in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Timothy Dalton in Hot Fuzz
John Carroll Lynch in Zodiac
Armin Mueller-Stahl in Eastern Promises
Albert Finney in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

GM said...

Stephen Graham - This is England
Paul Dano - There Will Be Blood
Steve Zahn - Rescue Dawn
Max Von Sydow - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Michael McCarthy said...

Eh, I think you already know which 10 you're doing. Also, Is Simon Pegg still a 4 for Hot Fuzz?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Can I have your ratings & thoughts on everyone in the ranking.

Calvin Law said...

GM: Stephen Graham in This is England, actually a great performance. Great performance. Von Sydow is AMAZING in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly too, in a very limited role, but I hope Louis will save him and Almaric for the bonus rounds.

By the way, GM, I am nearly finished with my Kerr v.s. Moore review :)

My request will be Trevor Howard in Outcast of the Islands (hope you can find it somewhere!)

Luke Higham said...

Louis: You forgot to include Gerard Butler in your ranking for 300.

Calvin Law said...

I would have requested Michael Redgrave for The Browning Version first but I am guessing for 1951 bonus rounds you will get several people suggesting him, because he won Cannes and the film is a classic, his performance is a great performance (in my all-time top 10), I request Howard because I don't think anyone else has seen this film, so should be interesting

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Save Graham and Sydow for the bonus rounds.

Anonymous said...

Tommy Lee Jones- No Country for Old Men
Ed Harris- Gone Baby Gone
Albert Finney- Before the Devil Knows your Dead

Luke Higham said...

Louis: With Depp and Bloom, It's At World's End instead of At The World's End.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Is Kurt Russell Lead or Supporting in Death Proof, if he's the former, then you forgot to include him too.

Robert MacFarlane said...

So I guess you consider Ruffalo Supporting in Zodiac?

Michael Patison said...

You have Denzel listed twice for Great Debaters

Matt Mustin said...

One of them is an actor named Denzel Whitaker.

mcofra7 said...

Request: Sean Gullette in Pi for 1998 for lead bonus

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Rating & thoughts on Butler as well for 300.

Matt Mustin said...

Also, I understand why you consider Ruffalo Supporting in Zodiac, but I can pretty easily put him in lead. There's a large portion of the film that focuses on his investigation.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I just found Gyllenhaal position so low. He's an easy 4.5 or even 5 for me.

Well, with people talking about Freeman in the comments on the topic about Affleck in Gone Baby Gone, I thought you would ask a review for him in supporting, rs.

In regard to Ruffalo, Zodiac is mainly Gyllenhaal's character obsession on finding the killer, so everyone else is supporting, I think.

Anonymous said...

*mainly about

Matt Mustin said...

Yeah, and I that's why I understand the placement, but I think he gets enough focus of his own to be a lead.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'm 100% in agreement with Matt.

Anonymous said...

And Louis: as you talked about Cotillard in La Vie En Rose, is that your favourite performance of her so far, or it's still The Immigrant?

Plus, talking about biopics, what is your rating for Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn?

Robert MacFarlane said...

He gave her a 2.5 for that movie, if memory serves me correct.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Koook! I searched in the comments on the topic about Branagh's performance and didn't find it. But this rating continues the same, Louis? If yes, kinda disappointed, I really think she's the absolute standout of her film and, sid by side with Mara and Wasikowska (Jane Eyre), the best female lead performance of that year, rs.

Louis Morgan said...

Michael McCarthy: At the moment yes.

Robert:

I have not watched Zodiac since 07 so the re-watch will determine his placement.

Luke:

Alright but they are going to be brief, and I left out a few for obvious reasons.

Pinsent - 4.5(Pinsent really gives strong work as he finds so much nuance with the caring husband role. Pinsent never leaves it on one emotion but is quite affecting in portraying how every development affects him but as well how he must react depending on the situation. It's quietly moving work, and even the reviews of the film seem to oddly overlook him in favor Christie)

Washington - 4(This actually might be my favorite performance of his actually, and I only wish that there had been two films to allow him to really get in the nitty gritty of the crime boss building an empire. As it is though Washington tempers himself perfectly here bringing his charisma but never overplaying. Using it to create the presence of the gangster. In addition though he carries that darker side quite well always showing the brutal nature of the man within the fine suits)

Brody - 3.5(Brody acts as the straight man for the other two rather well, but also carries a surprising amount of emotional weight in the scene where he fails to save the boy)

Jane - 3.5(A strong any man performance as he really gives every creature more weight through his honest depiction of how a normal person would react to the situation)

Wilson - 3.5(An interesting performance as he gives his usual upbeat sort of work that's enjoyable here, but with a darker pathos that reveals itself quite effectively in the final act)

Owen - 3.5(Does some deadpan badassery well)

Smith - 3.5(Smith is best when he embraces his movie star persona. Even here where for the most part he's not being charming but he can just carry a scene in a certain way that is all his own. He does not overplay the part making the dramatic scenes hit a lot harder than his Oscar baity material)

Crowe - 3.5(This film really should have been two parts, one depicting Lucas the other depicting Richie taking him down then defending him, as the two do feel a tad crammed together in the end. Crowe though gives his usual gravitas though and is effective in the good cop role)

Schwartzman - 3(He's the least impressive of the leads but I still thought he was decent enough in portraying his character's quiet obsession)

Whitaker - 3(He goes into overactive child actor territory a few times, but the for the most part I think he gives a believable portrayal of the kid's maturation while delivering his big speech rather well)

Hirsch - 3(I find Hirsch rather unappealing as an actor I will admit, so it makes it harder to sympathize with his already questionable protagonist. I don't think he's terrible though and hey he's pretty good at those overdone admiring nature shots)

Louis Morgan said...

Hanks - 3(Hanks is just fine here but there is not anything particularly special about his work. He'd be lower but I did rather like his main monologue about how Charlie got his first elected position)

Washington - 3(Coasts a bit too much probably but he does the inspirational coach well, even if it was better the first time in Clash of the Titans)

Oswalt - 3(Fine voice work. Not great but good)

On - 2.5(Immensely Overshadowed by his co-star but he's okay on his own)

Willis - 2.5(He has some decent moments here and there, but you feel the beginnings of him phoning in the character at times. This John just feels a lot faker than he did in the previous films)

Depp - 2.5(Technically speaking he's doing the same exact shtick as the first film, here he's just gets way too indulgent, and he was already indulgent in the first film)

Macfadyen - 2.5(Not excessively funny but slightly amusing performance)

Rodriguez - 2.5(I know some probably would separate the films but I watched it in the theater gosh darn it so I'm counting them together. Rodriguez is the lead of his side and he's okayish. Not obviously bad or anything but does make anything out of the film's style)

Castellaneta - 2(Started out as an over the top Walter Matthau impression then went to a genuinely great original sounding voice that could be hilarious but sell genuinely tender moments. Then in later season, the movie included, he really hams it up playing it just as a cartoon)

Highmore - 2(Well he's got a bright smile but that's about it)

Caine - 1.5(He failed to play an Andrew like in Deathtrap and here he just failed to play him. Sorry he's just no Olivier since there's no fun to be had here, and when he tries to go dark here it falls really flat)

Bloom - 1.5(Bland as per usual)

Dempsey - 1.5(Not a very straight man if you ask me)

Law - 1.5(I generally liked Law but this remake is just awful. Law does not help with his miscalculated performance that never gives any emotional heft to Milo's story, and his inspector routine was excessively obvious)

Cage - 1.5(Where is a Cage freak out when you need one. The closest he gets is the transformation scene. Cage should never be boring and his face should never be covered up by C.G.I.)

Atkinson - 1.5(Never cared for old Mr. Bean, always found him more annoying than funny)

Gruffudd - 1.5(Charisma less bore. Perfect example of how not to give a super hero performance)

Labeouf - 1.5(To quote his performance "No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no")

Russell I do feel is supportive as both stories are told through the women for the majority. Stuntman Mike's the best part but he only appears at a few key moments.

Anonymous:

It's close but I think I'd lean closer to the Immigrant.

The same for Williams. The performance just did not work for me.