Tuesday 21 June 2016

Alternate Best Actor 1985: James Mason in The Shooting Party

James Mason did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sir Randolph Nettleby in The Shooting Party.

The Shooting Party tells an interesting story, though it lacks a certain cinematic flair, about a pheasant hunt among English aristocrats just before the break out of World War I.

The Shooting Party marks one of the final films of one of James Mason, and one of his three films that were released posthumously. It is slightly muddled what exactly was his final film, filmed or released, but this seems to be his final leading performance in a theatrically released film. Then again the leading designation is also a bit muddled given the film's wavering focus, Mason's character Sir Randolph seems to stand out the most, although that might have more to do with Mason than the writing or the direction of the film. This allows time to just about everyone in and around Sir Randolph's grounds but Randolph seems at the center of it all. This role is as well suited for Mason as every suit he ever wore in a film. The role of the aristocrat is naturally perfect for Mason who handles refinement with such an flawless fashion, while still creating a definite command through it. This serves well Sir Randolph who is well respected throughout the film though his actions are fairly limited, this view is earned through Mason's performance which exudes the precise sort of stature needed for an old landowner.

Mason's performance often is reactionary yet the notable thing about this is he is never overshadowed despite the nature of his role. Mason makes Sir Randolph feel as the core of the film, even when it is covering some other conflict or interpersonal relationship away from him. Mason is brilliant in his reactions as his face is never silent even when he is not speaking. Randolph differs from many of his family members and fellow aristocrats by seeming to hold true a different set of values than the rest of them. This actually is barely verbalized during the film but rather all in Mason's work. Mason is terrific in portraying the exasperation and even confusion in Randolph as he ponders the way his wife is caught up in the society, as well as the concern at the merciless competitive nature of his younger guests. Mason always carries a certain grace that suggests man whose own beliefs are of a simpler, perhaps purer motive that also separates him somewhat from the rest. Mason's presence in any given scene adds a much needed additional nuance to the film whether it is that mute commentary, or even a more positive element such as the warmth suggested when observing the children on the estate.

There are moments when Sir Randolph is allowed to speak, and these are the best moments of the film. There is one particularly effective scene where an anti-hunting activist, played by John Gielgud, comes around to protest the shooting party. Mason and Gielgud are both rather perfect in the scene, as they instantly strike up a chemistry in the moment. They have a different single belief yet Mason and Gielgud convey well that the two are kindred spirits in terms of their personal natures. The two make the scene even rather amusing by showing how properly the two of them disagree on the point of hunting all the while the two come to an understanding of sorts as Sir Randolph notices how nicely made the activist's pamphlets are made. The two of them manage to be hilarious by actually keeping conversation so natural despite how quickly the two go from a proper debate to a mutual admiration of good printing. As I wrote before Sir Randolph perhaps was not even meant to stand out as much as he does, but Mason's performance ensures this. Mason work goes beyond merely making Randolph a compelling character, but also carries through the subtext around the story. Mason builds well almost a sense of dread in so carefully setting up those moments of a detachment in Randolph to the rest of the shooting party. The film climax involves one of the shooters' beaters, the poor men who get the birds to fly to be shot, is accidentally shot and severely injured. The one man who seems to recognize the severity of the situation is Randolph. Mason is outstanding in this as he almost has Randolph fully reveal his humane values all in this moment, which he so effectively alluded to throughout the film, in his earnest show of empathy for the injured man. Mason is so powerful as he tries to save the man, and completely heartbreaking as he sees the man dying in front of him. It's such a beautifully rendered moment that is only more poignant knowing it would be some of the last words he ever said on screen. It ends the film in such an affecting manner as not only the loss of the man is felt, the loss of a time as well, but also the loss of the talent of one of the greatest actors who ever lived.

195 comments:

Calvin Law said...

4.5 seems about right. Mason was an actor who I'm glad acted his ass off till the very end.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Ratings for the rest of the cast.

Álex Marqués said...

Great review Louis.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I'm glad Mason got a good score, even if my predictions are ruined :).
I'm feeling rather nostalgic, so I was wondering how everyone encountered Louis's blog for the first time. I remember googling Al Pacino's work in the Godfather Part II, cause I thought (and still do) that he should have won the Oscar that year. I thankfully ended up clicking on Louis's review, and well, the rest is history :D.

Calvin Law said...

Harvey Keitel for Bugsy, funnily enough. I couldn't find anything else on the internet about it.. I was wondering whether or not I should check out the film to see some Oscar-worthy performances by Keitel, Beatty and Kingsley. Thankfully I was warned away from that, and Cape Fear for a while. Louis' first act of kindness.

Unfortunately he was not soon enough to save me from the atrocity that is The Prince of Tides *shudder*

Robert MacFarlane said...

I think the first review I read was Jeremy Renner in The Town. I as disappointed by the relatively low score.

Calvin Law said...

2010 Best Supporting Actor is quite an underrated year IMO. Bale is my win for the year (unlike most I definitely consider him supporting), I really liked Rush, Renner and Hawkes who would all make my top 10, and though it'd have been nice to have taken Ruffalo out for Garfield (or Mendelsohn or Murphy but that'd never have happened), I don't hate his nomination.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I love that lineup. Even Ruffalo.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I actually liked both the lead and supporting line-ups of 2010. I didn't even mind that Colin Firth and Christian Bale won (they're both strong 4.5's in my book, even if I preferred Eisenberg). I haven't watched the Kids Are All Right, so I can't really comment on Ruffalo.

Robert: Even I was disappointed by low scores for several performances that I liked (like Bale for his first two nominations), but then I ended up watching Sleuth due to Louis ranking Olivier and Caine above Brando. That was his first act of kindness for me.

Calvin Law said...

I'm not crazy about Firth and Franco from 2010 even though they're fine. I enjoyed Bridges a lot though, and loved Bardem and Eisenberg. I'd rank the respective categories as:

Lead
1. Eisenberg: 4.5 (verging on a 5)
2. Bardem: 4.5 (verging on a 5)
3. Bridges: 4
4. Franco: 3.5
5. Firth: 3.5

Supporting
1. Bale: 5
2. Renner: 4.5
3. Hawkes: 4.5
4. Rush: 4
5. Ruffalo: 3

Anonymous said...

My ranking for 2010 Lead and Supporting would be like this:
Lead
1. Eisenberg- 4,5 (His best performance ever)
2. Bridges- 4
3. Franco- 4 (Best performance from him)
4. Firth- 3 (Fine enough)
5. Bardem- 1/1,5 (No nuance whatsoever)

Supporting
1. Hawkes- 4,5
2. Renner- 4
3. Bale- 4
4. Rush- 4
5. Ruffalo- 2,5 (Why was he nominated?)

Anonymous said...

I still have to see this movie. Glad Mason ended his career on a high note.
Louis: What are your top 10 posthumous performances?

Calvin Law said...

Richard Jordan will surely top his list.

Michael McCarthy said...

For everyone who cares to answer, what performances from DiCaprio do you give at least a 4.5 to? I'm curious because I feel like my opinions of a lot of his performances are different from many people on this blog. Here are mine:

The Departed (5)
The Wolf of Wall Street (5)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (4.5)
Blood Diamond (4.5)
Django Unchained (4.5)

I'm also considering upping him back up to a 4.5 for The Revenant, albeit for different reasons you might think.

Anonymous said...

Michael: I'd give him a 4,5 for the Aviator and those three performances you've given a 4,5 for.

Robert MacFarlane said...

If I had to go back to ratings, it would be this for Leo:

The Departed (5)
Wolf of Wall Street (5)
Catch Me if You Can (4.5/5)
Django Unchained (4.5)

I'd give him a generous 2.5 for The Revenant.

Anonymous said...

Oh, anda another 4,5 for Catch Me If You Can

Calvin Law said...

1. The Wolf of Wall Street (5)
2. Catch Me If You Can (5)
3. Django Unchained (5)
4. The Revenant (4.5)
5. The Departed (4.5)
6. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (4.5)

Álex Marqués said...

My ratings for Leo are the same as Louis', expect for The Revenant (I'd probably give him a 4/4.5)

Alex Marqués said...

except*
(Haven't seen Gilbert Grape)

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'll be over here, pouting in my "Revenant Sucks" corner.

Michael McCarthy said...

As much as I think his work in The Revenant is overhyped, I think it's easily better than his work in The Aviator, which I'd give a 3.

Álex Marqués said...

Everyone: how would you rank the Best Actor winners from 2000-2015?

Calvin Law said...

I'd go as low as a 2.5 for The Aviator, that's the side of Leo I easily dislike the most. Mannered work can do wonders for him (see Gilbert Grape) but it can also make him SO irritating to watch,

Luke Higham said...

Alex:
Best: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood/Adrien Brody in The Pianist
Worst: Sean Penn in Mystic River/Milk and Jamie Foxx in Ray

Calvin Law said...

Alex:

1. Brody (5)
2. Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (5)
3. McConaughey (5)
4. Day-Lewis for Lincoln (5)
5. Whitaker (5)
6. Dujardin (5)
7. Hoffman (5)
8. DiCaprio (4.5)
9. Redmayne (4.5)
10. Crowe (4)
11. Penn for Milk (4)
12. Washington (4)
13. Foxx (4)
14. Bridges (3.5)
15. Firth (3.5)
16. Penn for Mystic River (3, though I'm being quite lenient because he has some genuinely excellent moments, but also some absolutely terrible ones)

Anonymous said...

I will happily stand by the 4.5 decision that Louis gave for Leo I think the physical degradation was just perfect, and I think being charming in general doesn't get as much credit as I feel it should be which Leo certainly is.

RatedRStar said...

I dont think I can rank them as it would change so often but right now I think my favourite winner is probably Jean Dujardin because he has for me the hardest role and does it so easily, and goes through comedy, drama, tragedy, redemption, happiness all pitch perfectly.

My worst has to be Jamie Foxx, I think Ray is a terrible film, and Foxx just overdoes every emotion, its that scrunchy face he pulls throughout the film that annoys me all the time, it feels very fake and almost a cheap trick, give me an Oscar I AM ACTING lol.

Calvin Law said...

I actually found him pretty charmless as Howard Hawks which might've been the point of the character, but it just left me a bit cold. I do think he has one or two very good scenes (for example, his confrontations with Alda), but also some pretty awful ones (did not buy his chemistry with Hepburn, also some of his breakdown scenes were pretty bad IMO).

Michael McCarthy said...

I honestly think it's his most shamelessly actory performance. He'd be much lower if his arraignment scene wasn't as entertaining as he managed to make it.

Anonymous said...

Alex: Best: DDL in TWBB and Lincoln
Worst: Penn in Mystic River/Milk and Foxx in Ray

Robert MacFarlane said...

Having not seen Whitaker or Foxx all the way through, my rankings would be:

1. Penn in Milk (yes, really)
2. Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood
3. McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club
4. Day-Lewis in Lincoln
5. Brody in The Pianist
6. Bridges in Crazy Heart
7. Dujardin in The Artist
8. Firth in The King's Speech
9. Redmayne in The Thoery of Everything
10. Crowe in Gladiator
11. Washington in Training Day
12. Hoffman in Capote
13. DiCaprio in The Revenant
14. Penn in Mystic River

Robert MacFarlane said...

Only my top six make my top 5 in their years. None of them win.

Álex Marqués said...

Washington over Hoffman, interesting.

Calvin Law said...

Brody's my only win and an easy one at that. Day-Lewis for both his performances, and McConaughey are my runner-ups.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Washington has his moments of real fun with that performance. Never saw what others did with Hoffman, especially with Collins stealing the movie from right under him.

Álex Marqués said...

From what I've seen, DDL(2007), Brody and McConaughey would be my winners for their respective years, I think.

Álex Marqués said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael McCarthy said...

The fact that Hoffman did such a fantastic impression of the real Capote's voice AND still managed to make it feel natural I think is almost grounds for an Oscar nomination in and of itself. And yet, he was still able to build so much more from the character.

Michael McCarthy said...

As far as Washington, I'm not a fan of that performance but I mostly blame the writing. Other than that, I'm not sure why Louis is so tough on him. I rewatched The Hurricane recently and I honestly see no reason why that shouldn't be a 5.

Robert MacFarlane said...

You see, I never thought Hoffman came off as natural. Washington at least played to the pulp he was in. It is a hammy performance, but fitfully so. In fact, I should have ranked him higher. Should have put him in around eight slot.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Man, I am just spitting contrarian opinions today, aren't I?

Álex Marqués said...

Michael: I haven't seen Hurricane, but I would give Denzel a 5 for Malcolm X and at least a 4.5 for Glory without a doubt.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I would give Denzel a 5 for Flight. Yeah, the movie is a mess, but I will legitimately stand up as it being a brilliant stand alone performance regardless of the bipolar scripting.

Calvin Law said...

Washington and Matt Damon are the two actors I disagree with Louis most about. Like Robert I would easily give a 5 to him for Flight, and a strong 4.5's for Glory, and this is controversial but a 4.5 for the Manchurian Candidate too. I do agree with him about Malcolm X, Cry Freedom though. Haven't seen The Hurricane but I probably should.

As for Damon, he's a 5 for me in Good Will Hunting now and we all know my disagreement with a mere 4 for him on The Martian.

Calvin Law said...

As for Hoffman I stand by the excellence of his performance in Cape, even if my choice amongst those nominees is actually Ledger.

Anonymous said...

I'm mixed on Washington myself. He doesn't show a lot of range in films, but by looking at his stage credits, he seems like has a lot more range. Why he doesn't show that range in films is beyond me.

Anonymous said...

*it seems like he has

Álex Marqués said...

I find him a very charismatic leading man for the most part, I find very hard to dislike him.

Matt Mustin said...

I agree with Alex.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Yeah, the man has a natural screen presence.

Bryan L. said...

Thanks for replying to my inquiry in your previous post regarding the cast of The Skeleton Twins. I'd give Hader and Wiig a 4 each, respectively, but I'm a sucker for comedic actors tackling heavier material haha.

Anyway, who would you say are Tom Hardy's contemporaries? I think he's comparable to Gary Oldman (a major influence on him, he says) but I refer more to actors Hardy's age lol.

And thoughts overall on Chris Pratt overall as an actor? Really looking forward as to how he fares in the upcoming Passengers, since he's supposed to carry the movie along with Jennifer Lawrence.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Gielgud - 4(To add to what I already mentioned about him, his few scenes are a highlight of a film. Gielgud great by bringing such a genuine passion to his character, while being more than a little daffy about it, all the while still being a proper Englishman.)

Everyone else sort of fades together, they're all fine but just that.

Anonymous:

1.Richard Jordan - Gettysburg
2.Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
3.Robert Ryan - The Iceman Cometh
4.Gary Poulter - Joe
5.Raul Julia - Street Fighter
6.Philip Seymour Hoffman - A Most Wanted Man
7.James Mason - The Shooting Party
8.Edward G. Robinson - Soylent Green
9.Oliver Reed - Gladiator
10.James Gandolfini - The Drop

Louis Morgan said...

94dk1:

Hardy's most exact contemporary at the moment I do feel is Michael Fassbender, in terms of the type of roles they take, their current notoriety and how they are viewed as an actor. I would say Matthias Schoenaerts and Ben Foster are close, but are not as well known yet. I think that will probably change for Schoenaerts sooner than later, but Foster looks like he might forever be in the Guy Pearce zone.

For Pratt, from what I've seen which is very little, he's a charming and natural performer. So far I've only seen him do mostly light comedic work, though there are a few dramatic moments in Guardians, so I am interested to see how he does in Passengers which sounds like it will be testing his range.

Calvin Law said...

If something akin to that LA Confidential casting I did with Foster and Schoenaerts ever comes up we might be able to break them out! Funny you mention that Foster is in the Pearce zone.

So glad to see Gandolfini on your list.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on To Kill A Mockingbird's cinematography?

Bryan L. said...

1. Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood

2. McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club

3. PSH for Capote

4. Brody in The Pianist

5. Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland (I actually thunk he deserves more love)

6. DDL in Lincoln

7. Dicaprio for The Revenant

8. Penn for Milk

9. Dujardin for The Artist

10. Firth for The Kings Speech

11. Bridges for Crazy Heart

12. Redmayne for TTOE

13. Denzel for Training Day (He's not that bad though)

14. Foxx for Ray

15. Penn for Mystic River


Álex Marqués said...

There seems to be a consensus for the last spot hahaha

Álex Marqués said...

Louis: You forgot Peter Finch in that list

Calvin Law said...

In all honesty though outside of Depp that 2003 lineup is terrible. There was a point I was fine with Murray's performance but the more I think about it, it's just such a boring piece of Oscar bait acting. Law, and Kingsley are extremely dull, and the more I think about it the more ridiculous Penn's performance really is.

Álex Marqués said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robert MacFarlane said...

I actually thought Law was the only part of Cold Mountain worth praising. The rest of the movie is a slog, but I found him to be a pretty good anchor.

Calvin Law said...

Alex: Oh both would've been fine nominees, and I think Crowe might not actually have been too far off an actual nomination.

Robert: I agree that the whole film is a slog, and I will give him this, he was pretty consistent and never terrible unlike some of his co-stars.

Just glad to have a little hiding hole on social media on this blog here. Bit too much politics of the Brexit variety on my Facebook feed today. It's a big deal and interesting to see different takes on it but nice to find an apolitical refuge.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

It has excellent cinematography. It carefully never saturates the day time and night time scenes. There is such an eloquent balance as the shadows are ever present in the day while the light always stands out at night. It carefully does not look noir esque in this but rather the style helps so effectively to create the sense of the experience of summer in a small town.

Alex:

Network came out while Finch was still alive.

Álex Marqués said...

Oh well, my bad :D

moviefilm said...

This is so much fun, I have to join it.
My first time on this blog was when I re-watched Pulp Fiction for like..sixth time and I kept wondering, how is it possible that Jackson hasn't won an Oscar for his performance (hadn't seen Ed Wood at the time, now I understand it) and I was randomly searching for people's opinions about that matter. And I found Louis' blog.

DiCaprio's performance I have seen:
The Aviator - 5
Revolutionary Road - 5
The Departed - 5
Shutter Island - 5
Django Unchained - 4.5
Blood Diamond - 4/4.5
The Wolf of Wall Street - 4
Gangs of New York - 4
Inception - 4
Catch Me, If You Can - 4
The Great Gatsby - 4
The Revenant - 3.5
Titanic - 3.5
Marvin's Room - 2.5/3 (pretty forgettable performance, though a solid one)


The ranking of best actor winners:
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Adrien Brody - The Pianist
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Jean DuJardin - The Artist
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Sean Penn - Milk
Russell Crowe - Gladiator
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
Denzel Washington - Training Day
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Sean Penn - Mystic River

As a bonus I give my ranking for the supporting winners as well:
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies
J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Tim Robbins - Mystic River
Alan Arkin - Little Miss Sunshine
Jim Broadbent - Iris
Chris Cooper - Adaptation
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
Benicio Del Toro - Traffic

-haven't seen Syriana

Robert MacFarlane said...

Hm, how would I rank the Supporting Actor winners?

1. Ledger in The Dark Knight
2. Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
3. Del Toro in Traffic
4. Bale in The Fighter
5. Waltz in Django Unchained
6. Plummer in Beginners
7. Bardem in No Country For Old Men
8. Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine
9. Rylance in Beidge of Spies
10. Freeman in Million Dollar Baby
11. Cooper in Adaptation
12. Broadbent in Iris
13. Simmons in Whiplash
14. Robbins in Mystic River
15. Leto in Dallas Buyers Club
16. Clooney in Syriana

Robert MacFarlane said...

For the record, anything from the 8th to the 13th slots are kind of jumbled together for me.

Calvin Law said...

1. Ledger, The Dark Knight (in my top 5 all-time) (5)
2. Waltz, Inglourious Basterds (in my top 10 all-time) (5)
3. Simmons, Whiplash (5)
4. Waltz, Django Unchained (5)
5. Rylance, Bridge of Spies (5)
6. Bale, The Fighter (5)
7. Cooper, Adaptation (4.5)
8. Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine (4.5)
9. Plummer, Beginners (4.5)
10. Bardem, No Country For Old Men (4.5)
11. Del Toro, Traffic (4, verging on a 4.5)
12. Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (4)
13. Broadbent, Iris (4)
14. Freeman, Million Dollar Baby (3.5)
15. Robbins, Mystic River (3.5)
16. Clooney, Syriana (2)

Robert MacFarlane said...

I would have ranked Simmons higher back in 2014, but that second viewing tanked the whole thing for me. Even with his menace I found more and more faults, mostly due to the writing.

Calvin Law said...

And while we're at it I'll do Best Actress/Supporting Actress to boot

1. Cotillard, La Vie En Rose (5)
2. Theron, Monster (5)
3. Larson, Room (5)
4. Mirren, The Queen (4.5, verging on a 5)
5. Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (4.5, verging on a 5)
6. Moore, Still Alice (4.5)
7. Streep, The Iron Lady (4)
8. Portman, Black Swan (4)
9. Lawrence, The Silver Linings Playbook (4)
10. Kidman, The Hours (3.5)
11. Bullock, The Blind Side (3.5)
12. Swank, Million Dollar Baby (3.5)
13. Winslet, The Reader (3)
14. Witherspoon, Walk the Line (2.5)
15. Roberts, Erin Brokovich (2)

Haven't seen Berry yet.

1. Mo'Nique, Precious (5)
2. Swinton, Michael Clayton (4.5)
3. Leo, The Fighter (4)
4. Vikander, The Danish Girl (4)
5. Nyong'o, Twelve Years a Slave (4)
6. Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (3.5)
7. Weisz, The Constant Gardener (3.5)
8. Arquette, Boyhood (3.5)
9. Spencer, The Help (3)
10. Blanchett, The Aviator (3)
11. Zeta-Jones, Chicago (2.5)
12. Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (2.5)
13. Hudson, Dream Girls (2)
14. Zellweger, Cold Mountain (2)

Haven't seen Pollock, and I need to re-watch Les Mis.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Haven't seen Mirren or Cotillard, but here goes nothing:

1. Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
2. Theron in Monster
3. Moore in Still Alice
4. Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
5. Larson in Room
6. Kidman in The Hours
7. Roberts in Erin Brockovich
8. Berry in Monster's Ball
9. Swank in Million Dollar Baby
10. Streep in The Iron Lady
11. Portman in Black Swan
12. Winslet in The Reader
13. Bullock in The Blind Side

Don't remember enough about Witherspoon to judge. Basically not a fan of most of these wins.

As for Supporting Actress:

1. Mo'Nique in Precious
2. Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave
3. Weisz in The Constant Gardener
4. Swinton in Michael Clayton
5. Leo in The Fighter
6. Harden in Pollock
7. Spencer in The Help
8. Arquette in Boyhood
9. Vikander in The Danish Girl
10. Hathaway in Les Miserables
11. Hudson in Dream Girls
12. Zeta-Jones in Chicago
13. Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona
14. Connelly in A Beautiful Mind
15. Zellwegger in Cold Mountain (worst winner in category history)

Don't remember The Aviator well enough to to judge Blanchett. Even rougher than Lead. Only like the first 6 or so. After that, pick your poison.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Originally Wellman was supposed to direct Twelve O'Clock High. I think that the film could have been a masterpiece if he had directed it. Would you have chose him over King?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your top ten GOT Emmy Snubs.

Anonymous said...

Louis, have you considered rewatching McKellen in Gods and Monsters? I think his performance ages better than Norton's in American History X.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Most definitely.

Luke:

1. Every Technical it has ever missed out on.
2. Miguel Sapochnik(Directing - Season 5)
3. Mark Addy (Guest - Season 1, though he might have been disqualified)
4. Pedro Pascal (Guest - Season 4)
5. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Season 3)
6. Michelle Fairley (Season 3)
7. David Nutter(Directing - Season 3)
8. Sophie Turner (Season 5)
9. Stephen Dillane (Season 5)
10. Rory McCann (Season 4)

Technically Stephen Dillane's work in season 5 is one of my favorite season runs for the show, but since he was not campaigned it's technically less of a snub. The same goes for Alfie Allen for season 2 and Rory McCann for Season 4, especially in those cases since both seasons were particularly deserving nominations for Dinklage.

Anonymous:

I have seen it more than once already.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Michelle Fairley really should have been nominated for Season 3. They were amazing. I personally believe Natalie Dormer actually would have been worthy of a nomination for season 3 and 5 (I love her scene in season 5 when Margaery not so subtly throws shades at Cersei about her age and her gradual loss of influence over Tommen). But the cast of Game of Thrones is uniformly so great. The only truly terrible performance came from Sibel Kekilli (and I also think that Isaac Hempstead-Wright is extremely dull although not quite atrocious).

Robert MacFarlane said...

I veer between finding Harry Lloyd went way too far in season 1 or was a pitch perfect ham. Still can't decide. Though that voice would make him an AWESOME sniveling Disney villain.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I agree that Harry Lloyd's performance is extremely hard to judge. I used to hate it, but now I'm not quite sure. Oh and I also thought that Finn Jones was kind of off in the first couple of seasons as I thought he portrayed Loras as far more manipulative than he needed to be (therefore his devastation over Renly's death doesn't quite ring true) but past those two seasons he was fine.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'm not big on Hannah Murray as Gilly either, but I can't tell if it's due to the writing or her acting choices.

moviefilm said...

As for the ladies:

Charlize Theron - Monster
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Marion Cotillard - La vie en rose
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Brie Larson - Room
Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Nicole Kidman - The Hours
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich
Halle Berry - Monster's Ball

supporting:
Mo'Nique - Precious
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Marcia Gay Harden - Pollock
Anne Hathaway - Les Misérables
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago
Rachel Weisz - Constant Gardener
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls
Jennifer Connelly - A Beautiful Mind
Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl
Renée Zellweger - Cold Mountain
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Lupita Nyongo' - Twelve Years a Slave
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Calvin Law said...

Saw Warcraft and for a video game adaptation it wasn't all that bad. Ben Foster was hilariously wasted though.

Anonymous said...

Calvin: What rating do you give for Foster?

Calvin Law said...

3. Most of the cast would get that with some a bit lower (Wu, Patton).

Calvin Law said...

Actually no I take that back they'd all be 3's since I didn't have a problem with any of the performances themselves.

Anonymous said...

Louis:This is just my opinion, but I think Clift could have played Kennedy's roles in Champion and Bright Victory better than him. What do you think?

Anonymous said...

Louis! This is a great blog, and I don't say that often. Always looking forward to see your posts. I have a question for you. What are top-10 best swan song performances?

Calvin Law said...

Just watched Blood Ties and though the film was extremely meh on the whole, I think Matthias Schoenaerts is one of my new favourite actors working today. I would dare say he's almost equal to Tom Hardy in his aptitude at playing variations of 'tough' blokes. Plus his accent work is FLAWLESS no matter what it is.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

That's probably true, but I'd hate to take Bright Victory away from him.

Anonymous:

Thanks.

1. Richard Farnsworth - The Straight Story
2. Richard Jordan - Gettysburg
3. Peter Finch - Network
4. Robert Ryan - The Iceman Cometh
5. John Wayne - The Shootist
6. Raul Julia - Street Fighter
7. Edward G. Robinson - Soylent Green
8. Oliver Reed - Gladiator
9. James Gandolfini - The Drop
10. Clark Gable - The Misfits

Robert MacFarlane said...

I saw Neon Demon earlier today. Give me another week to tell you want I thought of it. Or a month. In terms of performance MVP, Jena Malone was awesome, and I really liked Allesandro Nivola's sleazeball fashion designer.

Calvin Law said...

Seems like Giuseppe and you have pretty much the same response. I'm looking forward to this even though I found Only God Forgives absolutely dire.

Calvin Law said...

By pretty much the same response I mean it seems like it's a hard to pinpoint love or hate deal.

Michael McCarthy said...

Hey Louis, can I get your top 10 films of 1966, 1968, and 2011?

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Jena Malone was truly terrific in The Neon Demon. But Abbey Lee was really great as well, and I actually thought Elle Fanning was fantastic and the best of the cast.

Luke Higham said...

Saw ID: Resurgence. It was rather bad, though Goldblum, Pullman and Spiner were good.

Goldblum - 3
Pullman - 3
Spiner - 3
Oparei - 3
The rest were OK at best and quite bad at worst.

Calvin Law said...

Anything with a combo of Liam Hemsworth, and William Fichtner nowadays seems to be a surefire sign it's gonna be pretty bad.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: Did we dodge a lucky bullet by not having Jaden Smith play Steven Hiller's son, or is Jessie Usher terrible as well.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: He's bland in a very bland role, so I don't think Michael B. Jordan would've gotten much out of it.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: And Hemsworth's character has way more focus than D. Hiller.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your top ten TV Episodes.

Louis Morgan said...

Michael McCarthy:

1966:

1. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
2. The Sword of Doom
3. A Man For All Seasons
4. The Professionals
5. The Sand Pebbles
6. How to Steal a Million
7. The Fortune Cookie
8. Batman
9. Blow-Up
10. The Deadly Affair

1968:

1. Once Upon a Time in The West
2. Romeo and Juliet
3. Kill!
4. Where Eagles Dare
5. The Lion in Winter
6. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
7. Night of the Living Dead
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
9. Bullitt
10. Planet of the Apes

2011:

1. Drive
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. The Artist
4. The Guard
5. Midnight in Paris
6. Take Shelter
7. X-Men: First Class
8. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
9. Fast Five
10. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Tahmeed:

I'll do one per series.

1. Ozymandias - Breaking Bad
2. The Castle - Fargo
3. Hardhome - Game of Thrones
4. Last Exit to Springfield - The Simpsons
5. The Nightman Cometh - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
6. Who Goes There - True Detective
7. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet - The Twilight Zone
8. Heart of Ice - Batman: The Animated Series
9. The State of Texas vs Robert Durst - The Jinx
10. Two Days of the Condor - Silicon Valley

Álex Marqués said...

Louis: I didn't know you were familiar with Silicon Valley, it's one of my favourite comedy shows! I'd love to know your thoughts on the show and the cast.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Hm, First Class, huh? I always thought Vaughn's style didn't mix with the series, but I guess that's just me.

Anonymous said...

You didnt like The Fixer for 1968? or Virginia Woolf for 1966?

Louis Morgan said...

Alex:

The show itself is an excellent example of Mike Judge's humor, which is most often character based. This time he found the right characters, and setting and the show is consistently funny. I find what's most remarkable about the show is it manages to make its continuing narrative compelling as well, which is particularly rare for a comedic show that really isn't a dramedy.

Thomas Middleditch - (Interestingly enough he's not overtly humorous in the show, but nor is he an exact straight man. Instead I feel that he most often needs to portray the technically dramatic elements related to the central plot always, which puts him in a somewhat curious position. However I think his performance works well often as a balancing factor, and is particularly effective in keeping the more serious elements of the show alive in a tonally consistent fashion.)

T.J. Miller - (From what else I've seen from it appears this Miller basically doing his thing, but that's just fine since it fits the character and the show. He's often very funny and carefully manages to make Erlich an endearing character when some of his behavior could become obnoxious in the wrong hands. He also carries some of the narrative slack, especially in the most recent season, and does a good job of it)

Josh Brener - (Rather odd how he was almost written out in the first season, and seems like he's always struggling to be a regular again. When he does pop up though his simpleton routine is always very welcome and hilarious, so perhaps he's used in just the right quantities)

Starr and Nanjiani - (A great comedic duo and have found their chemistry of sorts to be a highlight in the series. Starr brings just the right acerbic deadpan, while Nanjiani finds the foolish enthusiasm that the two bounce off each other brilliantly.)

Woods - (He was actually perhaps my favorite in the first season as I found he pulled off the intensely awkward routine incredibly well. However in the last two seasons I've felt he actually went more into caricature, and oddly enough less amusing for it. He's not bad now, but I find he's rarely something that stands out in an episode)

Welch - (Such a shame he had such a short run as I loved every minute of his strangeness in the first season, and would have loved to have seen the the series delve into his and Belson's rivalry more.)

Ross - (Series MVP. Every scene he's in manages to be pure gold. I love the balance he pulls off in bringing alive the sheer ego of a false philanthropist, then is marvelous every time he breaks down to such a viciously angry lout.)

Robert:

2011's not a great year for me overall, I more of like than love the second half of my list.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I've been through it before on the latter, in regards to the former, I liked Bates more than the film.

Matt Mustin said...

Louis, speaking of Mike Judge, have you watched King of the Hill at all?

Louis Morgan said...

Matt:

Yes I have, and I quite enjoy it.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Have you watched 30 Rock at all?

RatedRStar said...

Louis: Have you seen Witness (1985) recently? =D.

RatedRStar said...

I would say these are Harrison Fords key scenes that are different from anything he has ever done ever.

1) His phone call to the main villain when he hears of his partners death.

2) Danny Glovers death (fully deserved Oscar for editing, that first person shot of Glover running towards Ford) his brief but terrifed reaction to killing him as well as that scream.

3) When the main villain has Kelly McGillis at gunpoint and he shouts at Ford " PUT THE GUN DOWN YOU IDIOT" again his rather frightened reaction when he says " Guns down...dont hurt her"

4) When he wins, and takes the gun away from the villain "ENOUGH...ENOUGH... and then he almost crys as he makes a snort noise with his nose like he is about to breakdown.

of course William Hurt is still the best of course definitely.

RatedRStar said...

I am surprised few people mention William Hurts Oscar yet it might be one of the biggest ever upsets since it is clear Jack Nicholson and Jon Voight were the favorites, even the reaction when Hurt won was very surprising, he got a massive cheer =D

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

I saw the first two episodes, did not really endear to it.

RatedRStar:

Not yet.

Calvin Law said...

So glad to see Heart of Ice on your list Louis. That episode was hauntingly brilliant and might even best The Dark Knight as my favourite Batman thing ever.

Calvin Law said...

I also don't remember who it was who proposed it but David Morse as Mr Freeze remains a beautiful idea.

Michael McCarthy said...

Even though I haven't been loving his recent film work, I think Bryan Cranston would've made a killer Mr. Freeze in a Nolan film.

Calvin Law said...

Michael: He hasn't been picking the best projects but I must say he's been the best thing about most of them from an acting standpoint (Trumbo and that infuriatingly shortened Godzilla performance).

Robert MacFarlane said...

I suggested Morse as Mr. Freeze. I think Cranston is too easy of an option as Freeze. Granted, Trumbo killed a lot of respect I had for him, so maybe I'm just being unconciously prickly about him right now.

Matt Mustin said...

I agree, Heart of Ice is beautiful. "I have failed you. I wish there was another way for me to say it. I cannot. All I can do is beg your forgiveness, and pray you hear me somehow. Somewhere. Somewhere where a warm hand waits for mine."

*That* is writing.

Calvin Law said...

Matt: Hell yeah. The writing on that series was masterful at its very best. Also like how it exuded dark themes, but in a way that always suited Batman *ahem* Zack Snyder.

Calvin Law said...

What are everyone's favourite animated television series? My top 10 would be:

1. The Adventures of Tin Tin
2. Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
3. Tom and Jerry
4. Batman: The Animated Series
5. Pinky and the Brain
6. Courage the Cowardly Dog
7. Spongebob Square Pants
8. The Simpsons (would be higher but recent seasons have really let it down)
9. The Boondocks
10. Garfield and Friends

Should note I've never seen Archer, Dragonball Z, or Avatar: The Last Airbender. And only a few episodes of Futurama which I quite enjoyed.

Michael McCarthy said...

1. South Park
2. DragonballZ
3. Archer
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender
5. Ed, Edd N Eddy
6. Steins;gate
7. Rick & Morty
8. Code Geass
9. Rugrats
10. Spongebob (at least everything up to the first movie)

I've been meaning to watch Over the Garden Wall and Steven Universe, and to finish Adventure Time.

Matt Mustin said...

Calvin: The Simpsons is my number one, and then everything else is in no real order.
The Simpsons
Fullmetal Alchemist(2003 series)
Batman: The Animated Series
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Futurama
Dragonball Z
Spongebob Squarepants
...and probably a bunch of others


Calvin Law said...

Also I should note my favourite animated production of all-time has to be any of the Wallace and Gromits.

Well I guess that means I really should check out Dragonball Z.

Michael McCarthy said...

Calvin: It suffers from many of the classic symptoms of being an early anime, but the action is classic, there's a lot of deceptively great writing, and the core story is extremely powerful.

Álex Marqués said...

Louis: Have you seen Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Dragon Ball Z
2. Tom and Jerry (the original shorts)
3. South Park
4. Courage the Cowardly Dog
5. Death Note (one of the best anime ever)
6. Phineas and Ferb
7. Assassination Classroom (it's as hilarious as the title sounds)
8. Teen Titans
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
10. Looney Tunes & Merry Melodies (particularly the Bugs Bunny shorts)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Edit: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? would be my #9.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Okay, top of my head, no particular order:

Paranoia Agent
Pinky and the Brain
Justice League: Unlimited
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Hey Arnold
SpongeBob SquarePants (pre movie)
Futurama
The Simpsons
Digimon Tamers

Anonymous said...

About DBZ, I would probably recommend watching the Japanese version. But some are going to be put off by the protagonist's voice.

Anonymous said...

In no particular order, my favorite animated series are:
Dragon Ball Z
Justice League
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teen Titans
Beast Wars
Death Note
Black Lagoon
Fullmetal Alchemist
The Simpsons
Pinky and the Brain

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I can't watch the Japanese version of DBZ because of the voices, and because I basically grew up with the Funimation English Dub. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to watch the Japanese version of Dragon Ball Super,annoying voices and all -_-.

Anonymous said...

Tahmeed: I can't stand Funimation Frieza. The new voice for Frieza is much better.

Anonymous said...

Saw Warcraft. It was quite bad, and Foster was wasted.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I saw The Shallows. I liked it a lot more than The Revenant. Then again, y'all know how I feel about The Revenant.

Calvin Law said...

I'm watching Scooby Doo (yes) and I've forgotten how good a Shaggy Matthew Lillard is. The rest of the human cast are terrible but he is so spot on, it's admirable even in a film of such poor quality.

Matt Mustin said...

Matthew Lillard was put on this earth to play Shaggy.

Robert MacFarlane said...

It really is his finest hour.

Matt Mustin said...

And how sad is that, when you think about it?

RatedRStar said...

Ive heard people say that Lilards best performance was in SLC Punk, I should say I kinda liked him in Scream and The Descendents, he certainly trys very hard and never phones it in.

RatedRStar said...

Roger Ebert described him as an almost always entertaining actor and I think he was right, he does have a good energy, just needs a good film.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Will we get Nakadai's review by Wednesday.

Louis Morgan said...

Saw the Neon Demon, loved the first two thirds of it, then it kind of lost me, not entirely but more than I wanted it to.

Luke:

Probably.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Ratings And Thoughts on the cast.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I think I'm settling on "mostly positive" as well for Neon Demon.

Anonymous said...

Louis: You said that one of the problems of Million Dollar Baby as a film was the grotesque and one-dimensional portrayal of Maggie's family. There are some people who defend that portrayal because they have seen families similar to Maggie's. What do you think of this?

Robert MacFarlane said...

@Anonymous: You can make that argument about ANY grotesque portrayal. For example, I think June Squibb is an obnoxious cliché in Nebraska. Others see someone they know in her. The point of view of "I know someone like that" is as subjective as you can get.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Need time to ruminate on Fanning's performance.

Malone - 4.5(I thought she was quite excellent as she could have gone much broader to the point that her character would have simply been only grotesque, but I find Malone goes further with the role than that. She's particularly good in portraying her character's attraction to Fanning's Jesse since she makes apparent, but to someone naive like Jesse, Malone makes it believable that Jesse might just see her as friendly. She even manages to find some emotional nuance in the last act, which is quite an accomplishment given where the film goes with her character.)

Lee - 4.5(Lee as with Malone manages to tread carefully the waters of her character. Again her character ends up being a blood thirsty cannibal, which is revealed fairly early on for her, yet she bizarrely finds some humanity in this. I love the emotional drain of sort that she portrays in every interaction with Jesse, showing the desire to have her essence so palatable)

Gigi - 4(An fitting hollow performance, in that just about everything she says is off and sounds completely phony. This entirely works, and when there is the change for her character at the very end she successfully pulls it off)

Nivola - 3(A good example of some "classy" sleaze. Straight forward but effectively so)

Reeves - 3(A good example of lowbrow sleaze. I really liked his scene with Glusman, but unfortunately what the film does with his character felt a bit haphazard.)

Glusman - 2.5(He's extremely bland, but to be fair that works completely for the character and the film.)

Anonymous:

No matter what Eastwood, and probably the screenplay, laid it on a bit too thick particularly with the Disneyland part of it.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I'd go higher for Nivola and lower for Reeves.

Anonymous said...

Neon Demon sounds intriguing despite the divisive opinions. Is it sort of Lynchian?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Short answer, yes.

Robert MacFarlane said...

The plot, when you actually think about it, is Mulholland Showgirls. And that's not a bad thing.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Game of Thrones might have just given us the best season finale they've ever had.

Anonymous said...

Louis your thoughts on the Game of Thrones season finale?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I must agree with Robert. I thought it was the best episode of the season, and one of the best of the series.

Quick minuscule nitpick out of the way, how was Varys on the boat?

The rest of the episode was pretty much immaculate. There were so many great scenes, I thought it was ready to end multiple times. The North amazing. Liam Cunningham was so heartbreaking, and Carice van Houten was equally great in the moment as well. Loved the Sansa and Jon moments, as well as Sansa's scene where she denied Little Finger. The second King of the North scene was outstanding, little Lyanna Mormont was truly one of the highlights of the season. The Tower of Joy scene was surprisingly moving. They even made Dorne work for a scene thanks to Diana Rigg telling the bad actors basically to shut up. Loved seeing Arya Stark send some final regards herself, I even liked the sendoff from Meereen. Then there was King's Landing, that scene floored me, it was downright beautiful in every respect, and is one of the best sequences the show has ever had. Where last finale seemed like a wavering ship about to crash, this one set it directly back on course.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: your top 10 GOT actors this season.

Calvin Law said...

Robert: yep, that's what I meant.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

1. Kit Harington
2. Liam Cunningham
3. Sophie Turner
4. Carice van Houten
5. Bella Ramsey
6. Jonathan Pryce
7. Natalie Dormer
8. Essie Davis
9. Tobias Menzies
10. Clive Russell

Robert MacFarlane said...

Mine:

1. Sophie Turner
2. Kit Harrington
3. Bella Ramsay
4. Carice van Houten
5. Liam Cunningham
6. Essie Davis
7. Tobias Menzies
8. Rory McCann
9. Diana Rigg
10. Ian McShane

Calvin Law said...

RatedRStar: I'm glad you mentioned SLC Punk he's pretty good in that. I've always had a soft spot for him in Scream too, in fact I think I like most of that cast a lot more than I should (Barrymore was in my top 10 for supporting for that year at one point).

Calvin Law said...

Also something that just popped into my head:

1980's Tin Tin directed by Speilberg
Tin Tin: Nigel Havers
Captain Haddock: Gene Hackman
Thomson and Thompson: Bob Hoskins
Professeur Tournesol: Jean-Louis Trintignant

Giuseppe Fadda said...

The season finale of Game of Thrones was amazing. The Wildfire scene was brilliant, the direction, score and editing were pitch-perfect (I'm going to miss Margaery though, she was one of my favorite characters). All of the North scenes were excellent and I particularly loved the confrontation between Davos and Melisandre (both Cunningham and van Houten were at the top of their game). The Tower of Joy was handled excellently as well, as were the Walder Frey's scenes. Honestly I loved every minute of this episode, and even if I don't care too much for Daenerys' storyline I thought her two scenes were quite effective and both Clarke and Dinklage were very good. Even Dorne was good and that was all thanks to Diana Rigg, who I thought did a really amazing job this season. The ending was excellent and both Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's and Lena Headey's final reactions were perfect.

My top 10 for Season 6:
1. Sophie Turner
2. Kit Harington
3. Liam Cunningham
4. Carice van Houten
5. Jonathan Pryce
6. Diana Rigg
7. Natalie Dormer
8. Essie Davis
9. Maisie Williams
10. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I'll also give my top 10s for the other seasons.

Season 1
1. Lena Headey
2. Sean Bean
3. Mark Addy
4. Peter Dinklage
5. Maisie Williams
6. Conleth Hill
7. Emilia Clarke
8. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
9. Michelle Fairley
10. Iain Glen

Season 2
1. Peter Dinklage
2. Alfie Allen
3. Charles Dance
4. Lena Headey
5. Maisie Williams
6. Liam Cunningham
7. Carice van Houten
8. Conleth Hill
9. Natalie Dormer
10. Sophie Turner

Season 3
1. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
2. Charles Dance
3. Michelle Fairley
4. Liam Cunningham
5. Gwendoline Christie
6. Natalie Dormer
7. Diana Rigg
8. Alfie Allen
9. Carice van Houten
10. Conleth Hill

Season 4
1. Peter Dinklage
2. Pedro Pascal
3. Charles Dance
4. Rory McCann
5. Sophie Turner
6. Diana Rigg
7. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
8. Lena Headey
9. Maisie Williams
10. Alfie Allen

Season 5
1. Lena Headey
2. Sophie Turner
3. Stephen Dillane
4. Kit Harington
5. Jonathan Pryce
6. Diana Rigg
7. Alfie Allen
8. Natalie Dormer
9. Liam Cunningham
10. Gwendoline Christie

Calvin Law said...

I remember when Game of Thrones first came out all everyone talked about was Dinklage. Has the quality of his performance gone down or is it more just the writing behind the role?

Álex Marqués said...

I'm only in season 4, but I think he is uniformly great in his role.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Dinklage is amazing in seasons 1, 2 and 4 (he's also very good in season 3 even if there were better performances in it, such as Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's who really should have won the Emmy). He's not bad at all in season 5 and 6 but he's part of one of the least interesting storylines there, and he barely gets to do anything particularly noteworthy.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Louis, what are your thoughts on season six as a whole? Because despite a few flaws I actually loved it.

Also, even if you're still not sure about Elle Fanning in The Neon Demon, are your feelings towards her performance rather positive or not quite? I actually thought she was amazing and the more I think about her the more I want to upgrade her to a 5.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Giuseppe. I think Dinklage still have many good moments (I particularly loved him in his scene with Daenerys in this episode) and Tyrion still a great character. But its plot is too far from the main plot of the series and not give many opportunities to show their spatiality affected him. Not to mention the growth of other characters and actors over the series (as Kit Harington and Jon Snow). Now that Tyrion is coming back to Westeros and must face his brothers (it's good to remember that the most brilliant moments of Dinklage's Tyrion in the relationship with his family) your character should go to a more interesting plot.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

The finale was pretty spectacular. It made the most of it's running time, and it is one of the best of the series. However, I still prefer Battle of the Bastards over it by a nose. Every scene was amazing, and Lena Headey gave a chillingly cold performance. Liam Cunningham (and even Dinklage when Daenerys named him Hand of the Queen) managed to be so heartbreaking as well. Miguel Sapochnik's direction and the score were also particular highlights of the episode. The wildfire scene, Arya's return, and the scene with all the Stark bannermen were my favourites.

My top 10 favourite actors of the season:

1. Kit Harington
2. Sophie Turner
3. Liam Cunningham
4. Jonathan Pryce
5. Bella Ramsey
6. Iwan Rheon
7. Carice Van Houten
8. Natalie Dormer
9. Tobias Menzies
10.Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

How I'd rank the season's episodes:-

1. Battle of the Bastards (should win the writing and the Directing Emmy)
2. The Winds of Winter
3. The Door

4. The Broken Man
5. No One
6. Home
7. Blood of My Blood
8. Book of the Stranger
9. Oathbreaker
10.The Red Woman (only, and only because of the farcical way it handled Dorne and Roose Bolton)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your ratings and thoughts on the entire season.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

To echo the others Dinklage just has had less interesting material to work with, he still shines whenever he can. However I do think its unfortunate that Dinklage gets all the sort of mainstream praise for the series given how strong the entire ensemble has been throughout.

Tahmeed and Giuseppe: Gave my rating and thoughts in Film Thoughts.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: From the beginning of the show to present, what are your top ten performers overall.

Overall
Top Ten Episodes.

Season 6 & Overall
Top Ten Scenes/Acting Moments.

Luke Higham said...

Louis:
Ratings & Thoughts on:
Breaking Bad 1-5
True Detective 1-2
Fargo 1-2
Show Me A Hero
Narcos Season 1

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I would recommend watching Outlander. Tobias Menzies is brilliant in his dual role as a loving husband and a sadistic British army captain.

Louis Morgan said...

Giuseppe:

On Fanning, I'm at the very least positive, I just could use a re-watch to get a full read on her performance.

Luke:

1. Alfie Allen
2. Charles Dance
3. Liam Cunningham
4. Conleth Hill
5. Rory McCann
6. Sophie Turner
7. Peter Dinklage
8. Mark Addy
9. Stephen Dillane
10. Carice van Houten

Acting Moments:

1. Theon and Luwin's final Conversation
2. Jamie's Confession
3. The Hound Pleading to Arya
4. Robert and Cersei talking about Lyanna
5. Tyrion's Second Trial
6. Catelyn's confession about Jon Snow
7. Stannis and Shireen's final scene
8. Ser Davos confronting Melisandre
9. Sansa at Little Finger's trial
10. Jon's reaction at the end of Hardhome

Ask me again on the episodes and scenes in like a month just to give The Winds of Winter and Battle of the Bastards a bit more time to settle in.

Noted and I'll keep the recommendation in mind.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Is there any director you think would have been more suited for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf than Nichols?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: And Rating and Thoughts on Better Call Saul 1-2.

John McQuaig said...

Louis, what are your top ten films of 1960, 1974 and 2002? I may be asking questions like this fairly often for the next few weeks if you don't mind, I've been looking for movies to watch this summer.

Calvin Law said...

Michael: Based on how much you loved The Hateful Eight and Room, I'd recommend The Great Silence and Cast Away, if you haven't seen either yet, they might be up your street.

Michael McCarthy said...

I have heard the comparisons between Hateful Eight and The Great Silence. I'd definitely be interested in that.

Gus B. said...

Calvin, what is your rating and thought on Cotillard performance in Blood Ties?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

My problems mostly stem from the source material.

Michael:

1960:

1. Psycho
2. The Apartment
3. Spartacus
4. The Entertainer
5. Two Women
6. The Bad Sleep Well
7. The Time Machine
8. La Dolce Vita
9. The Magnificent Seven
10. Elmer Gantry

1974:

1. Chinatown
2. The Conversation
3. The Godfather Part II
4. The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three
5. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
6. Young Frankenstein
7. The Parallax View
8. A Woman Under the Influence
9. Blazing Saddles
10. Death Wish

2002:

1. Road to Perdition
2. The Pianist
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
4. Catch Me If You Can
5. Punch-Drunk Love
6. Adaptation
7. Infernal Affairs
8. Minority Report
9. Narc
10. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Calvin Law said...

I don't think I'll ever understand the appeal of The Magnificent Seven. Glad to see Catch Me If You Can so high on your 2002 list, Louis. It really grows on you.

Gus. B: 3. It's a pretty poorly written role and it's testament to Cotillard's talent that she makes something out of it. I'd say the whole cast is around the 2.5 to 3 range except Salanda who I'd go lower for, and Crudup who I give a 3.5 to, he really is a master at making a lot out of very little. Schoenaerts I'd give a 4.

Calvin Law said...

Question for everyone: has anyone made any category changes recently? Because I've just been going over my 2015 lists and realized that 3 of my 5 choices for Best Supporting Actor (Stallone, Del Toro, Jackson) could feasibly be placed in the co-lead category. Which means I could feasibly have a lineup of Hoult, Goggins, Rylance, Cohen, and Hardy if I was to take that stance.

Álex Marqués said...

I'm not sure that Del Toro is lead, but Jackson could be considered.

Calvin Law said...

All of them would make my top 10 if they were lead. The only thing holding me from putting Jackson lead is the wavering focus of much of the second act where Russell takes over the perspective of the film.

Álex Marqués said...

Yeah, I know what you mean, but still he has some of the most (if not the most) pivotal scenes of the second act (the revelation about the letter and the story of the general's son).

Deiner said...

Great review Louis, Mason was a fantastic actor. BTW, can you give me your thoughts and rating on these performances:
Rosalind Russell in My Sister Eileen
Judith Anderson in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Melissa Stribling and Carol Marsh in Horror of Dracula
Kim Novak in Bell Book and Candle
Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger
Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl
Harrison Ford in Working Girl
Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice
Sam Neill in A Cry in the Dark
Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Robert MacFarlane said...

I always considered Jackson lead in Hateful Eight. He is Poirot to that film's mystery.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your ratings and thoughts on Bell, Serkis and Craig in The Adventures Of Tintin.

Matt Mustin said...

I think Jackson's lead, but it could be argued either way because it really is kind of an ensemble piece. Del Toro I think is easily supporting, and I don't even have to think twice about that.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What are your top 10 mannered performances?

Calvin Law said...

Matt: After more rumination I think you're right, will definitely keep Del Toro and Stallone as they are.

In terms of the reverse I would like to hear how some have considered Jason Segel Supporting in The End of the Tour, I guess by the same rationale some use with Casey Affleck in Jesse James.

Robert MacFarlane said...

The rationale behind Affleck is too bitterly ironic for me to handle. Robert Ford being considered second fiddle in his own story is just too cruel.

Louis Morgan said...

Deiner:

Thanks.

Judith Anderson - 3(Her performance never really stood out to me in the film. Not that I find her weak by any measure, and I felt she did well enough in the few moments she did have to herself, such as reacting Big Daddy's illness herself)

Melissa Stribling & Carol Marsh - (I'll be honest I don't recall much about either of their performances and it has been that long since I watched the film)

Ford - 3(I could use re-watch of the film since it has been a very long time since I've seen it. However I recall him being fairly charming in a different sort of role.)

Alec Baldwin & Geena Davis - 3(They're both there basically to be just normal as joke in terms of being ghosts, and against the madness that is Michael Keaton, the other dead people and even the new family. I think both of their performances work just fine within the film.)

Ryder - Beetlejuice - 3.5(She does more than a fine job at doing the goth girl routine bringing the right acerbic quality for most of her screentime. However I like how she plays with this a bit to reveal more of young girl at times such as when she gets genuinely scared by the Maitlands)

Winona Ryder - Bram Stoker’s Dracula - 2(She has some okay moments in there, but most of the time she's a bit bland. The worst thing about her work though is she seems unaware of the absurdist tone set by Coppola's direction.)

Luke:

Bell - 3.5(As Calvin mentioned in his Spielberg ranking, they really could have made it live action given how well Bell and Serkis fit the look of their characters to begin with. Bell also brings alive the right spirit in his performance. He brings the needed eagerness though with just enough nuance to never make Tintin seem like an overly earnest fool either.)

Serkis - 3.5(He's very good at being the difficult force that Haddock should be. He nicely plays around with being strong and stout in one moment, to being a complete and utter useless drunkard the second. Serkis finds the humor in this dynamic well, but also makes it all work as one character)

Craig - 2.5(Now in his case they animation serves more of a purpose. Craig's work here is menacing enough, but in proper Tintin form the villain is the least interesting part of the story.)

Anonymous:

Give me some time to work it out.