Wednesday 20 July 2016

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: Daniel Day-Lewis in My Beautiful Laundrette

Daniel Day-Lewis did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Johnny Burfoot in My Beautiful Laundrette.

My Beautiful Laundrette is a fairly interesting film essentially about the intersecting lives of Pakistani immigrants living in London, and a few locals all around a single laundromat.

Daniel Day-Lewis made his international breakout as a potentially one a kind talent when A Room With a View and My Beautiful Laundrette both premiered on the exact same day in New York. Day-Lewis despite not being a clear lead in either film, with Laundrette there's an argument that can be made but the film's wavering perspective makes it difficult to say precisely either way, was noted heavily by critics at the time. The reason being the roles could not be more different. In Room with the View he gave a brilliant depiction of a repressed wealthy man in Edwardian England, here he plays a homosexual working class punk in Thatcher's England.We first meet Johnny Burfoot played by Day-Lewis here as an aimless guy who squats in empty houses, and most commonly hangs around street corners with his pseudo gang of equally disengaged friends. I suppose at this point it almost seems pointless that Day-Lewis disappears into the role, but eh I'll do it anyway. Day-Lewis succeeds in disappearing into the role of Johnny Burfoot just as he did Cecil Vyse in A Room With A View.

Daniel Day-Lewis despite being held up often as possibly the greatest living actor currently, which is only further encouraged by his leading actor Oscar record, is all the same still criticized by some for being too clinical of a performer. This performance is yet Day-Lewis showing another side to his capabilities. Yes there are a few tenets of a classic Day-Lewis performance, that being a flawless and always consistent accent. A fairly light one in this case however effective in illustrating Johnny's working class background. Day-Lewis also does employ certain mannerisms in his performance yet in such a naturalistic fashion that are particularly subdued. Day-Lewis's approach is quite remarkable here in the way he almost internalizes the flamboyancy in Johnny. He never acts out in this big way, something Day-Lewis quite adept at anyway, however what he does really works for the part. Day-Lewis gives this sense of possibly a more flamboyant past with the character through his method of portraying Johnny doing things in his own style, yet this style never insists upon itself either. Day-Lewis carries himself as a man at ease with himself as a gay man, and does not need to announce this to others constantly either.

Although Johnny is seen in a few brief moments beforehand his role grows substantially in the story once he meets up with the son of one of the Pakistani immigrants named Omar(Gordon Warnecke). The two have a history which becomes largely known through the chemistry between Warnecke and Day-Lewis. The two just have the spark from the very beginning and from the way they both look at each other one can see that it is not one of only friendship. Now in these scenes Day-Lewis successfully calls upon something that is not always expected him given the often violent or deeply troubled he plays,  that something being charm. Day-Lewis though is exceptional here in making Johnny an extremely likable presence in the film. He brings this low key and very natural type of cool to the role. Day-Lewis is endearing rather than cloying as he so honestly presents Johnny as a guy who tends to do things his way, but this does not allude to any stubbornness on his part. Day-Lewis brings always this undercurrent of warmth about Johnny that shows so well the intended good nature of the man despite the nature of the rest of the crowd around him as well as his past.

Now the progression of the main story comes in as Omar brings in Johnny to help him run a laundromat that is owned by Omar's family. The two go about renovating the place to turn it into truly a beautiful laundrette. Within that setup the two's relationship progresses more, and again the two's chemistry is notable. There is a playfulness at times, and just something so inherent about the love the two have for each other that works so well. I love that Day-Lewis and Warnecke are able to keep it an often unspoken yet always understandable relationship between the two. Although the two have that connection not everything is easy due to the complications of the past and present around them. Johnny's own past is complicated due to certain fascist leanings of the past, and Day-Lewis is very moving as he so subtly reveals the remorse in Johnny as he apologizes for his old mistakes. Day-Lewis also excels in his still quiet yet rather powerful depiction of Johnny's personal struggle in terms of dealing with his old gang and the rest of Omar's family. Day-Lewis adds so much in this aspect to the character largely through just small reactions. In terms of the relationships with the rest of Omar's family Day-Lewis brings the right distance, but also eagerness in manner to be a man who wants to do right by them despite not being one of them. One scene I love in particular is when Johnny interacts with Omar's father, and we instantly see through their interactions that the two also have shared history as Day-Lewis exudes a sense of respect. Respect does not define all the relationships especially with Omar's cousin Salim, a drug dealing criminal with little care for anyone besides himself. This forces Johnny to consider his place between his old friends, and Omar and the other Pakistanis. Day-Lewis conveys wholly the complexity of Johnny's difficulty in dealing with his separate loyalties, and again very little of it is said bluntly. However when Johnny goes about helping the obnoxious Salim it is absolutely convincing as Day-Lewis has only made the gradual transition of the character a genuine one. As Day-Lewis performances and characters go this is rather unassuming yet no less remarkable. Day-Lewis gives understated yet magnetic performance. I found that even when the film stumbled a bit Day-Lewis kept me engaged through his always compelling work here.

73 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great review, he was amazing.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Who would be your casts and director for versions of Nebraska and Sideways in the 1960's?

Calvin Law said...

Saw this and I completely agree. I can never get over just how talented Mr DDL is. Thoughts/rating for Warnecke?

Calvin Law said...

Just to chip in on the fun,

Nebraska (1960's directed by Akira Kurosawa)
Woody: Toshiro Mifune
David: Tsutomu Yamazaki

Sideways (1960's directed by Martin Ritt)
Miles: Stuart Whitman
Jack: James Garner
Maya: Patricia Neal
Stephanie: Nancy Kwan

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: How would you rank the Day-Lewis performances you've reviewed?

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Thoughts/ratings on the rest of the cast?

Calvin Law said...

With regards to the new Magnificent Seven re-make, what's everyone's thoughts on it so far? I just caught the trailer for the first time today and I must confess, I'm kind of looking forward to it. It's got three of the most effortlessly charming actors in the industry today in Washington, Pratt, and Hawke, and looks like it could be pretty darn fun.

Calvin Law said...

Granted, I don't care all that much for the original.

Anonymous said...

Calvin: As someone who likes the original, I find this remake to be unnecessary.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather have a remake of High Noon since that film was so flawed.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

I suppose I liked the trailer, but I did not care much for the song choice.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: what are your thoughts on the theme for Fargo (1996)? I think it might be one of the biggest snubs in Academy Award history in any category (it wasn't even nominated!!!!), especially considering who won that year.

Matt Mustin said...

Calvin: Carter Burwell is amazing.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Warnecke - 3.5(I like his performance largely because of his scenes with Day-Lewis. Again I'll reiterate their chemistry is great together. He's less engaging the rest of the time though I think this comes from his less dynamic role. I like the enthusiasm he brings to the part, and still find he does well with what he has despite being a bit overshadowed)

The Magnificent Seven looks like it could be fun. I enjoy the original which of course is in itself an inferior remake to Seven Samurai, and one can easily improve upon the original Magnificent Seven. Well except for the villain and the theme song.

In regards to Fargo's score, I agree that's one of the worst snubs in Academy history, especially since there were two whole categories that year. Of course Burwell's first nomination coming just this year is rather mind boggling. That main theme is perfection as just hearing it makes me imagine a blizzard. It carries the sense of the harshness of cold if not violence, yet also the quaint beauty of the Midwest.

Tahmeed:

1. My Left Foot
2. There Will be Blood
3. Lincoln
4. A Room With A View
5. My Beautiful Laundrette
6. In the Name of the Father
7. Gangs of New York

Giuseppe:

Jaffrey - 3.5(He's kind of lead himself I feel. Moving past that though I found he gave quite the enjoyable performance. He does a good job of showing a man indulging in the pleasures of the west perhaps a bit too much, but he succeeds in showing it in a rather jovial way. I particularly love his reaction when he sees what his wife has "done" to his mistress. It's entertaining work that brings a great deal of natural humor to the film)

Seth - 4(His performance works as a great opposing point to Jaffrey's work showing a man who is most ill at ease with the society in which he lives. He just exudes this tired cynicism of a man who barely has the energy to hate, even though he feels he must. He also has some strong chemistry with Day-Lewis, Jaffrey, and Warnecke. You really feel his history with each character.)

Branche - 3(He's kind of one note, but I think it is effective in depicting a truly selfish individual.)

Wolf - 3.5(Rather enjoyed her performance. She's great in the way she suggests she someone who sees a bit more than the rest while being quite amusing in her acerbic reactions as basically everyone, except really Johnny, treats her in a rather disrespectful fashion.)

Michael McCarthy said...

Louis: If you haven't set up your top ten page yet, can I get your top ten films of 1932, 1964 and 2000?

Calvin Law said...

Carter Burwell is indeed, amazing.

Bryan L. said...

I rewatched Fargo recently and was surprised at how good the score is.

Anyway, Louis and everyone else, who else would you like to have seen play Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street? Jonah Hill said in an interview with Ellen that he was at the bottom of a list for potential actors for the part. I actually really liked his performance and maybe consider it his best, but I've also wondered who else Marty was considering for the part.

Calvin Law said...

I honestly think Hill was perfect for the part, he's a solid 4 for me. And I'm generally not a big fan.

Álex Marqués said...

I agree with Calvin

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

For an American Nebraska:

Woody Grant: Ed Wynn
Kate Grant: Jane Darwell
Ross Grant: Keenan Wynn
David Grant: Alan Young
Ed Pegram: Otto Kruger
Uncle Ray: Finlay Currie

I support Calvin's choices for Sideways, especially Garner as Jack, but I might go Peter Falk for Miles instead.

Michael:

1932:

1. I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang
2. Trouble in Paradise
3. Freaks
4. State's Attorney
5. The Old Dark House
6. Horse Feathers
7. Pack Up Your Troubles
8. Jewel Robbery
9. Grand Hotel
10. Scarface

1964:

1. Dr. Strangelove
2. Zulu
3. A Fistful of Dollars
4. Topkapi
5. The Train
6. Guns at Batasi
7. Fail-Safe
8. Seven Days in May
9. Seance on a Wet Afternoon
10. A Hard Day's Night

2000:

1. Memento
2. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
4. Battle Royale
5. Gladiator
6. In the Mood For Love
7. Wonder Boys
8. Chopper
9. Billy Elliot
10. Cast Away

94dk1:

If anything my appreciation for his performance has only improved. Perhaps someone "could" have been better, but no one stands out as a clear alternative.

Calvin Law said...

Saw The BFG. Not going to lie, kind of disappointed, the pacing was a bit off and though there were many remarkable magical moments of Speilberg at his best, it felt both oddly rushed and somewhat unfulfilling at certain moments.

Having said that its high points are very high, and it managed to an extent to overcome the flaws,

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Your rating & thoughts on Mark Rylance, as well as Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher in ID: Resurgence.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on:
Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia

Anonymous said...

Saw The BFG. It was good enough.

Bryan L. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: I agree, though Rylance was terrific. I give him a 4.5.

Calvin Law said...

Luke:

Rylance - 4.5 (handles the language perfectly, absolutely endearing and nails the lovable nature of the BFG, not his most complex role but he nails it)

Goldblum - 3 (brings a nice bit of odd humour and presence to a film sorely in need of it)

Hemsworth - 2 (dull lead with very little charm and does nothing to make anything substantial out of his standard pretty boy hero role. Bit lenient on him because he is decent in one scene where he remarks on his past)

Usher - 1.5 (well here's how you make one miss Will Smith. Usher has none of Smith's charm and likability and just ends up being a terribly uninteresting and obnoxious presence)

Louis Morgan said...

Saw Star Trek Beyond, I had enough fun that I suppose I'd call it fun enough.

Anonymous:

You'll find those in my review of Ken Watanabe for lead 06.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on the film and ratings & thoughts on the cast.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your top ten films of the year so far.

Calvin Law said...

For me,

1. Captain America: Civil War (5/5)
2. Eye in the Sky (5/5)
3. Green Room (4.5/5)
4. Hail, Caesar! (4.5/5)
5. Everybody Wants Some!! (4.5/5)
6. Midnight Special (4.5/5)
7. The BFG (4.5/5, the more I think about it the less problems I really have with it, really I don't think they could've done a better job with the nature of the source material)
8. Deadpool (4.5/5)
9.Sing Street (4/5)
10. The Nice Guys (4/5)

Anonymous said...

Louis: Who would have you chosen instead of Swank and Johansson for their roles in The Black Dahlia?

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

I am glad it brought the actual trekking back to Star Trek, which was lacking in the previous two films. This one plays like an average episode of the original series, not great one but a good one, just with more extravagant actions sequences. Although on that point Justin Lin uses a bit too much shaky cam at times, and a few scenes seemed under lit, as though it was some strange response to Abrahms's lens flares. Most of it was fairly entertaining though particularly the moments involving the interactions between the team. None of the character arcs are anything extraordinary, but they serve their purpose. The film is never outstanding, it has a few too many cliched lines, I ponder if Simon Pegg was doing that with Edgar Wright in mind since Lin plays them as straight as an arrow, and there is one truly underwhelming aspect that I will get to in a moment. Again though it is fun enough.

Pine - 3.5(Pine once again does solid work as Kirk. This does not take him anywhere too new, but Pine delivers exactly what he needs to once more.)

Quinto - 3(This one he is far more supporting than previously. He delivers again in the role bringing that deadpan humor needed for Spock, while conveying the needed undercurrent of emotion behind it all.)

Urban - 3(This finally gives Bones and Spock some time together, though I did feel the film still could have done more with that. Urban and Quinto I won't say are as good as Kelly and Nimoy were together, but they recapture the spirit fairly well. Past that Urban once again manages to be amusing while just managing to avoid being simply a parody.)

Pegg - 3.5(So you say Pegg wrote this film eh? Pegg does seem bent on giving himself all the best lines and the most Scotty style exposition he wants. Now to be fair Pegg delivers and is very funny here. Still he kind of pulled a Shatner in terms of line stealing, but hey at least he wrote them to begin with.)

Saldana - 2.5(She's given very little to do here. She fulfills the minor needs of her role, but that's all.)

Cho - 2.5(The same as Saldana really.)

Yelchin - 2.5(He's finally at least given a bit more to do than just a silly russian accent, which I'm quite sure he toned down in this one. Of course that's still not a lot, but at least now he was at least able to show a character with Chekov.)

Boutella - 3(Her role also is quite simplistic, but I felt she wholly delivered in giving some emotional weight to the central conflict which is underwritten otherwise.)

Elba - 2.5(The truly underwhelming aspect and none of it is Elba's fault. The villain is one note for most of the film and is extremely boring. It is not helped by his uninspired design which only serves to hinder Elba. There's a late development to make his character interesting but it seemed almost in there because they realized they had Idris Elba in the role. That development seems wasted because it comes so late. There's no weight behind it past Elba's brief portrayal of it. It in no way makes up for just how "I'm evil!!!!!" the character was in every scene prior to the revelation.)

1. Green Room
2. Eye in the Sky
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. The Nice Guys
5. Deadpool
6. The Neon Demon
7. Hail, Caesar!
8. 10 Cloverfield Lane
9. Elvis & Nixon
10. Star Trek: Beyond

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Not sure on Johansson at the moment. For Swank, Mia Kirshner since Elizabeth and Madeleine are suppose to be doppelgangers.

Anonymous said...

Louis: If The Black Dahlia was made earlier, I could see Hitchcock directing the film. What do you think?

Robert MacFarlane said...

My top 10 so far:

1. Eye in the Sky
2. Everybody Wants Some!!
3. Hail, Caesar!
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. Love and Friendship
6. Zootopia
7. The Shallows
8. Swiss Army Man
9. Our Kind of Traitor
10. The Neon Demon

Calvin Law said...

Saw The Neon Demon and I quite loved it, even though it meanders a bit in parts. The whole cast was pretty much on point.

Fanning: 4/4.5
Malone: 4.5
Lee: 4/4.5
Heathcote: 4.5
Nivola: 4
Reeves: 3.5

Luke Higham said...

Saw Star Trek: Beyond. It was a fun ride and possibly the best of the reboot.

Michael McCarthy said...

Have people been watching the Comic-Con trailers? Wonder Woman actually looks pretty good, but the Justice League trailer gets worse the more I think about it. It's SO smug that I wonder if Snyder isn't just trying to spite all the people who hated BvS for not being any fun.

Calvin Law said...

http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/thoughts-on-comic-con-trailers-part-i.html?m=1

My personal thoughts on the trailers.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I could see it.

Michael:

I rather enjoyed the Wonder Woman trailer. The Justice League footage was rough, but I think they might've smashed together just the first four scenes they shot. It did seem a bit too reactionary though. Did not watch the Suicide Squad trailer in fear that they are now showing far too much. I liked the King Kong trailer since it's clearly not a remake, they seem to be giving scale to the monster, and Goodman and Jackson at the very least seem to be invested.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Who would be your personal cast for that Hitchcock version of The Black Dahlia?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Saying he made it in the 50's:

Detective Bleichert: James Coburn
Kay Lake: Shirley Jones
Detective Blanchard: William Holden
Elizabeth/Madeleine: Eva Marie Saint
Detective Millard: Leo G. Carroll
Ramona Linscott: Tallulah Bankhead

Michael McCarthy said...

I'm also slightly interested in Blair Witch...but I think that's mostly because the original was filmed in walking distance from the house I grew up in.

Anonymous said...

Louis, I wanted to ask you, what are the factors in a movie that you watch to judge its direction? And its editing?

Calvin Law said...

Louis: could you imagine the cast of The Neon Demon in a 2010s version of Black Narcissus?

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

As with acting and most aspects of a film there is an overlap in terms of individual input. It is impossible to know who exactly made every choice unless you were on set everyday then in every room where they did post-production work as well. Every choice might not have been that actor, that editor, or even the director in some cases. So one can only base the achievement upon what is seen onscreen, and one probably should keep in mind that it is often more than just one person, though for all you know it could have been.

To judge each aspect it is best to take it as its own, though still there always could been more to it. The director is an interesting aspect in that what's onscreen all might have his or her hand in it at some point. However in terms of finer detail one can note whether or not each technical element work in tandem. Are they all working together in terms of a unified vision? Does the director bring the best out of these departments? The same can be seen through potential influence in the acting. Are all the performances good, are they all within the same tone? Did the director reign some in the right or wrong way? When I think director though I think of their vision for the material? What are they accomplishing on screen. Have they set a consistent tone? Have the visualized the story in a compelling fashion? Have they made their own mark past perhaps what the screenwriter did to really make it come to life onscreen?

Editing is a pivotal element in terms of the pacing and clarity of a film. Of course once again if no one else did their job no amount of editing will save it (kind of like Joy), but if everyone did well editing can amplify that success or bad editing could diminish it. Some of the questions in terms of the success of the editing should be, how clear are the sequences in the film? Are they easy to follow or not? Is the film itself cohesive and clear in terms of the placement of certain scenes or shots? How well is any given scene paced? Is a moment cut too early or too late, or does it cut at seemingly the right time? How well is the film itself paced? Does it move too swiftly, too slowly or just at the right step? Again there's always more hidden aspects, what acting takes are used for example.

Calvin:

Well now that you mention it, yes.

Calvin Law said...

Also, Louis: What was your favourite scene in Green Room. I just re-watched it (have bumped it up to a 5 now and my runner-up for the year), and it was the first attack scene beforehand, but now I think it's the 'Three! Two! One!' scene. I just can't get over how bloody awesome the whole scene is constructed from the lighting to the sound, to the acting and that simple but so brilliant dialogue.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Same as yours.

Deiner said...

Louis can you repost your ratings on Janet Gaynor in Sunrise and 7th Heaven, Gail Patrick in My Man Godfrey, Jennifer Connelly in A Beautiful Mind, Lupita Nyong’o in 12 Years a Slave and Anna Paquin in The Piano.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on the cinematography of Double Indemnity?

Luke Higham said...

Anonymous: Your updated top 5s for 2016 Lead Actor/Actress and Supporting Actor/Actress.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your ratings & thoughts on
Bram Stoker's Dracula
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl
Dead Man's Chest
At World's End
The Revenant
Macbeth (2015)
The King's Speech

Anonymous said...

Luke:
Lead Actor
1. Shannon
2. Crowe
3. Cheadle
4. Reynolds
5. Gosling
Supporting Actor
1. Ineson
2. Scrimshaw
3. Goodman
4. Bruhl
5. Paul
Lead Actress
1. Joy
2. Winstead
3. Mirren
4. Streep
5. Dormer
Supporting Actress
1. Dunst
2. Dickie
3. Deutch
4. Swinton
5. Olson

Calvin Law said...

Still need to see The Witch

Lead Actor
1. Cheadle - 5 (would not mind wt all if he ends up being my win)
2. Gyllenhaal - 5
3. Yelchin - 4.5
4. Shannon - 4.5
5. Crowe - 4.5

Lead Actress
1. Beckinsale - 5
2. Winstead - 4.5
3. Fanning - 4/4.5
4. Mirren - 4/4.5
5. Streep - 3.5

Supporting Actor
1. Downey Jr. - 5
2. Ahrenreich - 4.5
3. Boseman - 4.5
4. Bruhl - 4
5. Paul - 4

Supporting Actress
1. Poots - 5
2. Malone - 4.5
3. Heathcote - 4.5
4. Rice - 4.5
5. Lee - 4.5

Anonymous said...

Louis what are your thoughts on Mississippi Burning? I felt that considering how heavy the subject was, I felt it did as good of a job as it could even if it isn't accurate.

Anonymous said...

Oops, forgot about Rice, Malone and Heathcote.

Calvin Law said...

The Neon Demon is sitting REALLY well with me. The more I think about it the last act is actually perfect.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

The Neon Demon is growing on me and I already loved it when I saw it. Fanning would actually be a 5 for me, and both Lee and Malone are easy 4.5 (Heathcote is a 4 for me as I thought that she had a little less to do than Lee and Malone but she was excellent as well). The only thing I didn't like about the movie is really Keanu Reeves' performance.

Calvin Law said...

I really liked Reeves actually. Nivola was the clear standout of the men but I though Keanu brought an edge of pretty menacing humorous sleaze. Heathcote doesn't have that much to do but I thought her line delivery was particularly scathing and her final scene was actually heartbreaking (though some in the cinema were laughing go figure lol).

Calvin Law said...

I keep going back and forth with Fanning on one hand she's great at depicting the gradual arc of Jesse but on the other hand I feel some of her best moments are overshadowed by the direction, and Malone.

Robert MacFarlane said...

By the way, I finally saw Take Shelter. My apologies to Michael Fassbender, but you've been dethroned as my 2011 Best Actor win.

Calvin Law said...

Shannon is my runner-up to 2011 to Oldman - beating Dujardin, Gosling and Schoenaerts. Fassbender probably wouldn't even make my top 5.

Matt Mustin said...

Hell, while everyone's talking about 2011 lead, I might as well tell you my top five.
1. Oldman
2. Gosling
3. Dujardin
4. Shannon
5. Fassbender

Michael McCarthy said...

Robert: ONE OF US. ONE OF US.

I'll throw in my current lineups as well...

Best Actress:
1. Elle Fanning
2. Kate Beckinsale
3. Mary Elizabeth Winstead
4. Anya Taylor-Joy
5. Naomie Harris

Best Supporting Actor:
1. Damien Lewis
2. Stellan Skarsgård
3. Harvey Scrimshaw
4. Alden Ehrenreich
5. Chadwick Boseman

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Kate McKinnon
2. Jena Malone
3. Imogen Poots
4. Abbey Lee
5. Angourie Rice

My Best Actor lineup is kind of a toss up. Anton Yelchin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniel Radcliffe and Robert Downey, Jr. are all in there somewhere but I haven't quite decided the order. For the fifth spot I can't decide between Gosling, Crowe and Dano.

Luke Higham said...

Michael McCarthy: Your ratings and thought on the cast of The Witch.

Luke Higham said...

*thoughts

Calvin Law said...

2011 Lead is a very strong year, to be fair.

Michael and Robert: really need to see Our Kind of Traitor now, seeing how much you both seem to have taken to the supporting performances.

Calvin Law said...

What pushed Yelchin ahead of Shannon, and Crowe on re-watch was just how lived-in his portrayal felt. I already loved the vivid, visceral reactions to the terrible circumstances his character was under, but on revisiting the film it's also remarkable how like Poots he just feels so naturally within his character's quirks and beliefs that could've come across as unrealistic, but in his hands are utterly realistic. That monologue about the paintballers, and his battle cries in the 'Three! Two! One...' scene compel me to push him above Gyllenhaal too (who I still think is great, but the film grows colder on me with every re-think about it)

Robert MacFarlane said...

Currently my lineup is:

Lead Actor

1. Daniel Ratcliffe in Swiss Army Man
2. Paul Dano in Swiss Army Man
3. Russell Crowe in The Nice Guys
4. Robert Downey Jr. in Captain America: Civil War
5. Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys

Best Actress

1. Kate Beckinsale in Love and Friendship
2. Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 10 Cloverfield Lane
3. Blake Lively in The Shallows
4. Helen Mirren in Eye in the Sky
5. Jinnifer Goodwin in Zootopia

Best Supporting Actor

1. Stellan Skarsgård in Our Kind of Traitor
2. Alden Ehrenreich in Hail, Caesar!
3. Tom Bennett in Love and Friendship
4. Alan Rickman in Eye in the Sky
5. Damien Lewis in Our Kind of Traitor

Best Supporting Actress

1. Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters
2. Zooey Deutch in Everybody Wants Some!!
3. Abby Lee in The Neon Demon
4. Jena Malone in The Neon Demon
5. Aggeliki Papoulia in The Lobster

Michael McCarthy said...

Calvin: For what it's worth, I'm also currently leaning towards Yelchin as my lead winner.

Luke:

Taylor-Joy-4.5 (For some reason I felt that she could've gone farther with this performance. Nevertheless she's very effective in realizing both the maturity and the immaturity of her character, doing nicely to blend the girl who reacts to her younger siblings by taunting them with the down-to-earth girl reacting to the insanity all around her into a cohesive character. She's terrific in her scenes of slowly building fear as she realizes what she's gotten herself into, and her very last scenes where she embraces the insanity are a knockout.)

Ineson-4 (Bordering on 4.5. I must admit that the power and rage he brings through his mere presence is something to behold all on its own. I do think his character is a bit all over the place, in that it's clear that his motivations are pretty much always based on fear and guilt, but on that note I think there are some scenes where William seems a little more confidant than he should be, and the amount of warmth he brings with his daughter seems a bit out of character. Now I think a lot of these inconsistencies are in the writing and Ineson does a more than admirable job of bridging these gaps with his overarching motivation, but at least to me the character itself seemed a bit vague. He was still incredibly compelling throughout, and a rewatch might raise his score if I can make a little more sense out of the characterization.)

Dickie-4 (Also bordering on a 4.5. The hollowness she portrays in her earlier scenes effectively present a woman who's not only suffered a horrible loss, but a horribly disturbing occurrence. Then there are her scenes of hysteria which could have been horribly overacted but Dickie hits the perfect tone for them, showing both clouded, paranoid mind and an honest fear of evil.)

Scrimshaw-4.5 (Possibly the most effective performance of the cast. In the beginning he gives an incredibly naturalistic performance that seems like it could serve as a fitting guide throughout the film. This just makes his last scene all the more unnerving, as we see this will not be the case. His portrayal of the pain he endures is brutally realistic and his outburst truly feels like that of someone being possessed by a demon. It's a powerfully disturbing arc that serves the film quite well.)

Grainger & Dawson-3.5 (Both very naturally depict the manic nature of the youngest children. The performances are such that it could just as easily be believed that these two are simple careless children as kids who have been participating in black magic.)

Calvin Law said...

Don Cheadle is my Ian McKellen this year for Lead, and I must say he probably has a far better shot.

Louis Morgan said...

Deiner:

Patrick - 4(I actually do rather like her performance as the spoiled brat sister. Given that it is often can be a black hole in a comedy film I found she managed to fulfill the vile needs og the character so to speak while infusing that with some actual humor as well)

Paquin - 3(I personally have never gravitated to this performance as so many have. I think she's just fine in terms of delivering a natural enough performance, though I never found her an excessively engaging presence all the same.)

Connelly - 3(I actually rather like her early scenes with Crowe as I find she brings the needed warmth. Once the switch happens though she becomes an a stale presence within the film. Her work does not even quite have the right anti-chemistry with Crowe in the struggling scenes, though I think this is in part the film's fault which fails to properly deal with the relationship when it crumbling.)

Nyong'o - 2.5(It is not her fault that the part is extremely thin. There is also an inconsistency in terms of this writing that it never truly delves into when she's rebelling against Eps to when she's being wholly impassive at another instance. Nyong'o depicts these both directly but is not able to cohere the sides of the character naturally together.)

Anonymous:

It is interesting that Wilder did not like stylistic shots, which he felt were distracting, instead what he did allow for was style within the moment. That is beautifully seen in the work that creates such a lurid world that seems to be made up of shadows in which light only occasionally passes through.