Wednesday 23 November 2016

Alternate Best Actor 2005: Byung-hun Lee in A Bittersweet Life

Byung-hun Lee did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sun-woo Kim  in A Bittersweet Life.

A Bittersweet Life is a terrific film that follows a mob enforcer.

Byung-hun Lee in his English language films has been used primarily for his skills with martial arts, often the case with Asian actors, but even then his work in The Magnificent Seven shows that with just a bit of material he can make an impact beyond that. That is only a small glimpse of what he's capable of still since Lee is not a martial artist who acts, he's an actor who knows martial arts. This is Lee's first collaboration with director Jee-Woon Kim, whom he would later work with in The Good, The Bad, The Weird (a film I ought to watch for the title alone), and the excellent I Saw The Devil. After re-watching the latter film, a film I already greatly appreciated, I came to see just what Lee accomplishes in his role which is substantial though in an atypical sort of fashion. That is Lee, and Kim almost spring an emotional trap on you after a purposefully constrained character and performance up until that point. Lee and Kim utilize a similar technique here in their first film together.

This time Lee plays an enforcer for a Korean mob boss Mr. Kang (Yeong-cheol Kim), who deals with any threats of Mr. Kang in an overtly physical manner. In his first scene we see him beat down the crew of a rival gang, and Lee technically gets to show off a bit of his skills as a fighter. This is not what defines his performance for even a moment. In these introductory scenes Lee gives a proper enforcer, who technically might merely be a henchmen in a different film. He's menacing of course and he what one might describe as a cool badass. Lee's work is not so simple at all though. There is something very important that he brings to the character and that is in the depiction of this early take down as well as simply when he is listening to orders from Kang. There is not a hint of sadism in his portrayal nor is he a cold calculated killer like say an Anton Chigurh. Lee instead presents the passion and indifference in Sun-woo of a man doing his job, a job he doesn't relish yet still is good at, no more no less.

Mr. Kang gives Sun-woo the task of following his girlfriend Hee-soo (Min-a Shin) around to ensure that she is not seeing someone else. Sun-woo takes on the job, and continues as the good employee. Now this is very important though in that Lee gives us a man who goes about being enforcer not as someone who doesn't care, but as a man who has been doing it for many years. Lee reveals the idea of the routine in Sun-woo as there is little excitement and no true satisfaction as he does what he is bid, however Lee is careful not to reveal any disdain either. He's essentially a man whose found his position in life as Lee portrays the contentment in a lack of contentment. This is taken to task though through his time with Hee-soo where he interacts with someone who is not full of bluster and false bravado of the men in the underworld. What Lee does in these scenes though is remarkable as he does not easily enforce a change in his performance of Sun-woo just from a few moments spent with an innocent.

The overarching brilliance throughout Lee's work is the nuance he brings to his depiction of the calm mob enforcer type. Lee technically stays very reserved, staying true to his character, yet does so much within this theoretical limitation. In Sun-woo scenes with Hee-soo, Lee is marvelous as he subverts expectations in regards to the character. Lee does not reveal an immediate change, nor does a reflect a romantic interest. He instead subtly reveals just the smallest indication of perhaps a different path for Sun-woo. When Hee-soo questions if he's an enforcer, the shyness that Lee brings as he attempts to explain that he just works at a hotel feels absolutely genuine as he shows Sun-woo trying to explain himself even to himself. These interactions are very light, and technically never amount to more than an acquaintanceship, yet Lee's only through small reactions portrays so effectively Sun-woo realizing his state of indifference by being no longer in the comfort zone of his world and its people.

Eventually Lee does find out that Hee-soo is not loyal to Kang, and initially follows his orders as he physically accosts the man and is about to call Kang to get the kill order. Lee even in this moment still stays reserved yet conveys the internal conflict in just a silent moment. Lee earns the moment in just a glance as he sees what he has done, and chooses to avoid violence for once. This unfortunately leads Kang to allow the rival gang to enact retribution against Sun-woo for his earlier actions, even though he was following Kang's orders with those actions. This sequence, where it could be a case where the actor is forgotten, but Lee does not allow that. In the action and the torture scenes Lee does not make Sun-woo some superhuman. The intensity of the scene is made truly palatable as Lee brings such real desperation to every action. My favorite moment from the scene though is when Kang, over the phone, questions Sun-woo's action. Lee suggests the real betrayal in Sun-woo as he emphasizes a confusion as he tries comprehend his years of loyalty being forgotten for not killing an innocent.

The humanity Lee manages in this performance is truly remarkable, but does even more than what I already have mentioned. It also brings even some very natural humor to his performance, by offering such an honest presence. There is one particularly hilarious scene where Sun-woo goes about purchasing a gun from a dealer, and Lee's reactions are priceless. He never goes broad or plays the moment up, yet earns the levity through how effortlessly he inhabits the character. Now leading up to the final sequence of the film I would already consider this a great performance, yet as later with his final scene in I Saw the Devil, Lee has a surprise waiting for us, two surprises this time. The first being when Sun-woo confronts Mr. Kang, and Lee is incredibly moving by finally breaking down revealing the real heartbreak in Sun-woo from being treated so horribly by a man he served with such loyalty. Then there is one more moment as the film flashback briefly to show as Sun-woo watched Hee-soo play in a string ensemble. Lee loses that contentment in his lack of contentment to Sun-woo, to instead finally reveal a moment of real joy. There is such catharsis and poignancy that comes from Lee in this scene. I love this performance as Lee delivers as the lone anti-hero, yet he goes even deeper to offer a downright beautiful portrait of a man seeing a better life if only for the briefest of time.

92 comments:

RatedRStar said...

Louis: I have heard some pretty great things about The Good, The Bad, The Weird. The gun purchasing scene is something Martin Scorsese would have done, it feels like it lol, it is such a tense scene and that first bullet when he sorts his gun out and shoots made me jump lol.

RatedRStar said...

I think he would be supporting I think for that? I will definitely see it before you get to 2008.

Calvin Law said...

Woohoo! I knew you'd like this performance, but I had no idea you'd love it this much.

Calvin Law said...

Also, Louis, how did you interpret the very ending scene? I know there's a lot of theories on it but I personally think it's just a nice, cute little scene that helps ease the quite sad ending a little bit.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Ratings and thoughts on the rest of the cast?

Álex Marqués said...
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Álex Marqués said...

Great review Louis, I'm glad you loved him.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on either Allied, Fantastic Beasts or both later tonight, as well as your ratings & thoughts on the casts.

Pleased that you loved this brilliant piece of work.

Álex Marqués said...

It feels very good when Louis loves a performance you've recommended. :D

Calvin Law said...

Alex: We all seem to love this performance :) Thanks for the recommendation.

Calvin Law said...

Also, the more I see of Lee the more I'm impressed, he reminds me a bit of Mads Mikkelsen actually.

Álex Marqués said...

Your welcome, I wish I had more time to discover new films/performances more often, but these bonus rounds are very helpful.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Funnily enough, I actually felt the same way about him as well.

Apart from that, I re-watched The Hunt 3 weeks ago and Mikkelsen gives my favourite performance of the decade so far. I believe he'll come 2nd behind Phoenix for the overall and I expect Day-Lewis and Hoffman to change positions as well.

Calvin Law said...

I really need to see The Hunt, ASAP.

Anonymous said...

Imagine Mads Mikkelsen if he looked 25, that is Byung-hun Lee lol.

Álex Marqués said...

Yeah, Mikkelsen is amazing in that movie. That church scene near the end is a monumental piece of acting.

Luke Higham said...

Alex: The stare he gives to Theo is one of the greatest acting moments of all-time.

Luke Higham said...

Alex: What ratings would you give to the cast of The Witch.

Álex Marqués said...

Everyone would be near a 4 for me, I think. I think it's more of a director's film, but it was solid in the acting department (Scrimshaw is probably the MVP for me).

Luke Higham said...

Despite not having seen everything, My predictions for Louis' overall winners
Best Supporting Actress
Imogen Poots in Green Room
Best Supporting Actor
Ben Foster in Hell Or High Water
Best Leading Actress
Emma Stone in La La Land
Best Leading Actor
Casey Affleck in Manchester By The Sea

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: What's your 2005 Leading and Supporting actor Top 10 predictions.

Calvin Law said...

No idea about supporting, but I think Lee is gonna finish in 3rd place, Lewis and Auteil will make the top 10.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: I'm gonna say 2nd for Lee and top 10 places for Lewis, Auteil and Duris, with Murphy just missing out.

In terms of Supporting, Massoud in 2nd and top 10 spots for Murphy, Min-Sik, Norton and Thewlis.

Calvin Law said...

Also Louis, thoughts/rating for Simon Baker in L.A. Confidential?

Deiner said...

Do you guys remember whether Louis posted his updated Top female performances when he covered 1985? I've been looking but I can't find them anywhere.

Louis Morgan said...

Alex:

Thanks and thank you for the recommendation.

Giuseppe:

Yeong-cheol Kim - 3(He brings the needed stoic cruelty to the part, and works well as an emotionless husk though as the villains go I feel the other Kim leaves the strongest impression.)

Shin - 3(She brings the requisite sweetness and earnestness to the role, but she does not overdo it. Although she fits the "purity" to an extent shin is careful to convey that the character is a bit more knowing in actuality.)

Hwang - 3(Basically a smaller version of the part he would later play in A New World. He's good here, but got to do more with a similair role in that later film.)

Roi-ha Kim - 4(A great bit of sleaze from him as he brings such a despicable smugness to the man as he tortures Sun-Woo, and conveys a guy who is really far too comfortable with the world he's in.)

Calvin:

Baker is very good in that small role. He's more than just a corpse as he's so tragic in that certain enthusiasm, with an innocence to the star ambition, he brings after he is encouraged by Vincennes to go through with it. He adds a lot to that moment where Vincennes realizes what he's become.

Luke:

Going to sleep, but I will just leave you with the cast ratings. I'll get you the thoughts in the morning.

Allied:

Cotillard - 4.5
Pitt - 2
Harris - 3
Diehl - 3
McBurney - 3

Fantastic Beasts:

Redmayne - 4
Waterston - 3
Fogler - 4
Sudol - 3
Farrell - 3
Miller - 2
Morton - 2.5
You know who - 1

Álex Marqués said...

Your welcome.

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

Any thoughts on the Spirit nominations?

Chronic seems to be an interesting performance piece, Roth will most certainly be good.

Shia Labeouf in American Honey seems good.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

I was surprised Williams did not receive a nomination for Manchester by the Sea.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Supposing Garfield gets nominated for Best Actor, do you think he'll get in for Hacksaw Ridge or Silence?

Álex Marqués said...

The Best Picture winners from the last three years have been the same as the Spirit Awards' Best Feature winners, but, judging by the impact it's having so far, I can't imagine La La Land not winning.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Allied I've seen been called a throwback to an old Hitchcock type wartime thriller, I'd argue it is far closer to a Michael Powell wartime thriller, though it's not as good as a Foreign Correspondent or a Contraband. Robert Zemeckis makes some strange choices in here, and like with his work in Flight, there seems to almost be a squeamishness in him when working with R-rated material. It always comes off as awkward in a very weird way. He directs too often in a stale fashion that makes the material not have the urgency or energy it should. The biggest problem though might be Pitt, more on that in a bit. The film itself has some good moments, it has one very valuable asset, but overall is a disappointment.

Pitt - (A black hole in the film, and hey he's once again playing another unconvincing Canadian for some reason. Pitt does so little within the margins which is a major problem when he's playing a spy. There are so many scenes where you're waiting for him to really convey something in a simple reaction, and his performance just lays there. So many scenes lose tension because Pitt offers none of it in his own work. Worst of all though he does not have chemistry with Cotillard. It's just not there, and that is a serious problem given the nature of the story which so heavily depends on it. They needed to be smoldering together, but it all comes off as flat as Pitt so often stares forward in a blank stare. So many scenes feel like missed opportunities, particularly the ending, as Pitt fails to ever go past surface level. The film needed a different lead.)

Cotillard - (She does her absolute best to try to salvage the film. She completely dominates Pitt every scene they are onscreen together, and you can see she is trying so hard to strike up the chemistry with Pitt even though he never reciprocates. Cotillard though brings that needed internalized tension to add to espionage scenes, as well does exceptional work at offering the various faces for the character. She's great as she can so eloquently go from just a pure charmer, to a have this killer's edge to her in an instance. Throughout the film she does what she can to offer some actual emotional resonance to the story, and I will say does succeed to certain degree particularly the ending even if Pitt and Zemeckis do their best to waste it)

Diehl - (A brief though effective reprise of his Inglourious Basterds performance.)

Harris - (Does his best to offer something in his very brief time. He needed more time though, but then again Pitt doesn't have any chemistry with him either which again is a major problem.)

McBurney - (Doing his usual thing, British espionage Official, and does it well, as per usual.)

Louis Morgan said...

Fantastic Beasts was enjoyable enough. I won't say it was anything great, or without problems though. I found a lot of the side stories to be rather underdeveloped particularly the anti-witch league, as well as the Senator and his father who barely had a point in the film. The film also did have that DC films problem where it might try to insert a bit too much setup particularly in that final reveal. The main story though had enough fun in there through its 20's American setting, the monster chasing and the character interactions for me to call it a success.

Redmayne - (Redmayne technically is doing a lot of his usual shtick here, mumbling never making eye contact more than a few strange faces, but it works for Newt as well as the film. He brings the right energy that just seems to fit in the magical setting, and he proves himself a fairly capable pratfall artist in his comedic scenes. Redmanye manages to do all his tricks in unison here to pull off an endearing character, I will say bravo here since for once it seems to make absolute sense.)

Fogler - (Managed not to overdo any comedic element as well as that New York accent. He managed to make both quite natural to his performance, and is a highlight of the film because of it. He earns a lot of the funny moments by actually underplaying them showing more just an average guy reacting to the outlandish situations, well actually providing a more dramatic undercurrent, though light weight in itself, at the same time.)

Waterston - (I must concur with Calvin on this one. She does overplay it, moving towards Steve Jobs territory, in her early scenes as she goes full bug eyes at times. Thankfully after the opening action she calms down to give a far more believable and likable performance. I felt her chemistry with Redmayne in particular ended up working surprisingly well.)

Sudol - (I thought she was more than fine, though I have hard time seeing here prototypical flapper routine working for multiple movies, it worked here.)

Farrell - (Farrell does bring some menace but I couldn't help but get the feeling he was annoyed as he was just waiting to be replaced by an inferior actor in the role. He's good with what he has, but he's shackled as it seemed like he tailored his portrayal around his replacement)

Miller - (A little late to be trying out for Klarion the witch boy. Anyway Miller is one note throughout, and fails to create the empathy for his character that could have made the ending a bit more powerful than it actually was.)

Morton - (Wasted, I also can't help but feel they cast her since she would've played Waterston's part if the film had been made ten years ago.)

? - (What a distracting performance. Poorly thought out at the concept level, are they not aware of the current view of him in these fantastical performances? I'd say as much blame should go to Rowling, as the reveal is something that would work in a book but does not work in a film since the actor will be a distraction. I would have preferred if they just let Farrell be the villain, and have him be more of a Javert type.)

Louis Morgan said...

Varun:

Interesting that Foster got in instead of Bridges for Hell or High Water, and I wonder if that will translate at all down the road.

William missing in supporting actress might seem harmful for Oscar chances but I'd argue the academy, if they like Manchester, won't hesitate to still throw her into the category, which seems pretty thin in terms of who will be considered by the academy.

Tahmeed:

He has a good chance I think to get in since he's the only British actor in contention in the leading category, if Garfield knows what's good for him he will push for Hacksaw Ridge though as his recognition. I also believe that is where he will be recognized if he is recognized. There is a difficulty in that Silence will probably do better overall with Academy, but I think Hacksaw could make it into best picture as well. Most importantly though Garfield can utilize the boost of sorts you get when portraying a real life person like Doss, where voters can feel like they are honoring the real life guy by giving Garfield the nomination.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: How close is Cotillard to being your favourite actress of all-time.

Anonymous said...

Louis, your thoughts on trailer for "Silence"?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Yeah, Waterston did overplay it a tad in hindsight. She's starting to sink into Annette Bening territory; Obviously talented, but relies on histrionics too often.

Deiner said...

@Louis can you (re?)post your Best Actress / Supporting Actress rankings of 1985?

Michael McCarthy said...

I was actually kinda hoping Redmayne would be a 4.5 for Fantastic Beasts, I definitely liked him better in this than in Theory of Everything.

I might go as high as a 4 for Farrell. I thought he was very incisive considering how limited his role was, and it's even more interesting long when you look at it as the flamboyant Grindelwald putting on an excessively cold facade.

Also I just thought I'd point out that In the Harry Potter universe Percival Graves is not a fabrication by Grindelwald, he's an actual person who was kidnapped and impersonated by Grindelwald. So there is a chance for Farrell to return in the sequel.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I really wish they cast Paul Bettany as Grindelwald. He would have been perfect.

Calvin Law said...

I'm tempted to call Waterston a chronic overactor, but then I remember how fantastic she was in Inherent Vice.

Robert: That's brilliant casting.

Álex Marqués said...

Calvin: Paul Thomas Anderson could direct a good performance out of a sofa :D

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Could you add Ewan McGregor to the Lead/Supporting overall for Revenge Of The Sith.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: What actor would you like to have seen take Pitt's place in Allied?

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Well she's up there for sure.

I will in regards to McGregor.

Michael:

I could go higher on Farrell, and I'm glad to hear he could potentially return.

Deiner:

Actress:

Geraldine Page - Trip to the Bountiful
Cher - Mask
Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple
Mia Farrow - The Purple Rose of Cairo
Coral Browne - Dreamchild

Supporting Actress:

Madeline Kahn - Clue
Lesley Ann Warren - Clue
Sonia Braga - Kiss of the Spider Woman
Eileen Brennan - Clue
Mieko Harada - Ran

Varun:

I gave my reaction in the last review.

Robert:

That's a great choice for Grindelwald.

94dk1:

Michael Fassbender or Matthias Schoenaerts.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Who would you cast as a Young Albus Dumbledore for the Fantastic Beasts sequel.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Jared Harris I think is the right choice.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I'm glad we agree, even though it's rather obvious.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Have you been watching any TV Dramas lately.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Westworld

Calvin Law said...

I've been meaning to check that one out. Any thoughts on it?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the show so far, as well as the cast.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

I love it. I'd recommend just go watch it for yourself, because part of what makes it so great is discovering everything it has to offer. Few shows I've seen are as effortlessly compelling as this one is.

Luke:

I would not mind giving thoughts on it at the end of the season to see how everything comes together, same thing in terms of seeing where every performance leads. I will say the cast is almost uniformly excellent, with Anthony Hopkins possibly giving his career best.

Calvin Law said...

Career best Hopkins? Goodness me.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Oh also since it slipped my mind. In regards to the ending of A Bittersweet Life, I would agree the intention of the final scene is to at least bring something positive to the dour ending. In terms of what it means, I feel it was to show that Sun-woo did have other moments of happiness, though still outside of his main life.

Bryan L. said...

Fassbender would've been perfect. He seems to have a Bradley Cooper-Jennifer Lawrence thing with Cotillard as well, with Macbeth and now Assassin's Creed.

Álex Marqués said...

Louis: where would Cotillard and Negga rank in your top 5 for Best Actress?

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Rest in Peace, Florence Henderson

RatedRStar said...

RIP Florence Henderson, The Brady Bunch is quite a long long way before my time but I know how popular it was.


Luke: I am glad you mentioned Min Sik because I had forgotten about him before I did the 2005 list.

Michael McCarthy said...

Did anyone else on this blog see Denial? I saw it a while back and kept forgetting to say so. Timothy Spall is pretty great in it.

Luke Higham said...

RatedRStar: Thanks. :)

I think Letterboxd is a very good source to find hidden gems.

Álex Marqués said...

Luke: I agree :)

Luke Higham said...

Alex: It's far better than IMDB, in my opinion. :)

Álex Marqués said...

New Fences trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrF_tBwqwTE

Luke Higham said...

Alex: From what I've seen, I doubt Louis' stance on Washington will change for the better. Davis could be really good, but I can't say I'm looking forward to it all that much.

Michael McCarthy said...

I'm looking forward to it immensely. Fences is a fantastic play and from the clips I've seen of Washington performing it onstage he has a terrific understanding of the character.

I also like Washington much more than Louis does, I have the same reservations of his work in Training Day as Louis but other than that I think he's incredibly talented.

Luke Higham said...

Michael: I really like Washington, but I hope it'll be very good, despite not being terribly excited for it.

Luke Higham said...

Michael McCarthy: Your rating & thoughts on Denzel Washington in Man On Fire.

Luke Higham said...

RatedRStar: Since JGL was reviewed for 2005, I have a lineup for '04 Lead.

Ethan Hawke - Before Sunset
Gael Garcia Bernal - Bad Education or The Motorcycle Diaries
Christian Bale - The Machinist
Al Pacino/Jeremy Irons - The Merchant Of Venice (I've only seen the first third of it, so the latter might be supporting)
Denzel Washington - Man On Fire

Michael McCarthy said...

I actually haven't seen that. My favorite performance by him is The Hurricane, he's easily my win for 1999.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I just saw Rules Don't Apply.

What. A piece. Of shit.

Louis Morgan said...

Alex:

#2 and #4 respectively.

Saw the Fences trailer with Allied. It looks good. I liked both of Washington's previous directorial efforts well enough, so I'm interested to see what he does here.

Robert:

So the trailers told the truth?

Álex Marqués said...

Robert: what are your thoughts on the movie?

Robert MacFarlane said...

The film is a tone deficient, boring, narcissistic disaster. Beatty's direction and writing are bad enough, but his performance is one of the year's worst. Ehrenreich and James do what they can, but even they suffer under the ineptitude of Beatty's guidance. Hell, the entire cast seemed adrift (except Matthew Broderick, weirdly enough). Not to mention the hackneyed attempts at stylizing the film as "old fashioned", the oversaturated lighting, the dated political angles, just everything sucked.

Bryan L. said...

AwardsCircuit.com has him as a strong candidate for a Best Actor nom. I guess Rules Don't Apply frees up a spot for one of Gosling, Garfield, or Keaton now haha.

Fight Club 2016:
Tyler Durden- Chris Pine
The Narrator- Paul Dano
Marla Singer- Olivia Wilde

RatedRStar said...

I am pretty confident that Warren Beatty will not get nominated, 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is he really gonna beat Ryan Gosling and Viggo Mortensen at the Globes, I dont think so, this is as of this moment what I think Best Actor will look like, of course this will change most likely

Casey Affleck
Joel Edgerton
Ryan Gosling
Michael Keaton
Denzel Washington

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Is Duris' review coming tonight.

Calvin Law said...

My bets are on for each of the categories,

Washington - Winner
Affleck
Gosling (La La Land)
Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)
Keaton/Edgerton

Negga
Adams (Arrival)
Portman - Winner
Bening
Stone

Grant
Ali
Neeson - Winner
Bridges
Williamson/Shannon

Davis - Winner
Harris
Williams
Gerwig (20th Century Woman)
Shannon

Anonymous said...

Alex: That trailer looks good. We'll have to see if Washington gives a career-best performance.
Watched Fantastic Beasts. Enjoyable, but not great.
Redmayne: 4
Waterston: 3
Fogler: 4
Sudol: 3
Farrell: 3
Miller: 2
Morton: 2,5
Depp: 1
Louis: What are your thoughts on the casting of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon?

Calvin Law said...

I saw Allied, as someone who likes Flight, this was in all honesty quite mediocre. I don't even think Cotillard was all that amazing (though she still is the best thing in the film).

Pitt - 2
Cotillard - 4
Everyone else - 3

I'll be seeing Paterson, and possibly A Street Cat Named Bob next week or so, that should be really interesting.

Michael McCarthy said...

I actually see Affleck winning best actor this year. Washington's won twice and if Davis wins supporting actress that the academy probably won't feel the need to reward his performance.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Unfortunately, Affleck also has that sexual harassment lawsuit from 2011. That'll hurt his chances.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I think he could be an excellent fit to the role. I see him probably being more like the animated series's depiction of the character, something a little broader than Oldman's realistic take, but still an effective approach to the character.

Michael:

Affleck could win, just because there is not a clear number one in the category to begin with, but I personally don't see it at the moment, though he will be the critical darling. I can't help but feel either Moonlight or Manchester by The Sea will not be loved by the Academy as much as they are by the critics. If Manchester is unlucky in that way, I'd say Washington will win who I believe has the sort of stature as an actor to be accepted as a three time winner.

Louis Morgan said...

Michael:

Also what Robert mentioned does not help either, and is enough of an extra incentive, so to speak, to tip things in favor of Washington.

Bryan L. said...

I actually really like Denzel as an actor, but I don't want to live in a world where he has THREE Oscars, if that makes sense lmao.

Keaton has built up plenty of goodwill over the last couple of years and I could see them wanting to make up giving the Oscar to Redmayne instead of him, especially after, um, Jupiter Ascending. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for him (Keaton).

Louis Morgan said...

94dk1:

I'd love to see Keaton win, well as long as the performance is deserving as well, but Kroc seems to be the type of role that can garner a nomination, but not a win. They only really like grandiose villains, general unreformed jerks don't win.

RatedRStar said...

I think the main goal for all of us as always, is to see a year with no bad performances sneaking in. As of this moment, only one actor could sneak in that will 100 percent be bad, if Robert disliked Warren Beatty in Rules Dont Apply, then I see no reason why anybody else would like his work considering Beattys track record with you Louis.

Anonymous said...

94kd1: Keaton is likely to get a nomination for The Founder, since Weinstein changed the release date in December.
Louis: Was McCrea's performance in Sullivan's Travels close to a 5 for you?

Anonymous said...

*to December.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Humphrey Bogart in Conflict.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

No.

Anonymous:

Bogart - (It's a decent performance by Bogart, but it is one of those where he seems a little constricted at times. The well "conflict" in the character never becomes quite as powerful as it could. Bogart's never bad in the role as he brings the right sorrow, but it would have been interesting to bring some of that paranoia he used so well in Treasure of Sierra Madre.)