Saturday 24 February 2018

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2017: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jason Isaacs and Michael Palin in The Death of Stalin

Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jason Isaacs and Michael Palin did not receive Oscar nominations for portraying Nikita Khrushchev, Lavrentiy Beria, Georgy Zhukov, and Vyacheslav Molotov respectively in The Death of Stalin.

The Death of Stalin is a hilarious and biting dark satire focusing on the immediate political fallout in the U.S.S.R from the titular "loss".

An essential ingredient to making this very exact tone of the satire to work is found within the cast. This includes just strong performances all around in the best ensemble from 2017, but it goes further than that in terms of the very nature of the casting and the performances. It's best to begin then with Steve Buscemi as he would unlikely be anyone's first casting choice for Nikita Khrushchev in a film about the history of the Soviet Union, or even in a prestige British representation of such a story. The Death of Stalin is neither of those things of course in its approach and Steve Buscemi's casting is a perfect representation of this approach. The idea isn't to represent a strict historical truth in the least, though there is historical truth to be found in the film, but rather it purposefully sets itself outside of this to create a unique satirized version of Russian. This makes Brooklyn born Buscemi as just a natural part of the film. He is not only a natural part though but Buscemi's style as an actor ends up being this rather natural fit to who Khrushchev will be in the film, which is as our "hero" the use of quotations very much needed there. Buscemi's unassuming performance style though is the right one for that of Khrushchev who is just as much of a political operator as his chief rival, but Buscemi's approach just makes him seem all the more approachable.

This is in stark contrast to Simon Russell Beale as Lavrentiy Beria the man in charge of NKVD who essentially were the police in the Soviet Union who performed the most dirty of the dirty work of Stalin's regime. Beria is the film's "villain" however again that is as much of in need of quotations as the use of hero for Khrushchev. Beale's performance though is this fascinating little juxtaposition as he makes Beria essentially the most honest dishonest man around. This is as Beale so embraces the very nature of the man in his portrayal as someone who genuinely thrives in the system. Beale conducts himself with this most definite ease in itself in almost every moment as the smoothest of political operators mainly because he so understands the situation he is in. When early on he casually mentions one of their colleagues will soon be gone, to be taken away by the police, Beale delivers it with such a glib attitude that establishes Beria so effectively before the plot even begins. Beale reveals this man as oh so comfortable with his existence within this system who unlike the other men does not put on any other personal delusional fronts. In that what Beale does is stand out among the pack as the man most comfortable with being a completely despicable human being. That devilish grin of his and wily eyes are of the man who has long fashioned himself within this life of backstabbing without a single hesitation in any facet of it.

The titular event, while at first Stalin just becomes incapacitated, springs all the men of the inner circle into action in order to attempt to find their own ways to take advantage or deal with the situation. Naturally enough Beria is the swiftest to take action, and Beale properly shows a man glorying in the acts as he for a very brief period is unencumbered by any authority above himself. There is such a horrible glee that Beale brings in every little bit of use of power in these scenes particular his exact joy when giving out a new list of people to be taken away or possibly killed. Beale delivers the needed incisiveness in every word as he goes about in his act of seizing power through his alternate source of power by quickly making a puppet out of Jeffrey Tambor's Georgy Malenkov who technically is next in line by virtue of procedure. Beale's great in his interactions with Tambor in these moments by speaking to every word with him either with the man as though he's offering specific and leading stage direction to a bad actor though occasionally with a more terrifying glance to suggest his capability to destroy the man if he doesn't properly stay in line. Beale brings the right type of physical presence in the role in a very unique way as in the way he holds sway by carrying himself with this calm command, and those eyes of his which almost always carry that unmistakable intensity of a true political, well really any kind of, cutthroat.

This is against Buscemi's portrayal of Khrushchev which he brings a bit of natural manic energy to as he first comes on the scene of Stalin fitting to a man just quickly trying to come up with a way to deal with the situation that will determine his fate. Buscemi's great here in figuring out this exact way Khrushchev puts forth his way of dealing with his office, which is much more as a proper politician, though that is not necessarily a good thing. Buscemi's very enjoyable in bringing out this sort of the need to act as the politician kicks in at seeing Stalin's soon to be corpse, as he so overly expresses his sorrow as a proper man of the people giving his respects to their leader. Buscemi oversells this in the right way as the man just really enforcing the act showing Khrushchev playing this as a man trying to make sure onlookers note that "Khrushchev almost wept at seeing Stalin's corpse". Buscemi though is careful to show that Khrushchev is not a true fool, but even that act is a maneuver that he quickly drops at the sight of Stalin's urine soaked pants. Buscemi properly switches gears in that moment to show Khrushchev basically switching to the political operative mode though, after fulfilling the politician's duty, as he begins to deliver his own incisive ways though in a different way than Beale which is a strangely key thing in this film.

This key element is in the difference between Buscemi's approach to Khrushchev against Beale's portrayal of Beria which is a fascinating interplay particularly in terms of audience perception of each. This is one of the, many, brilliant parts of the film as really Khrushchev isn't a good guy either, yet I found myself siding to him by how well these performances realize these two characters. Buscemi again brings the right unassuming quality, which is in part the politician act, however he goes further to show it with a bit of honesty in that he cannot embrace really evil in the same way Beria does. Beale on the other hand does show the more honest dishonest man by in no way hiding the gruesome grotesque nature of the man. Beale particularly puts so much hideous elation when finding a new rape victim, or delivering the mentions of his own ill deeds so brazenly. In a way this is more honest than Buscemi's portrayal who shows Khrushchev as someone, who to be fair isn't as evil anyways, but also manages to delude himself to a certain degree. Buscemi however makes Khrushchev more likable also though by bringing this emphasis on the idea of the man as having any reluctance in being a cutthroat. Buscemi again is careful in the way he reveals this in these moments as once again more for show in the reluctance, however it is much appreciated for decency's sake.

Of course these two it needs to be also said are hilarious here in just kind of a traditional comedic way in every single scene. This is in part due to the two's flawless delivery of the rich dialogue given to them. Beale delivering Beria's one liners though as more exact daggers into anyone who dare trespass him, Buscemi, again somehow being likable in this by bringing more of a sardonic energy in cutting down his opponents such his "two clowns, one joke between you" to deflect an insult by two of the less powerful members of the inner circle. Their performances also are hilarious in terms of their physical energy that is classically comedic. I have particular affection in Beale's work for his way of portraying Beria's mad dashes while disposing of and replacing files while Stalin lies dying on the floor. Buscemi also excels in this regard particularly in the scene of Stalin's funeral wake where Khrushchev tries to get a better spot to hear a conversation between members of the inner circle by attempting to make it look like it is part of the ceremony. The conviction that Buscemi brings in each step, and again a bit of that false properness of a politician, as this very refined act that is in fact just trying to be in a better place to eavesdrop. Beale and Buscemi make for a great pair though as the two true leaders of the two sides matching each other well as Beale the oh so assured monster, against Buscemi the proper harried underdog.

Of course in this power struggle there are many players with two of them perhaps being the most important as the wild cards in this game at a very grand scale. The first being Jason Isaacs's Georgy Zhukov the leader of the armed forces. Isaacs is essentially Peter Capaldi's Malcolm Tucker for this political satire as a man who doesn't give two "excrements" about making himself heard and heard well. Isaacs comes in fast and hard as a man almost with more medals than will fit on his uniform and Isaacs properly is as proud as that amount of medals would suggest. Although Beale and Buscemi do have their own form of command here, Isaacs delivers a different sort of a man who has fought hard and long with his particularly, and so deliciously blunt delivery of "What's a war hero got to do to get some lubrication around here" before being introduced in text by the film. Isaacs conducts himself as a man who kind of is aware of power in a more direct and obvious way as a proper soldier.  Isaacs's gruff accent is perfect for the role as a man ready to growl and pounce at any point. Isaacs delivers every one of his take down with particularly pinpoint accuracy fitting to a man who doesn't mind risking death with words given his more hands on experience with death. Isaacs is a treat every single minute he is onscreen by in every moment conducting himself with such a comedic, yet real, intensity that is absolutely perfect. He's just a joy to watch while also wholly fulfilling his particular role which is as man who makes his points clearly and directly to make sure they are heard. Isaacs has so much fun here as the man who has no delusions in a different way in that he plays the game with a different sort of perspective on the whole thing, since again power is different to him. My favorite scene of his though has to be when Khrushchev goes to seek help from him to dispose Beria, to which Isaacs delivers a magnificent false concern about Khrushchev's idea before revealing this to be only a joke, and that he is more than eager to destroy Beria. It just a moment of pure comic gold sold to perfection by Isaacs's performance, which there is not a lot of here, but every second of it is something quite special.

The other wildcard is in Michael Palin's Vyacheslav Molotov. I have to say first off I couldn't be happier at Palin's return in this film after having not appeared in a mainstream live action film in almost 20 years. They couldn't have asked for a better actor though to pull off the tricky part of Vyacheslav Molotov, Stalin's most loyal man but also the one who was to be taken away in the opening of the film. Now this requires a certain balance of things in this role, that thankfully Palin is a master of. Molotov is of course partially defined by the fact that Stalin had his wife imprisoned, used by Beria as a sex slave, though Molotov remained working with Stalin. Palin, as always, brings an innate charm to the part here just in this way as an affable old statesman that from the moment you hear he's going to be taken away, it is very easy to feel sorry for him. Palin in addition though finds a real pathos as he remarks on the loss of his wife though, and convincingly finds this strange state of the man. He offers a genuine earnestness in portraying the feelings of a loving husband, but where the comedy comes in is how this fashions through the type of man that is Molotov. Molotov being absolutely loyal to Stalin to the point that when he hears he was originally going to be taken away by the police, Palin only offers the most honest, and in turn hilarious, concern as he ponders how he could've wronged Stalin. Palin is exceptional in the way he is able to make this sort of ridiculous state of the man actually believable by just how well he can be absurd yet believable at the same time. This becomes particularly important once Khrushchev and Beria try to fight for his support, where Beria brings Molotov's wife to bribe the man, while Khrushchev tries to play towards the man's strict loyalties. Palin plays again finds a certain quality of the loving husband when he sees his wife and reveals a most genuine jubilation at the initial sight of her. Palin though makes the love of the husband real, however he still reveals that what is more important to him is his loyalty to Stalin, which requires that he see his wife as a traitor. Palin again is equally funny when revealing Molotov's support for Khrushchev's power play, because he brings such a fervent devotion to the denouncement of his wife, since according him Stalin was right, which he feels Beria wrongly absolved her of. What's so fantastic here in his performance is that Palin is able to be extremely humorous yet he makes this absurd nature of the man seem logical in his own peculiar sense of being caused by his undying loyalty to Stalin.

Khrushchev's plan to destroy Beria comes from technically both of them causing a massacre after Beria's men going about killing or at least causing the deaths of many of the Russian citizens Khrushchev allowed in to attend Stalin's funeral. Khrushchev though makes the first step which again I love how Buscemi brings such a dogged determination that again somehow makes him seem the righteous one even though he is just about as guilty in causing the deaths as Beria is. This is against Beale's depiction of Beria who is effectively just so smug you can't help but hate the guy who seems so assured of his grotesque abuse of power. Beale naturally keeps this quality when he is initially taken prisoner and he believes he might be able to get his way out of this still. Beale carries himself with such a firm disregard for everyone around him, carrying such venom in every delivery of his as he denounces everyone around him while also lashing out at everyone around him. Beale still carries that personality of command as though he keeps such a viciousness in his hatred, though with enough of a creeping up undercurrent of unease, but mostly something Beale portrays as being overwhelmed by Beria trying to stand firm in his position of power. Of course his insults get him nowhere and the inner circle decide to blame him for the massacre, and quickly make a trial and convict him in no time at all. Now this final sequence I think is a testament to the genius of the film, and to the strength of the performances of all particularly Buscemi and Beale's. This is the one scene that strictly and mostly strongly moves closest to the purely dramatic. There have been talk of deaths, and even the sight of them, however with a purposeful distance within the satire. This one scene that makes it more tangible because the violence finally happens to a named character who we know, which is Beria. What's so brilliant about this is he's the worst of the worst, however with that in mind he still is a person we've gotten to know. In turn Beale is actually kind of heartbreaking as he loses all pretense and just brings such a palatable desperation as he begs for his life. In that moment the bluntly hits you with the reality by showing a more concrete loss of life, even though it is through the man most deserving of death in the whole film. The other touch that's so great though is Buscemi though who also changes as he loses that underdog status and reveals Khrushchev as much of a cutthroat as Beria in his ice cold deliver of his insults while the man is shot then burned in front of him. The execution of this is incredible as it is uncompromising as it reveals this story was always about a group of terrible people, though Beria might have flaunted his vile nature more openly all of the characters are very bad men. The entire ensemble here is magnificent though in realizing this duplicitous world so well in creating each and everyone of this vile sorts creating this tapestry of amorality, oh yes and being quite hilarious while doing so.
(For Isaacs and Palin)
(For Beale and Buscemi )

111 comments:

Psifonian said...

My man. Leaving the best for last.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Loved the review.

Luke Higham said...

And will you be adding the Death Of Stalin guys to the Supporting overall shortly.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Could I have your ratings and thoughts on Ryunosuke Kamiki and Mone Kamishiraishi's voice acting performances in Your Name.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I've heard Beale gives some noteworthy work in The Deep Blue Sea (2011).

RatedRStar said...

Yes I reckon Simon Russell Beale should be seen at some point in The Deep Blue Sea.

It was great to see Paul Whitehouse get a good role as well =D.

Michael McCarthy said...

I was expecting a 5 for Buscemi and a 4 for Palin and Isaacs. I'm happy Isaacs and Palin scored as high as they did though, Isaacs in particular had me in stitches whenever he said anything.

Beale is deserving of a 5, but I'd say Buscemi is my favorite of the cast.

Calvin Law said...

My favourite of the cast were Buscemi and Isaacs. I liked Beale, though not nearly to the extent of Louis and Psifonian. Considine though was probably the funniest in my books.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the, uh, two guards that were outside Stalins bedroom door? Everyone really adds to this terrific satire.

houndtang said...

Louis who are your candidates for a. Best performance in a bad film and b. Worst performance in a good film

Luke Higham said...

Happy to see Buscemi go up. :)

Luke Higham said...

Louis: With Beale's work, do you feel more disappointed in his performance in The Hollow Crown or do you think he was miscast.

Luke Higham said...

What a fucking year for Supporting Actor. 29 performances got a 4.5 or higher.

Calvin Law said...

Ah, shame about Poulter :( but yes, glad Supporting Actor has been so tremendous.

Charles H said...

Another 5 for Buscemi!

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Actress:

1. Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
2. Vicky Krieps - Phantom Thread
3. Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
4. Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water
5. Emma Stone - Battle of the Sexes
6. Sally Hawkins - Maudie
7. Dafne Keen - Logan
8. Florence Pugh - Lady Macbeth
9. Carla Gugino - Gerald's Game
10. Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird

And (not in order):

Michelle Williams - All The Money in the World
Aubrey Plaza - Ingrid Goes West
Margaret Qualley - Novitiate
Meryl Streep - The Post
Melanie Lynskey - I don't Feel Home in This World Anymore
Jessica Rothe - Happy Death Day
Nicole Kidman - The Beguiled
Jane Fonda - Our Souls At Night
Rooney Mara - Una
Ahn Seo-Hyun - Okja
Charlize Theron - Atomic Blonde
Daisy Ridley - Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Brooklyn Prince - The Florida Project
Jessica Chastain - Molly's Game
Gal Gadot - Wonder Woman

Supporting Actress:

1. Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread
2. Ana de Armas - Blade Runner 2049
3. Sylvia Hoeks - Blade Runner 2049
4. Tilda Swinton - Okja
5. Allison Janney - I, Tonya
6. Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird
7. Sophia Lillis - IT
8. Tatiana Maslany - Stronger
9. Holly Hunter - The Big Sick
10. Andrea Riseborough - The Death of Stalin

And (Not in Order):

Hong Chau - Downsizing
Elaine Jay - Mad World
Beanie Feldstein - Lady Bird
Shirley Henderson - Okja
Rebecca Dayan - Novitiate
Elle Fanning - The Beguiled
Allison Williams - Get Out
Sally Hawkins - Paddington 2
Elisabeth Olsen - Ingrid Goes West
Kirsten Dunst - The Beguiled
Carla Juri - Blade Runner 2049
Tessa Thompson - Thor Ragnarok
Beth Grant - Lucky
Catherine Keener - Get Out
Riley Keough - Logan Lucky
Bria Vinaite - The Florida Project

Anonymous:

Strong:

1. Killing the traitor - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2. "Go play, Damn you" - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. The party - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
4. "I don't know her" - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
5. Speaking to Smiley - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
6. "Who is that man" - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
7. Being made - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
8. Speaking to Control - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
9. Interrogation - Body of Lies
10. The idea of the payoff - The Guard

Tahmeed:

I rented the dub version by mistake as I was not aware there was a dub.

Luke:

No, I will say Beale's Falstaff is very much Beale's Falstaff in that he definitely took his own approach, with his own intention for the part, and realized his version of the character, I just didn't really like his vision for him though.

Bryan:

They were both hilarious as well in bringing a certain type of intensity not so much "I don't care" but rather of a comical fear of "there's no way I'm screwing this up".

Houndtang:

Do you mean in general or from 2017?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Damn do I pity you. The original Japanese is far superior in terms of the voice acting and soundtrack. That being said, the dub is certainly competent.

Matt Mustin said...

Tahmeed: Who did the dub? Was it Funimation, because their stuff is usually decent at the very least.

houndtang said...

In general, but your thoughts on 2017 interesting too.

Giuseppe Fadda said...

Louis what are your ratings and thoughts on the cast of Novitiate?

Charles H said...

Louis: Could Dano possibly get a review for There Will Be Blood

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Charles: Luke asked Louis a while back, and Louis said that he is.

Matt: It was Funimation, and I have to say, they did a good job. However, the one thing I wasn't fond of was that they dubbed over the original Japanese songs as well, which just didn't go as well with the music. The Japanese voice acting is far superior, and I hope Louis can watch the original soon.

Unknown said...

Louis: You left out Kim Min-Hee in On The Beach At Night Alone.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your top 10 performances by Korean actors and actresses.

John Smith said...

Louis, thoughts and ratings on Audrey Plaza, Olsen and Jackson in 'Ingrid Goes West'.

Anonymous said...

I really should watch A Silent Voice.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on this alternate ending from Die Hard with a Vengeance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-GqY-M5fE4

Bryan L. said...

John Smith: You can find them at this link

http://actoroscar.blogspot.com/2018/01/my-wins.html

Louis Morgan said...

Giuseppe:

Qualley - 4.5(One of the most extreme disparities between performances from her performance her to her performance in Death Note. Qualley's work here is remarkable though in a very quiet intimate examination of the character's connection towards faith. Unlike her co-star who I will get to in a moment, her performance powerfully emphasizes the idea of her connection towards God that she never simplifies at any point. She never singularly makes this destructive nor inspirational character, to the point her moment at the end isn't at all a simple rejection. What instead she fines is this more naturalistic growth and sense of discovery of what exactly the character's faith means to her through her interactions with others as well as herself. Qualley finds this complication in a naturalistic way that never falls into a potential simplicity that could have been found in a less performance. It's remarkable turn worthy as a companion performance really to Hepburn's in A Nun's Story.)

Dayan - 4.5(Her performance acts well as this distinct contrast towards Qualley's portrayal of someone trying to create a sense of one's self and one's faith. Dayan depicts a more overt understanding that she effectively realizes as this interesting combination of repression well also being more overt and direct in her feelings at the same time. She effectively finds that emotional component that defines her own struggle that she shows well in her performance that she is more keenly aware of what it means, yet in turn is also more keenly aware of how to hide it.)

Nicholson - 2.5(Perhaps one of the most disappointing performances of the year for me oddly enough just because it's the first time I've seen her "act" outright in part where all of her past performances have had such a wonderful Sissy Spacekesque quality to them. That's not here in kind of a over the top performances. She doesn't go too far, but perhaps she's just helped by someone else in the case being so terrible.)

Everyone else is good in creating the various personalities of the different nuns, and effectively create the sense of the overarching atmosphere of the place through the differences in behavior. Well except for......

Leo - 1.5(An awful performance that takes the whole film down a notch in itself because of how distracting and how ridiculous her performance is here. I don't think her character needed to be such a absurd villain, but that's how Leo plays her in every scene. I think the idea might have been this decay from the one refusing to accept changes, however Leo depicts this process as though she's just a one note monster when there were definitely moments where there could have been some nuance for the character. Leo never bothers to find it for a moment and breaks the tone of the film frankly at times because of how big she goes particularly in her punishment scenes.)

Louis Morgan said...

houndtang:

Well I'll start with 2017 then:

A:

James McAvoy - Split
Michael Fassbender - Alien Covenant
Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel Esq.
Hong Chau - Downsizing
Jaeden Lieberher - The Book of Henry

B:

Melissa Leo - Novitiate
Mark Wahlberg - All the Money in the World
Riccardo Scamarcio - John Wick Chapter 2
Kurt Braunohler - The Big Sick
John Krasinski - Detroit

Tahmeed:

1. Choi Min-sik - I Saw the Devil
2. Yoon Jeong-hee - Poetry
3. Lee Byung-hun - A Bittersweet Life
4. Choi Min-sik - Oldboy
5. Lee Young-ae - Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
6. Lee Byung-hun - I Saw the Devil
7. Yoo Ji-tae - Oldboy
8. Song Kang-ho - A Taxi Driver
9. Yum Jung-ah - A Tale of Two Sisters
10. Song Kang-ho - The Age of Shadows

Anonymous:

A far better ending than the helicopter nonsense we got to be sure, and thematically far more logical given that it continues the Simon Sez idea. The exact nature of game seems a touch much with it being just a touch too dark in tone, but that is made up for a bit by the conversation that is actually pretty good as well as well performed by Irons and Willis. I don't think it is a "perfect" ending but it is the far superior of the two offered, I feel. I will admit I kind of like the idea of the other one bandied about, which I don't think was filmed, where the gallons bomb was used on Simon instead.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Novitiate.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the voices of Charlton Heston, Jeff Goldblum, John Vernon and Tony Todd.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your top 20 James Woods acting moments?

Calvin Law said...

I saw Beale onstage as King Lear once, it was an...interesting approach.

Calvin Law said...

Guys: if I win a request soon I might go for Ethan Hawke in one of the 'Before' sequels. Which one should I go for? I remember him being really good in both.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Before Sunset. If you do that, then he's more likely to review him in Midnight.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I personally think Hawke should be reviewed for all three films, so I'd suggest Before Sunset as well.

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 20 joel edgerton acting moments

Bryan L. said...

Louis: How do you think each of these actors would do with the part of Frank Booth in a 2010s version of Blue Velvet?

Josh Brolin
Matthew McConaughey
Sam Rockwell

Louis Morgan said...

Watched Mute, sadly the critical reception was accurate. Skarsgard's good at least.

Luke:

Novitiate is a good film on the whole in its usually modest examination of the ideas of the sacrifices of faith, or the restrictions and repressions within it, but also the draw for some with what it specifically means towards the individual. In terms of create the atmosphere of the nunnery and the conflicting personalities in their ways of dealing with the life, or their process of accepting is potent. What hurts the film though is again Melissa Leo whose performance creates such a obvious hamfisted element in the film, which I'm not sure was intended as written however is what we get do to that performance. It leaves the film somewhat tonally off at times because of that performance which leaves her character as this one note villain, when the intention I don't believe was meant to be so simple, since the rest of the film does not take such an overt approach.

Anonymous:

Heston - (One of the all time great voices to be sure that brings such a dynamic command just in that voice of his, that one could use as a descriptor for a proper "manly" voice if there ever was one.)

Goldblum - (uhhhh uh uh well this voice and way of speaking is almost kind of oxymoron, as his tendencies well they uh uh usually are signs of poor public speaking however with uuuuuhh with um Goldblum there is such an elegance to it.)

Vernon - (One of the great underrated voices as I can so easily hear the way he says both his vindictive hatred of Delta house, or simply the way he says "Josey Whales" has such innate power to it that leaves quite the impression.)

Todd - (I mean I can see why he has been so often cast as death related characters as his particular vocals offer a most horrifying grace.)

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Woods:

1. Interrogating the DA - True Believer
2. The chairman - Once Upon a Time in the West
3. Confession - Salvador
4. "Long live the new flesh" - Videodrome
5. Initial meeting - Killer: Journal of Murder
6. Eddie's Lament - True Believer
7. Just Before the Murder - The Onion Field
8. Planning the heist - Once Upon a Time in the West
9. Reenacting the crime - True Believer
10. Being detained - Salvador
11. Telling his story - Killer: A Journal of Murder
12. On a bad day - Cop
13. Pleading not to execute - Salvador
14. Interrogation - The Onion Field
15. Saying goodbye - Killer: A Journal of Murder
16. Go for a swim - Once Upon a Time in America
17. Figuring it out - True Believer
18. Cross examination - The Onion Field
19. Discovering the truth - Videodrome
20. Ending - The Boost

Anonymous:

Edgerton:

1. First meeting with the lawyer - Loving
2. Explaining Whitey to the new boss - Black Mass
3. I love my wife - Loving
4. Interrogation - It Comes At Night
5. Defending Whitey as a witness - Black Mass
6. Past's not done with you - The Gift
7. Meeting with Pope - Animal Kingdom
8. Build my house - Loving
9. Ending - It Comes at Night
10. Offering the deal to Whitey - Black Mass
11. Apology to his brother - Warrior
12. Suspicious car - Loving
13. Gordo's "house" - The Gift
14. Leaving - It Comes at Night
15. Paying the babysitter - Animal Kingdom
16. Before the first match - Warrior
17. Frustrations - Loving
18. Describing his past - It Comes at Night
19. Early arrest - Loving
20. "cinnamon roll" - Smokin' Aces

Anonymous:

Brolin - (I've never seen him fully let loose so I can't say for sure he couldn't deliver. When he's brought a bit of madness, well other than True Grit, to a part he's pretty effective so I could possibly see it.)

McConaughey - (McConaughey would be the preferred choice here in that just take Killer Joe and go further with it. McConaughey can do the needed sort of unhinged stylized intensity that is essential for Booth.)

Rockwell - (At first I thought Rockwell's never been this depraved in a role then I remembered his work in The Green Mile. He has never really returned to that though so it would be interesting him to see him tap into that again particularly since he does have the right energy for the part as a performer.)

Calvin Law said...

Rockwell would be a great Frank Booth, and have Caleb Landry Jones as one of his lackeys. Then Emory Cohen as Jeffrey, that would suit him I think.

Calvin Law said...

Thoughts on Moon and the cast?

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on John Vernon as Rupert Thorne in Batman The Animated Series?

Calvin: Who would be Ben?

Calvin Law said...

Matt: Might not be an obvious choice but I think Michael Stuhlbarg would be perfect.

Matt Mustin said...

Calvin: Well, Stuhlbarg can play pretty much anything, so I can see that.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

I'll assume you mean Mute. Mute is such a strangely put together mess of a film. It has one side of the story which is the more traditional neo-noir of the mute bartender being driven by love to solve a mystery. That aspect isn't terrible yet strangely under served throughout the film. It often forgets the character, and in turn leaves his story almost secondary oddly. It focuses far more often in the meandering scatter shot scenes of Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux as criminal doctors. These scenes are horribly unfocused in terms of character development, plot, tone you name it. When watching one can quickly guess they must be where the titular mute is headed but only because it is the only way the scenes will make any sense. Although even then when the two plots finally converge it also feels horribly underdeveloped in terms of the revelations. It's just poorly plotted film, and Jones is lucky he opted to direct Moon first since this would not have been a good first step forward. It's simply bad film that has nothing to say, or anything interesting really in it, even though it seems like it should.

Skarsgard - 4(The best part of the film without question as he is the only thing you can really hold onto. Skarsgard provides the needed simple emotional anchor for his character and effectively delivers his parts of the film in every scene he is in. He makes something out of his plot even though the film mutes it (pun not intended) through the way it so poorly focuses on what should be the emotional crux of the story. Skarsgard is game whenever he's given the chance to be though particularly in the final scenes of the film where he offers the right emotional devastation in his own work even if the film's delivery of this is haphazard.)

Saleh - 3(She shares a nice chemistry with Skarsgard in their scenes together and there is enough of a sweetness and tenderness there to at least make that starting point for his portrayal of the search.)

Rudd - 2(Okay this part as written is all over the place to a ridiculous degree as basically the ultimate ugly American, who isn't always ugly, but is very inconsistent to be sure. I will say though in the various facets of the role one could imagine how the original choice of Sam Rockwell could have made the various parts work a whole let better than they do. Rudd just can carry the dramatic material, nor can he fashion the unusual style needed for the part which should offer a certain dark comedy while also being emotionally resonate. It's a tall order of a part to begin with, and I don't think Rockwell necessarily would've been great however he would have been a whole lot better. Rudd just fails in a performance level way, like any of his intense scenes are severely underwhelming and he has no idea how to switch effortlessly from comedy to the drama in a given scene.)

Theroux - 2.5(His character is an even taller order in just how all over the place the role is as sometimes he seems just a goofball, others he's a psychopath, sometimes he's mentally broken pedophile. I guess again a great actor might have been able to pieces these threads together more effectively, but probably still would have struggled. Theroux struggles quite a bit but I will say at least in the disjointed character he has individually effective moments within his performance unlike Rudd.)

Rockwell - (Sadly even his cameo is sort of wasted given how out of focus the footage of his scenes are.)

I actually think Keanu Reeves could work for Ben.

Matt:

Although I never thought Thorne was the most interesting character I will say Vernon managed make him a lot more engaging through his great vocal work. Really a lot of what Thorne says throughout the series is pretty standard gangster lines yet Vernon makes them sing. He brings a real style to the character through the that style inherent in his voice. Vernon gives the character a far stronger presence than he would have had otherwise.

Anonymous said...

Louis: From what you've seen of the Justice League cartoon, what did you think of Michael Rosenbaum's Flash and Susan Eisenberg's Wonder Woman? Personally, I think Rosenbaum was an improvement over Charlie Schlatter and Eisenberg is the perfect voice for Wonder Woman.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Did I get two requests with the previous thing, or do I only get to request Fraser? Because if I got a second request, I request David Tomlinson in Mary Poppins for 1964 Supporting Actor.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Does anyone think either Cillian Murphy or Brendan Gleeson should he reviewed for 28 Days Later? Was thinking of requesting one of them.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What would your cast and director be for a 2000s and 2010s version of 12 Angry Men?

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: I think Gleeson might be reviewed and upgraded for Gangs Of New York. You could request either of them if you want but don't expect them to get upgraded.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Eric Roberts in The Dark Knight and William Hurt in The Incredible Hulk. Also your cast and director for a 80's Mute.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Well I have not seen much of them nor have I revisited at time recently but I recall both of them being quite good in their respective roles.

Robert:

Yes.

Anonymous:

2000's directed by George Clooney:

Foreman: George Clooney
2: Casey Affleck
3: John Hawkes
4: Kyle Chandler
5: Jeremy Renner
6: Rory Cochrane
7: Luke Wilson
8: Jeff Daniels
9: Donald Sutherland
10: David Strathairn
11: Anupam Kher
12: Ryan Reynolds

You can find my choices for 2010 here:

http://actoroscar.blogspot.com/2018/01/alternate-best-supporting-actor-1965_7.html

Luke Higham said...

Louis: I've changed my mind, I think you should do a lineup of 10.

Films to watch:
The Hurt Locker (Renner/Upgrade)
Tropic Thunder (RDJ/Upgrade)
The Escapist (Re-Watch)
Let The Right One In
Synecdoche, New York
Flame & Citron
The Chaser
Two Lovers
Revanche
Mesrine
The Good, The Bad, The Weird
Red Cliff
Transsiberian
Eden Lake
W.
Il Divo
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Kung Fu Panda
Waltz With Bashir
Dean Spanley
Son Of Rambow
I've Loved You So Long
Frozen River
Australia
Séraphine
Cloverfield
Gomorrah
Hancock
Max Manus: Man Of War (Aksel Hennie)
Ponyo
Pineapple Express
The Strangers
Twilight
Step Brothers
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
Julia (Tilda Swinton)
Tokyo Sonata
RockNRolla
The Class
Martyrs
Summer Hours (Binoche)
The Other Boleyn Girl
Bolt
Speed Racer
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
Get Smart
Jumper
Ip Man
Marley & Me
Be Kind Rewind
Love Exposure
Pontypool
Everlasting Moments (Jan Troell)
The Wave
Wendy And Lucy
Still Walking
A Christmas Tale
Blindness
Semi-Pro
The Spiderwick Chronicles
City Of Ember
Inkheart
Afterschool
Lakeview Terrace
The Beautiful Person (Lea Seydoux)
Three Monkeys
The Secret Life Of Bees
Lorna's Silence (Dardenne Brothers)
The Edge Of Love
Cadillac Records
Brideshead Revisited
Felon
Elegy
Last Chance Harvey
Miracle At St. Anna
The Square (Edgerton)
Winter In Wartime
Good

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

I've given my thoughts on Roberts before but to slightly reiterate, it's one of his better performances.

Hurt - 3(The role itself doesn't quite get there in terms of allowing Hurt to make any sort of next step with the character. He does well enough here though in portraying sort of the military brass command, yet unlike Sam Elliott purposefully pretty restrained work as the character as more just a like typical military guy, he brings just a hint of the more palatable obsession that defines the character in the comics to capturing the Hulk in a few moments. He's not given enough moments to explore this idea, but he does at least deliver it when possible, and I wish they had allowed him to hint at that in Civil War.)

Mute 1980's directed by Terry Gilliam:

Leo: Rutger Hauer
Naadirah: Lena Olin
Cactus Bill: Christopher Walken
Duck: Michael Parks

Luke Higham said...

Louis: And Recount (You Know Who and Tom Wilkinson).

Luke Higham said...

PSH - Synecdoche, New York
Mikkelsen - Flame & Citron
Yoon-Seok - The Chaser
Kang-Ho - The Good, The Bad, The Weird
Phoenix - Two Lovers
Krisch - Revanche
Brolin - W.
Servillo - Il Divo
Hedebrant - Let The Right One In
Cassel - Mesrine

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: I second Luke's recommendation to watch Ponyo.
Could I have your 2000s and 2010s cast for Amadeus and Immortal Beloved?

Anonymous said...

Apparently some people wanted Billy Zane to play Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman. Jesus, a even worse actor than Eisenberg.

Anonymous said...

*an

Robert MacFarlane said...

Actually... Zane could have been a good Luthor.

Calvin Law said...

Honestly I don't think Lex Luthor is that hard to get wrong as long as you have that particular set of skills. Eisenberg could have been a hoot if he'd just used his usual bag of tricks.

Anonymous said...

Robert: What makes you think he could have been a good Luthor?
Calvin: Eisenberg should have been The Riddler IMO.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your cast for a 1960s/70s(Merged) Game Of Thrones.

Calvin Law said...

Anonymous: I don't know if this is what Robert thinks but he has the look, smarminess and I'm sure he'd be willing go ham it up. And agreed on Riddler.

Anonymous said...

To me, Luthor is at his best when he's played like the Clancy Brown version.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I still maintain Riddler should be Dan Stevens at his twitchiest.

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: If you don't mind, could you explain why Phantom Thread is your pick for Best Editing? I certainly have absolutely no problem with the editing in that film, in fact I like it a great deal, but I wouldn't give it the win over Dunkirk or Baby Driver.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Amadeus:

Amadeus 2000's:

Salieri: Mark Rylance
Mozart: Leonardo DiCaprio
Constanze: Rebecca Hall
Leopold: Paul Freeman
Emperor Joseph: David Thewlis

Amadeus 2010's:

Salieri: Oscar Isaac
Mozart: Ben Whishaw
Constanze: Bel Powley
Leopold: Ciaran Hinds
Emperor Joseph: Benedict Cumberbatch

Immortal Beloved 2000's:

Beethoven: Toby Jones
Schindler: Peter Firth
Anna-Marie Erdödy: Tilda Swinton
Johanna Reiss: Mia Kirshner
Giulietta Guicciardi: Asia Argento

Immortal Beloved 2010's:

Beethoven: Tom Hardy
Schindler: Andy Serkis
Anna-Marie Erdödy: Charlotte Gainsbourg
Johanna Reiss: Syliva Hoeks
Giulietta Guicciardi: Alessandra Mastronardi

Luke:

Game of Thrones 1960's:

Robert Baratheon: Orson Welles
Stannis Baratheon: James Mason
Renly Baratheon: David McCallum
Tyrion Lannister: Michael Dunn
Cersei Lannister: Deborah Kerr
Jaime Lannister: Robert Shaw
Tywin Lannister: George Sanders

Daenerys Targaryen: Bibi Andersson
Jorah Mormont: Anthony Quayle
Jeor Mormont: Leo G. Carroll
Sandor Clegane: Christopher Lee
Little Finger: Michael Gough
Varys: Donald Pleasence

Catelyn Stark: Celia Johnson
Ned Stark: Laurence Olivier
Robb Stark: Alan Bates
Jon Snow: Terence Stamp
Theon Greyjoy: Tom Courtenay
Balon Greyjoy: William Hartnell
Yara Greyjoy: Billie Whitelaw
Euron Greyjoy: Barry Foster
Ser Rodrick: Roger Livesey

Davos Seaworth: Trevor Howard
Melisandre: Jeanne Moreau
Bronn: Harry Andrews
Grand Maester Pycell: Alastair Sim
Maester Aemon: Basil Rathbone
Maester Luwin: Claude Rains
Barristan Selmy: John Gielgud

Oberyn Martell: Omar Sharif
Doran Martell: Jose Ferrer
3-eyed Raven: Boris Karloff
Roose Bolton: Jack Hawkins
Ramsay Bolton: Ian Richardson
Olenna Tyrell: Gladys Cooper
Margaery Tyrell: Diane Cilento
High Sparrow: Ralph Richardson

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Do you have any viewings planned between now and the oscars. I do hope you'll get around to Mean Streets before then.

Louis Morgan said...

Matt:

Well after re-watching the film it was pretty easily my winner actually. Now Dunkirk and Baby Driver are more obviously edited films, cohesion of story lines/a lot of quick cuts doesn't in itself mean great editing, although those two films are great examples of that sort of work. Re-watching Phantom Thread though I saw what is an immaculate piece of work in terms of more classical style of editing, which rarely ever tips its hand, as in showing off, yet is just as important to the success of the film. Phantom Thread's editing weaves a certain dreamlike quality through the sheer precision of its cuts, and its choosing every single type of transition is flawless. What's more remarkable is how well it in every single given sequence puts together in terms of capturing every pertinent reaction shot, or alternate bit of business in a given moment. The fashion show for example is brilliant work, that technically has several cuts, but you never notice them yet they beautifully amplify the scene. The film also implements a few pivotal flashbacks and flash forward moments that are so flawlessly implemented within the narrative that could have easily been awkward moments yet fit in so naturally within the film, and only amplify its potency. What I love most about it though is just the sheer brilliance in how well it knows when to cut and when not to in a scene. There are moments that are purposefully there to linger, and it knows exactly when to do this in order to capture very specific emotions and exactly when to leave from this. To me, it's flawless work and the type of effort that does not get enough credit.

Calvin Law said...

Couldn't agree more Louis.

Michael McCarthy said...

In addition to the already suggested performances for 2008 Lead, I'll throw in Chiwetel Ejiofor in Redbelt, which I've heard raves about.

Also I got to see Black Panther. It was...fantastic, honestly. I can't think of one element that underwhelmed me, I thought Freeman's stuff worked even.

Deiner said...

Louis: Since you're going to cover 2008, can you please check out these performances?
- Catinca Untaru in The Fall
- Famke Janssen in Turn the River
- Juliette Binoche in Flight of the Red Balloon
- Kate Beckinsale in Nothing but the Truth
- Kate Beckinsale in Snow Angels
Blindness, I've Loved You So Long, Julia, Lorna's Silence, Séraphine and Wendy and Lucy have already been mentioned. I also have a soft spot for these performances and it would be great if you check them out as well. Although I understand if you don't want to sit through any of these movies because they're far from perfect.
- Diane Lane in Untraceable
- Elizabeth Banks in Zack and Miri Make a Porno
- Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia!
- Mila Kunis in Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Robert MacFarlane said...

Oh yeah, Sam Rockwell is a MUST for 2008 lead for Snow Angels. Beautiful against-type work. For Supporting Actor, I would like to see Harner reviewed for Changleing since it's such an interesting and oddly affecting performance. I also wouldn't mind one for Richard Jenkins in Step Brothers, since he's by far the best and funniest part of that movie by a ridiculous margin.

Michael McCarthy said...

Robert: Is Rockwell lead in Snow Angels? I’ve heard great things about his performance, but I’ve also heard it’s mostly an ensemble film.

Anonymous said...

Louis: What actors today most reminds you of Henry Fonda and Toshiro Mifune and why?

Calvin Law said...

I'd love one for Jenkins in Step Brothers too.

Luke Higham said...

Robert & Calvin: Me too.

Mitchell Murray said...

(Deiner) Personally I haven't seen or heard of the vast majority of those movies. Mamma Mia is a movie I'd rather not revisit, and Zack and Miri was an OK comedy with a decent performance from Banks.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Which Hackman roles could you have seen Cagney in?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: For Film Thoughts:
Kingdom Of Heaven

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your 2010s cast and director for 2010s Catch Me if You Can?

Anonymous said...

I would have preferred 1957 instead of 2008, but whatever:
PSH - Synecdoche, New York
Mikkelsen - Flame & Citron
Yoon-Seok - The Chaser
Joaquin Phoenix - Two Lovers
Johannes Krisch - Revanche

Unknown said...

Anonymous: 1957 will be the next year.

Unknown said...

Louis: To add to the Supporting Ranking:
James D'Arcy in Dunkirk.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on these movie ideas that never came to fruition:

An Anthony Mann Western adaptation of King Lear;

A John Ford biopic about Major General William J. Donovan with John Wayne playing the role;

A Bogdanovich movie with Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda in the cast;

A David Lean adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Nostromo;

Robert MacFarlane said...

Bryan L:

Frank Jr - Alden Enhrenreich
Carl - Jeremy Renner
Frank Sr. - Michael Shannon
Paula - Marion Cotillard
Brenda - Lily James

Mitchell Murray said...

(Bryan L)

Frank Jr - Ryan Gosling
Carl - John Hamm
Frank Sr - Willem Dafoe
Paula - Marion Cotillard (Sorry to steal yours Robert)
Brenda - Emma Stone

Lezlie said...

Bryan L:

If it was to shoot in 2018:

Frank Jr - Tom Holland
Carl - Kyle Chandler
Frank Sr. - Bryan Cranston (might be a bit too old)
Paula - Julie Delpy
Brenda - Abigail Breslin

Bryan L. said...

Robert, Mitchell, and Lezlie: All of those are good. Could Jason Bateman work as Carl Hanratty as well?

Mitchell Murray said...

Possibly, though I always imagined the actor for Carl with a little more authority. Bateman's been intimidating before, but it's mostly been something he's had to build on rather than possessing it naturally.

Calvin Law said...

My choices:

Frank Jr - Timothée Chalamet
Carl - Barry Pepper
Frank Sr. - Steve Carell
Paula - Juliette Binoche
Brenda - Zoey Deutch

Anonymous said...

Louis: What actors today most reminds you of Henry Fonda and Toshiro Mifune and why?

Unknown said...

Louis: Red Cliff has 2 parts and the 2nd was released in January 2009. Will you be watching both parts during the 08 bonus round or just the first one.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan L:

Seems pretty well covered, but I'll throw my picks into the ring.

Catch Me If You Can 2018 directed by Craig Gillespie:

Frank Jr.: (Robert's choice)
Carl: Patrick Wilson
Frank Sr.: Michael Keaton
Paula: Sophie Marceau
Brenda: An unknown as Amy Adams was at the time.

Anonymous:

Popeye Doyle
Max Millan
Little Bill
Norman Dale
Royal Tenenbaum

Anonymous:

An Anthony Mann Western adaptation of King Lear - (A believe we got that with Gary Cooper. I'll let you know once I see it.)

A John Ford biopic about Major General William J. Donovan with John Wayne playing the role - (John Ford's war films usually aren't too spectacular however they're usually, I'm sure this would have been fine as well, as probably a sort of gleaming look at the man. I must say his true story is probably worth a more in-depth biopic.)

A Bogdanovich movie with Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda in the cast - (Could have been something fascinating, shame we did not get it. Now all of Bogdanovich's "tribute" films always worked though so it could've still gone either way.)

A David Lean adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Nostromo - (It's a shame we never got a final film from him, though perhaps Lean sort of lost his spark since A Passage to India was not on the level of his other works. This film could have been much the same or even problematic given he cast Marlon Brando was in the cast at the time of his greatest indulgence. Lean had his own reputation though so perhaps he could have gotten him in line. Again the right filmmaker for the material, but maybe not the right time in his career.)

Anonymous:

Well no one really reminds me exactly of Mifune today, he was one of a kind, the closest I would say are Tom Hardy, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Choi Min-sik in terms of their type of physical intensity, and certain chameleon quality within the physicality of their performances.

For Fonda, well Peter Coyote vocally but he's not doing too much these days. In terms of presence I'd say Tom Hanks, who I feel is more akin to Fonda, despite the general view that he's more like Jimmy Stewart, which I disagree with to a certain extent.

Luke:

Again if the parts of a film had two distinct separate releases, as in more than just say a specialized over a few days style of screening, it counts as two separate films. I may watch both, we'll see, but Part 2 would go under 09 rankings.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: That's what I thought. I don't mind if you only watch the first part for now.

Bryan L. said...

Calvin: Inspiring choices. Idk if Chalamet could pull it off though, since he seems to be more of the introverted type from what I've seen.

Louis: Speaking of Patrick Wilson, what are your thoughts on him as an actor? And some past film roles for him? I could see him being the type of actor who would excel in Westerns.

John Smith said...

Brad Renfro gives an amazing performance in 'Bully'. I couldn't believe how great he was. I hope i win a prediction so i can request him.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Wilson is an actor who I feel has recently starting coming into his own as a performer. His early work actually isn't bad, but perhaps a little middling. Then again to be fair his performance in a thankless role is one of the better elements of Phantom of the Opera, and his work in Watchmen and Little Children is decent. He's still given a thankless role now again, The Founder probably that Liam Neeson on a train movie, however when given the chance to explore the role a bit more he's been pretty consistent. In Fargo, Stretch, and Bone Tomahawk (a western) he's proven himself a more than capable leading man with a low key charm and particularly notable in his ability to exude an understated warmth. He seems to have come to understand his presence and really his work in substantial roles has only gotten better. Also to further answer that anonymous's question, he's got sort of a Henry Fonda quality as well.

Holly Martins (The Third Man)
Chief Brody (Jaws)
Gil Carter or Donald Martin (The Ox-Bow Incident)

Mitchell Murray said...

Wilson's been okay for me. He's usually been the least memorable part of whatever film he's in, but at the same time he's still an entirely decent actor. And while he doesn't have nearly the same star power, I think he does bare an eerily resemblance to a young Paul Newman.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on studio meddling.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I saw Annihilation. I liked it better when it was called Arrival.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on Brigsby Bear and the cast.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Top 3 Tommy Wiseau acting moments? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the Silicon Valley season 5 trailer.

Mitchell Murray said...

(Robert) I understand there different stories bit I got that "Arrival" vibe as well when I first watched the trailer.

Thoughts on the cast?

Robert MacFarlane said...

Mitchell: Honestly the acting was pretty bad all around. Portman fared the best, and even she had her iffy moments. Isaac was shockingly awful. I guess I did like Tuva Novotny, but she ended up short-shifted.

Mitchell Murray said...

Christ really.. Based on the cast I'd at least expect them to deliver in that regard. Portman seemed to be taking her career in a new direction too, so thats more unfortunate.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

I rather enjoyed the film mostly for the realization of the titular character and concept to how it relates to the central character. That not only has a genuine unpredictability to it, but it also manages to realize something inspiring out of something potentially very disturbing in a naturalistic fashion. I will say the film sort of goes on a bit of Indie autopilot at times, mostly in the third act, but it's pretty effective sweet film for the majority of it.

Mooney - 4(Mooney successfully treads a very fine line here in portraying the stunted man here. In that he is always very much on this tight rope between endearing or creepy, entertaining or annoying. He manages to allude to those latter things though only in the context of portraying the mental state of the man however he manages to stay firmly in the former in the overall presentation of the character. He does thing by finding the right energy and earnest attitude even in the character's more problematic thinking by always reinforcing the idea that this is essentially a boy who has done nothing wrong except love a very odd "children's show".)

Hamill - 3.5(Well on the voice acting side he is impressive as to be expected whether it is whipping out a bit of light Joker or his gentler, strange yet still whimsical work as the titular bear. Hamill though in his live portions though brings a real warmth in his performance though with enough of something being slightly off about his work to suggest his character's past before it is even revealed. It is effective work though as he manages to make sense of his character's good yet horrible intentions.)

Kinnear - 3.5(He's more than fine as just being a straight forward caring cop. He's downright hilarious though in his moments of revealing the character's adamant passion towards acting whenever it springs up.)

Walsh - 3.5(Walsh manages his arc rather well by portraying the right type of unease yet initial earnestness to connect to his son. He loses it though naturally in portraying a genuine inability to understand, but slowly finds that concern again in a very natural way making his arc one of the more moving aspects of the film.)

Watkins/Adams - 3(They are both fine Watkins in being completely genuine warmth while Adams bringing a slightly compromised warmth. The two though are granted far less emphasis and screentime than their onscreen husbands though.)

Anonymous:

1. Go home with me - The Disaster Artist
2. "I think you should leave right now Mark" - The Room (just the exact few seconds he says that line.)
3. Dead Johnny - The Room

Although I hear "Best F[r]iends" could potentially fill out this list.

Tahmeed:

Looks amusing enough to be sure, although the loss of Erlich is most unfortunate. What I'm worried about though is the story turning its wheels again, since nothing really happened last season, and the actual growth in the story is what made the series stand out.