Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: Treat Williams in Smooth Talk

Treat Williams did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, for portraying Arnold Friend in Smooth Talk. 

Smooth Talk follows a teen girl Connie (Laura Dern) exploring her sexuality leading to danger. 

The most concrete danger comes in the form of Treat Williams playing an older man, Arnold Friend who rides around in a convertible with his name plastered on the side. Although he isn't truly important to the film until just before a full hour in, we briefly see Williams as we follow Dern's Connie as she's going around town flirting, though not really quite sure herself when it comes to her precise decisions, but one of her interactions does briefly lead her to interact briefly with Williams's "Friend". Williams doesn't necessarily make an impact majorly one way or another as his character notes "I'm watching you" to Dern's Connie, though Williams delivery could  be inappropriate joking, sleazy, or creepy, however his appearance is merely a brief establishment of the character. A character who returns to the focal point of the last act of the piece, as Connie is home alone when Friend, and another man appear on her front door in broad daylight. This sequence is very much what takes the film to another level, as it is the purest element of the adaptation of the short story the film is based on and where Williams's performance is the essential facet to the success of the entirety of the overall film. Williams's performance is one of those performances where an actor has a mastery of the material where the brilliance of his work is just how easy he makes it all seem. Because there's nothing easy about the role that would be so easy to fall into over the top cliche, or fail to reach the true insidiousness of the character. Williams avoids that but he goes one step beyond because what he manages to do is be both supernatural yet also absolutely real, which is quite the disturbing trick to pull off. 

Initially Williams does seem just a man passing by, where the danger and potential threat bubbles just beneath. As he introduces himself as watching you, and going for a drive, Williams again brings a jovial quality, that he may just be a man inappropriately joking with a young girl, but it won't go further than that. However Williams's delivery of certain words like how he emphasizes and twists to "go for a ride" with sudden euphemism alluding to a disgusting lust of his own that we know that Friend isn't there just to joke around. As the conversation continues, which Connie goes from being intrigued by to terrified by moment to moment, Williams brings this supernatural quality, as he almost seems an embodiment of the devil with this sly smile as he begins to tell Connie exactly what she will do and exactly how much he knows. Williams's smile speaks to anything but happiness or concern for Connie, as the intention behind that smile always is ever present in the viewer's mind. Williams has the titular smooth talk where Williams's confidence is overpowering in a rather disturbing way, because you can entirely see where he would be successful in the way he does intrigue Connie. Williams's presentation of a simple charm, though elements of his performance would theoretically be potentially charismatic, though it's hard to speak of charm in such a situation, there is also an almost omnipresent element within that charisma. When Friend starts to talk about Connie's family being at a barbecue with exact details about what they are doing, Williams makes Friend almost otherworldly in the command of his words where everything he says seems to cut so deeply into Connie's consciousness, and Williams performs it all with such eerie magnetism. 

But as much as Williams makes him the devil, he also makes him the skeevy man he is, who is disturbingly capable in this sickening arena. When he continues to speak to Connie and notes that they'll be "lovers", Williams still speaks with that same easy confidence of broaching the subject, forcing the notion on Connie but with the accentuating in the edges of the line and in his eyes the very clear lustful motivation behind Friend. Although at a certain moment, when his buddy in the car makes a noise, there is a change in the approach and the awful humanity becomes all the more evident. When Williams performs the verbal attacks on the other man, his performance suddenly loses any ethereal quality, and suddenly he's just a very scary man telling his accomplice to stop screwing him with his plan. The immediacy of the viciousness in his delivery Williams makes Friend that much more dangerous because he becomes truly unpredictable. It twists the rest of his performance further as he returns to his calmer voice with his urging towards Connie to let him in and making veiled threats of how things like a screen door won't keep him back. Williams's work becomes that much more oppressive with every word you see the man offering himself but also within every delivery creating the sense of the very real menace that exists making it only a horrid inevitability that Connie will eventually go with him. Williams delivers a terrifying performance here, one that is in broad daylight, with never any on screen violence yet it is one of the most oppressive and menacing performances you'll see. As Williams makes it so, by making it seem so easy in the way he is captivating, where we see him both as a demon from hell where nothing escapes his sight, however never is he less than real in creating the most disturbing of human behaviors. 

RIP David Lynch

Greatest Directing Moments:

Eraserhead:

1. Woman in the Radiator
2. Opening
3. The Child opened.

The Elephant Man:

1. "I Am not An Animal!"
2. Seeing him for the first time.
3. "I didn't teach him that"

Dune:

1. Riding a Sandworm
2. I WILL KILL HIM
3. The Baron Rises. 

Blue Velvet:

1. "In Dreams"
2. Trapped in Dorothy's Apartment
3. Opening

Twin Peaks:

1. Bob's first apperance
2. Possession
3. In the Black Lodge

Wild At Heart:

1. Johnnie's End
2. The Good Witch
3. Bobby Peru's Bank Robbery

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

1. Bob behind the dresser
2. Philip Jeffries
3. Mothers Sisters Girl

Lost Highway:

1. The Mystery Man appears
2. "Glad you're doing okay"
3. WHAT IS YOUR NAME

The Straight Story:

1. The Ending
2. Story about Rose
3. The Bar

Mulholland Drive:

1. Man Behind Winkie's
2. She's the Girl
3. Club Silencio

Twin Peaks The Return:

1. Got a Light?
2. Dopplecooper Interrogation
   
3. Sick Child

TOP TEN DAVID LYNCH ACTING MOMENTS (that can be provided by youtube):

Best Actor Backlog Vol. 6 Results

5. Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing - Gallo give a decent essentially survivalist performance as he reacts to the intense physical gauntlet of his character convincingly. 

Best Scene: In recovery. 

4. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Jack Goes Boating - Hoffman doesn't give one of his best performances but it is expected reliable work from him.

Best Scene: Freak out. 

3. Clive Owen in Trust - Owen is limited by the film's writing however he manages to find some genuine emotion and not go to complete melodrama.

Best Scene: Reconnecting with his daughter. 

2. Alan Cumming in Josie and The Pussycats - Cumming gives a hilarious performance that finds the right tone for his material and just runs with it. 

Best Scene: Thinking about high school revenge. 

1. Tony Leung in In the Mood For Love - Leung gives an absolutely powerful performance built upon the smallest of gestures and moments, that speak volumes within the overall piece. 

Best Scene: Stopping at the door. 

Alternate Best Actor 2000: Tony Leung in In the Mood For Love

Tony Leung did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning CANNES, for portraying Chow Mo-wan in In the Mood For Love. 

In The Mood For Love follows the relationship between two neighbors whose spouses are having an affair with each other. 

The description of that plot is one that may be that for salacious melodrama, which is something severely rejected by Wong Kar-wai's approach to this story. A story that is about little moments rather than big scenes, gestures rather than declarations. The opening sequence we see two new couples moving into a cramped apartment through different doors whose furniture is frequently mistaken for each other's, and we see a matter of fact life of the two central characters of Leung's Chow Mo-wan, and of his neighbor Su Li-zhen aka Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung). The initial scenes like that of the furniture emphasize this all the more, though as much as they are sort of just normal life moment scenes, we are granted the nature of the characters within their lives. We see Cheung's Su going about her life as a secretary and seeing about her husband, whom we only ever hear or see just the brief glimpse of what seems to be his back at some point. The same is true for Chow who we see at his work at closing time, occasionally conversing with his friends, and sometimes seeing after his wife. There is a key within Leung's performance, and perhaps contrasting to what we see in Cheung's performance, where we see more so the discovery of what will be the affair, there are indicators of the awareness of the nature of his wife much earlier on within Leung's performance. Leung has a quiet sombernes in the moments of wherever he is, and Leung creates the sense of a man which is weighing on his mind. When his friend for example notes his wife's prettiness, Leung's reaction is that of a burden in reacting to the thought rather than any kind of comfort to him. 

The affair unfolds around the two, to the point spouses go on "separate" trips leaving Chow and Su alone. One of those little moments of the film coming after this point where separately each go to a food stand to get a meal outside of the comfort of their home and without their spouses, Su picking up a meal and Chow eating at the stand, passing each other with gentle cordiality though no more. And rarely will you see such pain in a man when eating a perfectly fine meal than what is exuding from Leung as he eats his dumpling. Which brings us to the specific nature of Leung as a performer, and his role within the scheme of the film. Leung's performance is extremely minimalistic as he performs the part of Chow as a man who does not appear to wear his emotions on his sleeve in terms of the standard definition, however this isn't a case of a simple repression rather an accentuation on the modesty and withdrawn nature. Leung's presentation is fascinating because he does wear the emotions just not in the way expected, rather much like the film itself his performance is all about the smallness of his performance, looking for the little moments to find the reality of the character. Even in that dumpling moment, his pain is present, but limited, you can see closely in the man, however hidden within the man's modest approach to his existence. 

There is a contrast between the early interactions of Su and Chow, that go beyond just neighborly passive hellos. There is the false version of this where the two discuss the affair their spouses are having and the two essentially decide to do a mock version of the affair themselves. Cheung and Leung's performance here is a little more performative than anything as you see the complicated layers as the two order for each other at a restaurant, since they don't know each other's spouses and pretend to have "an affair" themselves. There's a mix of joy and tension that comes and goes within the expressions of each performer as you see them move between ideas so naturally, of having the fun of playing this pretend as a kind of revenge, that is waved away though at other times as this sadness alludes to their painful situation, but also another quality where in certain glances the intention no longer is pretend but real. Both actors are amazing because as unnatural of a display as it is in some ways, they make it unnatural in creating the performance of it, but so very natural in expressing the underlying emotions that are pushing them into these actions that we see waver between an emotional pain and a connection. Something that only goes so far as we have the key gesture of Chow trying to touch Su's hand, that is fully genuine in Leung's performance. 

The complication of that sequence contrasts strongly by the moments of Su and Chow connecting over their mutual love of martial arts serials. Something that begins as just a friendly interaction of two neighbors sharing their collection of items that they just happen to both love as a diversion. These scenes that begin with just expressing their interest, then progressing to Chow writing his own serials, with support from Su are perhaps the most direct love sequences between them in a most remarkable way. These moments of interaction are indeed without the complication of any affairs, or reaction to betrayals or anything of the ilk, rather each performer just shows two people absolutely loving to share their passion with one another. These scenes are wonderful because neither Leung and Cheung make them complicated in the way they articulated that previous sequence, they just rather are so direct in these moments. The joy in each is just that much honest expression of this, and the joy we see only grows in the way they find each other to love this together so strongly. We see the two without their reserve in these scenes because the two are essentially able to declare their love for one another, just through the calm and ease of their interaction and expressing their passion for the martial arts serial. Something that could sound even silly, yet both actors make it so very real, and really something truly sweet and actualized within the scheme of a film about not taking that extra step, we see each unfettered so poignantly through these casual conversations.

We witness the progression of the relationship through the two contrasting types of scenes of the "play acting" and the writing of the serial, each scene showing that connection in the latter, but in the former both actors are absolutely brilliant in the way we see this way they become both more intense yet more guarded at the same time. The moments between them, which truly are moments of glancing, often not directly looking at one another, or making certain false movements of playing the affair, we see a fascinating reverse in each performance. Leung and Cheung make the internalized attraction between them that much more potent in the glances, yet their body language brings that same intensity as they maintain the defense. The two show the conflicting thoughts of each in every moment and you see both wanting to, needing to take the next step in their eyes, yet creating that physical stiffness trying to protect each other from fully embracing the strange danger of these feelings. The two never make that step more, yet the performers are essential, along with Wong of course, in creating that essential emotional tension that is all about how the string holding back their relationship is so taut it is about to break, with each playing on that very edge of the break without ever going beyond it. The closest instead is only Chow embracing Su, not in loving making, rather just reaffirming hold as she breaks down, that is all about their love even as they still hold back even in this moment. The closing scenes of the film are the two separate again, though all asking about the other, and again the power of Leung's work is what he's doing just within the surface. The pivotal moment being his visiting the apartment building they shared once, and his looking down at Su's old apartment one last time. It is only a couple seconds long, yet tremendous in its impact, because the nuanced expression speaks to such volumes of all that Chow is holding back, wishing for her in the moment but also accepting of the sad silence of his life. The classic final scene, classic in terms of a Wong surprise switch, being Chow visiting Cambodia and performing a ritual of putting something important into a wall with mud. A completely dialogue-free scene but essential within Leung's performance. Because within the scene, Leung's physicality has an openness as you see the revealing his secret to the hole, and in the moment you see that freeness within Leung as admits the truth, though no one can hear it. Leung's work here is a performance I've always liked but perhaps have taken for granted to a degree. A benefit of these reviews is that it forces me to look closer, sometimes that is less favorable but sometimes it reveals much more in terms of what the actor is doing. Naturally, with as modest, subtle and withdrawn as this performance is, Leung's work here is such a performance. A performance that is heartbreaking and intensely emotional, despite not shedding a single tear or raising his voice once. Yet never do you feel disconnected for a moment from Chow's journey, the opposite is in fact the truth, it resonates so powerfully, and while Wong conducts those essential moments to center us on Leung, Leung brings into the fundamental intimacy of this tremendous personal journey. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2001: Alan Cumming in Josie and the Pussycats

Alan Cumming did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Wyatt Frame in Josie and the Pussycats. 

Josie and the Pussycats is a completely enjoyable silly comedic adaptation of comic/cartoon series of the same name, and basically succeeds where the following year's Scooby-Doo failed.

Why that is actually isn't some great mystery, as it basically takes the same overall approach as Scooby-Doo, which is to be both a sendup of the old while also still being the old. The difference is just that the jokes are better and so are the performances. To the point I do question what this film did to the critics who watched as it presents itself as silly fun, is silly fun, what more did they want? Anyway, the element that most realizes this fundamental fun is Alan Cumming, who is always a bit of a broad actor which is ideal for the over the top tone featured in this film. As we open with the presentation of a boy band that is every boy band of the period wrapped together as one and dictated terms by Cumming's Wyatt. Cumming's whole performance is going hard into a purposeful stereotype of the over the top English agent, with such an accent and just overt mannerisms in every choice. Choices that wholly work in this first scene where he's that, while also playing it as though he is a teacher handling some rowdy students as the band argue with one another. Cumming's directions to them being perfectly timed for some comedic gold, particularly his change to an extra stern voice when it seems like one of the band members might continue a conflict. Cumming easily accentuating each little bit of business in this opening. Something that immediately changes when the band asks about something weird in their album, to which Cumming's expression changes from exasperation of wrangling talent to overt evilness in his eyes as he immediately sets up the intended death for the band and literally parachutes off to find a new act to exploit. 

That brings us to the titular Josie (Rachel Leigh Cook) and the pussycats Valerie (Rosario Dawson) and Melody (Tara Reid), whom Wyatt doesn't find for their talent, just his ability to use them as he sees fit. Where Cumming again takes on the over the top agent demeanor as he offers them fame and fortune as though he is indeed narrating about fame and fortune himself. Cumming wonderfully plays around in the scenes with the knowing quality that his character is essentially this supervillain planning on putting them into a Faustian deal. Cumming riffs on the scenes brilliantly by often just accentuation of lines such as explaining why the band need to single out Josie, or whenever they question his swift dismissiveness of them consistently. My favorite bits though are his glances one way or another whenever he is directly alluding to his evil intentions whether that being a knowing glance one way, or just adding the right degree of sinister glee behind a certain line that speaks more so to the truth of his evil. Cumming playfully knows precisely what he is doing at every turn in just finding the hilarity in each bit. He's having the right kind of fun with it as being two types of over the top, villain and agent, and just running with it for some consistent comic gems every time he has pithy one liner delivered with venomous intention or swift side eye denoting his ever scheming nature. 

Cumming delivers a performance that I could just run down every moment to find something enjoyable there, but I'll limit to a few favorites. One where the band comments on former haters loving them now, and Cumming starting with the same phony reassurance that it is just a great part of being famous before noting getting back at one's high school peers usually requires ten year reunions, where Cumming's moment of looking inward for a moment, reliving some personal trauma in his silence for a moment before regaining his composure with a smile is absolutely hilarious. Another such bit when he, and co-conspirator head of the record company Fiona (Parker Posey) both laugh together in their evil scheme, and the two talented actors purposefully chew scenery together in trading their over the top maniacal laughs, and it is pretty glorious. My favorite bit however is when he's trying to isolate Josie from her potential boyfriend, and the other band mates, and to get her to listen to a brainwashing cd to turn her into an egomaniac. Cumming's great in his labored delivery of every lie to set-up that Josie's Alan M. isn't interested, before each time making a phone call to set up the line, with the most obvious immediate call each time, that again Cumming couldn't be more obvious in doing and couldn't be better. Highlighted though by his haughty phony anger when wagging his finger at Josie to cover up his obvious scheming. I'll even give credit to Cumming, and Posey by extension in their selling of a final bit where both villains reveal themselves to be old high school outcasts, a bit that on the whole didn't entirely work for me, but even then I enjoyed Cumming's one last change in his demeanor to suddenly have a extremely insecure American accent and a rather silly hangdog expression. One last bit however that exemplifies the entirety of his work, that knows exactly what film he's in and sells it to its fullest.

Another Year and Another Official Lineup

This year lead actor just seems set to these five, and it is difficult to argue out any of them particularly the top four of Chalamet, Domingo, Brody and Fiennes. All four have films with some other support, all have shown up consistently in precursors so far, it seems right in terms of how the performances fit in their careers, they just seem right. Craig is the easy #5 in terms of predictions mainly because he'd in all likelihood be a sole nominee, and he's one of three A24 has to get in (along with Brody and Domingo). But playing a real person, in an against type performance, after a long career, Craig seems right too, and has shown up most places so far as well. If this is the SAG five there is no reason to doubt it. The only spoilers I can envision at the moment are Sebastian Stan and Jesse Eisenberg. Stan has a problem because both of his performances are well respected and have received recognition leaving him in a strange position. I'd say IF he can show up for just one for SAG then it changes the whole game and he can get backed for that performance but SAG voters would need to makeup their mind so Oscar can. And I'm not predicting that due to his internal vote splitting. Eisenberg I only see if A Real Pain goes further than expected, because he already seems extremely likely for screenplay, maybe producing as well so a third nomination doesn't seem like something voters will feel obligated to do. Furthermore it is the less showy performance than his frauding co-lead, and far less showy than his competition in this category. Anything can happen of course but I do feel very confident in this five even before SAG. 

Supporting on the other hand does feel trickier. Culkin and Pearce seem like very safe bets based on their early support and the support for their films. Washington has only missed, when in contention, for American Gangster, so it is hard to bet against the guy who could get in relatively easily for a Shakespearean performance or could get in for an overall flop like Roman J. Israel, Esq. He has an extremely showy role, and while Gladiator II is unlikely to be a major contender, it will be a contender for a few techs, so he probably won't be a sole nominee. Edward Norton getting enough late ink, along with a Complete Unknown seeming a possible best picture nominee, makes him seem like the veteran supporting actor to get in with his co-star. Helps also that he's the only one playing a real person out of the actors in possible best picture nominees, which is always a boon. Well actually except for Clarence Maclin who is playing...Clarence Maclin a fictionalized version of himself. Something that I do ponder has kept him from getting in a few places and could create enough hesitation to keep him out. As much as he has a great personal narrative, Sing Sing, doesn't seem like it will be a top five contender, maybe could even miss the top ten in the end, so I wouldn't be truly surprised if he loses out. Although I won't fully bet against him even if he misses SAG as I could see a pure passion push potentially still getting him in last minute. Otherwise, hanging around is Yura Borisov, who like Maclin could get in later particularly due to potential overall passion even if he misses SAG. Also hanging around still is like Stanley Tucci, but for him to ride along with Fiennes I think he needed to be a little more consistent already in his appearances so far. Also possible is Jeremy Strong, coming off Succession, a Tony win leading to an Oscar nomination seems like something that could happen, particularly if maybe he and Stan could drum up some momentum together...but I think he could also do it alone. Still being a sole nominee in all likelihood makes me lean away from him. 

Alternate Best Actor 2010: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Jack Goes Boating

Philip Seymour Hoffman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the titular character of Jack Goes Boating.

Jack Goes Boating is Philip Seymour Hoffman's only film he directed about two couples and their growth or lack of growth over time. 

Hoffman himself plays Jack, the male half of one of the two potential couples, as he gets set up by his friend couple, Clyde (John Ortiz) and Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega), with the off-beat Connie (Amy Ryan). The film is very stagy, and attempts non-staginess, as we either get long conversational scenes ideal for stage, off-set by very obvious attempts to not be stagy which unfortunately are mainly musical montages that don't do all that much other than breakup the scenes. Hoffman is a performer I never mind seeing another film from because it means I get to see that much more of an actor who left us all far too young, and that is the case again here in Jack Goes Boating. I like seeing Hoffman as Jack, mainly because I like Hoffman so much, but I wouldn't say this role or this performance is exactly his biggest challenge, in fact I ponder if he chose this material for his attempt at directing because it didn't ask that much of him in the lead role. As Jack he's kind of a Marty type sad sack, who is a little lost in love and otherwise is just a workaday guy who we frequently see somewhat passively move through his life as limo driver. Hoffman was a great actor though, so even in that passiveness Hoffman does bring a sense of the man building this barrier of attempts protection for himself as he deals with questions that make him feel uncomfortable, such as his relationship status, but also being slightly more open when talking about something comforting like his reason for liking Reggae music with his friend Clyde. Hoffman is convincing, and even likable in his modesty that it certainly is believable at a moment's notice. 

The central relationship theoretically is where you think is going to be the big challenge for Jack, but it isn't really that. Hoffman mostly brings this modesty there too in his chemistry with Ryan, who is actually giving a fairly atypical performance from her as a more overt eccentric, and Hoffman often is the facilitator and the giver in these scenes together. Which makes sense as the director, and to Hoffman's credit it is believable in the way he constructs Jack to want to please as he can in a very gentle and humble way. He creates the easy sense of appreciation for the opportunity of the relationship and has a natural chemistry with Ryan by letting her go a bit bigger while he balances that with his smallness most of the time. I write most of the time because the one aspect we do get of Jack that is against the rest of his behavior is when something goes wrong or someone purposefully hassles him. There he will suddenly break out in anger and emotional distress. Something that again, Hoffman plays very well in performing it very much as this release valve of someone who contains too much so when there is something that wounds that state Hoffman reveals that extreme reaction. It doesn't feel like a break in the rest of the man, just a natural aspect of who this guy is and what he has been keeping inside. Otherwise we see Jack prepare to go boating by learning how to swim which Hoffman just plays as a dutiful task in a curious preparation to eventually go boating with Connie as a random dating option the two discussed equally as randomly. All of this doesn't lead to all that much other than one more emotional breakdown as Jack, training with cooking as well, burns a dish and has one more outburst. Again well performed as the man just losing his tight grip, that is though satiated by Connie, which Hoffman delivers as Jack using her calm as a way for Jack to find his bearings again. Hoffman gives a good performance, I liked seeing one more turn from him as always, but a great turn from him this is not.