Monday 10 June 2019

Alternate Best Actor 1963

And the Nominees Were Not:

Michael Redgrave in Uncle Vanya

Laurence Olivier in Uncle Vanya

Patrick McGoohan in Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow

Gunnar Björnstrand in Winter Light

Peter Breck in Shock Corridor

Alberto Sordi in Il Diavolo

Predict those five (Redgrave from Vanya for prediction purpose),  these five (Shaw from The Caretake for Prediction Purposes) or both

Robert Shaw in The Caretaker

Donald Pleasence in The Caretaker


Steve McQueen in Love With a Proper Stranger

Burt Lancaster in The Leopard

Maurice Ronet in The Fire Within

Marcello Mastroianni in The Organizer

114 comments:

Anonymous said...

My name is Angus Morgan and my rankings are:

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Sordi
4. Breck
5. Redgrave

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Ronet
4. McQueen
5. Mastroianni

Bryan L. said...

1. Bjornstand
2. Breck
3. McGoohan
4. Redgrave
5. Sordi (I'm getting Servillo in The Great Beauty vibes from this)

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. McQueen
5. Ronet

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your 80s and 90s cast and director for The Losers? And your thoughts on the Expendables films as missed opportunities?

Calvin Law said...

I’ll do my predictions in a bit.

Louis: what are your thoughts on the introduction to the Tullys (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aviRWrUxHg) and Catelyn's heart to heart with Blackfish (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A6BCgP3zmA&t=).

Anonymous said...

Fuck Louis Morgan! So does it mean that the next year of reanalysis is going to be around October or November? This is shame!

Calvin Law said...

Anonymous: Excuse me? What are you on about.

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: Calm down. There's no rush here.

Plus, more films are made nowadays than back in the 60s and are obviously easier to get ahold of, so the 2010s bonus rounds will naturally be a bit more extensive.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Anonymous: Sod off, troll. We have no tolerance for that nonsense in these parts.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis: Any chance 1983 can be the next 80’s year you reanalyze? I really want to read your review of Keith Gordon in Christine. I’ve come around on it being my favorite Stephen King horror performance after Kathy Bates in Misery.

GM said...

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Sordi
5. Breck

1. Lancaster
2. Ronet
3. Shaw
4. Mastroianni
5. McQueen

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Been looking to see The Leopard for a while now. Had it for about a year, but my schedule has been very hectic.

I have been obsessing over the music, though.

Razor said...

1. Bjornstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Sordi
5. Breck

1. Ronet
2. Lancaster
3. Shaw
4. Mastroianni
5. McQueen

Matt Mustin said...

Anonymous: I don't even understand what your complaint is, but get lost with that attitude.

Matt Mustin said...

1. Bjornstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave (although apparently it's just a filmed version of the play, so I don't know...)
4. Breck
5. Sordi


1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. McQueen
4. Mastroianni
5. Ronet


Guesses, all.

Anonymous said...

Louis, Wouldn't Binoche be 2nd or 3rd for 2013 Lead since you seem to have a more positive view of her performance than even Dench Or Bullock.

And would you rank Mara 3rd, 4th or 5th and has Cate Blanchett gone up for Blue Jasmine.

Luke Higham said...

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Breck
5. Sordi

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. Ronet
5. McQueen

2-5 could go either way. Björnstrand and Lancaster should easily win their lineups.

And my request is Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: With the 2013 Supporting overall, you forgot to add Joel Edgerton in The Great Gatsby.

Bryan L. said...

Matt: "Guesses, all"

Hhmmm I'm starting to think Louis purposefully omitted Olivier from the actual prediction contest just to throw us off...

Emi Grant said...

Not gonna lie. Don't have much of a clue here. Though, I've been meaning to watch Shock Corridor for about half a year now.

1. Redgrave
2. McGoohan
3. Breck
4. Bjornstrand
5. Sordi

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Ronet
4. McQueen
5. Mastroianni

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Though you have 4 Lead requests for 2001, I only want a lineup of 5 plus Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko.

Anonymous said...

Louis, did you watch Behind the Candelabra.

Anonymous said...

1. Bjornstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Breck
5. Sordi

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. McQueen
4. Mastroianni
5. Ronet

I could see The Leopard getting the cinematography, costume design and art direction awards for this year.

Luke Higham said...

Films To Watch
This Sporting Life (Possible Upgrade for Richard Harris)
The Haunting
The Big City (Satyajit Ray)
Hands Over The City (I have Steiger in Supporting)
Lord Of The Flies
Dr. Crippen (Donald Pleasence)
Paranoiac (Oliver Reed)
Le Doulos (Melville)
Black Sabbath (Mario Bava/Boris Karloff)
A Woman's Life (Hideko Takamine/Tatsuya Nakadai)
The Haunted Palace (Roger Corman/Vincent Price)
The Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis)
Contempt
The Demon
Scorpio Rising (Kenneth Anger)
Donovan's Reef (John Wayne)
The Insect Woman
Bay Of Angels (Jeanne Moreau)
The Raven (Price/Karloff)
X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes
Judex
Muriel
An Actor's Revenge
The Thirteen Assassins
The Whip And The Body (Bava/Christopher Lee)
The Third Shadow Warrior
The Damned
McLintock!

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Anonymous: What are you even complaining about? This blog is only for civil discussions on films of all eras, and that attitude of yours is disgusting.

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: I concur, completely uncalled for. Louis does have a life to live outside of writing this amazing blog which has taken a near decade of work and a growing amount of readers to satisfy and entertain. I'm grateful for what he's done so far.

Also, the list for 2013 was much longer than the one for 63 so it's understandable why it took 3 months when you take into account the TV viewings such as Game Of Thrones, Deadwood, Fosse/Verdon, Barry and Chernobyl.

RatedRStar said...

I love these kind of years, Hidden Gem City =D.

I really did not like Shock Corridor when I saw it the first time, I think it has dated quite badly, especially its portrayal of Nymphomaniacs.

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Sordi
5. Breck

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. McQueen
5. Ronet

RatedRStar said...

Was anyone expecting Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow to be a Horror film, I was lol, turns out its more like Robin Hood.

Luke Higham said...

RatedRStar: When I first heard of it, I actually thought it would be a bit similar in nature to The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow.

Jack said...

1.Björnstrand
2.Redgrave
3.Breck
4.Sordi
5.McGoohan

1.Lancaster
2.Shaw
3.Ronet
4.McQueen
5.Mastroianni

Anonymous said...

Everyone, your rating predictions.

Luke Higham said...

Redgrave - 4.5/5
Olivier - 4.5/5
McGoohan - 4.5/5
Björnstrand - 5
Breck - 4
Sordi - 4.5

Shaw - 5
Pleasence - 4.5/5
McQueen - 4.5
Lancaster - 5
Ronet - 4.5/5
Mastroianni - 5 (I have a feeling this maybe his greatest performance)

Maciej said...

1.Redgrave
2.Bjornstrand
3.Breck
4.Sordi
5.McGoohan

1.Shaw
2.Lancaster
3.Ronet
4.McQueen
5.Mastroianni

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Your top ten Blackadder moments.

Louis: Your thoughts on the visual effects from Jason And The Argonauts.

Calvin Law said...

Luke:

1. 'Good Luck Everyone' - Blackadder Goes Forth
2. Court Martial - Blackadder Goes Forth
3. How did the war begin - Blackadder Goes Forth
4. The Scottish Play - Blackadder III
5. Bullet with name on it - Blackadder Goes Forth
6. Pitt the Younger - Blackadder III
7. 'Where's my pressie?' - Blackadder II
8. Writing love letter - Blackadder III
9. Baldrick's war poetry - Blackadder Goes Forth
10. The Firing Squad - Blackadder Goes Forth

BRAZINTERMA said...

1. Björnstrand
2. Redgrave
3. McGoohan
4. Breck
5. Sordi

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. Ronet
5. McQueen

BRAZINTERMA said...

Who do you think will be the next ones not nominees for best supporting actor in the reanalysis for the year 2014? Because Gary Poulter (Joe) as the best of the year, come on!

Emi Grant said...

Brazinterma: Well, I'd assume some of the requests will be there (whoever is supporting, of course).

Personally, I'm hoping J.K. Simmons takes that first spot. Other than that, I'm not sure who could potentially appear.

Luke Higham said...

Emi Grant: Sam Claflin in The Riot Club

Emi Grant said...

Luke: Sounds interesting. Is he supporting, though?

Luke Higham said...

Emi: He verges on co-Lead on occasion but the film focuses more on Max Irons character.

Bryan L. said...

RatedRStar: I thought it was a horror film as well. Or at least a parody of one XD

Emi Grant said...

Luke: Oh, well. I'll try to check it out sometime.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Your Top Ten Jeremy Irons performances, along with ratings?

Álex Marqués said...

I strongly suggest Nelsan Ellis in Get On Up for 2014. He does a lot with so little, and it's a criminally underrated performance.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: do you think Noah Taylor could’ve been another great choice for Littlefinger? Though I did like him a lot as Locke.

RatedRStar said...

Louis: Can I ask what are your thoughts of the special effects in the films that you said were the weakest winners of the visual effects Oscar?

RatedRStar said...

There is also such a drastic change between the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Marooned.

Charles H said...

We could end up with a lot of fives this line up.

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Breck
5. Sordi

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. Ronet
5. McQueen

Mitchell Murray said...

Interesting question for everyone here; What are some of the most off kilter, yet bizarrely amusing/awesome nominations the oscars have ever given, in any category?

For instance, I always laugh when I think that South Parks "Blame Canada" got a best original song nod.

To a lesser extent, I'd also consider acting nominations for atypical performances to be valid here Ex, Robert Downey Jr for "Tropic Thunder" and Sigourney Weaver for "Aliens", as both are the kinds of genre performances the academy has regrettably overlooked most of the time.

Matt Mustin said...

Mitchell: As recently as last year, "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" getting nominated was AWESOME.

Bryan L. said...

Mitchell: Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids. I like to think people must've been surprised that "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" wasn't her first.

I wouldn't call it "awesome", but I think it was an inspired nomination though.

Charles H said...

Mitchell: Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out comes to mind, the other 4 performances nominated along with him are exactly what you would expect to see in the category, Kaluuya was a awesome standout.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Mitchell: My favourite Oscar nomination in that vein is Pat Morita's in The Karate Kid. That film is not Oscar bait at all, and it was absolutely awesome to see that one of the all time great mentor roles got recognized.

Emi Grant said...

Mitchell: I personally really like Philip Seymour Hoffman's nomination for Charlie Wilson's War. I absolutely love his character and his first scene and the fact that it was nominated just makes it better for me.

Michael McCarthy said...

I’ve gotta admit, I was really happy when Man or Muppet got nominated for Best Song.

ruthiehenshallfan99 said...

Louis: May I have your Top 10 Bette Davis performances?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Just one more exam day after tomorrow, and I'll be done with my IGCSEs. I am so relieved.

Anonymous said...

Louis: You know, another thing I think really adds a lot to Stockwell's performance in Blue Velvet is how he uses his eyes and the way he talks, wouldn't you agree?

If Lumet had directed Death Wish and shot it in black-and-white (I've read it somewhere that he wanted it to shoot it that way), who would have you picked for cinematographer?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous: There's no need to be hostile to Louis. Be more civil.

Luke Higham said...

Bryan:
1. Dead Ringers (5)
2. Reversal Of Fortune (5)
3. Brideshead Revisited (5, I'd like to rewatch it soon)
4. The Mission (5)
5. Elizabeth I (4.5/5)
6. The Borgias (4.5)
7. Moonlighting (4.5)
8. The Hollow Crown (4.5)
9. The French Lieutenant's Woman (4.5)
10. The Lion King (4)

Apologies for the delay, the Internet broadband device in my house expired and has to be replaced.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: No worries, and thanks!

Tahmeed: Good luck!

RatedRStar said...

Tahmeed: Good luck!!!

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: I agree, in regards to Stockwell in Blue Velvet. Stockwell himself said that he was just imitating Carol Burnett lol.

As for cinematographer, I'd go with Michael Chapman.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Also, I know you're a big fan of wrestling. Your thoughts on Chris Hemsworth playing Hulk Hogan?

Calvin Law said...

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Sordi
5. Breck

1. Shaw
2. Mastroianni
3. Lancaster
4. Ronet
5. McQueen

Shaw is the only one I’ve seen and he’s brilliant.

houndtang said...

Do you think you are ever going to run out of performances to review? :)

Emi Grant said...

Louis: Have you ever given your thoughts and ratings on the cast of Girl, Interrupted? If so, where can I find them?

Bryan L. said...

Emi: Here you go

http://actoroscar.blogspot.com/2014/09/alternate-best-supporting-actor-1983.html

Mitchell Murray said...

Bryan: Yah, those would more or less be my thoughts on the "Girl, Interupted" cast, though I might even be tempted to go lower for Ryder and higher for Jolie. To be honest, I'm usually hot or cold for those two actresses; Both have been quite impressive ("Stranger Things" and "Changeling", for instance), yet also kind of terrible ("Alien Resurrection" and "Alexander", to name only a few.)

Emi Grant said...

Thanks, Bryan.

Mitchell: Well, I'd also go higher on Jolie. Might need to re-watch to be sure on Ryder. For the most part I actually liked the film, though I do feel it goes on a bit too long.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

80's Losers directed by John McTiernan:

Clay: Burt Reynolds
Roque: Samuel L. Jackson
Aisha al-Fadhil: Maria Conchita Alonso
Jensen: Mickey Rourke
Porteous: Robert Townsend
Sanchez: Sonny Landham
Max: Donald Sutherland

90's Losers directed by Andrew Davis:

Clay: Harrison Ford
Roque: Keith David
Aisha al-Fadhil: Salma Hayek
Jensen: Val Kilmer
Porteous: Damon Wayans
Sanchez: Raoul Max Trujillo
Max: James Woods

All three Expendables simply could've been truly entertaining forays into the action genre. They though nearly completely fail to find a any balance in tone between the winking while trying to be a genuine action film. Their largest failure though is the meaninglessness of the action scenes. They just are there and have no purpose, or direction. Compare each of the films to Fury Road or Fallout, and you see what can be done with the idea of an action sequence. Imagine that, with 80's throwback humor and heroes and there could've been something special.

Calvin:

As you mentioned the Tully's scene is a particularly effective and swift introduction to the incompetent swagger of Edmure, and the pure uncompromising badass that is the Blackfish. Love the touch of the sort "boy" Robb coming out in his brief chuckle in the comedic funeral that establishes both Tullys with such ease.

The second scene is a great contrast to that though, with Clive Russell being one of the great unsung, somewhat underutilized, performances in the series, offering the real heart of the loss so beautifully realized in both Fairley's more overt heartbreak, and Russell's quiet yet still poignant more distant loss. Russell having a great moment in there bringing such a powerful warmth and concern of an Uncle in supporting her, that grants complexity past that of the cool curmudgeon.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

I wouldn't mind doing that.

Anonymous:

I'm pretty positive on all of them, but yes, I forgot to rank the list, Binoche would be #3, Mara is 4th, Dench 5th. Blanchett is the same.

Anonymous:

Yes I did.

Luke:

Jason and the Argonauts's visual effects of course have a specific style to them yet do work so well even with a degree of separation from reality. There is a definite charm and still effectiveness in the work though, especially the skeletons, and of course Talos which is a marvelous grand creation. This with the additional work of creating the "size" of the creatures, where that work actually probably holds up the most, though even the least of the creations (the harpys) still have that charm.

RatedRStar:

King Kong (76) - (Ape looks phony, without a hint of charm, and the scale just is quite frankly shoddy compared to the other Kongs)

Doctor Dolittle - (What are the effects, the obviously fake animals among the real ones? I guess so. And well the Push Me Pull You looks as convincing as a stage horse costume, and the snail looks as lifeless as a prop.)

Forrest Gump - (The integration was handled better 10 years earlier by Willis and Allen with Zelig. The mouth moving addition looks hideous quite frankly)

Earthquake - (I'll grant it has some decent matte paintings, however a lot of the work, particularly the miniatures looks just like that, and quite goofy to be honest. The effects are dated, but without even a charm to them.)

The Poseidon Adventure - (The same for this film, though less so in comparison to Earthquake, some effects work, but again many look pretty goofy.)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - (I still stand baffled by how many were impressed by the effects here. It still looks like a hideous CGI face glued onto people, rather than any notion of a real person there.)

Mitchell:

Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda is always the ultimate answer for me, as it is a completely broadly comic turn (not a hint of a drama to be found in it) and he not only was nominated, he won.

houndtang:

Well technically I won't, since there is always another year of film.

Calvin:

Yes most definitely, though I'm glad he played Locke since I didn't know he had that in him quite frankly.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Who would you have chosen to direct the Expendables films? And your 70s cast and director for The Losers as well? I could see McQueen or Eastwood as Clay, and maybe Redford for Jensen.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: And who would you have cast for Max instead of Jason Patric? The character is a walking cliche, but you indeed still need a performance for it. Maybe Matt Dillon?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Björnstrand
2. McGoohan
3. Redgrave
4. Breck
5. Sordi

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. Ronet
5. McQueen

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Well since Losers was the tone I guess Sylvain White.

I actually think Patric is entirely the problem there. Yes the part is "I'm a villain" however it is easy to imagine a Woods or Sutherland pulling that off with ease. It just takes someone to be charismatic and to go big but not too big. Patric went ridiculous, yet also didn't seem to care either.

I could see Matt Dillon pull it off, Liev Schreiber or maybe the rich man's Jason Patric, Billy Crudup.

70's The Losers directed by Don Siegel:

Clay: Clint Eastwood
Roque: Carl Weathers
Aisha al-Fadhil: Isela Vega
Jensen: Gary Busey
Porteous: Richard Roundtree
Sanchez: Robert Blake
Max: Bruce Dern

Anonymous said...

Louis: your top 20 tilda swinton acting moments

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your rating and thoughts on Babak Karimi and Farid Sajadhosseini in The Salesman? I know the former is in the Results for 2016, but I can't seem to find your thoughts on either.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Do you watch Netflix's Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj? I've seen a fair bit of it lately, and I've enjoyed it a lot.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Behind The Candelabra and ratings & thoughts on the cast.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Kristofer Hivju and Owen Teale's performances in Game of Thrones.

Razor said...

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Alice Englert in Ginger & Rosa and your thoughts on Tangerines as a film?

Luke Higham said...

Bryan: I'm not a fan of it nowadays but a good choice for Hogan.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the Doctor Sleep trailer.

Emi Grant said...

Is that a new shot I see in the background?

Robert MacFarlane said...

1. Björnstrand
2. Redgrave
3. McGoohan
4. Sordi
5. Breck

1. Lancaster
2. Shaw
3. Mastroianni
4. Ronet
5. McQueen

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Could you do Björnstrand and Lancaster last out of their lineups.

Matt Mustin said...

Louis: What are your thoughts on the screenplay for Zodiac?

Luke Higham said...

Michael McCarthy: Once you give your predictions, could you also give your ratings for the performances as well.

Calvin Law said...

Season 4 Game of Thrones I actually think I had a fair few issues with, more so than the previous seasons. Some pretty tone-deaf scenes, I thought Jamie/Cersei was pretty muddled in parts though maybe intentionally so and THAT scene was probably the low point of the season, plus a few pretty underwhelming performances (Kate Dickie was ridiculous, Aidan Gillen veered between pretty strong to downright bad, Sibel Kikelli left much to be desired). Having said that pretty much everything was amazing, and it’s equally hard to determine what was the highlight of the season, whether it’s the trial scene, Hound v Brienne, Reek taking Moat Caitlin, Oberyn/Tyrion, The Mountain and the Viper, or the entirety of the Night’s Watch...goes on.

1. Peter Dinklage
2. Rory McCann
3. Pedro Pascal
4. Alfie Allen
5. Charles Dance
6. Sophie Turner
7. Gwendoline Christie
8. Peter Vaughan
9. Maisie Williams
10. Burn Gorman

HMs: Liam Cunningham, Kit Harrington, John Bradley

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: The fookin legend from Gin Alley. Happy to see some recognition for Burn Gorman. :)

Do you intend to see the other 4 seasons or will you watch scenes from youtube instead because Hardhome and Battle Of The Bastards are major highlights for me personally.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: I’m going to watch the other 4 seasons. I’m well aware that some arcs are going to be unfulfilling and pretty much know what’s going to disappoint but I’m also aware that there’s much high points to look forward to as well. I’ll even give Season 8 a go since honestly if anything this is an interesting series to decipher not just in terms of content but analysing people’s reactions to it.

Also, my top 10 overall performances thus far midway:

Alfie Allen
Charles Dance
Peter Dinklage
Michelle Fairley
Liam Cunningham
Gwendoline Christie
Maisie Williams
Mark Addy
Lena Headey (though the writing concerns me a bit)
Conleth Hill

Bryan L. said...

Dicaprio exits Nightmare Alley. Bradley Cooper in talks to replace him.

Anonymous said...

Louis: I don't know if you've rewatched Beast Wars after all these years, but someone told me that one of his problems with the show is that every actor is incapable of subtlety (saying that they ham it up all the time). Think that's an exaggeration? I personally think it is. This person has gone on record as saying that he can't take the voice actors in Beast Wars seriously because they work on My Little Pony, a kiddy show.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Swinton:

1. Punishment - Snowpiercer
2. Final deal - Okja
3. Ending - Julia
4. Failing to make a deal - Michael Clayton
5. Killing Aslan - Chronicles of Narnia
6. Apology not accepted - Snowpiercer
7. Company speech - Okja
8. Going to hell - We Need to Talk About Kevin
9. Meeting back with Mitch - Julia
10. Sisters meet up - Okja
11. Conspiring - Edward II
12. Preparing for a meeting - Michael Clayton
13. Arriving at the school - We Need to Talk About Kevin
14. The Ancient One's final moments - Doctor Strange
15. Realizing the situation - Julia
16. Something "Good" to eat - Snowpiercer
17. Meeting Kevin again - We Need to Talk About Kevin
18. Running into his "wife" - Suspiria
19. One Sister then the other - Hail, Caesar
20. Shrug - Snowpiercer

Bryan:

Karimi - 3(I thought he was solid enough in a pseudo "supporting" supporting role. He offers just an honest presence, but not much more is asked of him than that.)

Sajahosseini - 4.5(The only reason he wasn't in the lineup because I couldn't track down who played the role of the "man" when I made the list. He's terrific though in an essential performance within the film. This in creating initially as this seemingly just modest, if not somewhat likable, old man with a quiet assurance of disappointment for his son in law. His switch then to this lusty old man is just fantastic in how natural the switch is. He's absolutely great in his silent exchanges throughout the climax as he conveys so much in his eyes of the unease of a man who is always on the edge of believing he's going to be found out. His final reaction though then does manage to find a certain sympathy in portraying the immense shame in his face after Emad's "revenge".)

Tahmeed:

No.

Luke:

I didn't mind Behind the Candelabra which I guess is major praise for a later Soderberg. I will say however I did feel it kind of runs out of steam a bit within the break up as the less Douglas is in it the less compelling it does become.

Douglas - 4.5(I mean his performance is pretty remarkable in the fact that he doesn't come off as a complete joke here, and quite frankly he should. The thing is though he manages to find just the right tone in the extreme extravagance of his portrayal of Liberace that balances a humor from this ridiculousness without becoming a full blown caricature. He certainly plays into the man's mannerisms however he finds the right balance within them to grant a needed depth even when this is just largely an entertaining performance. Douglas though suggests a more complex character than we are even allowed to see in portrayal that manages to find a balance between the man and the performer, even though the film itself doesn't stress this that much. It's great work that I think honestly could've been expanded a bit as he's nearly supporting in the film.)

Damon - 4(The true lead without a doubt of the film and I can't help but feel he was trying hard to channel Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Night here. I will say that Damon doesn't entirely fail in this approach as he does find comedy but with pathos in portraying the thick headed boy toy. He doesn't reach the height that Wahlberg managed to find as Diggler, but Damon gives a fine attempted recreation of sorts of that performance.)

Lowe - 4(Lowe is fantastic in creating such a marvelous grotesque character, and like Thank you For Smoking does a sleaze salesman so well. Here again with such a hilarious satirical bent that is certainly aided by his appearance, however Lowe plays into that beautifully.)

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

No.

Hivju - (His performance is a bit of a strange one in what he has to deal with in the series. He's to be sure completely dialed in bringing this rough charisma with a real hard edge in his manner and deliver. He underlies it with just enough of a warmth, though only a hint of it. He makes Tormund though a man of the wilderness...for the first 5 seasons. Then he becomes basically a sitcom character as written. I'll give Hivju all the credit though for having comedic timing, and still being entertaining even if he becomes a completely different character by the end of the series. This as he becomes more teddy bear than grizzly bear. He's honestly good as the teddy bear, which is as written, but the leap is a bit much.)

Teale - (One of the best voices of the series. His way of delivering "Lord Snow" and "Lord Commander" with such steely disdain is simply wonderful. He's terrific in his original function as either the jerky police captain or the mean drill sergeant. In he brings the right venom, but does underline it with a certain hard bitten pathos. His first season moment of reflecting on the last winter is excellent as he grants a real pain within the cold man, that while it doesn't make him a good man per se it grants him depth. This is as he naturally expands the character every chance he gets. He makes his speech in season 4 genuinely heroic as he shows such a real passion for his duty in that battle. Even in his final scene with Jon, he grants an honesty to his final words that aren't of a coward but rather of a man dying for what he believed in.)

Razor:

Englert - 3(Despite being one of the central pair her performance is limited by the perspective of the character. She is always at a certain distance though she certainly does some fine work in this regard. We only are granted the glimpses as even in the later moments it is far more in regards to Fanning's reaction to her often unseen behavior than what we see of Englert. She's good but very limited.)

Tangerines is a moving little film. It has some terrific atmosphere with such a powerful sense of place within the area we see. It creates within that such a quiet story about really finding the humane within a time of the inhumanity. This largely though in its moments of just camaraderie in conversations more so even then it moments of trying to confront conflict by avoiding, though those are certainly well done as well.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

Well they were playing HARD into that Kubrick Shining imagery, more so than I expected they would, though I think it could be mostly a marketing maneuver. I'll say though this kind of overshadowed the film they were actually selling, that looked fine however was easy to forget in all the callbacks.

Matt:

One of the all time great procedural films, if not the greatest. The screenplay though is only a facet of this as James Vanderbilt isn't exactly a masterful screenwriter. The screenplay is of course strong in terms of creating that fantastic structure of the film, that tells the horror the story, the complexity of it, while also remembering the characters within it and the time frame of it all. All the scenes are there in the script, though a few trimmed either in the edit or before they were shot by Fincher. Vanderbilt's limitation though are evident in that all touches beyond the setup of a scene and the dialogue, are Fincher. There's very little detail for how the scene should play out in the script. In a way looking at the script you can see the greatness of Fincher's direction as one of the most powerful elements of the Hurdy Gurdy man is not evident. Of course the film's improvement of Vanderbilt's work goes beyond the unsaid. This is as if one compares the dialogue in the script to the film, there is one improvement after another. Some of it is the same, but so much of it is so much better, with such strong punches up in terms of how it informs the characters especially. This isn't to say what's in the script is really bad, but what's in the film is so much better. Even with that a mediocre filmmaker would've made a good film with the original script, however it's an excellent example of how great direction can take that next step to masterpiece.

Anonymous:

Haven't seen it in a bit, but that is an exaggeration. It's the work of an Ingmar Bergman film, or even say Batman the Animated Series, but the work most certainly does have depth that goes beyond caricature.

Calvin Law said...

I was very impressed with Owen Teale for sure in the battle for Castle Black. And agreed on his voice though my favourite voice from the series so far would be a tie between Michael McElhatton and Tom Wlaschiha.

Robert MacFarlane said...

True story: I hurt my throat last week trying to do an impression of Teale because there’s now a Pokémon that looks like See Alliser Thorne.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your...um...thoughts on Darren Aronofsky as a filmmaker?

Michael McCarthy said...

I don’t know if this has been answered already but are the performances in Behind the Candelabra going on the overall ranking? I know it’s a weird situation since it was a TV movie before it was a theatrical release.

Matt Mustin said...

Started watching Boardwalk Empire. Great show, terrific cast and some of the best production design I've seen in any show, to be honest.

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

Louis, Where would you rank Sajahosseini in the Supporting overall.

Luke Higham said...

Happy 27th Birthday Daniel.

I'm now 25.

Bryan L. said...

Happy Birthday to Luke and RatedRStar :)

Enjoy!

Calvin Law said...

Matt: it loses its way a bit towards the end but it is phenomenal in many regards, hope you enjoy it.

Happy birthday Luke and Daniel!!

Luke Higham said...

As it's my 25th birthday today, it's also the 25th anniversary of The Lion King's theatrical release.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Happy Birthday Luke and Daniel! :)

RatedRStar said...

Thank you all, Happy Birthday Luke =D.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on Three Stories scene in Magnolia

Emi Grant said...

Luke, RatedRStar: Happy Birthday to you two!

Luke Higham said...

Thank you guys. :)

Louis Morgan said...

RatedRStar & Luke:

Happy birthday gentlemen.

Bryan:

Well I probably should see more of his early work to make a proper judgment *shudders*.

Anonymous:

I don't mind calling it one of the greatest opening scenes of all time, and though I love the film, I'll freely say the rest of the film doesn't quite live up to its brilliance. This being such a striking way of creating a central theme of chance within the film, each created so richly through PTA's vivid direction, with a different touch for each of these pseudo documentary recreations. These all supplemented brilliantly by Ricky Jay's wonderful narration, who truly has this way with words, that both provides the information makes it compelling, but also offers something enigmatic in it all.