Saturday 28 September 2019

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2001: Paul Bettany & Mark Addy in A Knight's Tale

Paul Bettany did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Geoffrey Chaucer nor did Mark Addy for portraying Roland in A Knight's Tale.

To A Knight's Tale benefit beyond Heath Ledger's charismatic leading turn, is having a wonderful ragtag crew to tag along the way. One of these being Mark Addy's Roland who is loyal to helping Ledger's William Thatcher take him, and his crew to the top in the jousting circuit. The underrated Mark Addy really is here to do some right proper character actor work, and make the most out of whatever he can bring. This in part just giving such a winning and charming turn. This with this natural warmth within his performance that brings such an appropriately assumed friendship within the group. Addy delivers just the right earnest quality in this even in the moments of disagreement, which he portrays with just this genuine concern and care. This also though with the right enthusiasm within seeing his "boy" succeed or at least attempt to do so. This is with at time almost being the sort of "coach" character to Thatcher advising him towards his jousting career. Addy is an expert at really the  digestible type of exposition, where every line no matter how obvious it may be to setting of scene, is given a bit more color thanks to Addy's always spirited delivery. He never just says anything, but adds a nice bit of character in Roland. Of course this is with the needed bit of just the approach of enough cynicism within that as a friend who isn't exactly 100 percent assured of his friend's plan.  This making it so he can underline any given a moment with a bit more than there would be otherwise by offering either a bit in Roland's concern whether it be in a loving way, or more of a friendly bit of doubt.

Paul Bettany is eventually part of the ragtag group as well, but with a bit more "prestige" playing the eventually famous Geoffrey Chaucer evidently in a less successful time as he is initially found nude trudging a foreign country side. This role seems ideal for Bettany as he appears here in really what is just a fun film, for an actor who, for this brief period, would be best known for his more prestigious work. This sort of dynamic one can perhaps be seen at all from Chaucer's clothes, or lack thereof, even as speaks of a man of the highest academic class. Bettany makes it rather abundantly clear from the outset he will be a wonderful delight in his manner as he walks with a seeming purpose, and dictates every line as though he is speaking words towards which will be eventually cherished by all of mankind. This of course while obviously being a man without a single piece of gold to his name. Bettany though brandishes himself with this style of the great writer nonetheless, and is effortlessly entertaining as he ingratiates himself in the crew, for his own financial well being, or at least a decent pair of clothes. This though is partially a front as we see as despite helping Thatcher get into a tourney he also in turn runs up a debt almost immediately. Here though Bettany though is effective in portraying the desperate modesty of the man. This he portrays particularly well with this timidness of a man who hates himself to be in this state of weakness.

Chaucer off course prefers to be a man in his element, and it is most enjoyable to have Bettany in his in portraying Chaucer as a grand orator to "sell" the greatness of William. This being an arc in itself as Chaucer essentially builds up his showmanship throughout the film. An early example in the fighting pits that Bettany delivers with a bit rougher manner, but still a proper sale. Though Addy must be given credit for stealing the moment in his delivery out the side of his mouth the "yeah" to get the crowd going. A moment that apparently was needed during filming to get the non-English speaking crowd of extras going, though the particulars are vague, either way Addy's delivery is nonetheless hilarious no matter the precise context. Before the joust though we get a bit grander bit from Bettany, as Chaucer rallies the commoners rather than the royalty to cheer for royalty. Bettany is terrific in his precise "rabble rousing" delivery as he explains the great "deeds" of William. Bettany is fantastic as a proper storyteller in his moment of raising the spirit of the crowd, but also going quiet to bring them in. Bettany sells the scene magnificently in a combination of a historical recitation and a professional wrestling promo. One shouldn't forget though Addy's reactions in the scene of partial befuddlement and exasperation at Chaucer's way with the "truth".

A lot of what makes this film work as an entertainment though is just being with the characters with Chaucer and Roland being two particularly delightful ones. Bettany often in his more bombastic redirection fitting to Chaucer as he tries to make William into a proper knight, and Addy consistently offering a bit more of a common and modest touch. A enjoyable example of this being his so sincere shyness when attempting to communicate with William's love interest's lady-in-waiting communicating a message. Addy though throughout doesn't waste a reaction shot, or a short line in just making Roland stand out as a funny yet loyal sidekick. Bettany on the other hand is very much there to "steal the show" as the showman that is Chaucer. This eventually climaxing in Chaucer's introduction for William in the final tournament, technically as a time diversion. Bettany lives up to the finale in his grandiose approach where he is soaking up every word both in his overjoyed exuberance at his own confidence but also with such a supreme passion for the man he's calling out. Of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention Bettany's best scene that was left on the cutting room floor initially though restored in the director's cut. This where Chaucer defends William having been placed in the stockade for falsely claiming his status as nobility.  This is truly the highlight of Bettany's work as it is finally Chaucer without any pomp and circumstance to his speech. Bettany delivers it more quietly and with an even greater conviction. This with nearly an emotional breakdown in the moment as Bettany shows the man not selling something, but rather stating without exception an essential truth. It's a powerful moment, that should've been in the original cut. This is as it takes Bettany's work beyond that of just one of the best hype men you could ask for, and reveals this hope for the acceptance of the commoner. Both performances that I mention here are well worth praising with Addy making most of a fairly meager part, and Bettany not wasting a bit of the juicy role that is Geoffrey Chaucer.
(For Addy)
(For Bettany)

46 comments:

Luke Higham said...

Thank you for mentioning that scene and the review was well worth the wait.

Your updated top ten Bettany moments.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I'm really pleased with this review, even though I would probably give Bettany a 5.

Mitchell Murray said...

5) Theroux
4) Gandolfini
3) Holm
2) Bettany
1) Hopkins

Pretty much my thoughts on these two, and I echo Luke in my fondness for Bettany's monologue.

On a different note, I just learned today that Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver are currently shooting a film together - "The Good House" - out in Nova Scotia.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the cinematography of Chinatown. I've read that Stanley Cortez was originally the DP, but quit because of creative differences with Polanski, who wanted a more naturalistic look for the film.

Anonymous said...

Louis, see any other 2019 releases recently.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on these deleted scenes from civil war https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Cg_a3oBbg

Razor said...

1. Bettany
2. Gandolfini
3. Holm
4. Hopkins
5. Theroux

Luke Higham said...

Guys, who do you reckon will be in the top 5 for Leading Actor this year. I think Dafoe, Pattinson and Phoenix are sure things.

Anonymous said...

Louis, your 5 favourite Bettany quotes from A Knight's Tale.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the iconic twist scene from Primal Fear? (https://youtu.be/ah8Vjbs3JsM)

Also, could Norton become your win for supporting that year?

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: your top 20 bruce dern acting moments

Luke Higham said...

I'm not sure about his placement but it's gonna feel so gratifying if Al Pacino gets an overall win from Louis after losing one initially for Dog Day Afternoon to Nicholson.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your favourite Addy line as well. Mine's 'Well the Pope maybe French but Jesus is English'.

Luke Higham said...

1. Gandolfini
2. Hopkins
3. Bettany
4. Holm
5. Theroux

RatedRStar said...

1. Hopkins
2. Bettany
3. Holm
4. Gandolfini
5. Theroux

Mitchell Murray said...

Luke: Dafoe, Pattinson, Phoenix for sure. Maybe DiCaprio, maybe Driver if Louis loves "A Marriage Story".

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I have a feeling that Marriage Story is either going to be a complete hit or miss with Louis.
As someone who admires Adam Driver a lot, I really hope it's good.

Bryan L. said...

Don’t sleep on Adam Sandler for the Top Five, you guys

Luke Higham said...

I think Sandler's more likely than DiCaprio if I'm being honest.

Emi Grant said...

I think we should wait for the film to come out first. Then again, I do believe Sandler and the Safdies will knock it out of the park.

Calvin Law said...

I think we're definitely going to get some wildcard draws for 5's like last year with Cedegren or Coogan/Reilly.

Calvin Law said...

And glad you loved Bettany and Addy.

Bryan L. said...

1. Hopkins
2. Gandolfini
3. Holm
4. Bettany
5. Theroux

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: August Diehl in A Hidden Life would be another wildcard.

Bryan L. said...

Mitchell: Oh, in regards to the film starring Kline and Weaver, I hope they both get some good material to work with, especially for the latter, since it definitely feels like she only does cameos nowadays.

Mitchell Murray said...

Bryan: I mean, you could say the same for Kline too, honestly. It just peaked my interest because of there two previous collaborations, one I've seen and one I've heard good things about.

Also, I've been going over some clips from "Hearts in Atlantis" and "The Mexican"....Gandolfini had more range than he was often given credit for, and Hopkins really should consider working with children again (Shadowlands, anyone?).

Luke Higham said...

Mitchell: Absolutely love him in Shadowlands. :)

Mitchell Murray said...

Louis: What do you make of this speech by Ben Kingsley?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ghOUbIVKU

Emi Grant said...

Louis: Talking about speeches, what do you think of this one by Paul Giamatti?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEzwCF-LGmk

Emi Grant said...

Mitchell: That's quite amusing.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your top ten Ian McShane moments.

RatedRStar said...

Gemini Man predictably is getting poor reviews lol xD

Mitchell Murray said...

RatedRStar: Not surprised. It was a gimmicky premise from the start, and I just didn't feel the ingredients were there to begin with.

Luke Higham said...

Another dramatic failure for Will Smith. 2 flops in a row for Ang Lee, I hope he'll go back to making films in his native language again.

Mitchell Murray said...

I don't that's Lees problem, truthfully. I mean, he has "Brokeback Mountain", and even some notable English language features in his early career like "Sense and Sensibility", or "The Ice Storm".

I think after "Life of Pi" Lee's just become more prioritized as a visual director, in trying to push the limits of technical film making, but its at the cost of memorable stories or characters. I'll grant that he didn't write the screenplays for those three films above, but then again, he also didn't write the scripts for his two latest projects. I don't even think "Brokeback" or "The Ice Storm" are flawless, necessarily, but they do show a director with a beautiful grasp of tone and atmosphere. So hopefully, Lee can find similar projects in the future to get back on track.

Luke Higham said...

Mitchell: I only say that because my favourite films from him were Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Lust Caution.

Mitchell Murray said...

EDIT: *I don't think that's Lee's problem,*

And I can completely understand where your coming from with that.

Bryan L. said...

Will Smith has only had one (1) film be certified Positive on Rotten Tomatoes this decade, and that was Men in Black III.

Going back even further, he hasn't had a film top 70% on there since Enemy of the State...back in 1998.

Mitchell Murray said...

Bryan: Let's also remember that "Ali" and "The Pursuit of Happyness" both sit at 67%.

That does say something about his choice of films, actually. Smith pretty much built his career on genre films and that leading man status of his, despite the wavering quality of said films. And really, he's not that bad of an actor - he actually can be very charming at points - but Smith's unfortunately been placed out of his depth one to many times.

Louis Morgan said...

Luke:

1. Confronting Aubrey - Master and Commander
2. Final commendation - Dogville
3. Self Surgery - Master and Commander
4. Seeing the ship - Master and Commander
5. Defending William - A Knight's Tale
6. Town meeting - Dogville
7. Killing Lennie Taylor - Gangster Number One
8. Final bark - A Knight's Tale
9. Finding her - Dogville
10. Ending - Master and Commander

Mitchell:

That film is from the same team that did the Polka King, which was okay at best, so can't have too many hopes, though Weaver and Kline have shown proper chemistry before so, that could be nice at least.

Anonymous:

Not surprising that Cortez wanted to be more stylistic given his earlier work. I could easily foresee Cortez's approach who likely would've created a more overt noir style within the lighting. John A. Alonzo's more realistic lighting though is also terrific and works particularly in context as this neo-noir that subverts noir expectations. It is worth noting that Alonzo's work, while realistic in the sense it isn't overly stylistic as a typical noir, is an excellent example of quietly using style. This is that there is that dynamic noir lighting to be seen, it is just more naturally done, and it is interesting trick that he manages to pull off noir shots, but in a whole new way. This with unexpected time of day, though still immaculate framing and composition as you'd expect from a noir. I can't say Cortez's work would've been better or worse, but what we did get was terrific and particularly fitting to the film's overall choices, so Polanski probably made the right choice.

Anonymous:

The first is one where I can see why they just shortened the funeral as the film needed to obviously needed to get going, however that was a good scene for Johansson/Steve and Natasha's friendship. It also allowed a bit more development between Steve and Sharon Carter, but given what happened to the latter (aka nothing) in the following films the cutting was for the best. The same for all the others scenes, that are sort of just a bit extra that are not really truly necessary.

Anonymous:

"Nor do I. But they understand us. Well, maybe not you."

"I give to you, the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein"

"To trudge: the slow, weary, depressing yet determined walk of a man who has nothing left in life except the impulse to simply soldier on."

" I will eviscerate you in fiction. Every pimple, every character flaw. I was naked for a day; you will be naked for eternity."

"Funny really, yes, but at the same time a huge resounding no. It's more of an... involuntary vow of poverty... really."

Tahmeed:

Easily the best scene in the film, which lives really mostly in Norton's performance, particularly since it removes the multi-personality twist for the better twist of he's actually just a manipulative psychopath. The scene working most not as Marty figuring things out, but rather Aaron finding it too hard to resist gloating. This made in Norton's performance that just enjoys the glory of Aaron loving his plan coming together, although I do think Gere's reactions in the scene are actually also very much on point to make quite the memorable ending, out what isn't really that memorable of a film overall.

No.

Lucas:

I believe I've covered him before.

Luke:

I'll have to concur on your choice.

Mitchell:

Before I clicked on it, I knew what it was going to be, and it is a rather hilarious bit there from Kingsley.

Emi Grant:

Also hilarious as Giamatti manages the fine line between self-deprecation and awards deprecation, while still coming off as humble.

Anonymous:

I probably should try to finish Deadwood one of these days.

Anonymous said...

Louis: I know that you don't really watch anime, aside from a few anime movies, but could I get your thoughts on the quality of the voice acting on these clips (Japanese and English) of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiJdrYfeBOw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsQ_wETHM-M

So many people have said that English fits this anime better because of its Western setting, which to me, makes no sense.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Could you possibly see The Kid Who Would Be King soon.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your 2010s cast and director for The Conversation and The French Connection?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on the Birds Of Prey trailer.

Mitchell Murray said...

Luke: It could be enjoyable. It also could be rather inconsistent tone wise, based on the trailer, though we've only gotten a small glimpse, of course. Hopefully its a decent enough outing for Harley Quinn but also just a well done film in regards to plot/character. At the very least, I'm hoping they gave Winstead a good part since she looks pretty well cast as Black Canary.

Louis Morgan said...

Anonymous:

Well with only the contexts of those clips I would say that Japanese is more fitting and more effective. I wouldn't say the English is bad however, even if it has some of that broadness that seems to frequently come with dubs.

Bryan:

The Conversation directed by Denis Villeneuve:

Harry Caul: Michael Shannon
Stan: Jimmi Simpson
Bernie Moran: Colin Hanks
Ann: Dakota Johnson
Mark: James Badge Dale
Martin Stett: Kieran Culkin
The Director: Josh Brolin

The French Connection directed by the Safdies:

"Popeye" Doyle: Liev Schreiber
Alain Charnier: Lambert Wilson
"Cloudy" Russo: Billy Crudup
Pierre Nicoli: Vincent Cassel
Henri Devereaux: Mathieu Amalric
Sal Boca: Corey Stoll

Luke:

I'll try.

I thought it looked like a mess quite honestly. I like Winstead and Robbie, but the latter quite frankly grated on me a bit just in the trailer. I hope its great, but from that all over the place bit, I can't say it inspired much hope.