Friday 29 November 2019

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1999: Harry Lennix in Titus

Harry Lennix did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Aaron the Moor in Titus.

As I mentioned in my review of Anthony Hopkins's lead performance in this Shakespearean adaptation, Titus is a whole lot in every way right down to the original source material that is Shakespeare's most insane play. This requires one to absolutely try to own their space of it then in terms of the acting, which brings me to Harry Lennix. Aaron the Moor initially appears as one of the prisoners taken by general Titus (Hopkins), along with Tamora (Jessica Lange), Queen of the Goths and her two sons. Where Tamora's villainous ways are propelled technically by Titus killing one of her sons, Aaron the Moor is a villain basically because, why not. This idea something that Lennix holds onto, and runs with it, which is the best decision he could've possibly made. Of course as needed for such an approach Lennix reveals a mastery of the Shakespearean verse with the ease of his performance, this to the point he quite nearly sings the part. This making the most as the conspirator in the film whom we are given his direct thoughts as he goes about bringing about Tamora's vengeance. This including his earliest scene of rounding up Tamora's ridiculous sons, this Lennix delivers with an impeccable command in his manner that evokes the control Aaron seizes towards the plan, with piercing eyes with a focus on some specific target of his that is without noble intention.

Now the one argument one can make for his great motivator is his affair with Tamora, however even this Lennix delivers as something Aaron brandishes. This lust not defining his own motivation, but rather just some further enjoyment in his living experience that is that of the fiend. I love Lennix's physical manner in these early scenes where he portrays this calm manner. This that does two things. The first that is that of the man to avoid suspicion as he seems as though he is but an observer, however also in this Lennix offers also a man seemingly in the perfect seat to enjoy the chaos he has wrought. My favorite instance of this being as he encourages Titus to cut off his own hand in order to receive a pardon for his condemned son. Every single one of Lennix's reactions plays beautifully into the absurdity of the situation, however by granting a sense of sinister son. The highlight of this being his sort of sly glance of joy of "here we go"just before cutting off Titus's appendage. Lennix portraying Aaron as basically living his best life in the moment, that brings the needed heightened style really both to the film's style but also really the absurdity of Shakespeare's story as well.

Lennix above all captures a needed sense of fun to the material, which is essential as to take Titus Andronicus too seriously would be as serious of a mistake as writing serious too many times in short succession. This even in the reveal of his affair with Tamora through Aaron's child with her, with Aaron bluntly putting to her unknowing sons that he had indeed "done their mother", which Lennix delivers with a perfect shamelessness. Aaron deeds though eventual do meet their natural end as he becomes the prisoner of Titus's noble son, Lucius (Angus MacFadyen), although Lennix's performance is only just getting started at this point. This as Lennix reveals his "deeds" in order to save his son. Lennix to his credit naturally brings just a bit of sincerity within his expression of concern for his son, and effectively connects that concern as the only humanity the Moor has to offer. Lennix is marvelous as subverts that only humanity instantly as Aaron begins his confession. This instantly with such insatiable glee in every word in describing not only his affair with empress but also the destruction of Titus's family including the rape of his daughter. Lennix delivers each line with such devilish jubilation and such intense venom in every breath. Lennix captures this spirit of evil, not defined by a specific vengeance, but rather this thrill as though this endeavor has been the man's life calling. Lennix is absolutely magnetic throughout his speech of a true misanthrope, as he speaks of his thousand evil deeds with his only regret not committing a thousand more, which Lennix offers with the swagger ill-fitting of a confession however ideal for a boast. Although Titus frequently doesn't work, every moment in which Lennix takes center stage it does. Lennix offering such an entertaining work, which finds the ideal tone for the material, in creating the one fiend in the story who suffers no delusions regarding his fiendish ways.

44 comments:

Calvin Law said...

I know the play isn’t one of Shakespeare’s greatest but Aaron the Moor is such a fascinating character. Glad you loved him.

Aidan Pittman said...

Saw something online regarding The Irishman saying that we weren't meant to forget that those de-aged by CGI were old men. Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your Top 10 Rachel Weisz acting moments

Mitchell Murray said...

1) Reilly
2) Carlyle
3) Lenniz
4) Wong
5) Cole

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

1. Reilly
2. Carlyle
3. Lennix
4. Wong
5. Cole

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Did you prefer Hopkins or Lennix's work in this film.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your Top Ten Actress/Director Dream Pairings?

A couple for me would be...

Olivia Colman/Taika Waititi
Emma Stone/Edgar Wright
Sigourney Weaver/Kathryn Bigelow (I think Bigelow would actually give her something to do instead of everyone just casting her nowadays because they love Aliens)

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Bryan: It'd be amazing to see Stone act in a Wright film. I guess what I'd want to see would include:

Ronan/Scorsese
Robbie/Waititi
McDormand/PTA (I'd love to see this)
Stone/Tarantino

RatedRStar said...

Robert MacFarlane: I agree with you totally on Doug Walker but I don't think I would compare him to RedLetterMedia at all, I don't remember RedLetterMedia bullying or using sexist abuse lol.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

I was wondering, has anyone seen Marriage Story yet, or are we all waiting for the Netflix release next week?

Luke Higham said...

Tahmeed: As far as I know, Omar's the only one.

moviefilm said...

RatedRStar: In the previous post you mentioned, that Ebert wanted Lennix to be nominated. Where did you find it, please?

RatedRStar said...

moviefilm: https://siskelebert.org/?p=7495

I have posted the link above, funnily enough Titus was reviewed on the same show.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Tahmeed: I’m seeing it and The Irishman at a theater sometime within the next few days (spending a week off at my sister’s near the AFI theater). Also, finally seeing Jojo Rabbit and Waves around the same time.

Calvin Law said...

Waiting till Netflix as well.

Bryan L. said...

Tahmeed: I’d love to see those as well. A couple of more for me

Marion Cotillard/David Lynch
Jennifer Lawrence/Jeff Nichols (Get things back on track...for both of them really)
Alicia Vikander/PTA
Florence Pugh/Wes Anderson

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Other films to watch
The Limey (Possible Upgrade for Terence Stamp)
Girl, Interrupted (Re-Watch)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Possible Upgrade for Jude Law)
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (Halle Berry)
Audition
Three Kings
L'Humanite
Kikujiro (Takeshi Kitano)
The Iron Giant (Brad Bird/Love this film)
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
The Blair Witch Project
The Girl On The Bridge (Daniel Auteuil)
Onegin (Ralph Fiennes)
Mansfield Park (Frances O'Connor)
Felicia's Journey (Bob Hoskins)
Ride With The Devil (Ang Lee)
Not One Less (Zhang Yimou)
The Winslow Boy (David Mamet/Nigel Hawthorne)
American Pie
Cruel Intentions
Stuart Little
Dogma
Ratcatcher (Lynne Ramsay)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Wonderland
Tea With Mussolini
Julien Donkey-Boy
The Wind Will Carry Us
The Haunting (Remake)
The Thomas Crown Affair
Any Given Sunday
Arlington Road
M/Other
Solomon & Gaenor
East/West
Taboo (Takeshi Kitano)
True Crime (Clint Eastwood)
The Big Kahuna
The Color Of Paradise
Holy Smoke
Anna And The King (Jodie Foster)
Jesus' Son (Billy Crudup)
Cookie's Fortune (Robert Altman)
King Of Comedy (Stephen Chow)
Charisma
The Muse
Anywhere But Here

Michael McCarthy said...

1. Robert Carlyle
2. John C. Reilly
3. Harry Lennix
4. Gary Cole
5. Anthony Wong

Luke Higham said...

Michael: Your ratings on all 7 performances.

Anonymous said...

Louis, The Iron Giant is a must.

Emi Grant said...

Louis your thoughts on these South Park episodes?

- W.T.F.
- You Have 0 Friends
- You're Getting Old
- Assburgers
- Medicinal Fried Chicken

RatedRStar said...

Luke: My Hong Kong heart felt a tickle when you mentioned Chows King of Comedy lol.

RatedRStar said...

Waves looks like one of those films that have like, one chance at one Oscar nomination otherwise it will get completely snubbed.

Luke Higham said...

Rating and thoughts on Robert Carlyle in Angela's Ashes.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Luke: you could also add to that to that list the movie Go, directed by Doug Liman. I haven't seen it, but it seems interesting

Louis Morgan said...

Saw The Report, the type of procedural I'm really a mark for, but it was just fine.

Driver - 4
Bening - 2
Hamm - 3
Levine - 3

Rhys, Nelson and Corey Stoll are the standouts among the very minor roles.

Aidan:

I'm quite sure Scorsese has said otherwise, but it is not a sticking point for me anyways. It is just very noticeable in that one scene, where he probably should've just done another take, or had the scene play out in a way that required De Niro to be less physical. Extremely minor gaff in my book either way.

Anonymous:

Weisz:

1. Fake shot real threat - The Favourite
2. Return from Hell - The Favourite
3. Threat to the Queen - The Favourite
4. Apologizing to the Queen - The Favourite
5. Negotiations with Harley - The Favourite
6. "Calming" the queen - The Favourite
7. Bad makeup - The Favourite
8. Outrage at Abigail - The Favourite
9. Meeting Abigail - The Favourite
10. Let's move - The Favourite

Tahmeed:

Lennix ever so slightly.

Bryan:

Marion Cotillard/Paul Thomas Anderson
Olivia Colman/Bong Joon-ho
Emma Stone/The Coen Brothers
Charlize Theron/Nicolas Winding Refn
Nicole Kidman/David Lynch
Saoirse Ronan/Martin McDonagh
Rooney Mara/Christopher Nolan
Tilda Swinton/Denis Villeneuve
Maggie Smith/Wes Anderson
Jennifer Lawrence/Jeff Nichols

I would've said France McDormand/Wes Anderson but she's in the French Dispatch.

Emi Grant:

- W.T.F. - (Repetitive in both jokes of the awkwardness of real wrestling and the soap opera nature of fake wrestling. Both are funny and climax wonderfully in the coach showing some "true" wrestling.

- You Have 0 Friends - (The tron boggle game is funny, particularly super stan. The rest of the episode is very forgettable to the point I only vaguely remember it.)

- You're Getting Old - (Kind of a false start that they'd eventuality do in the serialized later seasons. Though an enjoyable one joke repeated and clever in the specifics of it. But also a good warning for really going too far into the South Parkian view of things where every thing sucks, and you're just an obnoxious cynical jerk in the end.)

- Assburgers - (Drunken Matrix crew is very funny, the rest is a little too stupid, even if that was the point.)

- Medicinal Fried Chicken - (Never go through this one.)

Luke:

Carlyle - 4(A strong performance from him as well that compliments exactly what Watson is doing in creating the sense of warmth and internalized emotional desperation. The major difference though is instead of portraying the steadfast nature of the mother, Carlyle effectively depicts the messy brokenness of the father, who is always a few seconds away from another breakdown of sorts. There's been better depicted versions of this type of character, as the Irish alcoholic father, but this is certainly a good one.)

Calvin Law said...

Ouch a 2 for Bening. Seems like she’s falling out of the race too.

Louis: I’ve heard hilarious things about Douglas Hodge’s accent is it really all that bad?

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Thoughts on Driver and Bening.

Calvin Law said...

Also Louis what would your film perspective on this live performance be - https://youtu.be/dGykwC0fdJ4

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

His American "good old boy" accent is pretty over the top.

Well a spirited performance there, in more than just a few ways, I'd say. This with you'd almost think it were a scene from a film with a few of the glances, and screaming pair in particular.

Luke:

Driver - (Strong work from him once again, and he is on a streak in terms of always delivering on his end at the very least. Driver is the best the part of the film in a difficult role given he plays a man who keeps his emotions close to his chest much of the time, and so much of the film is just him quietly reacting to information. Driver manages to be compelling in this by portraying subtly much of the time the weight of this duty, but also the intense conviction within the idea of seeking justice as well. His moments of more emotional outbursts are absolutely earned and deliver the needed impact through Driver's work. I only wish he had a little more to work with both in terms of his co-stars and on a script level.)

Bening - (I have to say Sundance is becoming pretty atrocious as a bellwether, with overpraising seeming to become such a common thing in the attempt to be first to name the next big thing or major prediction. Bening is more robotic here than she was as the personification of an artificial intelligence. It is a bizarre performance as even though Feinstein is typically a pretty calm public figure, Bening portrays it as this bizarre emotional detachment that just makes for an oddly wooden turn from her. She seems to be attempting to portray the real person but so focused on trying to convey some idea of her she becomes horribly stilted as one can only see the attempt. The worst of it being though that the attempt itself seems to be off in the wrong direction right from the start. The only reason I don't go lower is she has some okay silent reactions here and there, though these are far and few in-between.)

Bryan L. said...

Thoughts on Hamm & Levine as well, Louis?

Bryan L. said...

Also, I reckon Debicki/Nolan could’ve been on there if I asked, say, a year ago?

Aidan Pittman said...

I think Bening could still get nominated for The Report as the film's sole nomination, but if she misses nominations for Golden Globes and/or Critics Choice then it's probably over for her.

Also saw Knives Out today, really great stuff. Would love to see it surprise this awards season and possibly win Original Screenplay at the very least.

Armas - 5 (100% leading)
Craig - 4.5 (Could go either way but I'm leaning towards supporting)
Evans - 4
Curtis - 4
Plummer - 4 (found him to be very effective in his few scenes)
Johnson - 4
Collette - 3.5
Stanfield - 3
Oz - 3
Callan - 3.5

Mitchell Murray said...

Everyone: Thoughts on the "True History of the Kelly Gang" trailer?

Robert MacFarlane said...

I seemed to like Stanfield and Oz even more than you guys. Basically the whole cast was at least a 3.5 for me (except Segan, who’s a 3 but still better than he usually is). I loved just how enjoyably unimpressed and deadpan Stanfield was in a film surrounded by crazy and how exasperated and annoyed Oz was by the whole ordeal. Probably my favorite ensemble of the year, if not Parasite.

Michael McCarthy said...

Mitchell: Honestly I'm kinda here for it. Hoult especially looks like a treat, and at the very least it couldn't possibly be boring.

Calvin Law said...

The only issue I had with the trailer was that it showed too much I think. But really looking forward to it too, and I agree that Hoult looks like a real scene stealer.

Robert: Stanfield is an easy 3.5 for me too. Loved his reaction to the car chase. And yeah I wasn’t big on Segan but you’re right compared to Looper and Brick he was pretty good here.

Matt Mustin said...

Robert: You know what, 3.5 sounds about right for Stanfield, now that I think about it.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: When starting a new show, do you believe in having a 3 episode, or 5 episode rule to see if it hits its stride? A lot of people I know tend to follow this, whereas I feel that an arbitrary metric isn't necessary all the time, to determine if a show is interesting or not.

Matt Mustin said...

Tahmeed: There's so many great shows that took an entire season to find their footing. They can't all be Frasier or Breaking Bad which were perfect from the beginning.

Bryan L. said...

Tahmeed: Agree with Matt, especially when it comes to comedies.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Your rating and thoughts on Gladiator as a film? You seem to be a big fan of the movie, so I’d like to hear more from you. And what ratings would you give everyone there?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Matt: Yeah, I agree, I just think setting a fixed number of episodes for *every* type of show isn't necessarily the best way to go. Some shows take much longer to hit their stride, and other shows take relatively less time. I guess that wasn't clear in my original comment.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Hamm/Levine - (Both play roles the representative of two different powers with two different agendas though going about it, on the surface in similar ways. This in denying the need for it, and avoiding any blame. Hamm and Levine's performances work in contrast to one another, as Hamm effectively portrays an earnestness in his "let's move on" attitude of a man believing he is doing the right thing, against Levine who delivers the right quietly sinister disregard of a man who knows he is doing wrong, yet doesn't care.)

I'd say so.

Tahmeed:

No, I don't go by any rule. I'll stick with a show longer if there are least some points of interest I can see expanding on even if isn't working entirely at first, but at the same time I'll stop after a single episode if the show isn't working on any level.