Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2014: Matthias Schoenaerts in The Drop

Matthias Schoenaerts did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Eric Deeds in The Drop.

Matthias Schoenaerts still remains in sort of what is colloquially known as the Guy Pearce or Ben Foster zone, that is an extremely talented actor that can't quite seem to make that next step towards wide acclaim. Like those two he's on just the border of that breakout, finding much praise in places, but never seemingly in the exact place needed for it. Although he's still on the cusp, finding plenty of off the beaten path praise for The Mustang, just last year. Hopefully this won't go on indefinitely though as it is always a shame to see him plugged in throwaway roles that make some throwaway roles look good. This as he's an extremely talented performer with an incredible range. Now for most actors coming from a French speaking country there is typically a struggle to make the transition due to the accent, at least beyond playing certain types of roles like a Vincent Cassel for example who is typically cast a sleazy European type. Schoenaerts though has no issues, in that if one were to see any of the film he's been in that haven't been set in Belgium or France, you'd think he was from whatever that country was. That is the case here as New York lowlife in the Drop where there is no reason to second guess he is any less foreign than James Gandolfini in the film. Schoenaerts's accent work is simply impeccable and he just fits right into the New York setting. Although I don't think one should hand wave that accomplishment on its own, it would not be enough to make this a notable performance but there is more than that. This as Schoenaerts appears as a somewhat mysterious figure initially in the film after we've met Bob (Tom Hardy), whose taken a seemingly stray dog with Nadia (Noomi Rapace). That is going on while also we see Gandolfini's Marv attempting to retake his place into the criminal underworld by robbing his bar, now owned by Chechen gangsters, where both he and Bob tend bar.

Eric shows up randomly showing interest in the dog that Bob found in a garbage can abused. Schoenaerts here is brilliant in just crafting this part once again as it goes beyond just his brilliant use of his accent, his whole manner has this quietly wired quality to it. He conveys his Eric as seemingly something is not quite right about him as he paces around talking to Bob, something wired in his movement whether on some drugs or just his typical mental state. His manner towards Bob though with this purposeful hectoring an ease that Schoenaerts brings suggesting that Eric sees Bob as an easy person to exploit. This as he points it out as his dog and his owner with this casual menace that Schoenaerts pulls off so effectively. This as his whole manner is the menace and he doesn't throw anything extra in there. The man seeming just off as he appears is enough that Schoenaerts creates a threat through the idea that he is unpredictable. Schoenaerts appears next as Marv tries to recruit him to further his plans to steal from the Chechen gangsters by having him be his gunmen. Schoenaerts is terrific in this scene by showing Eric less in control of the scene and shows this strong strand of paranoia when around someone he can't bully. Schoenaerts delivering Eric's motivation for messing with Bob and questioning Marv is with the right sort of chaotic quality. This in Schoenaerts suggesting a man sort of questioning everything with this scattered sense of attempted pride. Schoenaerts makes Eric pathetic but also creates a threat about him as he grants the needed unpredictable quality to the man. Schoenaerts threatening Bob later we again see the danger of the man peacocking over Bob, and Schoenaerts emphasizing the confidence as it relates to standing over Bob. Schoenaerts again showing a man who has no respect for Bob, and the danger of him in the casual threat Schoenaerts underlines when blackmailing Bob for the dog. His mentions of abusing the dog is with an ease in Schoenaerts shows the power of the low life in that he's with a man he believes to be no threat so tries to control the situation. We see this again as he forces Nadia to go with him to rob Bob at Marv's bar. Again Schoenaerts doesn't make Eric this cunning villain rather thrives in emphasizing just the ease of the scum that he is in threatening what he sees as easy targets.

This naturally climaxes as Eric takes Nadia with him to Marv's bar on the Superbowl to rob Bob of all the money sent to the bar as local criminal drops. I love this scene as more than anything what it gives us is two of the very best actors working going directly at another as Eric and Bob face off. This as both carry an inherent intensity in their performances and I love the way they both carry it here, but in clever indirect wavelengths. In that you have Hardy who is steadfast in it, against Schoenaerts is all over the place in the best of ways. This as you get the fear of the robbery in his work, he moving around too much, he's entirely jumbled in his speech, he shows that Eric is nervous in the moment even as he is still attempting to menace Bob, this in marvelous contrast to Hardy with the dead stare. Schoenaerts's miserable confidence is terrific as his eyes glint with a despicable pleasure again as he speaks every word as this attempt to beat down the seemingly passive Bob into submission. As the robbery goes on Bob tells the story of how Marv had Bob murder a man to retain a debt. Schoenaerts is amazing in this scene as he says so much in the moment as he gradually loses that confidence as this fear grasps nto him. This as Schoenaerts slowly seem to grant an understanding of Bob's story, and his hurried delivery suggests a man finally realizing the severity of his situation. My favorite moment of this scene though is that Bob reveals the man he murdered to be the same man that Eric Deeds has been claiming to have killed for street cred. Schoenaerts reaction in this moment is perfection because he doesn't show Deeds to be more scared than ever, he rather shows the man go back to the false bravado as he claims to have been the one to killed the man. Schoenaerts makes it work by his delivering is as this autopilot the man has developed as though he's been claiming to be a killer so long he's believed himself though only as this recited bit of posturing. In the moment though it is a brilliant juxtaposition in that you have Hardy's stone cold honest speaking of the killing, against Schoenaerts that is all false confidence of a fake killer lying to himself as he is to everyone else. I wish we'd get more scenes like this in film in general nowadays, as it is just two great actors working with each other. Neither "Steal" the scene, but rather what makes it so remarkable is together they realize the power of the situation. The situation being the quiet real deal versus the loud phony. Schoenaerts is a great phony here, in giving such a detailed and convincing despicable performance that most of all is such a proper match for Tom Hardy's work.