Saturday 15 August 2020

Alternate Best Actor 2002: Mads Mikkelsen in Open Hearts

Mads Mikkelsen did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Niels in Open Hearts.

Opens Hearts tells the intertwined lives of two couples created after an accident.

Well in a bit of a reworking of this year's lineup I've decided to hold off on Timothy Spall's work in All or Nothing, where I have to describe him as supporting for the said to supporting work of Mikkelsen here, who I must describe as lead. This is while the film gives time for all four parties, that is those being cheated on and the adulterers, the latter is the focus, with Mikkelsen's doctor almost taking the major focus later on in the film. Anyway I think this can continue off my review of Hiroyuki Sanada's work, as Mikkelsen is another actor somewhat wasted in the world of Hollywood, not to the extent of the former, but still notable. I think this falls into the unfortunate Hollywood mentality where apparently if you have a European accent you must be evil. This unfortunately doesn't give Mikkelsen enough of a chance to show of his ability in multiple types of roles, such as this fairly low key one here. This in playing the doctor to, and husband of the person who ran over, a man Joachim who becomes bitter as a tetraplegic. In turn he meets the man's financee Cecile (Sonja Richter), whom he takes a liking to. This being an example of Mikkelsen excelling as the normal man. This in portraying initially just this general likability within the films purposefully overtly reality based style. Mikkelsen thrives in this normalcy in presenting just an ease onscreen and in particular an earnest charm that is never too much but importantly never too little in making the doctor just a sympathetic man.

The man though that falls into an affair with Cecile which Mikkelsen excels in portraying in avoiding extreme cliche. This in presenting the man just naturally coming together with her in the moment, and portraying the complexity after their initial tryst. This in the shyness he brings as he speaks that it is the first time he has cheated on his wife, and captures in the moment his affection for the woman he just had sex with along with though the embarrassment for the betrayal of the situation. Mikkelsen's work is remarkable in how tangible he makes every element of the situation within his performance. This that he strictly ever avoids melodrama within Niels's manner at every point. This being entirely convincing in portraying the genuine moments of affection with Cecile, though being just honest and vulnerable as he is confronted by his wife. Mikkelsen is great in how much he downplays these moments in just showing in his reactions the man pulling within himself and accentuating the shame that overwhelms the man. My favorite scene of the film actually is after Niels moves out for some time from his family to be with Cecile though coming back to visit his kids for Christmas. Mikkelsen is outstanding in the scene because he very much articulates the difficultly of the situation within Niels, without forgetting a single complication. This in that he finds an a real warmth in his moments with his kids showing that Niels is genuinely loving towards them. This though even towards his wife though that captures the underlying tension that still exists.

This though when pressed about his affair, Mikkelsen is great in his expression that captures again the palatable shame of his existence. This though again not simplifying it as he shows a believable sense of the man living with that shame though evidently still of course pained by it when pressed to really look upon the duality of his life. This with the forces of his family he still cares about out against his affair that he's in part forgotten them for. Although the film does cover other facets of the situation the most compelling moments are consistently the depiction of Niels's failing marriage. A great deal of this is Mikkelsen's work that manages to so effortlessly create the reality of the situation. This finding artfully what can be found in the real degradation that is created within Niels as even the affair begins to struggle. Mikkelsen's work is heartbreaking in crafting every moment with just pure honesty of this normal man dealing with the harsh situation. This moment of lashing out against her, with just a distraught pain of a man realizing his mistakes as the "perfection" of the relationship falls apart. Mikkelsen crafts every moment of the man's reality that is potent with emotion yet never feels forced or inconsistent with overall design of the film. It again shows his great ability to portray just a normal man going through a difficult situation. Mikkelsen's work here is example of his incredible range which is rarely touched upon in this way in his international work. This in one of his greatest assets being his ability to portray such intimate vulnerability so potently.

32 comments:

Matt Mustin said...

Is anyone lead in All or Nothing, or is it an ensemble?

Louis Morgan said...

Matt:

I'd qualify it as pure ensemble.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Well, how the turntables
What happens with the predictions?

Louis Morgan said...

Lucas:

As always has been the case for these situations, if you predict the four in a row discounting Spall you win still.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: I love that choice of Sanada as Max in the previous post, mainly because I would love to see how he’d perform in that scene with Bardem, slowly growing into his usual ‘badass’ self.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: ratings and thoughts on the rest of the rest of the cast?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Could Mikkelsen go up for A Royal Affair?

Bryan L. said...

Fittingly enough, each of Sanada, Ejiofor & Mikkelsen have had roles in the MCU, and two of those even in the same film.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Your top 5 Mikkelsen performances.

Luke Higham said...

I pray Mikkelsen will get another 5 for Pusher II.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Are you looking forward to Another Round.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Luke: Another Vinterberg film with Mikkelsen and Bo Larsen? My interest couldn't be more piqued.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Do you think Matthias Schoenaerts's ability with accents has allowed him to (mostly) avoid being wasted in his English language films? Or do you think there are other factors which separate him from actors like Amalric or Mikkelsen (both of whom, I'm sure, can pull off accents if needed).

Mitchell Murray said...

Anonymous: That might have something to do with it. I also think he's just had very good luck/exposure, as there have been a number of established stars (Ex, Kate Winslet, Carey Mulligan...) who've helped him get roles, mainly because they either saw "Bullhead" or "Rust and Bone" before hand.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: Elizabeth Debicki has been cast as Princess Diana in The Crown.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: Your rating and thoughts on Mikkelsen in Pusher II?

Luke Higham said...

Bryan: 5, A truly amazing performance from one of my favourite actors. It's a massive step up from his initial performance from what is the best film of the trilogy. I love the character's journey from being a troubled criminal to a responsible father by film's end.

Mitchell Murray said...

Luke: Great choice on their part, then, and it will be interesting to see how her performance compares to Kristen Stewart's upcoming work.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Was thinking of that scene as well.

Lucas:

Ritcher - 4(Although I think Mikkelsen ends up delivering the strongest element of the film she is good in providing the right degree of humanity within the character who abandons her crippled fiancee. This in granting an immediacy within the connection with Mikkelsen though also the quiet sense of frustration with her bitter old lover. She ends up not making as much of an impression later in the film, but it is a good performance.)

Steen - 4(Effective in providing the right degree of heartbreak within the character that brings the right combination of frustration and distress in her interactions with Mikkelsen. This off-set well by the early scenes where she provides an earnest portrayal of the more worn though not bad marriage.)

Bjerregaard - 4(Effective in all of her minor little bits of just providing really the most incisive remarks to make Mikkelsen feel guilty as there is such a powerful sense of her care for her family with her distaste for her father's actions.)

Kaas - 3(He hits the bitter note just fine, but I found his scenes quite repetitive if not wholly dull after awhile. This in just settling too much on that one note I think to the point of being excessively simplistic.)

Tahmeed:

No.

Luke:

1. The Hunt
2. A Royal Affair
3. Open Hearts
4. Casino Royale
5. Flame & Citron

Yes.

Anonymous:

Yes, I think the fact that Schoenaerts can make it trace-less is key to preventing himself from becoming pigeonholed by the executive types. Schoenaerts, as shown in the Drop particularly, can hide that he is even a foreign actor. Although he too hasn't fully broken out, however he's at least in the Ben Foster/Guy Pearce zone.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: that do be some wonderful news. I actually ended up liking season 3 in the end. And how great would it be if Debicki gets some Emmys attention.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: I'm into season 3 now and the one casting that really isn't doing it for me is Helena Bonham Carter as Margaret.

Calvin Law said...

I liked her performance but I sort of agree in that it doesn’t feel like a natural progression of Kirby. Josh O’Connor was MVP for me.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the screenplay for Adaptation?

Also, thoughts on the following scene from the film (www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWTErr-91BE)?

"Trick photography."

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Love the screenplay to Adaptation which has to be one of the most clever adaptations of all the time. This instead of really adapting its "source material" it is rather a brilliant and hilarious commentary on the act of adapting. This actually for me was where Kaufman came into his element fully, as I do think he can fall into excess in some circumstances, or "clever" for the sake of it, which for me can be found in Being John Malkovich, which I don't love. Adaptation though I find is pitch perfect for this, in creating foremost the self-deprecating depiction of himself trying to solve the mystery of the adaptation while dealing with his hack brother, and succeeds in always the difficult task in making the creative act compelling. This in lending the audience in on the method of dealing with the outside forces of compromise while trying to figure it out. This importantly having fun with the idea, but not to the point of going too far. This in finding substance in one finding the bit of material within the source material in the initial scenes, and in the character of the Kaufman brothers, whom he does flesh out, naturally I suppose, beyond their setups of the losers artist and the confident hack. This in succeeding in the adaptation in a particularly clever way by throwing out the rule-book, while also just using it exactly in the purposefully roat third act, though twisted in that sense.

Love that scene, marvelous work from Cage in discussing such a ridiculously hackneyed idea and breaking down just how bad it is. I particularly love though how Charlie gives up, and gives the "praise", and Donald's attempt at talking like a serious writer. Of course all the better as satire...I suppose, in that the 3 was made into a film in reality...except I guess the studio told Donald "3 people as one was not enough, we need more....great vehicle for John Cusack, we think.".

Mitchell Murray said...

This may not bode well for my 2020 film count, but I watched "The Gentlemen" tonight and was honestly quite surprised; Not because I enjoyed it, mind you, but because of the opposite. On paper it does have a lot of the ingredients found in a good crime comedy, but the film never won me over in it's execution. Frankly, it came across as quite smug a lot of the time, with it's needlessly complicated plot and never ending vulgarity. It normally takes a great deal for me to be put off, but did the movie really need to say the C-word two dozen times, much less all the racial/homophobic slurs? Worse yet, the frenetic nature of Ritchie's direction/script prevents anyone from being all that good, say for McConaughey who I thought was mostly decent.

I'll be perfectly honest: Although I don't think it's a great movie by any means, I would've preferred to watch "The Man from Uncle" again all things considered.

Calvin Law said...

I actually thought McConaughey was painfully bad. None of his dialogue felt natural. Farrell, Grant and time an extent Hunnam were the only ones who were more than serviceable.

Robert MacFarlane said...

I finished Kidding yesterday. I highly recommend everyone give it a shot if you have access to it. It’s uneven, but when it hits it REALLY hits. I’m actually on the fence whether this is Carrey’s best performance or not. Langella, Keener, and (in season 2) Greer are all great as well.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis: Any chance Wenhan could go up for Two Towers and Return of the King if you take into account the Extended Cuts? I found his extra scenes rather moving.

Michael McCarthy said...

Robert: I’ve wanted to watch Kidding for a long time, I almost did recently when I had my free showtime trial but by the time I finished rewatching Twin Peaks: The Return there wasn’t enough time. Also the site was so glitchy that it really wasn’t worth paying for a month.

Aidan Pittman said...

Watched Magnolia last night. Absolutely phenomenal. *Might* be my favorite PTA film (I emphasize might as Phantom Thread is pretty hard to top for me). Now, just one more to go...

Cruise - 5
Robards - 4
Moore - 2.5
Hoffman - 4
Hall - 5
Walters - 5
Dillon - 3.5
Reilly - 5
Macy - 4
Blackman - 3.5

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

Marginally.

Louis Morgan said...

Robert:

I should also note, I've always gone by the extended cuts.