Alternate Best Actor 1964

And the Nominees Were Not:

Innokenty Smoktunovsky in Hamlet

 

Ivan Dixon in Nothing But a Man

 

Vincent Price in The Masque of the Red Death

Eiji Okada in Woman in the Dunes

 

Saro Urzì in Seduced and Abandoned

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Results

5. Ulrik Munther in The Here After - Much of Munther's performance is limited with purpose, however perhaps he limits it too much failing to find the right nuance in his minimalism. That note though isn't poorly portrayed and he does deliver his final outburst well.

 

Best Scene: Breakdown. 

4. Géza Röhrig in The Son of Saul - Limited by the approach of the film, though he does have some striking moments in his performance in his reaction. What there is though seems somewhat limited by the film's approach. 

Best Scene: Opening.

3. Jason Mitchell in Straight Outta Compton - Mitchell delivers a properly intense and charismatic turn that realizes both the gangster and musician in his character.

 

Best Scene: Learning about his diagnosis. 

2. Christopher Plummer in Remember - Plummer is in somewhat shoddy film, however he fills his gimmicky journey with a genuinely moving humanity. 

Best Scene: Finding himself on the train.

1. Paul Dano in Love & Mercy -  Dano gives a wonderful performance that vividly realizes both the creative energy and troubled mental state of his character.

Best Scene: Creating the album. 

Updated Overall

Updated Supporting

 

Next: Will do a few re-watches and a couple more watches before moving on, but won't be doing supporting. So next will actually be:

1964 Lead

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Ulrik Munther in The Here After

Ulrik Munther did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying as John in The Here After.

 

The Here After follows a teenager as he tries to return to his life after jail time, however he faces difficulty with his community being less than forgiving for his crime.

The film takes a detached observational approach. This is emphasized all the more by the depiction of Munther's character of John who for much of the film has no speaking lines whatsoever. This basically being a silent performance, and the character even being set to a particular tone. This as Munther carries a similar expression for most early scenes no matter what is going on around him. This with his family trying to move on with the elephant in the room being his crime, which Munther in a way realizes by just showing the character with a kind of sense of trying to be part of life, while also in no way enjoying it exactly. This as Munther manages to show someone who isn't seething with regret, but also is in a state of having committed a crime, though with time away from it. It is a very specific tone but he does realize it in a way that makes sense of the way he initially seems to take an attack from the mother of his victim with an almost passive reaction. Munther consistently shows someone trying to exist in a way while not enjoying what his victim will never again. He creates this kind of purgatory of manner of an emotional detachment of someone who can only move on in a way by not really interacting with life beyond a cursory point. 

Of course the film is a little repetitious because of this, though Munther's limited note of his performance does make sense, it doesn't always make the most compelling film that just trudges along as we see him trudge along in this state. This even with everyone treating him as an elephant in a room that is either treated as something to ignore, to try to understand, or just to violently accost. This is the state for the majority of the film, though as the reactions to him become more violent Munther's performance does portray the wear on John though he does not break still. He leads though towards basically a tipping point which comes in the climax of the film where John confronts the mother of his ex-girlfriend he killed in a fit of rage. This scene essentially makes sense of his entire performance, while also basically gives us the blanks we needed to fill in the rest of the film. This as the unleashing of emotion, where he basically prompts the woman to kill him if she feels the need to, Munther effectively shows all the grief, regret, heartbreak and pain all in a singular moment. He powerfully does not hold back in showing the severity of all that John's been holding in up until this point. This leaving just a festering pool of painful emotion that shows the logic of why he was such a specific repressed state the rest of the time. Munther's work effectively being everything the rest of his performance wasn't in this scene. Showing John completely without repression after showing such a severely repressed sort the rest of the time. I ponder if there was perhaps more could've been done in the other scenes, as he seems set, and there isn't the minimalist nuance in his early scenes that creates a truly great performance of the ilk. This as there is more one can do within limits that Munther does in the early scenes, and still maintain that idea, while still making a moment of outburst remarkable still. Of course this is me comparing Munther's work to all time great turns as repressed men, where I can't put that performance on such a pedestal, but that doesn't make this a bad performance. It is a good performance, though a greater one actually likely would've helped the film a bit, which is perhaps a little too clinical overall. 

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Christopher Plummer in Remember

Christopher Plummer did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Zev Guttman in Remember. 

Remember, that follows an old man suffering from dementia on a mission to kill a Nazi war criminal, I think is largely undermined by its own contrivances. 

That is a bit of a shame however as it has a strong cast, with three actors giving among their final performances in the great Martin Landau, Bruno Ganz and of course Christopher Plummer in the lead role. These performances really lend greater credibility to the film that itself runs too much more so as an exploitation piece than a genuine examination of dementia or the holocaust. Thankfully the performances are there particularly Christopher Plummer. Plummer's performance takes the material very seriously and puts as much effort into the role as if the film was a great one, like say The Father, which does evidently put most similar films to shame. Plummer's performance though is terrific in creating the state of his Zev Guttman an older German man living alone at a nursing home after the passing of his wife. This as he creates a sense of a kind of undercurrent of a malaise of the man trying always to figure out where he is and what he is doing. There is in his performance this moment of calibration essentially that effectively portrays man figuring out what's going on in any given situation. Plummer creating this state vividly of the man who is actively trying to stabilize himself and make sense of his situation, which becomes built around a letter written by his seeming friend, and fellow holocaust survivor Max Rosenbaum (Landau) who sends him on his mission. 

The film then becomes really these kind of curious set pieces as Zev goes about his task and each situation presents him some new challenge whether it be one of the potential suspects of the war criminal, who goes by the name of Rudy Kurlander yet the real one is in fact an Auschwitz commandant by the name of Otto Wallisch. This really breaks the film into two types of scenes, one being the procedure of dealing with his dementia, and the other being the scenes of potential revenge seeking. The dealing with dementia scenes work so well just by how honest Plummer feels in every moment of them. This as Plummer finds in these moments the man being lost and basically finding himself through interacting with others. He's particularly moving by showing the progress of finding himself through these moments. Whether they are the man being completely lost to finding his path just through someone showing him what he needs. There are also the more personal moments where we see Zev as he seems more emotionally despondent. Plummer is great in these moments in creating the immediate sense of urgency as Zev asks for his wife and wonders about those around him. The immediate sense of anxiety is so deeply felt in his delivery, yet what is even more remarkable is the way he conveys Zev calming himself. This moment of kind of a sad realization that those he are looking for are not living, and it is just his memory getting the better of him. 

The other scenes are set up into 4 different scenes of confrontation. The first being with a former German soldier, but not the S.S. officer he was looking for. Plummer projects the approach he will in this scene with this sort of steely eyed determination combined with a certain sloppiness as the man still finding bearings. Plummer makes this seemingly odd combination natural in his manner as he shows the man managing to find his path by fixing upon this singular goal. A goal that he presents with a kind of singular manner when promoting the threat. Each time there is almost a rehearsed quality to it with Zev, this even speaking towards the death of his family, there is almost overly purpose about it. Again this as this point of creating an exact method the man takes to hone himself towards this goal, but also seems like something more. We see this further with the second man, a fellow holocaust victim who reveals himself having been imprisoned for being homosexual. Plummer's performance reveals this kind of generalized kind of sorrow in the man's expression of his family's death even in reaction to this man. It is a real sorrow of some kind however there is this degree of ambiguity in Plummer's performance due to this lack of specificity. The third man though challenges the man seemingly more as he meets the son of the next man, the man having died, however his son being a Neo-Nazi who mistakes Zev as a friend of his father's. 

This man's overt antisemitism throws Zev off however Plummer is incredible in creating this unique state of the fear and anxiety within the situation. This as he speaks towards his Jewishness it still with the man discovering this thought and revealing it as something he needs to hold onto more than anything, even when there isn't a certain specificity. This leading to the final sequence of the film where he comes upon the final man, (Jürgen Prochnow). Plummer is amazing in this scene just from his manner with Prochnow which has initially this innate affability and even camaraderie within their interaction. It is practically instinctual in Plummer work, though just is as the man embraces Plummer revealing himself to being a Nazi commandant but not THE Nazi commandant that Plummer is looking for. Plummer's reaction of disgust to his embrace as he reveals this is with again a kind of conducted disgust of a man who has been implanted a kind of reaction. This of course leading to the film's twist ending SPOILERS that Plummer's Zev was the Nazi commandant all along. This being a twist that I'm sure the screenwriter was very proud of to define the film, though I think makes it all feel a bit trite in overall conception because of it. With the ending being more intended as a "gotcha!" than a genuine resolution to these characters. 

 

Having written all that though, within Plummer's own performance at least he makes it work. This in part to having actually built to it by showing that sort of rehearsed quality intentional to the man who had been conditioned basically to repeat the same lines and believe the same reaction without further depth than that. Plummer leads towards the twist while never undermining his performance. This in creating a man who is largely built upon created memories, however in that there is something genuinely haunted. Plummer playing that ambiguity well throughout, to say whether it alludes to a survivor's guilt or the guilt of a killer. This while also delivering the power within his work in the moment of the realization. This as Plummer becomes the reality sense of distress and despair in the moment. This as contrived as it feels as written, Plummer makes the emotion both honest and potent within his performance. This sense of sudden onset of guilt in the realization is just an astonishing instance in his work, and crafts something special within his own work, even though I don't think the revelation still functions on its own. This speaks to the strength of Plummer's work here overall that I think often deals with repetitive scenes. Again the scenes are either those confrontations or being helped by a random stranger or employee do some, rinse and repeat. What makes the scenes distinct is Christopher Plummer's performance. This in both crafting something natural out of an artificial contrivance, but also just the deftness in every other moment. Every little interaction we get, particularly those with the couple children Zev comes across, are so beautifully acted by Plummer. This as he finds such a genuine poignancy in these little interactions of an old man just trying to find himself, while constantly being lost. Even while the material is not, this is a great performance by Christopher Plummer. Even when the intentions of the film are anything but honesty and truth, Plummer finds them within his quietly powerful and often haunting work.

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road

Tom Hardy did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying "Mad" Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Mad Max: Fury Road is the greatest action film ever made. 

 

The success of Mad Max: Fury Road can be perhaps most immediately described through its streamlined and visually stunning approach to action. That is but an element though that is part of its greatness, however the whole of the greatness in a way comes from all the seemingly more minor elements around that action, which makes the meaning of the action all the greater. This in the richly designed world of the apocalypse with all the different strange characters making up the world, all whom seem to have their own story even if we only get a glimpse of them. The writing of the work in itself is underrated, yes the plot is simple, and effectively simple I'd say, however the world is complex, the development of the themes is remarkable, and the actual dialogue I'd argue is iconic already. As much as performances aren't the first thing one thinks of with an action film, they can be essential in distinguishing a good one from a great one, and in Mad Max you have a myriad of impressive performances within the supporting cast, again even with some you only get a glimpse of, but the main three performances within the film are Nicholas Hoult's Nux that has the most dynamic character arc of the film as the henchmen turned hero, Charlize Theron as Furiosa as the driven action heroine of the piece, and of course Mad Max himself, though the latter perhaps received the least amount of kudos throughout the film's much lauded run. 

Tom Hardy I'd actually say does not really fill the shoes of Mel Gibon as Mad Max, because the character really isn't the same in terms of role, Gibson's I'd say was more overtly sarcastic and cynical, where with Hardy's we get this embodiment of a singular survivor in a sense. What does match, despite some poor commentary upon the time of the release, is the role of Max in the series who while is the "lead" of the film doesn't lead the film. Just like in Road Warrior and Thunderdome, Max essentially wanders into someone else's story and basically sees what he can do. Hardy's performance in this sense then becomes a bit of a performance that isn't ever really on his own, yet in a way is within his own experience in a way, offering a particular challenge then in Hardy's often silent performance. Tom Hardy though is an actor with a tremendous presence, as for example a few later he would show in Dunkirk where he somehow held the screen despite being a set of eyes and infrequently used voice. Mad Max though is a greater example of this in his use of expression that is all his own, and essential to the film in a way that I don't think gets enough credit. This as his portrayal of Max both is filled with character while being one of the greatest audience surrogates of all time. This as this is not Max's story really, but Max is how we see this story each step of the way. 

We open the film and just from the opening do we get a sense of Hardy's Max instantly, and he is instantly captivating as well. This just as he's attempting to run from the war boy henchmen of the ultimate bad-guy Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Hardy manages to portray a definite doggedness in his forceful manner in the opening chase. There is more though as sense of near mania in his eyes, though a specific kind of haunted mania. This as Max is haunted by his past failures that we see as hallucinations, and Hardy matches those images with his own performance. His face is that of a man with all sorts of deaths he has seen, and his mania is that of a man whose past is a constant sort of a particular kind of sorrow. That sorrow though again something Hardy depicts so pitch perfectly though in that it just seems to fuel the innate madness of the man. When the chase begins, activated by Furiosa running off with Immortan's brides leading the villain to lead all his men to capture them once again. We then get basically this brilliant tapestries of action scenes, each though that are a phase in Max's development conveyed almost entirely through Hardy's silent performance. Meanwhile though Hardy also needs to make Max consistently a captivating feature in these actions scenes while technically just being one part of them. 

I think it is so easy to ignore what Hardy is doing here, which is a major disservice to his work which on its own is a major service to the film. This as there is so much, for the lack of a better word, character in everything that he does, and he just adds that much more color to the film by the virtue of his existence. Now Hardy is good, he has that presence, he has all that, and maybe that would be enough for a good action movie, but this is a great action movie, and Hardy delivers a great action performance. Watch any second of Hardy's performance here he is actually doing something interesting that conveys not only what Max is going through in a given scene but also who Max is. Take the extended initial chase. Hardy, as Max is literally used as a blood bag for Nux, conveys just this tight near disbelief of his terrible state, and just a kind of anger at the insanity of his plight. There is still a sense of the fight and we get that as soon as he's released, and the glint of a dogged survival when his shackles are briefly removed is just brilliant work from Hardy. Hardy never just in a scene, as he's so consistently dynamic in his reactions. This as the scene continues and Hardy takes us through every thought of Max as he's attached to the kamikaze henchmen in Nux. This with a particular highlight being Hardy's face of a perfectly hilarious "you gotta be kidding me" when Nux asks Max to "witness him", that being Nux using his own car, which Max is attached to, as a suicide bomb to kill Furiosa. 

After barely surviving that we follow this with a series of consistent scenes where we see Max meet up with Furiosa and the wives, who he'll treat as an obstacle at first, again as Hardy portrays a man just looking for his own survival at first. Here's where we get masterful physical work by Hardy, that is that of a great silent comedian basically though here as the action hero. Take two scenes in particular, one where he confronts the wives to try to steal their supplies, and every motion and movement, and little sound effect is perfection by Hardy. This as we know everything that Max is saying without saying a single thing. We get the same thing when he hitches a ride with the group, after initially fighting with them, and he collects all the guns in their truck fortress. Hardy's performance again is that of silent brilliance as it is such a simple scene of just gathering things, but there is so much fun, and character in the method in which he does it. This in his ways his eyes dart around, the way he snaps and asks for the gun, again Hardy entirely conveys what Max wants, his belief in the moment as just survivor ensuring his own safety, while doing it in kind of a covertly entertaining way. Hardy is fantastic in the same way in the action scenes by being entirely within the action scenes in terms of creating their stakes, yet doing so with that slightly off-kilter manner of his that gives Max a particularly unique flavor as a hero for the film. 

 

What we also get is Hardy's work in the action scenes that crafting the arc of Max going from a man only interested in running from any danger to ensure his own survival to wanting to turn around to face that danger through seeing a chance for those around him. Hardy does this by being so dynamic in every scene. This as initially his actions are personal and reactions of concern for oneself. In each successive scene though we get a greater sense of compassion and care in these scenes. There is a greater ease in Hardy's manner that appears, and slowly a real sense of concern for the others around him and not just himself. The emotional element here is entirely earned by this silence as Hardy is just so pitch perfect in every moment of just creating this man slowly caring again. We also get this through his scant few lines, where Hardy's delivery is particularly unique. This as in much of the film Hardy speaks very quietly, almost as a man who is speaking to himself and no one else, this befitting a man who hasn't spoken to anyone else for years. Hardy's quiet little rumblings say much about Max, and each little delivery of his is memorable in this approach, particularly adore his way of saying "that's bait" which just immediate illustrates a clear understanding of a knowledgeable survivor as he notes a naked woman "alone" is a little too obvious. The most important delivery though is his final moment directly with a potentially dying Furiosa, where the whole scene Hardy's shows the absolute sincere urgency of a man saving someone who truly deeply wants to help. The finale of this being his simple delivery of "my name is Max". Hardy's delivery of this is again greatness in delivering his character, as he first says it internally one more time though now almost this realization of himself again, and a recognition of his humanity. This before turning to say it externally to everyone around him and fully becoming a man connecting with others rather just trying to escape them. This is a great performance by Tom Hardy that is one of the essential features to the film's success. Although it is easy to take his work for granted, that is part of his greatness. Hardy's not fussy within the film, instead he's just part of every moment, creating his own unique take on the iconic character, that naturally realizes an arc, while doing this so smoothly you barely notice, but his presence always adds that certain something to every scene he is in. This extra bit of character that isn't just a someone to follow through the story, but rather  someone to amplify every bit of it.

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Jason Mitchell in Straight Outta Compton

Jason Mitchell did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Eric "Eazy-E" Wright in Straight Outta Compton. 

Straight Outta Compton is a good biopic that follows the forming and fallout of the hip hop group N.W.A. 

Jason Mitchell plays the leading member of the group Eric Eazy-E, who I think has the most complex role in part because the man died before the production of the film, while also having nothing to do with the production of the film unlike Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, who were both producers of the film, played by Corey Hawkins and O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube's real life son) in the film. Now that isn't to dismiss Hawkins or Jackson who both deliver strong performances that deliver the right charisma representative of their real life counterparts. Jackson is particularly impressive in evoking his old man's style and personality even beyond the ideal casting of himself. They are both good in presenting these versions of the men, which I wouldn't say are quite idealized but obviously the amount of negativity the filmmakers could display around them was limited to some degree. Eric Eazy-E on the other-hand was technically fair game, and in turn we get a particularly dynamic character as brought to life by Jason Mitchell. Mitchell carries himself in his first scene, where we see Eric working as a drug dealer, with, for the lack of a better word, the remarkable kind of swagger. This with just exuding a kind of confidence that is particularly notable, as his stature doesn't in itself create this, but he manages to carry himself with a dominating quality nonetheless. 

Mitchell's performance captures the right intensity in presence but also really the right id that defines the man's manner even away from his criminal activities and with the forming of the group. Mitchell carries himself with a consistent kind of energy and style within conveying that style of Eric. This as even when he is questioned about his lifestyle it is just with a smile of acceptance towards what he does. There is no reservation there, but in a certain sense Mitchell creates the sense of power of the man's personality because of that lack of hesitation. This same spirit though we see more productively in action as he becomes the front man for the group. Mitchell, as does Jackson and to certain extent Hawkins, bring a magnetic stage presence. What is particularly strong about their work is that they manage to extend it beyond just what we see of them off the stage. It is rather basically there most striking qualities amplified. With Mitchell, he owns every song, and every moment on stage with that swagger now used for a less dangerous purpose, or at least somewhat less dangerous purpose. This creating the right kind of "front man" power to his presence of someone seemingly wholly in charge of himself and most everyone around him. This naturally even creating the sense of Eric's ego growing, which the film naturally accentuates as a divide between him and his friends, amplified by their manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) who quickly plays favorites once they get big. 

 

I think the film actually works largely best in the early scenes of the rise of the group, particularly through through that magnetism in their stage performances, and the sense of camaraderie found in the chemistry between Mitchell, Jackson and Hawkins. It gets a little less engaging as it gets to the infighting caused by essentially their agents and other studio heads. Mitchell though to his credit doesn't go overboard in portraying the moments of intense ego in Eric as he feuds with the rest of the guy. It is rather well conveyed as the same type of dismissive bravado that we saw when he went face to face with a potentially violent fellow drug dealer. This making an essential later scene where he buries the hatchet with Ice Cube work. This as we just are granted that sense of camaraderie between the actors again, making it a short but poignant scene. Speaking of short but poignant, Eric finds himself diagnosed with AIDS and a short time to live. These scenes I think are just a touch rushed due to needing to cover all the characters' reactions, making the time devoted to Eric in this limited. Having said that, Mitchell is great in the scene of the diagnosis in just conveying the immediate heartbreak and disbelief over the situation. It's a powerful scene and makes Eric 'untimely death appropriately tragic even in its relative brevity. The few scenes Mitchell has within this context are pointed in showing just the immediate onset of grief as time is basically stolen from him without mercy. It is a remarkable end to what is otherwise a consistently strong and confident turn that brings to life every aspect explored within the film about Eric Eazy-E.

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Tom Courtenay in 45 Years

Tom Courtenay did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning the Silver Bear, for portraying Geoff Mercer in 45 Years. 

45 Years focuses on the upheaval, due to an unlikely discovery, that besets a long married couple just before their 45th wedding anniversary. 45 Years is a film actually where I believe its virtues illustrates its flaws. This as the film too often will shy away from the central relationship to focus upon repetitive scenes of supposed contemplation of our female lead, who despite the primary character is oddly simplistic at times. It is an often frustration with me with certain independent cinema where silence is not golden, silence is earned, and should not be overused. 45 Years is an example where quite frankly it often feels like filler. 

 

Although these flaws exist, they hardly weigh down Tom Courtenay, as he pretty much denotes when it is the film is working because it means we will be watching the couple share the screen. Courtenay's character though is intentionally the more distant of the two though it is his Geoff with the most immediate revelation, we witness the film through the perspective of his wife Kate (Charlotte Rampling), essentially trying to understand his reaction to the discovery. Courtenay therefore actually is presented with a difficult challenge in conveying Geoff's reaction to the discovery, while also not exactly being the focus of the film. Thankfully this is Tom Courtenay we are speaking of, an actor, despite his periods of absences from film, never seemed to lose any of his ability to work his magic on the screen. Courtenay honestly being perhaps the least talked about, but in my view the most talented of the British crop of the 60's, and it is a bit of a gift to see him in a substantial role, even if restricted in a certain sense. Courtenay though always has been an actor who actively pulls you into his performances, this as he isn't someone with a typical leading man style presence, rather Courtenay makes his characters so vibrant and real, he pulls you in nonetheless. 

That quality of Courtenay's is ideal for Geoff who the film treats sometimes almost as a pseudo mcguffin for Kate to reflect about. Courtenay though does so much with this from the outset. This as we first meet them as Kate is prepping for their 45th wedding anniversary with a degree of calm eagerness, while Courtenay portrays a man whose head is miles away. His eyes themselves speak towards contemplation not of the present but of the past this as he speaks of his Katya, his old girlfriend who died in an hiking accident that left her frozen in the ice. The new discovery being that her body has been found, preserved, within the ice. Courtenay's speaks of this news with a very quiet anxiety though mixed with certain nostalgia, particularly every time he says "My Katya" Courtenay emphasizes a kind of tenderness that is specific only to a love of his. Courtenay's eyes though portray a man focused on this idea with a fixation upon. This even in his little asides to his actual wife that are more doddering of just the old married couple, however when it comes to Katya, like insisting he go retrieve the body himself, there is this way Courtenay buries this kind of urgency in his delivery. This as he speaks with a technical duplicity of the man trying to act as though the news isn't overly meaningful, while it is clearly everything to him. 

Upon re-watching the film, there is a greatness within Courtenay's work in that he actually manages to be distant seemingly towards Rampling, while actually his performance more so subtly creates the sense of Geoff dealing with the relationship still. This as Geoff speaks more towards the incident, revealing that he and Katya claimed to be married to get around (with the possibility that they really were married), Courtenay again speaks as this news should be nothing. His body language speaks towards a greater concern, particularly as he reveals they had a wedding ring even, and a great touch is Courtenay rubbing the area where he likely wore it. Recounting the whole story, or seemingly the whole story, Courtenay balances his delivery again. This between accentuating the little asides as though he is sharing something as a concerned husband trying to connect with his wife, while Courtenay though still runs through the story in an interesting way. This as Courtenay suggests within his own work that Geoff himself is unsure how he wholly feels about what had happened. There is the point that it was not pleasant, but what exactly he lost within it is more so even a mystery within his own work due to what it is where his life went. Courtenay avoids being vague, as I think was very possible in the part, by finding the right nuance within Geoff's own reflection. 

I have a feeling the film actually wanted Geoff to be more of a mystery given the limitations of his dialogue, again to more so leave us within Kate's perspective of wondering about Geoff, a mean a good chunk of Rampling's screentime is devoted to pensive looks at Courtenay. This is even to the point that often times there are scenes where Courtenay is off to the side, or the other side of a rarely given reaction shot. Courtenay even when literally absent from the frame though stays present. This as he successfully does share the tender moments with Rampling that suggest their 45 year long marriage, even while that weight upon the man remains a constant. A notably great actor given that Courtenay can convey the moments of connection, and distance, even when it is just his voice, or mostly the back of his head. Courtenay though never wastes an ounce of himself really. This keeping the conflict alive within even in a dinner scene where it is mostly not Courtenay in frame. His positioning of self, and the way he hangs his head, tightens his shoulders still accentuates the man's uneasy state. Courtenay manages to convert this though of more a crisis of his age, this again in a scene where he's almost blurred in car ride as he speaks to a former commie friend now a money obsessed banker. Courtenay again is compelling in his frustrations aren't just of some reaction to a hypocrite, as there is the intensity of man painfully analyzing where it is that the years have taken him. 

Watching the film again I could only be impressed by the complexity in Courtenay's work despite again the writing leaving the potential for an entirely vague presence within the film. Courtenay's work though refuses to be a device and crafts instead his own man, and really his own scenario throughout the film. This as it isn't a man who suddenly is in love with his old love, rather Courtenay expresses the difficult state of a man contemplating his age, which is represented by the woman he lost so long ago, yet retains what she looked like at one time. This as when Courtenay blares "It's not about Katya" about him wanting to retrieve her body, it is true in Courtenay's work. This as the anger is against his wife who he suddenly doesn't care about, it is rather the frustration of where the time has gone. Now take this just as my theory, however I think this is in a way proven by the ending of the film, their actually anniversary dinner, which I've heard some as some point for interpretation. Courtenay's deft performance though I think properly denies this, as he expresses Geoff in the moment of loving life and company at the party. Courtenay does not perform this as put on, this as he plays every moment with a free expression of joy and without the weight of that earlier contemplation. His final speech is brilliantly performed by Courtenay is that he isn't creating a mystery, but rather complexity. This as his speech combines a sense of the man still living through his aging basically, but also genuine expressing his love for his wife. Courtenay shows that there is a lot going on his mind, but the moment of the breakdown is wholly honest in a man appreciating what he does have. The intention of the film by Andrew Haigh appears to be to make it this kind of a question, while Courtenay's performance seems to reject any such nonsense instead focusing on, what should've been the whole film, that being these two people in their twilight years. Courtenay gives a great performance, not as a gimmicky enigma, but a powerful portrait of a man bluntly coming to terms with the passing of time after it is so vividly forced upon him.