J.K. Simmons received his second Oscar nomination for portraying William Frawley in Being the Ricardos.
J.K. Simmons is a good character actor, and often well cast as an irascible grump. Here he is cast as the classic irascible grump of William Frawley who became known late in his career for appearing as off-screen/onscreen couple Lucille Ball/Lucy (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz/Ricky (Javier Bardem)'s onscreen neighbor in their popular sitcom I Love Lucy. Frawley is depicted here mostly as the grump off screen. There was definitely some potential there in the contentious relationship Frawley shared with his onscreen wife in Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda), but the film doesn't really explore that other than an early questionably written argument, that I assume are supposed to be comedic, about a cast member in the Danny Thomas show signing a loyalty oath and few poorly implemented random asides. Otherwise we get just some grumpy asides. Simmons has had some great moments in his past at being grumpy, Spider-man, Burn After Reading, his Oscar winning turn, not here though. It is largely the material and the directing by Aaron Sorkin that seems intent on making every joke seem painfully labored. Simmons knows his way around a blunt delivery of the material, but it just isn't funny. Simmons, despite physically not matching Frawley to the point it seems like they gave him oversized suits thinking he was going to wear a fat suit, does do a little to be more than just his typical presence. This is largely by protruding his lips into a Frawley frown, which he accentuates a bit more when portraying Frawley, portraying his character Fred Mertz, into an even bigger frown. When portraying Fred his grumpy delivery is a bit more overly grumpy. The only other task given to Simmons is when Frawley decides to ask Desi randomly about his background and gives advice to Lucille about Desi, because in Aaron Sorkin's reality no one ever minds their own business. Simmons delivers these scenes, that are so awkward in conception, by being a little less grumpy in his delivery though still grumpy. Simmons doesn't make these scenes work particular the former scene that comes out of nowhere and goes nowhere, but he's fine in showing a slightly different side to Frawley. He's fine altogether as Frawley but just fine. The role doesn't really challenge him, nor does it exploit his potential as a performer in a comedic sense or dramatically. It's nothing notable, but he's fine in a mediocre film.
35 comments:
Pretty much agreed. A perfectly fine performance, although that they decided to go with him out of so many other more deserving performances is incredibly frustrating.
Genuinely baffled as to how he even got any traction for this one. Also kind of painful that like, they nominated every central performance bedsides the one who would’ve actually been worthy lol
I guess Simmons can now join the rest in Don Ameche's Second Banana Nominees corner...
I haven't even seen this film yet, but I knew Simmons wasn't going to fair that well. Its a damn shame...I like Simmons; I mean, I enjoyed his voice work from "Legend of Korra" not that long ago. I could tell from the popular consensus, though, that this nomination came to everyones surprise.
I bet no one is more surprised about this nomination than J.K. Simmons himself.
Also, it's safe to say Bardem's coming up last, right?
I almost want to say some of the pull for his nod came from residul "Skyfall" love - but then again, it's been nearly 10 years so maybe not.
*heavy sigh*
This nomination will taunt me for years to come.
I’m just relieved that only the acting branch gave a shit about the Ricardos.
Louis what is your original score top ten?
The man’s my fraternity brother and I love him, but yeah, totally baffling nomination.
Anonymous:
My Nominees:
Belle
Dune
Nightmare Alley
Spencer
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Rest of the top Ten:
6. The Last Duel
7. The Power of the Dog
8. The Green Knight
9. Parallel Mothers
10. The French Dispatch
Louis: what are your thoughts on "Look Who’s Inside Again" from Inside?
Louis: What are your thoughts on the score for Drive My Car?
Lucas:
Wonderful little ditty as done by Burnham, I love the quick build of it going from the singing around the repetition beat before reaching the dynamic chorus. I especially love the use of it in the medley that is Goodbye. As with all the songs, pointed lyrics as usual by Burnham of a man trying to be funny while stuck in a room.
Aidan:
I mean there's very little score to speak of beyond a couple of ambient stings and then the opening/closing credit pieces which are fine if unsubstantial as just kind of generalized pleasant tracks. Honestly one of the last things I think of, when I think of the film.
Louis: Your thoughts on Dicaprios’ big Oscar “shouty” scene in Don’t Look Up.
Bryan:
Well after throwing up multiple times from hearing people compare it to Peter Finch in Network (and not simply to denote its lackluster qualities), I have to say it's some pretty standard yelling from DiCaprio. There's no cathartic edge, not even as this break from his pent up character, it just is a guy yelling some lines, which fits in with the rest of the noise that is the film.
This might be the laziest Oscar nomination of all time.
One thing I do love about Drive My Car’s direction particularly is how the car scene doesn’t use any score. Most directors would, Hamaguchi’s restraint really makes it sing. And on that note with how much the Academy seemed to love DMC overall…should’ve given Okada a nom instead of Simmons here!
Louis: thoughts on In the Same Breath, The Velvet Underground, The Rescue
Louis: Have you seen Copshop and Wolf.
Louis: ^And The Harder They Fall
Louis:
Your thoughts (and rating) on Kidman for the same movie.
Thanks!
JimmyStewart: https://actoroscar.blogspot.com/2021/12/alternate-best-actorsupporting-actor.html
Hello Louis.
Since Anonymous asked you about Score, tell me which are the top 10 (no rankings):
- Song
- Poster
- Editing
- Blockbuster-film
- Screenplays (original and adapted)
- Cast
- Character of the year (with name and the film)
Brazinterma: I don't think he'll reveal the Ensemble top 10 until the end. Doesn't want to give away any spoilers.
Louis: Your top 10s for Cinematography, Costume Design, Production Design and your top 5 for Makeup and Hairstyling.
Luke, do you have any predictions for 2022 and beyond.
Glenn:
2022:
The year of Paul Dano (I'm gonna assume Louis will cover 2016 by the end of the year)
Damien Chazelle will win his 2nd Best Director Oscar for Babylon
Hugh Jackman wins Best Actor for The Son
Avatar 2 struggles to emulate the original's box office success
Killers Of The Flower Moon is a top 3 performance from De Niro
2023:
Scott Vs. Nolan Vs. Villenueve
Phoenix Vs. Murphy
Louis: Thoughts on the Jurassic World: Dominion trailer.
Luke: 2022 for Best Actor will be Hugh Jackman vs Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
Luke, how high are your expectations for Napoleon.
Glenn: As high as it could possibly be. I've wanted a great film about him for many years and with this role, it's the closest Phoenix will get to reach similar heights to The Master and maybe even surpass it.
I'll also predict that 2023 might finally be RDJ's time.
Calvin:
In the Same Breath I thought it was quite effective to at least provide any comment or understanding on the COVID situation and how exactly it spread with the different politicking of both China and the US. My only reservation is the way the "what if" section at the end was executed was a touch silly though I think the heart was in the right place. I greatly preferred this film's attempt to uncover some truths here, as opposed to the First Wave which merely depicted a situation that the majority of the public is well aware of.
The Velvet Underground is similar to Summer of Soul in terms of providing performance and context. The performance here takes the secondary stance to context. Effectively told with a slightly off beat approach from Haynes that certainly works in exploring Lou Reed's story.
The Rescue didn't quite hit the sweet spot for me in terms of depicting a powerful story in a completely effective way. I thought it was wholly fine, don't get me wrong, but the presentation I don't think invigorated the content which was already extremely potent as is. Again certainly good, but I think greatness could've been possible with the true story at their disposal.
Luke:
Copshop I thought was entertaining in fits and starts. It would bring me in and then lose me throughout the film. It gets a bit into that Carnahan over complication, particularly in the climax, but still it mostly worked for me.
Louder - 4(I thought she was largely fairly good. I liked the certain endearing quality she brought in portraying kind of the wish for her to be able to be the gunfighter in a certain way. She embodies otherwise the right innate strength within the role, while also properly reacting towards the situation that is a little over her pay grade.)
Grillo - 3.5(Grillo isn't always in the best films but he definitely seems to be someone who takes every film as an opportunity to act. Grillo here acts the fine sleazeball particularly in kinding playing two sides of the audience just as he does our lead character. This as he does bring genuine moments of emotional vulnerability that make you want to trust him, just as he is equally convincing in the moments of portraying the callousness of the character's behavior.)
Butler - 3.5(Giving a very Russell Crowesque turn and while Crowe would've been better in this role, I did like Butler here. Butler brings this needed sort of blunt reality to his criminal against the duplicitous Grillo and the psychopathic Huss. He works in creating the contrast by playing the guy who isn't exactly a decent person, but he's just there to do a job, treating the whole situation as such.)
Huss - 4(I'm not quite as enthusiastic about this performance as some are. He is fun though and brings a nice change of energy within the cast by being a complete oddball while everyone else is playing it much straight. Now in part, this is just by bringing some of the oddballs he voiced in King of the Hill and bringing that same time of insanity to that of a hired killer. That approach though wholly works, and it is an entertaining turn with enough menace even if I think he might exit just a touch early, with a little too little ceremony I feel to the exit.)
Wolf I thought was really bad. This being that I just thought it failed to really find any thematic truth in examining someone being themselves against society's wishes. It desperately wants to be One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but it fails miserably in the attempt at its tale of nonconformity. More than anything the characters just aren't there, and the concepts are far too vague. In fact, it is frequently altogether goofy, and it is only through the valiant efforts of George MacKay that the film doesn't completely fall on its face.
MacKay - 4(If only the role was a little better written because the intensity of his commitment here does sell you the character despite how silly the concept should seem, and does seem as evidenced by his co-star. MacKay goes all in successfully in embodying the physical attributes of the wolf and the way the man comes to life when embracing this. He makes you believe the idea both in terms of the boy who believes he's a wolf, but also this as the boy becoming himself by doing this. It really is impressive. Sadly what he's working with is weak material that doesn't allow him to explore the concept beyond just generalized trauma through fear and anger. MacKay does everything he can with it though, and I give him all the credit
for keeping the film from becoming a complete disaster.)
Depp - 2 (Now she just seemed silly. When she becomes the cat it is laughable and you see just how dumb the concept can be if the performance isn't there. Depp's performance isn't there so it just comes off as ridiculous rather than moving. When not being the cat, I think she's okayish in providing a bit of understated stress and understanding with MacKay.)
Considine - 3.5(Does his best rendition of the cold Nurse Ratched type of portraying this sort of controlled intensity who says he's doing good through such an unrelenting and cruel manner. Considine's performance I do think is limited by the film, but I did like the sort of way he presented every scene of his torture as this kind of teaching moment. This is an easy tone for Considine to effectively reach though so it is a shame that the role doesn't really push him anywhere interesting.)
Bryan:
The Harder They Fall I thought was good however inconsistent. The more it tried to do something deeper with the material the weaker it was. The climax involving Elba's character in particular really didn't work at all for me. When it tried to be just a western about good bandits versus bad bandits, it was largely effective. Although even there I think it could've just been tighter like the mid-film bank robbery felt like a video game side quest with what it did to the momentum of the story. Still, when they hit the western sweet spot they definitely hit it properly.
Majors - 3.5(Rock solid leading turn here. Just brings the appropriate charisma and cool to the part. I really do look forward to seeing more of him as he's got a definite range while also having a strong consistency in his presence. While the revelations near the end of the film really didn't work for me in the slightest, I won't fault Majors who tried desperately to sell it. Still didn't work for me, but not because of Majors.)
Beetz - 3.5(As typical for her, a welcome presence. She in many ways is a standard damsel in distress just filtered through a becoming similarly standard tough not so in distress damsel, but she makes it more than that just through her presence that has the right off-beat energy to it.)
Elba - 3(Really largely wasted here. I was hoping he was going to be like Volonte in A Few Dollars More, but his character really doesn't amount to much other than that ending, which again didn't work for me. Elba is fine but seems like a definite waste of him here.)
King - 4(Delivers a proper villainous swagger to be sure. This brings the sort of ease in her manner of violence and intensity. Stanfield also pretty much wholly overshadows Elba despite being brought out as the worst of the worst. King though brings the right sort of menace here not overplaying the villainy but definitely making it a palatable element of the character with this specific hateful
manner.)
Stanfield - 4(The best part of the film. Stanfield I think most seems intent on making a proper entertaining western and in turn offers us a brought Angel Eyes style fiend. This with just the ease of his manner as the killer, but even more so those tiny moments of joy as he wields his villainy basically. He owns every scene he is in, but particularly the train robbery, which he really makes the best scene of the film because he's at the center of it.)
Lindo - 3.5(I think underused overall as a character, but he brings a proper elder badass quality that is much appreciated whenever he is onscreen.)
Deadwyler - 3.5(Good as a character who is a bit less of the innate confident badass within the group. She is good at playing the different sides we see of the situation, particularly in the final confrontation with Stanfield where she delivers a strong combination of her grief, fear but also conviction in the moment.)
Brazinterma & Luke:
I will get to some of those rankings but I'm going to space them out between posts.
Luke:
Regarding Jurassic World, I have no faith in that creative team, nor the series which has only one good movie in it still. Looks like it will be dumb, and sorry that the old cast is going to be caught in this dumbness (well I mean they already were via lost world and 3).
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