Alternate Best Actor 1997: Stellan Skarsgård in Insomnia

Stellan Skarsgård did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jonas Engström in Insomnia.

 

The original Insomnia offers an intriguing comparison to Christopher Nolan's bigger-budget Hollywood remake. Both tell the morally grey if not nearly black tale of a murder investigation in a land of the midnight sun. The differences between the two are pretty fascinating to look at in terms of film-making. The remake is more impressive on a technical level, the expansions to the story do actually feel natural, and the character of the murderer is more compelling, though that is in large part due to Robin Williams's against-type performance. There is something though in the original streamlined storytelling and its more uncompromising narrative that makes it perhaps more captivating in some ways, though there are moments that feel slightly rushed, particularly the scenes of dealing with the killer.

A major difference from the outset is of course in the casting alone is having an actor like Stellan Skarsgård in the leading role. Skarsgård is perhaps one of the most innately intense actors working and his natural presence is very different from the US lead in Al Pacino, particularly the Al Pacino of the 2000s. Where Pacino certainly can and has played morally questionable if not bankrupt characters, his innate presence is still in some way typically reaffirms some kind of humanity, which isn't exactly the case with Skarsgård. That however is immediately something so striking in this film, because Skarsgård is the type of detective that is far less ordinary than our typical leading character for a murder mystery. Where a character may be driven to torture suspects after some time in other films, Skarsgård's detective almost immediately does so the moment he enters to solve the case. Skarsgård's performance is strikingly incoming from this darker place from the outset. When the film opens, Skarsgård's expression isn't of a man who has been through some things, he's clearly seen some kind of hell, and his eye pierces with the emotional trauma that defines his detective. A trauma he doesn't deal with by crying, rather instead his eyes speak to a kind of this particularly unnerving combination of hate but also at times this seeming detachment. 

Where it seems like Pacino's version of the character can still function as a person, despite clearly dealing with much, Skarsgård presents a man eternally marked by what he has through the line of duty. Skarsgård's voice here, which actually is even more innately terrifying in his native tongue, speaks with a seeming contradiction. There is a lurid calm in his voice yet at the same time Skarsgårdevokes such a vicious potential for violence even in this calm. He articulates a man who has become defined by his violence and a killer in a killer's world in a way. When Skarsgård speaks to the murdered girl's boyfriend, saying Skarsgård comes in strong is putting it lightly, there is the energy more of a medieval torturer than a cop as he prods the questions to the man. Skarsgård's eyes burned with that hatred and a lack of even the remotest concern for the young man's protestations. Skarsgård is an angel of vengeance-seeking his retribution and there is nothing about him that can ease away from that intensity. Watching Skarsgård here is so powerful in itself, as this unrelenting personality is so tangible, and this is before we get to the idea of the central guilt of the piece. 

We do see that as much as he's a terrifying force there is an efficiency in Engstrom. Skarsgård's work is powerful in just that intensity of his eyes that suggest a man highly skilled in tracking killers, even while burdened potentially by the task in his own way. When he prepares an ambush for the killer or interrogates the dead girl's so-called best friend, Skarsgård's performance is rather terrifying by presenting the nature of Engstrom in his task. Skarsgård portrays a man who has no hesitation in his acts, to the point of his interrogation with his best friend, a high schooler, isn't to drive into oncoming traffic like Pacino to throw her off, it is to sexually stimulate her. Skarsgård in that particular moment is particularly disturbing because he doesn't even show that Engstrom is getting off on this method, rather he presents that same kind of vicious intention of the man's method even in this moment. It is just another tool that Skarsgård presents before he begins to more actively terrorize her and search for further knowledge from her. Skarsgård is brilliant here in a way because far before we ever meet the actual murderer, Skarsgård has presented a far more horrifying figure in man with such a vile kind of conviction. 

The construction of both films puts the detective into a precarious state wherein the ambush to catch the killer, he instead shoots his partner in what appears to be accidental friendly fire. This idea of guilt is VERY different from the remake which relies more heavily upon conveying this sense through Nolan's frequent editing to explore the thoughts of that detective, the direction of Erik Skjoldbjærg relies far more heavily on Stellan Skarsgård to convey the internal conflict within the detective. A wise choice honestly, and one that I wish Nolan had kept given he was working with an actor of Pacino's caliber, Skarsgård though is put at the center of this. This version being different, and in some ways simplified as there's no sense of him doing it to silence his partner, which is interesting because overall Engstrom is the darker figure overall. We see this as Engstrom nearly rapes the hotel manager and kills a dog to help hide his shooting of his partner. Skarsgård's remarkable in what he actually does in a way is convey the hints of morality in the man rather than the immorality. The immorality is what defines Skarsgård's performance. We see in his penetrating stare that this is some sense of guilt, that becomes stronger as in a way he becomes more spent from his experience of never sleeping. The gradual physical degradation of Skarsgård's work is remarkable here as we see the man becoming more and more tired so articulately in his portrayal, but there is more to it. The sense of the man becoming tired with his state is here, even if this is largely just within Skarsgård's performance. There is an amazing moment where he hides as he's set up someone for the crime, and Skarsgård's portrayal of dealing with all the emotions of this just silently is fantastic acting. You see all that the man is going through in a moment of silence and it is incredible work. The final moments of the film are Skarsgård embodying this state of a man becoming this harbor of all of Engstrom's anxieties and sense of moral failure. Skarsgård is notable though in that his performance is in a unrelenting, there is never true regret, rather there are feelings of regret. His performance in a way showing the man dealing with what is this break from typical detachment from the deaths he examines or commits. It is a fascinating atypical portrait of such as Skarsgård shows a man in a way not escaping it, rather coming to terms with it through this kind of mental rot, until the man is still as himself but now writing in that state of insomnia.

Alternate Best Actor 1997: Sam Lee in Made in Hong Kong

Sam Lee did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying To Chung-Chau, 'Moon' in Made in Hong Kong. 

Made in Hong Kong is a good if imperfect film, particularly in terms of some of the direction and technical elements, that details a low key coming of age tale of a criminal Hong Kong youth. 

Sam Lee is our narrator and our hero into the world of the youth of Hong Kong as depicted in this film. His recounting of the tale itself is this blunt speaking of his life which is the best way I can describe this performance. Lee was discovered for this film and was not a star before this film. In turn Lee innately isn't some extremely notable youth, he's a youth in this world. His delivery of his story is nearly that of rambling just recounting of who this young man is and what he is going through. Lee brings no pretense to the narration nor to his performance. His work is just kind of what it should be as a man being himself in a way seemingly, though I think it is notable because of all that this young man is dealing with. All that he is dealing with though is just part of his life and that is where we see the strengths of this performance from Lee. Lee isn't trying to make the young man who should be above and beyond his standings. Rather Lee portrays someone who is living within these standings and in a way that is essential per the tone of the film that just kind of shows this life as is, this with random lows, random highs, peace at times but also a whole lot of violence. 

We open the film as the wayward youth trying to make his way in the criminal underworld seemingly while also just making his way in being a youth in a way, the two mix together rather frequently which this dynamic is one of the strengths of the film. The strength of this realized within Lee's performance. This as in moments Lee does bring a natural charm about him. He's got swagger though not to some extreme, honestly he does not need it as in a way Lee's presence is more teenager than gangster and that is key to his character of Moon. He is most naturalistic in the moments of just hanging around the basketball court and randomly trying to recruit people like the rather slow witted Sylvester who becomes his friend/lackey. What Lee does portray well though is the attempt to be more than he is. This in the attempt a swagger or intensity. The early scene of beating down a "bully" Lee throws himself into it, but he also throws himself into it as a bit of an act. He hits the man down and the act of it is a bit of an act. Lee portrays with very broad gestures however it works in the man portraying the part of the gangster trying to be the gangster. This is in contrast to the different kind of awkwardness we see when he's trying and failing to make love to a young woman, the rather ill Ping. Lee suddenly embodies teenage style anxieties with as he he doesn't quite look where he should and his moments of confidence are naturally segued to nervousness. He's a proper mess of everything in the moment, and not quite anything at once.

Lee's performance is interesting as this kind of guide throughout this world with this certain manner of his as a young man trying to negotiate every situation. His portrayal of Moon in turn is kind of dancing around this world that wanders between moments of levity, intensity or something more. In each though Lee is as natural in creating the moments of Moon being natural or unnatural in a way. There are moments where he is just with his friends hanging out and there is a genuine sense of fun between them. Lee brings just the joy of the young man in these moments. He's as good at the moments of the gangster which have a great variety to them in his performance. There is the early scene of him trying to "strong arm" some money out of a woman where his delivery is perfectly weak, in the right way, as the man who clearly is far less than he says. He's good though in other moments where the situation seems to dictate a bit more personal power and he alludes to possibly the gangster within even as he acts up with this bravado and confidence. A confidence that is phony in a way in Lee's work but also almost quite there. Lee shows some one who could be a gangster at some point, but also might seem completely overwhelmed by the idea. 

There's a great scene where he goes to see the actual Triad boss and Lee again is able to present this natural mix between the sort of passive intensity of a would be killer with the completely hapless manner of a never be killer. He's not quite either, and he's terrific at not being either. He kind of has the swagger but he kind of doesn't have it all. There's a great scene of pure physical acting later on in the film where we see Moon taking on the full job the gangster with a potential hit. When preparing for the hit Lee portrays the utmost forceful manner, and style really of what he would believe is what a gangster should be. He has all the manner of the killer as he runs out to do the deed. The moment of it actually coming though his reaction is truly moving in showing the immediate panic in Moon as the reality seems to set in. His presentation of the fear reveals again the more sincere young man behind it all. His moment is so powerful as Lee's breaths of both this relief but also fearful realization of not being cut out for this life in a way. As good as Lee is in most of the film in the more surface revelations of Moon, what makes this so impressive, particularly as a debut, are the moments of quiet contemplation and introspection. The moment for example after he witnesses a random violent attack, Lee is incredible in just a silent reaction internalizing all the pain that Moon really feels in living in such a violent world and in his eyes seems a little boy trapped in an abusive place. Throughout the film Lee reveals in a greater depth the maturation in Lee as his emotions become more real and to the point. His delivery even becoming so much less petulant and just honest as someone perhaps finding their adulthood in a rather terrible way. His walk now seemingly with an actual confidence and an honesty to himself. When he goes back to confront the Triad, Lee now is an actual force. He has a power to himself, he's not the weakling just pushing for it all, he really is it though in the way Moon would've expected. Lee gives a very striking debut here. It is a surprisingly articulate and dynamic portrait of a young man coming into his own, going from the phony wannabe, to something real though in a way that might be too painful to survive.

Alternate Best Actor 1997

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ray Winstone in Nil By Mouth

 

Takeshi Kitano in Hana-bi

 

Sam Lee in Made In Hong Kong 

John Cusack in Grosse Pointe Blank 

 

Stellan Skarsgård in Insomnia

And Reviews of:

Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights

 

Tony Leung Chiu-wai  in Happy Together

Alternate Best Actor 2021: Results

10. Peter Dinklage in Cyrano - Dinklage delivers a properly impassioned and witty Cyrano, with the right nuance in his vulnerabilities though there are limitations within the film's presentation of the material.

 

Best Scene: Confrontation with Christian.

9. Nicolas Cage in Pig - Although I wish the film let him dive deeper, Cage gives a consistently captivating and quietly emotional portrayal of a recluse who is more than meets the eye.

 

Best Scene: Restaurant. 

8. Joaquin Phoenix in C'Mon C'Mon - Phoenix gives wonderful show of his range in his quietly human and warm portrayal of an average guy's connection with his nephew.

Best Scene: It's okay.

7. Amir Jadidi in A Hero - Jadidi gives a powerfully layered performance of a man who is endearing yet his smile hides a troubled soul.

 

Best Scene: Asking for the video to be deleted.

6. Caleb Landry Jones in Nitram - Jones gives a powerfully disturbing performance as a man who just does not relate to humanity the way most do.

 

Best Scene: "Hear to Heart" with his mom.

5. Dev Patel in The Green Knight - Patel gives a grounding performance for this fantasy, but also delivers so much more in his emotional and spiritual journey as Gawain.

 

Best Scene: The vision. 

4. Jason Isaacs in Mass - Isaacs gives a deeply powerful portrayal of a man's anger and sadness when coming to terms with his grief

 

Best Scene: Describing the shooting.

3. Simon Rex in Red Rocket - Rex gives an uncompromising yet wholly charismatic portrayal of a man who is intent on getting out of his hole by digging himself deeper into it. 

 

Best Scene: Hiding during the arrest.

2. Hidetoshi Nishijima in Drive My Car - Nishijima gives a deeply powerful and nuanced portrayal of man slowly coming to terms with his complex grief.

 

Best Scene: The shattered house. 

1. Bradley Cooper in Nightmare Alley - Good prediction Luke. Cooper gives an absolutely brilliant performance as the great Stanton, finding such variety in his grifts, such nuance in his self-loathing, and such power in his journey of a descent into a personal hell. I had to give Cooper the win here, he just had the biggest impact on me of any performance emotionally, while also being just so technically accomplished. If I didn't it would only be because I already gave him the win in supporting for the funniest performance of the year in Licorice Pizza. He left the biggest impact on me in both a leading and supporting turn, though in very different ways, but I can't deny that impact in either example. The funny thing is, frankly I probably was less positive on Cooper as an actor than many, though I certainly thought he was good actor. He definitely wasn't someone I looked upon as being "overdue" for me, so this purely based on the performances. And in this year, with these two performances, he has forced a new perspective upon me, as he's achieved greatness both dramatically and comedically.

 

Best Scene: "I was born for it".

Overall Ranking:

1. Bradley Cooper in Nightmare Alley
2. Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog
3. Hidetoshi Nishijima in Drive My Car
4. Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth
5. Simon Rex in Red Rocket
6. Jason Isaacs in Mass
7. Dev Patel in The Green Knight
   
8. Caleb Landry Jones in Nitram
9. LaKeith Stanfield in Judas and the Black Messiah
10. Cooper Hoffman in Licorice Pizza
11. Reed Birney in Mass
12. Daniel Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
13. Amir Jadidi in A Hero
14. Bo Burnham in Inside
    
15. Joaquin Phoenix in C'Mon C'Mon - 5
16. Nicolas Cage in Pig
17. Adarsh Gourav in The White Tiger
    
18. Andrew Garfield in Tick Tick...Boom
19. Peter Dinkalge in Cyrano  
20. Tim Blake Nelson in Old Henry
    
21. James Norton in Nowhere Special
    
22. Tahar Rahim in The Mauritanian 
    
23. Stephen Graham in Boiling Point 
24. Mahershala Ali in Swan Song
    
25. Frankie Faison in The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
26. Udo Kier in Swan Song
    
27. Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home
28. Michael Greyeyes in Wild Indian
    
29. Timothee Chalamet in Dune 
30. Woody Norman in C'Mon C'Mon 
31. Riz Ahmed in The Encounter 
32. Benedict Cumberbatch in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain - 4.5
33. Vincent Lindon in Titane  
34. Dan Stevens in I'm Your Man
35. Cillian Murphy in A Quiet Place Part 2
36. Yuriy Borisov in Compartment No. 6
    
37. Luke Kirby in No Man of God
    
38. Alex Wolff in Pig
    
39. Stanley Tucci in Supernova
    
40. Colin Firth in Supernova
41. Jim Broadbent in The Duke
    
42. Benedict Cumberbatch in The Courier
43. George MacKay in Wolf 
44. Frank Grillo in Boss Level
    
45. Adam Driver in The Last Duel
    
46. Daniel Craig in No Time to Die
    
47. Adam Driver in Annette 
48. Matt Damon in The Last Duel
    
49. Clint Eastwood in Cry Macho
    
50. Tom Holland in Cherry
51. Adam Driver in House of Gucci
52. Ralph Fiennes in The Dig 
53. Idris Elba in The Suicide Squad
    
54. Will Smith in King Richard 
55. Anthony Ramos in In the Heights 
56. Alessandro Nivola in The Many Saints of Newark
57. Justin Chon in Blue Bayou
    
58. Bob Odenkirk in Nobody 
59. Kanji Tsuda in Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
    
60. Filippo Scotti in The Hand of God - 4 
61. Jonathan Majors in The Harder They Fall
62. Frank Grillo in Copshop
    
63. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Candyman
64. Gerard Butler in Copshop
65. Tom Hardy in Venom: Let There Be Carnage
    
66. Hugh Jackman in Reminiscence  
67. Tim Roth in Bergman Island
    
68. Dave Bautista in Army of the Dead - 3.5
69. Jason Statham in Wrath of Man
    
70. Benicio Del Toro in No Sudden Move
    
71. Don Cheadle in No Sudden Move
    
72. Jude Hill in Belfast 
73. Hilmir Snær Guðnason in Lamb
    
74. Oscar Isaac in The Card Counter 
    
75. Leonardo DiCaprio in Don't Look Up
76. Will Brill in Test Pattern
77. Matt Damon in Stillwater
    
78. Jack Dylan Grazer in Luca
79. Jacob Tremblay in Luca
    
80. Simu Liu in Shang-chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings
81. Denzel Washington in The Little Things
82. Trevante Rhodes in The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
83. Lucas Hedges in French Exit
    
84. Ansel Elgort in West Side Story
85. Elijah Wood in No Man Of God - 3 
86. Dwayne Johnson in Jungle Cruise
    
87. Eddie Murphy in Coming 2 America  
88. Jake Gyllenhaal in The Guilty 
89. Ed Helms in Together Together
    
90. Aidan Gillen in Those Who Wish Me Dead - 2.5
    
91. Javier Bardem in Being the Ricardos 
92. John David Washington in Malcolm & Marie 
    
93. Jermaine Fowler in Coming 2 America 
94. Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Resurrections 
95. Ryan Reynolds in Free Guy - 2
96. Rami Malek in The Little Things 
97. LeBron James in Space Jam: A New Legacy
    
98. Lewis Tan in Mortal Kombat - 1.5 
99. Daniel Ranieri in The Tender Bar
    
100. Tye Sheridan in The Tender Bar - 1
     
101. Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen - Wiseaus
     

Next: 1997 Lead (though I won't be starting until after the Oscars.)

Alternate Best Actor 2021: Cooper Hoffman in Licorice Pizza

Cooper Hoffman did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Gary Valentine in Licorice Pizza.

Licorice Pizza is practically cinematic bliss for me in its romantic/comedic telling of 70's set misadventures of an ambitious high schooler and his late 20's crush.

It is usually with some trepidation whenever I hear of the casting of the child of a noted actor taking on a major role. As while there can be John David Washington's and Michael Douglas's, there also can just as easily be Scott Eastwood's and Jaden Smith's. The charisma doesn't always transfer and often the attempt can seem a bit forced. In the right circumstances though it can be just right. I'll admit though that I had no such trepidation whatsoever when hearing that the son of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman was being cast as the lead in Paul Thomas Anderson's new film. The reason is in PTA I do trust, who has a knack to get memorable performances out of almost any actor, and if he saw something in the younger Hoffman, it must have been something worthwhile. There was no reason to doubt the man who could get a good performance out of Eric Roberts. This however also is not some bit part or even a supporting role but the male lead of the film of this romantic comedy. This is most certainly a challenge, and would be a challenge for a more seasoned actor. The pressure is very much on Cooper Hoffman to deliver on the promise of his name, this isn't dipping his toe into acting, but taking on the full brunt of carrying the film. 

From the opening scene, where we see Hoffman's Gary Valentine prepping himself for school pictures, it is immediately obvious that there should be no concerns and Hoffman is ready to take on this challenge. Of course, the reason why, is that Hoffman has such an easy presence on screen. There's no first-time reluctance or unease, he's naturally part of this world and you can just immediately accept him as Gary Valentine.I have to say it is impossible not to think of his father when watching him, and I mean that as the highest compliment. As the younger Hoffman, like the late Hoffman, is not who you would peg as your typical leading man in terms of presence, but oh does he just have that star charisma regardless. We get that in the opening scene right away as he's walking around the school and his eye catches one of the workers the, in her late 20's, Alana (Alan Haim), whom Gary attempts to approach and ask for a date. It has to be said the edge that is being walked here is tricky, but works so much because of the central performances of Hoffman and Haim. They just have it in a way that is nearly indescribable, because of the way they inhabit a scene isn't so easily defined. So much of the magic of the film though is their interactions that are defined by complication. 

A part of this complication is in the character of Gary himself who I feel is a combination of the younger version of two of his father's most memorable roles, the former child actor of Sandy Lyle in Along Came Polly, and even more so mattress magnate Dean Trumbell from PTA's previous romantic comedy Punch Drunk Love. The performance is then defined most by two major attributes, extreme confidence, and extreme high school insecurities. What Hoffman does is make Gary defined both aspects, but doesn't play it scene per scene, though usually, one has a stronger presence in a given scene, rather it is the way there is this constant fluctuation between them. The opening scene has all that bravado of someone seemingly with nothing to lose, and the lack of shame that is far more easily found in the young coming into his own than someone who has been around while. Hoffman plays so well by playing it as someone who really doesn't know any better than to try to charm the older Alana to the best of his ability even as she's only semi-respondent to it. Their first "date" is the young man seemingly filled with the confidence of the achievement, and puppy dog love as he describes to his brother he met the woman "he's going to marry someday", he seemingly has it all, though only perhaps a bit briefly. 

Hoffman's performance though is great because he is able to show that this surface confidence really only lasts so long in the relationship. As even on their first date as they walk home, Hoffman shows it starting to waver as he tries to kind of continue it and Hoffman's whole manner is someone who never quite had a plan once he got this far. Gary gets his second chance when he has Alana act as his chaperone for a showcase interview for a film that he appeared in, where he was among an ensemble of young performers. Again we see the law of diminishing returns which Hoffman wonderfully articulates as he tries to bring such assurance that he is going to be the star on stage yet instead just ticks off the actual star, essentially Lucille Ball, and looks like a creep as he attempts a quick sexual innuendo for his joke to Alana. Hoffman's performance of these moments shows where the confidence goes wrong, and that if he says the wrong thing, it so perfectly falls flat and really as a young man trying far too hard to seem greater than he is. Adding insult to injury his slightly older co-star Lance (Skyler Gisondo) begins a relationship, albeit short-lived, with Alana instead. 

The moments we see as Gary is stewing in his own failure is where the high school insecurities take their grip, and what's so great about Hoffman is that he is just as natural and honest in portraying this side. This is when he very much looks like the high schooler as looks upon with a fit of defeated jealousy at Alana walking with Lance while holding hands, or just the ball of distress when he calls Alana pretending to be Lance. In these moments he delivers that intensity of meekness in the moments of someone who cannot say the right thing and very much dares not to. He looks very much like the student in these moments and Hoffman, as much as his height and that confidence we see in many moments is terrific in creating the palatable sense of Gary when he is out of his element. Of course, being out of his element translates to anything that is entirely new for him, and when he can't get by through a smile or a quick idea or two. We are left with a young man who does want love but certainly has no idea of what steps to take in this given situation.

The two keep running into each other as they meet some not quite romantic, but not, not, romantic meeting point as designed by the two states of being they are in. Gary seems intent on moving up in the world as we enter the film while Alana's life is completely stagnant in a dead-end job while living in a small house with her sisters and parents. And within both, you get this fascinating tapestry between both getting to mature and while also giving into arrested development. Part of this running idea, where one won't help but feel the spirit of Dean Trumbell, is in Gary's dogged determination towards success regardless of whatever obstacles might be present in his way. Starting as an actor he has all the eagerness of the most eager of child actors, though this comes to an end when his childish qualities are lost now that he approaches adulthood. Gary though already has a PR company or maybe intends to sell waterbeds as well or maybe it's pinball. In each Hoffman brings that Trumbell energy, though less nefariously, in a guy putting everything in on the sale regardless of the situation. I think more important though is in Hoffman's performance is the lack of hesitation as he begins talking about the next prospect. Hoffman shows that he's not phased by any business setbacks at any point, there is that same wonderful eagerness to find his success in whatever the scheme it may be. 

The key to this performance though is the same as the key to this film which is Hoffman and Haim together. The film wouldn't work at all if you not only buy their relationship but you can also appreciate the nuances of it which are essential given the nature of the relationship. Their chemistry here is perfection but not because the relationship is perfect. It is rather a whole lot of different things all at once and the natural flow is what makes them so dynamic throughout the film. They are hilarious together in their moments of comic timing, whether that be Alana dismissing Gary's juvenile behaviors, or Gary attempting to be the cock of the walk while often just being more of a cock. There isn't a segment where they don't find the comedy just so naturally. Whether it be Gary overly joyously breaking Jon Peters's car after Peters threatened his family or his immediate befuddlement when being arrested in a case of mistaken identity. What's amazing though is they are also wholly sweet and sincere in so many moments as well. And it is the natural balance both create that makes them so winning together. They are genuinely warm and loving in moments, just as they are completely ridiculous. 

 

What I think both excel at is showing the way the two are in this constant fluctuation between maturation and falling into juvenile nonsense, the problem being is typically whose doing what is uneven, leaving their relationship naturally a bit strained. Hoffman though is great in the moments of seeming like just right as Gary finally shows some genuine class or love in the most earnest of ways. I think the ending scene honestly sums their relationship up, and just why they are so winning together, we four acts. They're running towards one another in a frantic search, wholly giving that sense of the thrill of each other and the endearing energy that defines them, of course before hitting into each other in a proper comic prat fall. The final moment though really says it with Hoffman's aggressively proudly dumb delivery of announcing Alana as "Mrs. Alana Valentine", against her exasperated reaction to his stupidity, before the two do finally just embrace and kiss in such a moment of genuine sincerity. It shows what works, as they are funny, as they create both discord and harmony with such a magical ease. It is the genius of PTA to not only craft this romance, but somehow seeing the avenue being two amateurs with musician Haim and the son of Philip Seymour Hoffman. I'll admit the elder Hoffman's departure hit me harder than most actor's deaths, as he was someone in his prime, just coming off of giving one of his best performances in his, sadly, last collaboration with PTA with The Master, and forever we'd lose that one of a kind presence. And that is where the only sadness I had with this film, was the occasional reminder when looking upon Cooper Hoffman's goofy smile, because it is that same smile as his dad's, though this sadness turned to joy each time. Because although we'll never forget his father for his own accomplishments, his legacy also continues with his son. The young Hoffman too is a completely unlikely lead, yet that is what makes him such a special one. I love that we were given the joy of a Hoffman family performance once again, and while I'm sure his path will be very different, I for one look forward to the next step. And even if he decides not to continue the acting path, I'm glad Cooper Hoffman took the time to give us this absolute delight of a performance.

Alternate Best Actor 2021: Hidetoshi Nishijima in Drive My Car

Hidetoshi Nishijima did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning NSFCA, for portraying Yūsuke Kafuku in Drive My Car.

 

Drive My Car is potent introspective film about a theater director dealing with the death of his wife while putting on a multilingual version of Uncle Vanya. 

Out of all the performances I've reviewed this year there probably isn't a quieter one than Nishijima's performance in this film. Not only is Nishijima playing a rather quiet man emotionally he also is within a culture that is defined often by not explicitly displaying one's emotions, particularly in public where much of this film takes place in at least some way. Nishijima has a great challenge in that he needs to play everything and I mean almost everything, close to the chest for the majority of the film. That isn't to say his Kafuku isn't going through a lot, in fact, he might be going through too much, however, the navigation of these treacherous waters is through a boat with very few leaks. Within the tight shell though is so much, and a performance of extreme subtlety is perhaps one of the most challenging to pull off yet can often reap the greatest rewards. Take even within the opening of the film where we meet Kafuku first as a theater actor with his wife Oto (Reika Kirishima) who is a television writer. Their relationship is really defined by a few particularly nuanced ideas, and one element where nuanced doesn't seem quite the right word for it. In their interactions in public, such as after Kafuku's performance of Waiting for Godot, there is a sweet smile they share and a generalized warmth. Together though there is a quiet distance that is rather fascinating in their performances. A distance that we learn is defined by their mutual grief of their deceased daughter who died long ago, but the distance isn't a traditional separation. They still seemingly are that loving couple, yet there is something that just isn't quite whole about them even as they do seem to genuinely love each other. This is beautifully articulated in both performances which convey the sense of the shared grief, however, a shared grief that is in a way changed and shifted over years of dealing with it along with dealing with each other. 

The overt connections the two share are in two ways that both seem in a way specifically strange yet are seemingly intensely intimate. The first is that Oto records the other sides of conversations for Kafuku in order for him to practice his stage roles, he does this while driving. Although seemingly a minor thing Nishijima's performance in the scenes of listening to the tapes speaks far more than just a simple memory trick. There's this sense of a natural comfort he has even when speaking the lines of someone in a way appreciating his wife, and his wife appreciating him as he goes about this routine. The other routine of theirs is a little stranger where when the two are having sex Oto will come up with stories that she can't remember, and Kafuku will be able to remind her about them the following morning. The performance of these scenes is actually quite essential, as any sex scene can easily seem very silly if overly exploitative, and actually making it feel something truly intimate between two old lovers is rather remarkable. That is the nature of the scenes here where Nishijima's performance with Kirishima crafts this very unique state between the two. They're both in a state of sexual satisfaction however it isn't typical lust or even aggressive pleasure. What we see instead is this sense of connection within the story as she's in the throws of pleasure within the tale, and Nishijima portrays this manner of guiding her through the story while in a way appreciating both her body and mind while doing so. We see this clear articulation of what one would believe is a one-of-a-kind connection between the two as they explore each other in more ways than one, and seemingly there is this core of what bridges them together in these moments. 

The first tragedy for Kafuku comes when he thinks he's leaving town but plans change leading him to return home to find that Oto is having sex with a young television actor Kōji Takatsuki (Masaki Okada). And here is where you truly see a man who plays things close to the chest as there is no reaction in the moment rather Kafuku leads and finds a hotel almost to cover his tracks to help to ensure that his wife does not suspect that he suspects anything has happened. The greatness of Nishjima's performance is conveying what is going on even as he remains so reserved. Examining his eyes after this scene, and the subsequent scene of just stewing on it in a hotel room, don't create waves of emotion, yet you still wholly sense in there, just obscured by the walls of the reserved man. His following conversation with her is in the delivery where there is now just the slight, ever so slight, put on of normalcy in Kafuku as he's clearly still thinking much about the betrayal. Unfortunately, the second tragedy strikes before any sort of understanding can be reached by Kafuku as he finds his wife collapsed, as she died suddenly. Nishijima's initial reaction is moving in showing the immediate surprise and anxiety of finding his wife unconscious. In the subsequent scenes of the mourning within a group, even with the young man with whom she was having an affair, Nishijima's performance again says so much while literally saying almost nothing. The nuance of his work again is what is so special, as the grief isn't just grief. It isn't just sadness you sense, there is a complication about it. There is sorrow but sorrow transformed by the circumstance. There isn't any sense of closure and there is an innate conflict that stays internalized in Nishijima's troubled brow. 

We break from that situation as the film jumps ahead two years to find that Kafuku is now a theater director and has a job at a multilingual theater company that is putting on Uncle Vanya, the last play Kafuku put on before retiring from being an actor. Nishijima's performance is as this solitary man so much as he speaks with this directness but also even a kind of going through the motions detachment as he takes on the job. Nishijima doesn't portray Kafuku as someone who doesn't care, but he does portray him as someone who is very much isolated within himself. Isolated in terms of the pain being something that he has shared with no one. He has experienced it within himself and stays experiencing it within himself. Kafuku even insisting upon staying his own driver when the company insists, due to insurance reasons, that he must have a driver for the duration of his work. We then follow him in the theater company where Nishijima exudes a quiet authority though not so simple as that when the young television actor, now more so a celebrity Takatsuki appears to audition for Kafuku's production of Uncle Vanya. I think it is pretty fascinating that Nishijima is doing an intense glare but an intense glare that is befitting Kafuku, which he's really looking right into this young man who is part of such a deep pain but keeps it mostly inside. The only initial break coming when during Takatsuki's extremely sexually aggressive audition for Dr. Astrov, the most desired man in Vanya, Kafuku interrupts. Nishijima's tension is so subtle in the moment but still realized, and in some ways a true outburst from a man as reserved as he. 

Although his relationship among the actors in his play will be most important with Takatsuki, I think it is important to also examine the seemingly minor scenes between Kafuku and Lee Yoo-na (Park Yu-rim) the mute actress who plays the role of the very meek Sonya in Vanya. A character who has a natural power to her performance both in and out of character. The dinner scene between her and one of the directors though I think is important because even while there is some stress discussed there's a more potent warmth about. Important to note because of Nishijima's performance in this scene where we see a greater appreciation the man has for her clear purity of intention in her wise purpose for performance, and as much as her power of her performance. This while also challenging Nishijima on treating her potentially differently in some way because she doesn't use a voice to speak with. As much as these moments it is difficult not to look at Park's performance, Nishijima does a lot in these moments in showing the way Kafuku is genuinely impressed and taken aback by her. In both senses we see more from him both in terms of expressing joy in the unexpected nature of the actress, but also while showing these moments of reflection regarding her questions. An important contrast when the conversation moves from her, Nishijima shows Kafuku withdrawing to an extent again, not that he's cold, but there's this specific unwillingness to express, almost by requirement, that is very important in these moments to help reveal the truth of the man. 

That relationship which is in stark contrast to his relationship with his driver initially Misaki Watari (Tōko Miura), a person who I'd say is almost cold and certainly as withdrawn as Kafuku as a person, potentially exacerbated by the fact that she's the technical intrusion on the solitude and the remaining intimacy of his wife which is listening to the recordings of his wife's voice while driving to rehearse his plays. Their relationship initially then is extremely business like as both very much state their purpose and their interactions initially while aren't truly cold, they are very much detached. The nature of the long drive though kind of dictates an unlikely avenue that these two can't remain not too talkative with one another even with the tapes acting as a distraction initially. The two do begin to talk and so much of the power of the relationship is the gradual way this slowly peels away between them. The intriguing element here is that this is very atypically done by both performers. The idea of the employer/employee making a connection, while driving in particular, has been done many times before. This feels very different but also so much more honest than so many by making it this subtle internalized transition in both of them. They share their stories even initially with more informative delivery finding more passion in themselves ever so gradually as they share with one another. Neither make this immediate jump and it is so well articulated in the performances of both Miura and Nishijima. 

The pestering relationship, and in some ways a rather ambiguous one is with Takatsuki, as Kafuku casts the young man not with the desirable Astrov but instead as Vanya, the least desired man in the play. Now how one reads this exactly can be different though watching the film three times I think Nishijima's performance suggests two ideas with this choice. One is it is this kind of revenge in a way to plant him in this impotent character which is supported by the way Nishijima portrays the criticism of Takatsuki when they are rehearsing. His criticism is particularly blunt, not overly venomous, but for Kafuku there's this certain directness about it. He is more focused in his delivery and more cutting while still maintaining this professional manner. The other is that Kafuku is trying to get a read on the young man who was the weapon of betrayal by his wife. Their scenes together are filled with a whole lot secrets and an understated tension. The way Nishijima plays these scenes is brilliant because his eyes are so often examining this man, searching for something in a way. At the same time there is this kind of exasperation in his manner at times as he questions the young man's sexual aggression and generally violent demeanor. Nishijima's marvelous though in that his candor is dismissive yet does still have this sort of mentor's guidance about him in terms of style, as though it is against Kafuku's better nature to truly treat the young man badly, yet can't quite bring himself to forgive him. Instead what Nishijima shows is the older man challenging the younger man on his vices and even the inadequacies as the young man fails to give himself to Vanya in many ways for his performance to work. 

The key conversation of this relationship comes in Kafuku's car, as Takatsuki is given a ride home. Kafuku and the young man basically finally revealing their truths with only some very thin veils between them. Nishijima is amazing in this scene in making this substantial leap into revealing the pains of the character, though still as what one would describe as a deeply reserved man. Nishijima though is far more direct, even nearly impassioned in the moment of trying to suggest to the young man the one thing he thinks he has over him, in that he believes the true intimacy he shared with his wife was through sharing the stories. His description of this going almost into this boast in his performance as he states this with a certain confidence in his voice, though his physical presence has a certain awkwardness of a man doing something that is against his nature. Just look at the way Nishijima breathes in this scene and you'll see a masterclass of subtlety in the way he holds a breath or releases, speaks much to what Kafuku is going through emotionally as he speaks this. Holding a breath as though he's uncertain of the reveal, but then finding breath when putting more of his story out in this striking confidence. I love the moment where Kafuku accuses Takatsuki as directly as possible, while still being indirect, however the directness is in Nishijima's direct intense stare that is unlike anything we saw in the man the rest of the film. His anger is here, even as he doesn't even raise his voice, it is all in the eyes. Watch Nishijima then when Takatsuki really reveals the greatest betrayal when not only does the young man know the story, he actually knows more of the story than Kafuku. Again Nishijima portrayal of sheer devastation is uniquely internalized yet so palatable. The way his eyes downturn, his confidence and aggression of before gone, and this sadness in the man is in his expression. He wouldn't dare cry in front of this man, yet the pain of this is sketched within Nishijima's expression that is of a man who wants to remain stoic, but can't quite. 

After that climactic conversation between the two actors Takatsuki is arrested for attacking a man who had been taking pictures of him, leaving Kafuku to take on the role of Vanya, but before that we see the last essential step of Kafuku's and Watari's relationship. Again what is so impressive is how earned it feels when the two withdrawn people finally connect, and when the two decide to attempt to find some catharsis in their mutual losses, as Watari reveals she is as well dealing with the thoughts of her mother's death. The two though reveal more together on the way to her home where her mother died. Both performances are outstanding and so powerful first in the driving conversation. Both are so remarkable in revealing their break in their shields which is their reservedness Nishijima is so impactful in finally revealing real tears, though still held back as much as he can, and finds such potent emotion in just that force of the moment as Kafuku begins to reveal himself. The story itself being that Kafuku confesses on the day of his wife's death he had purposefully driven longer and gotten home late to avoid a potential confrontational conversation that would change his relationship with his wife. Nishijima gives you such a tangible sense of the state that day in the fear he conveys in his hesitated breath, and the sorrow though in accentuating the lump in his throat as he notes his sense of guilt in failing to be there in her death. In Watari's story she too reveals guilt, though of a different kind, as she was with her mother when their house collapsed, and she had a chance to save her mother but chose not to. Nishijima's reaction to this is as important as his revelation of guilt in conveying this true empathy and understanding the two share in this intensely complicated grief. 

The true climax of their relationship isn't found though until the two finally make their trek to Watari's old house that still sits in rubble within a snowy landscape. And to mention the great Lee Byung-hun for a moment, the actor I perhaps first think of first when it comes to the volcanic technique of performance, where so much of the work is all about just beneath the surface until it is all unleashed. Unleashed in a way that leaves such a substantial and awe inspiring impact that is particularly unique thanks to the atypical execution of it. Well that is what you have here with Nishijima's performance as any of the man's inhibitions are gone as he is fully there for Watari's grief, but also finally seemingly fully experiencing his own. Both suffering from a similar state of guilt, sadness but also complications with people who they neither purely loved or hated. In the beginning of the scene Nishijima is already devastating in just realizing such a potent sympathy and empathetic pain as he looks upon Watari speaking her own pains. Watari though turns this on Kafuku and asks him consider that his wife was complicated and loved him even within her painful betrayals. Nishijima's eyes are filled with such initial despair. He is harrowing in revealing everything he's kept internalized for so long, still trying to keep it back, but now the effort is truly too much, releasing it in this moment. When he finally breaks, Nishijima is truly heartbreaking in revealing every bit of anger but also sadness at his own failures in her relationship. When finally he says bluntly that he does truly miss her, Nishijima's performance articulates this so powerfully because it is with this force of emotion of the reserved man finally allowing himself to feel it all, and it is this combination of pain and catharsis. Catharsis that evokes Vanya by embracing Watari and speaking the words about living up to their loss by continuing on despite their pain, and in the end Nishijima ends up being as inspiring as he was heart wrenching. 

 

As much as I feel I've covered that poignant and oh so powerful portrait of a man's introspective journey through grief that is Nishijima's extraordinary performance, I would be remiss if I forgot to mention his performances within the performance. I left these alone actually because as much as he has that incredible volcanic arc in the personal story of Kafuku there is another more condensed one that we see in the performances of the man. The first performance in Waiting for Godot, where we just see a man experiencing his joys as a performer with no great fanfare, pomp or circumstance. A working actor without any extra cares to the performance. This is in stark contrast to his first depicted performance as Vanya in Uncle Vanya, the lonely rejected man contemplating his apparently misspent life, and in that Nishijima seems to portray something Jack Lemmon referred to when speaking about his performance in Save the Tiger. Lemmon referred to becoming too intertwined with his character to the point he was in pain just as his character of Harry Stoner was in that film, something Lemmon counseled against falling into. We see this idea as Nishijima depicts Kafuku becoming far too empathetic with Vanya in his performance to the point the man is writhing in pain. He's showing it on stage in his performance but his eyes are searing with the very real pain of the man becoming so connected with his character that he suffers as Vanya does even when he walks off the stage. This is in contrast to his final performance which is after he's found his sense of closure and in turn his performance now is of a powerful and capable actor, reveals Vanya's painful emotions, but when he walks off stage it is with a healthy calm, no longer burdened so terribly in his connection. Nishijima though delivers another great performance within this great performance, as he is a great Vanya in his scene of showing this man filled with regret, though performed differently from Kafuku's own, to the point I kind of wish we had gotten to see the full version of this Uncle Vanya at the center of this film. Nevertheless both performances make up the greatness of this outstanding performance by Hidetoshi Nishijima. A performance that carries us through a challenging,  and often insular journey, but a journey that is no less poignant or powerful in this method. A journey of a man trying to come to terms with the unknowable, that is realized by making a man seemingly unknowable, knowable.

Alternate Best Actor 2021: Bradley Cooper in Nightmare Alley

Bradley Cooper did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Stanton "Stan" Carlisle in Nightmare Alley. 

Nightmare Alley is a strange experience for me, in that I don't think I really properly watched the film the first time. Sometimes I'll get a film the second time more because knowing the journey I will more greatly appreciate that journey for what it is, but that's not the case in this instance. Here, I knew the journey from the 47 film starring Tyrone Power against type, which I quite like, even with its production code tacked on pseudo happy ending. So on my first watch I admired the film, however I think I almost did not allow myself to experience the film staying too focused on waiting for the scenes I knew were going to happen, rather letting myself get carried into the story. Well re-watching the film, and now not having my mind try to match scenes in my head, I just got to experience it this time, and much to my surprise I have found it far more gripping, emotional and powerful, keeping in mind that I rather liked the film even with that strange viewing experience the first time.

Although he came up short in terms of acting Oscar nominations, Bradley Cooper had a banner year in 2021, with two wildly divergent turns in Best Picture nominees. One being his scene stealer pseudo one scene wonder of Jon Peters in Licorice Pizza, which is a wild extravagant comedic performance of the highest order, and here where he is the lead dramatic character, who almost appears in every scene of the film. Cooper is Stan Carlislse the seeming drifter who becomes far more than that. Where Cooper does nothing but talk as Jon Peters, Cooper doesn't say a word for about the first ten minutes of Nightmare Alley. In those 10 minutes though Cooper says much as shows his ability to act in silence, and even with only minor actions as we watch Stan enter the film, theoretically Stan at his most true self. An entrance that differs greatly from Tyrone Power's entrance as Stan in the 47 film, who is much more this kind of average man when we meet him. Stan here has a history which we see a snippet of in the very first scene as Stan is disposing of a corpse by placing in a rundown shack before burning the place down. Cooper's performance displaying this calm of a workman in this task before coldly marching off to find some new start. Where Stan in the 47 film seems an affable man at the start of the first film, Cooper's Stan takes you aback a bit as comes off as true drifter, someone moving away from a past he has no desire to stay in. 

His performance in the initial scenes of discovering the carnival crafts a beguiling identity in Stan. His physical manner alone has this tight authority, someone who seems prepared for any confrontation, but also this masking darkness about the man who keeps his head down, and his eyes frequently away from the gaze of others. We follow him into the carnival where Cooper's performance portrays this certain intrigue within Stan as he examines the place though with almost this suspicion. The moment of going to the geek show in a way is particularly essential, as Cooper's reaction is subtle yet speaks so much in the eyes of Stan viewing the lowest of the low though with this quietest of empathy, something we will see only sparingly within Stan throughout the film. Even without speaking what Cooper does here though is the man seemingly looking for some new avenue, there isn't what I'd call a sense of shame exactly but kind of crime about him, though what the crime may or may not be is largely ambiguous as this time, combined though with the man looking for some kind of future. Cooper's work presents Stan really in this transition of Stan as though he is looking for something to be, just the quietest of a hint of ambition as his eyes seem to be seeking something in his surroundings. A minor ambition partially fulfilled as he suddenly finds himself a job moving the carnival for its owner Clem (Willem Dafoe) and its strongman Bruno (Ron Perlman). 

We finally hear Stan utter a word when he is tasked to capture the local geek by Clem within an haunted house attraction. Cooper still portrays Stan as the guarded man in this task still in a way isolating himself even in seeking this man just for some quick cash. Stan finally speaks and we get one masterful aspect of Cooper's performance to first reveal itself, his accents. Again accents aren't something I always focus on because they are often overly focused upon, but when it is a great one, and serves a greater purpose that is notable. Now here the accent might not seem that, though it is extremely well realized in Cooper's vocal turn in crafting an authentic accent fitting someone from the mid-west from a impoverished background. There's more to it though as in this moment in confronting the geek, and really saying he has nothing against him, Cooper's voice is particularly harsh and more earthy in its quality, natural to this man which denotes a hard life. Something that seems to reveal itself faster when the geek attacks him and Stanton lashes back at him quickly and with brutal efficiency. Cooper's performance in this scene is essential and exceptional in the quickness of the ferocity of his violence. It is with this instinctual attack, that goes further than just defense and turns to attack. In this Cooper shows a man as himself ready to fight, ready to kill, as a man who has had to steal and possibly kill to survive. 

After helping capture the geek there is a particularly important moment in Cooper's performance where Clem thanks Stan for his efforts and offers him a job, noting the carnival doesn't mind much about someone's past. In that moment of speaking this, Cooper's manner loosens just a bit and stay loosened in the subsequent scenes at the carnival, showing this at least minor sense of comfort in Stan within the carnival. Stan quickly ingratiates himself within the carnival starting with the fortune teller Zeena (Toni Collette) and her husband Pete (David Strathairn). A key moment to what Cooper is doing in this performance actually is a very brief one when Stan is taking a bath and Zeena begins making a sexual pass at him. Cooper is terrific in the scene because although it seems Zeena is the aggressor, and she certainly is, the moment she mentions his looks, Cooper face switches quickly to a come hither smile, before returning to the younger man just allowing himself to be taken by this older woman. A subtle manipulation which will be Stan's game throughout the film, and a brilliant aspect of Cooper's performance throughout the film. The key to Cooper's performance, which is clear on initial viewing but even stronger on re-watch is that Cooper shows that in almost every situation Stan is playing on something. And while there is a real man within Stan in Cooper's performance there are a whole lot of different shades of the illusions he creates to obscure the man's nature. 

Take in the carnival itself where we get separate qualities of performance in Cooper depending on who Stan is acting besides. One of the immediately obvious is Stan when he is acting as a partial barker for Zeena. There Cooper's accent has a subtle shift to a less harsh mid-western accent, something that is rather affable and sounds almost looks a eager news paperboy at times, the perfect accent to get crowds to believe you and intrigue you into buying into the show. The fascinating bit about that though is we also get that same endearing energy with the pretty young woman who works as the carnival Molly (Rooney Mara). Cooper is amazing in that he adjusts slightly again. The accent is similar but a bit truer with Molly, though still false to the accent we heard when confronting the geek. His physical manner though is wholly different as Cooper becomes genuinely so charming as he tries to win over Molly. Cooper is fantastic because you wholly believe the intention as he brings such excitement in his manner and such spirit in his words as he makes romantic overtures and even romantic gestures such as showing off a new technique for Molly's electricity bit. The thing that Cooper does though is he wholly pulls you into believing Stan as this romantic lead suddenly as he genuinely is endearing when showing off the new trick to Molly, and against one's better judgment you buy into him as this caring soul just trying to give Molly the world.  

This though is different from his performances with his two mentors in the carnivalof Dafoe's Clem and Strathairn's Pete, although even between those Cooper is very different in the way he articulates the relationship each time. With Clem, Cooper portrays this very practical manner of the listener and the follower. Cooper suggests someone just taking in the information and following the orders he need to, in order to get ahead. Clem freely gives his info out and in turn Cooper portrays Stan just going along, close to the more brutal man we saw initially but just slightly more at ease. His delivery though is very direct such as when he notes "he never touches the stuff" regarding alcohol it is with a dismissive straightforwardness that even Clem doesn't fully enjoy. With Pete the relationship though is very different as Cooper takes a slightly more submissive posture even around Pete and almost has these glowing eyes of the young man seeking information from the wise old man, even if that man is a broken down booze hound. Cooper in the same moments though delivers in his eyes this penetrating  expression when Pete introduces his ability of creating a code to read an audience's possessions and his cold reading ability in order to read a person. Cooper creates in these moments this tangible sense of Stan building the path for his future in his eyes as his eyes seem so sharply drawn to the concept, and the power that seems possible within it. 

In his time at the carnival there are a few moments where it seems like we might see the true Stan, or at least some wholly true feelings from him. His interactions with Pete speak to this when Pete does his whole act and creates this entire backstory about the watch that Stan wears that must have been taken from his father who he loves and hated. Cooper's excellent in the reaction of filling with this real sense of the anxiety of this old relationship and that sense of the fear of his past opening up, until Pete reveals that it was just an fixed reading that can work on a great many people. The other are in the moments of the mention of the geek by Clem including when Clem disposes of the geek and then tells Stan how one procures a geek through drugging an alcoholic. In these moments, and another honestly poignant one of Stan going to share a cigarette with the imprisoned geek, reveal the glint of humanity in Stan. I love how Cooper plays these scenes and shows them to be where Stan almost can grant his sympathy or at least pity to the people who he views as having a worst plight than him, which is few. Cooper though goes even further though in presenting this kind of fascination even within this sympathy. There is something about the geek that nags into his inner soul, and Cooper is fantastic in presenting that sharp and specific pain that seems to torment Stan regardless of his position. 

Stan begins to take on the power that he learned from Pete and in turn Cooper is exceptional in realizing this technique that depends so much on a specific kind of charisma. Now charisma might be enough to pull this off, but what takes Cooper to a greater achievement in again fashioning the kind of charisma needed for his specific mark. We first see this when a sheriff comes into the carnival to try to shut it down, and Stan, using bits of information here and there decides to cold read him to get him to stop. Cooper is outstanding in this scene by first presenting this kind of meekness in his manner, an easily believable man of the general place who no one should suspect again. When speaking to the Sheriff Cooper does it with this particular religious inspiration as though he is being pulled to the sheriff to try to speak to the man as some kind of holy prophecy. Cooper's eyes fixated on the man in a mesmerizing state though as though he is a born again preacher delivering the lord to the man via this sermon, when of course Stan is just finding a way for the man to stop. Cooper controls every moment in this performance as he intensifies the state as the Sheriff breaks more and more, and what I love is that Cooper is able to make it this strange attack on the man in terms of his character, by noting the man's pains, yet with this inspirational streak to get the man to believe him as he articulates thoughts of the mother with this kind of poignant pause and empathetic glare. Cooper embodies exactly what the Sheriff is looking for in Stan in order to find some kind of peace. 

We then leap in time as Stan leaves the carnival with Molly to start his own mentalist act though not in venue in an upper crust city. We get yet another accent transformation and even posture change as Cooper performs as "The Great Stanton". Stan when performing now speaking with an overly affluent sounding accent, almost a southern dandy, befitting the group that Stan is now performing with. His manner though totally changed less as the grounded preacher type as he reads the audience and now with this air of natural elevated state as this man who can see the beyond. Cooper's movements in these scenes are that of really an over the top performance, as Stanton is most certainly performing for the crowd to seem so much more than he is. In Cooper's performance you see the sense of power that Stan feels from the situation and the quiet joy in his expression as he wields this control. We see this when the equally amoral Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) attempts to break the illusion of his show by messing with the code and asking Stan to identify something hidden in a purse. Cooper is again incredible in the moment hesitation before his eyes become so piercing as he successfully describes the contents of her purse before then continuing to pursue her by attacking her based on his read of her. Cooper bringing this vicious incisiveness in the moment and a bit of glee as he attempts to cut Lilith down, before quickly shifting to a new mark, a local judge, by prodding out the information on death of the judge's son creating a new target. 

Again what is so outstanding about Cooper's work is the way he can articulate the duplicity of Stan which differs from person to person, while still revealing elements of the true Stan in part from these acts, but also in the moments where he is caught astray. With Lilith, whom Stan recruits to get info from her work as a psychiatrist on her wealthy patients, Cooper doesn't show Stan exactly as himself really but rather as Stan would like to be seen as by her even, which is as the confident and articulate grifter. Cooper comes in so assured and shows where Stan is embracing his most sinful behaviors in lust but also just in his description of his crimes. Cooper brings such satisfaction as he talks about his technique to her and his love of making the money off the fools that are buying what he is selling. Cooper goes to something beyond though in this enjoyment as it is this satisfaction he has in his delivery of a man who has achieved his goal in life seemingly, which is to steal from those who always seemed so far ahead of him and glory in it. In turn his lustful relationship with Lilith is defined by just that, and his natural transition to sleeping with her and even drinking alcohol with her, Cooper makes it this natural shift into embracing his sinfulness with someone he sees as a mutual sinner. Important to note the scene where Lilith's required session with Stan, the thing that really gets her off more than anything, and Cooper is magnificent in this scene. He naturally portrays the slow reveal of more vulnerability in Stan as she prods him to reveal more including his past and possible murders. Cooper is fantastic as his delivery combines this attempt at pushing aside the past, this attack on the very idea of the past, but also this somber self-loathing when he gives into the thoughts and reveals a bit about his failed family life with a weak willed alcoholic father. 

The near final sequence of the film is as we see really two sides pulling on Stan with Lilith helping him con first the judge, then his reclusive rich friend Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins). This is against Molly still trying to have a relationship with Stan and push him towards a less manipulative life. With Molly, Cooper is great in showing really the blithe manner he has towards Molly after seeming so earnest when he had been courting her earlier. When Molly says she won't help him with the spook show, Cooper is marvelous by showing the shift in the manipulation. First in his explaining that he's trying to help Grindle as Cooper gently delivers the description as though he's offering piece of mind with his phony spiritualism. When that doesn't work, Cooper is perfect in the final moments of pleading with Molly where Cooper again does show that really it was all a grift with her too, as he accentuates a caring vulnerability when speaking to Molly and getting her to come back in order to impersonate Grindle's deceased mistress. Speaking of Grindle, Cooper portrays Stan as really fully gone into nearly believing his nonsense as he first shows off with the judge's wife then with Grindle. Cooper presenting these moments without shame as this man prodding and playing with the people, with a sly smile in giving them peace while still prodding for more money and power from them. Cooper is never slicker than he is with Grindle showing the full powers of the man, fascinating as he creates this blend between the showman and the real devious spiritualist, trying to act as though he is uncovering some truth with Grindle while he is in fact just playing with the man's inner turmoil.

The climactic impersonation scene I really didn't give enough credit to on my initial viewing, yet found it magnificent on re-watch, in large part due to Cooper's performance that brings a surprising nuance to the situation. This as while Cooper indeed portrays that Stan is indeed manipulative, as he listens to Grindle's confession where he seems to indicate he may be a serial killer, his reaction speaks to a greater realization of the danger of the man, and the fear that he's put Molly in real danger. In turn when Stan kills Grindle as Grindle's attacking Molly, Cooper's performance delivers a greater depth both as we see Stan return to the man who violently hit the geek once again as he lashes out, but there's an even greater vindictive intensity as he's putting down Grindle. Cooper launching into it almost as he's performing an execution of sorts. The killings leading Molly to finally leave him and for Stan to go on the run. Cooper's physical work again is outstanding because  he so powerfully embodies the tension  of the crime he's just committed, and this certain mania as he tries to cover his track. Just the way Cooper moves around in these scenes is absolutely captivating in creating such a palatable sense of tension. He creates the edge that Stanton finds himself on so powerfully. When Stan seeks an escape route with Lilith, only to find that she's been grifting him out of the cash he's made the whole time. Cooper's reaction is perfection as this shattering of his reality in believing that she was together with him in this mutual lust with the weight on his face of the grifter finally seeing himself as the victim. Cooper brings such dynamic animalistic viciousness as he attempts to get his revenge on her before being forced out due to the police arriving. 

Now before I get to the ending of Cooper's performance, which may be the most essential element to talk about. I obviously already think this is altogether a brilliant performance that only gets better the more you watch it. If Cooper had played the part as Power did, which was as very much an average man where temptation and bad influences get the better of him, that would've been strong work, I'm sure. Cooper makes a different choice though, which makes this version a bit pricklier regardless of the ending, which is to make Stan rotten to the core. Cooper's performance shows a man that sees everyone, except those below him, as a mark to be taking advantage and manipulated in some way. Cooper articulates this through fashioning a different side to Stan and a different song to play depending on the listener. He crafts a multitude of faces both when Stan is actively performing and just when he's with anyone he can get something from. He flawlessly realizes this in every relationship on screen and there always an angle that Cooper is playing, and it is so effortlessly compelling to witness throughout. But let's talk about the black core of the man, which we eventually see when the opening of the film was based on Stan essentially murdering his own father by exposing the sickly old man to the elements. In that scene there is such hate and contempt in Cooper's eyes and such venom in his one line of articulating these feelings to the old man.

 

After running off from Lilith we have a man stuck with himself and in this darkness. Cooper showing now this alcoholic, wounded and broken, and just his expressions so powerfully shows all confidence and ability withered away. His silent work in these scenes alone is true greatness from Cooper, however I still haven't gotten to the best part of his performance. This being his final scene where he finds a carnival to attempt to ply his trade with a new owner (Tim Blake Nelson). Cooper's physical state is of the broken man and I love that he now shows the "sell" is so messy from Stan. This as Cooper attempts the overly refined accent which is ill fitting to his vagrant appearance showing that Stan is slipping, and can't craft any illusions this time that will convince the man that he's of any use. Cooper couldn't seem more pathetic, so then it seems strange when the owner offer him a drink, for a temporary job at the carnival, the geek, but only till they can get a real geek. The words which echo exactly Clem's method for geek procurement. Cooper is beyond astonishing in this moment from the momentary grin as he takes the drink, before he realizes the true nature of the job, then in that moment of realization Cooper has never been better. Cooper manages to convey the horror the realization from his memory, the sadness of this state, but also this strong mania in his eyes as he grins as he accepts his fate with his haunting delivery of "I was born for it". There's something that cuts all the deeper with Cooper's performance as it isn't just the man being sad about becoming the geek, there is this devastation and eerie acceptance of the man mentally breaking as he realizes that despite all his efforts he has fallen lower than his lowest point. His tormented laugh that is both heartbreaking and harrowing in the terrifying combination of horror and joy, reveals a man who can't help but laugh at being unable to escape what appears to have been his dreadful fate by some universal design. It is an unforgettable ending, to this masterful performance by Bradley Cooper, as the portrait of a man, who for all his tricks and charisma could never escape the weight of his dark soul.