Alternate Best Actor 2004: Leigh Whannell in Saw

 Leigh Whannell did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Adam in Saw. 

Saw is the film that started it all, although this film is a semi-mystery thriller element with only relatively tame gore compared to what the films would become infamous for. 

Leigh Whannell is the name you more likely know as the writer/director of Upgrade and The Invisible Man remake, who started out as a writer with this film, while James Wan directed this film. Whannell is technically one of the lead actors of the film, as we open with two men finding themselves chained separately in a dank room with various clues speaking to their circumstances. The other being one Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes with his most unconvincing American accent since Hot Shots!). Whannell takes on the role of a few upcoming writers or directors who star in their own films, sometimes this works, and sometimes there’s a reason the individual became better known for his behind the scenes work. With Whannell it is the latter. And honestly it is rare to be able to take on a performance that honestly comes across more High School level than film level at any point. Whannell tries hard, very hard as we open up in his scene of disorientation in the area and fear. The problem is the effort is more noticeable than the emotion. Whannell is effortful in every bit of dialogue he speaks. There is the raging attempt at portraying anxiety of the situation but it comes across as more awkward than effective. His expressions are either the emotion in the most thin terms of it, or very flat. This is most evident when Elwes is speaking, where Whannell could do much more in terms of alluding towards the truths of his character, craft a bit of internal life as he’s listening to this other man, but instead his performance is very flat as he struggles to do nothing. 

As the film unwinds we find out that the two men are in a trap designed by an infamous serial killer who designs puzzles for their victims, victims he chooses as people not appreciating their life enough. The two men find out they’ll need to play his game to escape, as they have a hacksaw that is only good for their legs, and he wants to pit the two men against each other in their predicament. Where the plot thickens is that the men are connected more so than either thought, as Adam is a photographer who took pictures of Dr. Gordon was cheating on his wife, meanwhile Gordon himself was mistaken as possibly the killer by two extremely incompetent police detectives. These two get interconnected as Adam was hired by one of the two idiot detectives to spy on Gordon, giving a more direct reason of hatred. A revelation that isn’t performed particularly well by Whannell, who again tries to play it kind of casual of the man having a bit of an ego about his private detective abilities and a brief superiority over Gordon. Again though it comes across as trying hard, but not as a man posturing, but rather an actor who can’t quite hit the note he’s looking for. 

The two do try to trick the game including a standout, in that it stands out as being extra bad, of Adam pretending to die from poison which pretty much looks like when Bugs Bunny pretends to be dying in a given battle with Elmer Fudd. One could counter my argument to say that Adam is supposed to be a bad actor so Whannell played it properly by being bad, but eh, that might hold more water if the rest of his performance was on point, or even more so if the immediate scene afterwards he does some non-fake (in movie reality) acting as Adam is electrocuted to show the obviousness of the ruse. The electrocuted acting is very similar to say when Homer Simpson is electro shocked, so still very cartoonish. The one bit of credit I can give him is towards the end of the film when all is revealed, his portrayal of his character’s physical pain and eventual complete panic stricken fear is decent. Not great, but at least somewhat believable, however this only stands out because before this point his work is far less than believable. There are worse performances than this one, but this isn’t a particularly good one. Though I’ll note that James Wan doesn’t necessarily seem to get great performances from his actors, as even the more seasoned Elwes sometimes struggle here, though maybe the comically bad “pale losing blood” makeup on him at a certain point didn’t help matters. Whannell could be worse but he’s not good here, and found his place appropriately as a decently talented writer/director. 

Alternate Best Actor 2004: Irrfan Khan in Maqbool

Irrfan Khan did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Miyan Maqbool in Maqbool. 

Maqbool is an adaptation of Macbeth set in the modern day Mumbai underworld. 

This is an adaptation of Macbeth, however the more obvious Macbeth parallels take awhile to realize themselves, as the first half of the film is far more about this gangster film where we get to see the nature of the organization where Khan’s Maqbool is one of the high level enforcers for boss Jahangir Khan (Pankaj Kapur). And not entirely unlike director Vishal Bhardwaj’s later film of Hamlet Haider, the Shakespearean protagonist is fairly passive for the first half of the film. As largely we see Maqbool in his role as enforcer and a genuinely loyal one, offering a stoic calm at times but also a brutal force at others. The character finding life is aided greatly by the presence of Khan, who is striking on screen innately, so when in the early scenes Maqbool is just following orders he is quite compelling in his silence. I would however say the film maybe extends this silence a bit longer than it needs to given it takes half of the film to truly get into the Macbeth plot. Something that comes about in this version is even more evidently by the Lady Macbeth of this version Nimmi (Tabu) being a primary motivator for Maqbool even beyond her usual role as such. As in this version she is the mistress of the boss/king this time enticing Maqbool as a reason to seek power beyond simply the power of being boss. 

An element that works effectively thanks to Tabu being so captivating in the role, but also Khan brings this intense focus in these moments in portraying the man being brought into this intrigue. Khan plays Maqbool well by showing him not exactly going with the flow, but in a way giving himself to the ambition of Nimmi in this instance and in a way embracing the idea. Conveying within his work the quiet notions of lust towards her and the power that propels him to take action that leads to him eventually murdering his boss. A sequence that signals a change in Khan’s performance as he goes from his quiet stoic quality with just that nagging lust, to fully embracing himself essentially as the boss onscreen. An idea that Khan portrays with a proper ease as he delivers that innate strength of personality and even more so an ease with his own menace as he now is the man others should fear. Khan brings initially the confidence of the power of the man who now has Nimmi and the control of the underworld, delivering this ease within himself of someone who has everything he thinks he wants, and is as easily able to threaten those he thinks might try to take his power, including even his old friend. 

As much as it took time to get to the Macbeth portion in this adaptation, once we are there the film is in a hurried rush to get through every beat of the plot of Macbeth, including other threats and the madness brought upon both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth via the supernatural hauntings they receive. As quick as all this is, Khan remains captivating in his portrayal of the loss of that initial confidence as the crimes literally come back to haunt him, such as his old friend opening his eyes as a corpse. Khan plays the madness well as the quick piercing fear of seeing his crimes reflected in this haunting, and the man so easy in his threats to others becomes weighed down by his actions. Khan creates swiftly the gripping pathos of Maqbool’s mental state that first turns from a mania which he convincingly portrays then shifts towards more of a malaise in seeing the bad ends, particularly as they drive Nimmi mad as well to the point of suicide. The climax of Macbeth often leads to a more grandiose villain, embracing his evil in a last ditch attempt to hold his power just as all his enemies are mounting their attack. This version doesn’t build towards the grandiose, rather it is kind of a meek end for this Macbeth, where we get a brief scene of Maqbool’s reaction to kind of the potential better life he might’ve had if he hadn’t given into lust and ambition. Khan is moving in the scene of playing that moment of reaction as part of the overall meek way this version of the character essentially allows himself to fade away in his downfall rather than a grand explosion. Khan consistently gives a good performance in terms of accentuating the emotional position of his character in this version of the story. However, this version kind of delivers a bit less than seems possible given the nature of the role, where maybe there was a bit more build up in certain moments for Khan to play with. Regardless he is a compelling Macbeth as Maqbool, even if I think a greater performance was possible with a different adaptation. 

Alternate Best Actor 2004: Tony Leung in 2046

Tony Leung Chiu-wai did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Mr. Chow in 2046.

2046 is the sequel to In The Mood For Love as we follow Mr. Chow after that “not quite” love affair. 

2046 honestly went beyond my expectations for a sequel to the seemingly perfect self-enclosed effort of In the Mood For Love. As that film seems like it should never have a sequel but if there’s a story to tell one can always make a sequel even when it seems like there shouldn’t have been one. In this instance it doesn’t at all touch what happened so beautifully in that previous film, that is wisely guarded as the perfection that it is, what 2046 posits is how does a man continue on after that perfect romance that he never happened. Focusing on Leung’s Mr. Chow, a character who exists within the potential alternative romantic arrangements, is frequently found in the small apartments he inhabits. Leung’s performance, which in the previous film was all about this specific state of being and realizing the moments of quiet vulnerability, is a much more varied and open performance, befitting a man who in his way lost it all but needs to continue regardless. Within each potential alternative Leung’s performance then becomes a reflection of this attempt to deal with essentially missing out on what seemed like his ideal happiness with Mrs. Su (Maggie Cheung). What we see in the film is different forms of how he expresses himself through each new woman in his life, some romantic some not, but all in reaction to the unconsummated relationship that will forever define his life. 

The first ironically played by Carina Lau, Leung’s eventual actual wife, is the first and seemingly most obvious messy rebound attempt at a relationship. Leung’s great in this relatively brief attempted rekindling of a love affair where there’s kind of the innate sense of failure behind his attempted romantic overtures. There’s an immediate sense of defeat in every moment of Leung’s reactions where he potently suggests Chow as someone looking essentially for some reassuring romance but also already preemptively seeing it as something that will work out. Leung presents someone very lost within himself without an obvious avenue for escape through another. So naturally this one does not work out particularly well particularly when she doesn’t seem overly interested in Chow to begin with and disappears soon afterwards, possibly due to violent circumstances. So Mr. Chow returns as his apartment dweller but also initially for financial need becomes a fiction writer again, something that had been sparked by his relationship with Mrs. Su, and in a way the moments of speaking on the writing, there's a bit more a spark Leung himself brings suggesting that old romance when there’s this optimism in the man he speaks of in his writing. 

That aspect of his writing is something the film returns to and is an aspect to yet another set of relationships for Mr. Chow, however these are largely platonic and often observational. As Mr. Chow also observes and occasionally interacts with the landlord’s daughters, at two separate times in his life. Leung is great in fashioning in these interactions the attempt at some kind of wisdom of relationships in these moments even when it involves rejecting one of the daughter’s advances. Leung brings a more reflective quality in his way of watching the lives of these women play out in their own ways, where there is an ease, even a gentle humor about him at these times. Leung excelling particularly when he gets to speak what he can say he’s learned in any way, of course still in his own way, such as when speaking about his relationship with Mrs. Su and what they wrote together. Leung again delivers a combination of a maturity and pathos in these moments, where you do see the undercurrent of the weight of that memory that very much defines the man, while also having the wistful distance of someone showing just how much appreciation Mr. Chow has for that time even if those thoughts are both a burden and a relief. A very specific emotion that Leung not only makes so naturally observed, but also pulls you into this mind frame so potently. 

An aspect that we see when Mr. Chow finds a literal different Ms. Su (Gong Li) who is a gambler he comes across after he has lost much money outside of Hong Kong. This is not a recreation of any sort with the other Su, rather Leung finds a new path in his portrayal of this situation as he presents a kind of fascination with her that isn’t typical lust nor real affection, rather just almost her as a figure beyond his normal conception of reality. She is an enigma and Leung is excellent in the way his performance creates that mystery particularly in terms of the emotional impact it has on Mr. Chow. Leung brings such a depth within the emotions of being captured by this new woman but this one is not an equal understanding of romance even as they become lovers. Rather this Su very much has all the power with Mr. Chow followed along in his way. Leung articulates the imperfectness of this relationship, even as the allure of it is always as obvious each time he looks at the unique woman. All the way till their relationship is based on only a gambling bet where Chow has already lost in a way, and Leung’s performance is absolutely pitch perfect in his raise of the losing hand. As there is the awareness even if there is also the hope about the action, something where Leung creates the sense of the man understanding the reason for the failure of this relationship set in a single hand, but also still that dreamers wish to delude himself still. 

For me the most captivating of all the relationships featured however is the one with his neighbor Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi). Leung has maybe the most sparks here but what’s fascinating is it is a completely different spark than the ones we saw with Cheung. A completely different relationship as the two begin at the point of open flirtation that is more joking than anything else. Real in the sense of attractive but humorous in the approach of each making it a bit of a game. Leung is amazing in the way he shows a different side of Chow here who is going into this relationship with purposefully a fun loving but also blithe attitude of someone just wanting to essentially have some fun. And the two are so much fun together as they just trade each other off in terms of their pseudo insults, and their pseudo lusty overtures. They are magnificent in every sly smile and more open glance. This relationship isn’t about the unsaid, it is about the very openly said and the two are great in playing into romance that very much isn’t about any kind of pure love, where the lust is very much a given. Every one of their scenes together is a little gem that does build, where the complication comes as Bai Ling wants something more from it, and Chow does not. I love the hope of it as Chow’s drunken state he more genuinely reaches out probably thinking of Mrs. Su, but when somber seems to avoid any meaning with Bai beyond sexual desire. Leung’s performance shows that even in this very much consummated relationship a man is still defined by the one that got away from him. As the moments of his rejections of Bai Ling’s want to have more, Leung’s subtle unease beneath the flirty smile presents the honest emotion that the man still wants to reveal to anything other than in his stories or to a tree. Leung delivers a great follow-up performance because he successfully expands the role but also powerfully never loses the strength of his original work, by presenting a man still ever haunted however has to continue to live on.

Alternate Best Actor 2004: Mads Mikkelsen in Pusher II

Mads Mikkelsen did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Tonny in Pusher II. 

Pusher II is a unique sequel that changes protagonists to one of the supporting characters from the first film, while also including other key characters from that film. 

The great Mads Mikkelsen was that supporting character in the first film and honestly the standout, albeit very briefly, in that film as the joyful and manic buddy of the main character, who leaves poor Tonny beaten. We jump into Tonny’s story within prison where he is awaiting release and we see a very different man from the one we saw in the original film. Mikkelsen however did not forget how to play Tonny rather what we sense is the experience of life on his character and his performance here being a natural extension of that. The signs of the more manic Tonny are in and around moments in Mikkelsen’s performance, as when he gets excited in the few moments that he is allowed of that, we see that same zest for life with perhaps foolishness in so firmly buying into the notion for a moment, such as when we see Tonny steal a car thinking it will be an impressive act. Beyond that however we see a man having gotten more than a few lessons from life, someone who most certainly was beaten by his best friend and has spent a few years in prison. Mikkelsen wears this history within him from his opening scene, where there’s the glint of an old smile but even that is something quickly drifting off when faced with the reality of his life. 

We follow Tonny as he leaves prison and attempts to reconnect with his small-time crime boss father the duke. A scene that is all about Mikkelsen’s performance in creating the relationship between Tonny and his dad. As when he comes in Mikkelsen brings a combination between a certain shyness, shame but also an eagerness. Mikkelsen shows Tonny wanting to connect with his father, but you also see the weight of a lack of connection. Something that becomes very clear as his father almost immediately begins to disregard Tonny and only halfheartedly takes on his own son as one of his men to commit crimes. Mikkelsen is fantastic in the way he so easily brings us into the headspace of Tonny in these interactions. Mikkelsen brings so much internalized pain in just every glance of hoping for any kind of approval, the eagerness to try to speak towards him with warmth, but a downturned brow that repeatedly emphasizes a man who has learned only to be a disappointment. Mikkelsen shows us the landscape of the man just eking out not just a living but really the life of a son as his dad allows him to be near him, however even that the dad treats as an inconvenience barely even a duty. 

As the film progresses we see Tonny work the menial jobs, within the criminal organization, which include a robbery where in the getaway Tonny doesn't even get a seat in the car, just the trunk. Mikkelsen in these moments brings such a sadness to it that really amplifies because as much as we see the little smiles outwardly towards his dad these are between the quiet frustrations. Mikkelsen makes it much more heartbreaking because you see that Tonny does understand what is going on yet so much wants to hold onto any idea that his father will be a good man throughout these moments. Mikkelsen’s eyes showing someone looking for those moments only to have them dashed again and again, where Mikkelsen brings such power in showing the glint of hope fading as frustrations mount. Something that is exacerbated as his father not only continues to mistreat Tonny, he also shows constant favor towards Tonny’s younger half brother, as essentially the son that he always wanted in comparison to the obligation of Tonny. 

Speaking of father and sons, the most poignant element of the film is as Tonny is confronted by his old girlfriend that he has a son of his own. Although her presentation of this is with as little warmth as possible as she is very direct in just wanting the child support from him. Mikkelsen is great in portraying the initial reaction as surprise with maybe a small bit of frustration however within it you can see a quiet urge towards someone finding more within looking at his son. Something that expands in each subsequent interaction where Mikkelsen with such modesty yet power reveals the best of Tonny as he spends time with his infant son. There’s a growing warmth in Mikkelsen but also his presence suddenly exudes a greater maturity and even satisfaction in these moments. You see a man who has any kind of real purpose that isn’t just trying to impress his father. Tonny however still lives in a toxic world, which includes his son’s mother who also is a drug addict and at times reveals herself to be as careless as anyone else. The later scenes of the film become the natural revelation to what Mikkelsen has expressed within his work for the rest of the film. His journey with his father leads only his father to make a truly wretched request for Tonny to murder a woman. Tonny initially agrees to which Mikkelsen presents as the most desperate last ditch effort to please his dad, even though in his eyes undercutting any notion that he can go through it. Something we see reflected when he goes to the woman and Mikkelsen’s terrific in playing the immediate anxiety within himself that leads him to egress from the scene leading to a confrontation with his father. A scene where Mikkelsen delivers the rage of Tonny so convincingly of not just the moment of rejecting the heinous act but the years of being put down as a lesser son. We see the same in regards to his son with two different acts. The first being Tonny doing what he knows, and Mikkelsen effectively plays it with the raw visceral energy of a man in a violent world when he lashes out at his son’s mother for doing drugs instead of minding their son. His reaction is the same violence he knows with Mikkelsen emphasizing that lack of thought. His final act though is different, although the good intention is there for both in caring for his son, the second it isn’t violence just taking his son out of the environment. A silence sequence where the emotion is potent just in Mikkelsen’s reactions throughout shows Lonny not only being a father, showing warmth and care, but also in his eyes there is also being a man without violence quietly embracing the potential for something better. What can one say but yes Mads Mikkelsen is terrific once again. Finding all the nuance in the role and naturalizing realizing the humanity of the violent “thug”.