Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2020: Results

5. Nicholas Hoult in True History of the Kelly Gang - Hoult gives a terrific villainous turn, finding the right kind of derangement of a man who is quite assured in his abuse of power. 

Best Scene: Threatening a baby.

4. Hugh Laurie in The Personal History of David Copperfield - Laurie gives the year's funniest performance. This in bringing impeccable comic timing that steals every single moment he has on screen.

Best Scene: Lets go fly a kite.

3. Brian Dennehy in Driveways - Dennehy delivers a worthy sendoff to his career, giving a natural depiction of a warm relationship and delivering a knock out final monologue.

 

Best Scene: Final Speech. 

2. Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago Seven - Rylance delivers a great performance that rises above the rest of the cast, making the least of Sorkin digestible, and making the best of it sing.

 

Best Scene: The Tape. 

1. Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth - I have to admit while lead actor was sewn up relatively quickly this year, I had absolutely no idea who my supporting winner would be going into the Oscar nominations or even going into this alternate lineup. I knew my favorites, my current top five, but there wasn't the one that made me say "that's it", until re-watching Babyteeth. Mendelsohn's work simply devastated me all the more the second time. I saw all the more nuance and a true poignancy in his heartbreaking portrayal of a father doing his best to contain his pain, to try to alleviate his daughter's own.

 

Best Scene: The beach. 

Overall Ranking:

1. Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth
2. Paul Raci in Sound of Metal
3. Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
4. Brian Dennehy in Driveways 
5. Hugh Laurie in The Personal History of David Copperfield - 5
6. Nicholas Hoult in True History of the Kelly Gang
7. Bo Burnham in Promising Young Woman 
8. Russell Crowe in True History of the Kelly Gang
9. Mick Jagger in The Burnt Orange Heresy 
10. Aldis Hodge in One Night in Miami 
11. Alebrecht Schuch in Berlin Alexanderplatz- 4.5
12. Thomas Bo Larsen in Another Round
13. Lars Ranthe in Another Round
14. Magnus Millang in Another Round
15. Barry Keoghan in Calm With Horses
    
16. Malachi Kirby in Mangrove
    
17. Ben Whishaw in The Personal History of David Copperfield
    
18. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
    
19. Frank Langella in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
20. Will Patton in Minari 
21. Sergei Erlish in Dear Comrades!
    
22. Glynn Turman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
23. Mark Gatiss in The Father
    
24. Alfred Molina in Promising Young Woman 
25. John Carroll Lynch in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
26. Eddie Redmayne in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
27. Robin de Jesus in Boys in the Band 
28. Colman Domingo in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
    
29. Chadwick Boseman in Da 5 Bloods
    
30. Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
    
31. Peter Capaldi in The Personal History of David Copperfield
32. David Strathairn in Nomadland
33. Guy Boyd in I'm Thinking of Ending Things 
34. Kwak Do-won in The Man Standing Next
    
35. Jack Lowden in Mangrove
    
36. Bill Burr in The King of Staten Island - 4
37. Ned Dennehy in Calm With Horses
    
38. Rufus Sewell in The Father
    
39. Michael Keaton in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
40. Colin Farrell in The Gentlemen 
41. Johnny Flynn in Emma
42. Michael Rooker in Love and Monsters
    
43. David Wilmot in Calm With Horses
44. Matthew Macfadyen in The Assistant
    
45. Donald Sutherland in The Burnt Orange Heresy
46. Sean Bean in Wolfwalkers
    
47. Max Greenfield in Promising Young Woman 
48. Hugh Grant in The Gentlemen
    
49. Jeremy Strong in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
50. Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt in Another Round
    
51. Bill Nighy in Emma
52. J.K. Simmons in Palm Springs
    
53. Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Promising Young Woman 
54. Aneurin Barnard in The Personal History of David Copperfield
55. Steve Toussaint in Red, White and Blue
56. Denis Lavant in Night of the Kings
    
57. Clancy Brown in Promising Young Woman 
58. Chris Lowell in Promising Young Woman
    
59. Eli Goree in One Night in Miami 
60. Charles Dance in Mank
    
61. Jonathan Majors in Da 5 Bloods 
62. Vladislav Komarov in Dear Comrades!
    
63. Ray Romano in Bad Education  
64. Simon McBurney in Wolfwalkers
    
65. David Thewlis in I'm Thinking of Ending Things
66. Robert Pattinson in Tenet
67. Johnny Depp in Waiting for the Barbarians 
68. Alex Jennings in Mangrove
    
69. Kevin Pugh in Wendy
70. Henry Cavill in Enola Holmes
71. Jason Clarke in The Devil All The Time 
72. Arliss Howard in Mank
73. Lee Sung-min in The Man Standing Next
    
74. Tommy Chong in Color Out of Space'
    
75. Zachary Quinto in The Boys in the Band
76. Tom Burke in Mank
77. Robbie Gee in Alex Wheatle
78. Kyle MacLachlan in Tesla
79. Robert Pattinson in Waiting for the Barbarians 
80. D’angelou Osei Kissiedu in Rocks
    
81. Charlie Hunnam in True History of the Kelly Gang
82. Tuc Watkins in The Boys in the Band 
83. Tom Pelphrey in Mank
    
84. Brendan Meyer in Color out of Space 
85. Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984
    
86. Robert Pattinson in Then Devil All the Time 
87. David Thewlis in Eternal Beauty 
88. Peter MacNeill in The Kid Detective
    
89. Graham Norton in Soul 
90. Chris Pine in Wonder Woman 1984 
91. Peter Kim in The 40-Year Old Version - 3.5 
92. Karl Markovics in Resistance
    
93. William Sadler in Bill and Ted Face the Music 
94. Tzi Ma in Mulan 
95. Ian Hart in Escape From Pretoria
    
96. Michael Stuhlbarg in Shirley
    
97. Benedict Wong in The Personal History of David Copperfield 
98. Charlie Hunnam in The Gentlemen
    
99. Matt Dillon in Capone 
100. Richard Ayoade in Soul
     
101. Anthony Carrigan in Bill and Ted Face the Music
102. Harry Melling in The Devil All the Time
     
103. Jerry Adler in Driveways
     
104. Kelvin Harrison Jr. in The Trial of the Chicago Seven
     
105. Mathieu Amalric in Sound of Metal
     
106. Adam Brody in Promising Young Woman 
107. Rafael Casal in Bad Education 
108. Forest Whitaker in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
     
109. Andrew Rannells in The Boys in the Band
     
110. Kyle MacLachlan in Capone
111. Ben Shenkman in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
112. Isiah Whitlock Jr. in Da 5 Bloods
     
113. Darren Boyd in The Personal History of David Copperfield 
114. Michael Potts in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
     
115. Jack Lowden in Capone 
116. Chris Cooper in Irresistible
117. Norm Lewis in Da 5 Bloods
118. Bill Skarsgard in The Devil All the Time
     
119. Joe Pantoliano in Bad Boys For Life
     
120. Charlie Shotwell in The Nest
121. Marlon Wayans in On the Rocks
     
122. Rupert Graves in Emma
     
123. Sam Riley in Rebecca
124. Steve Buscemi in The King of Staten Island
125. Christopher Plummer in The Last Full Measure
     
126. Alex Wolff in Bad Education  
127. Toby Jones in First Cow
     
128. Paul Walter Hauser in Da 5 Bloods 
129. Harry Melling in Waiting for the Barbarians 
130. Michael Benjamin Washington in The Boys in the Band
     
131. Josh O'Connor in Emma 
132. Conleth Hill in Herself 
133. William Hurt in The Last Full Measure
     
134. Jim Carrey in Sonic The Hedgehog 
135. Kyle Chandler in The Midnight Sky 
     
136. George Wendt in The Climb
137. Samuel L. Jackson in The Last Full Measure
     
138. Glenn Howerton in The Hunt 
139. Lance Reddick in Sylvie's Love
140. Ed Harris in The Last Full Measure
     
141. Rati Oneli in Beginning 
142. Matthias Schweighöfer in Resistance - 3
143. Bradley Whitford in The Last Full Measure 
144. Keegan-Michael Key in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
     
145. Donnie Yen in Mulan
     
146. Aldis Hodge in The Invisible Man
147. Macon Blair in The Hunt
     
148. Elliott Knight in Color Out of Space
149. Jonny Coyne in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
     
150. Yashua Mack in Wendy
     
151. Peter Macdissi in Uncle Frank  
152. Demian Bichir in The Midnight Sky
     
153. Al Madrigal in The Way Back
     
154. Johnny Tri Nguyen in Da 5 Bloods 
155. Will Sasso in Irresistible
     
156. Alex Sharp in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
157. Rudhraksh Jaiswal in Extraction
158. David Oyelowo in The Midnight Sky
     
159. Eddie Marsan in The Gentlemen
160. Sebastian Stan in The Devil All the Time
     
161. Michael Dorman in The Invisible Man
162. Théodore Pellerin in Never Rarely Sometimes Always
163. Ewan McGregor in Birds of Prey
     
164. Bo Hopkins in Hillbilly Elegy  
165. Andrew Rannells in The Prom
166. Ed Harris in Resistance
     
167. Callum Turner in Emma 
168. Jeremy Shamos in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - 2.5
169. Steve Zahn in Uncle Frank 
170. Keegan-Michael Key in The Prom
     
171. Jeffrey Donovan in Let Him Go
     
172. Logan Lerman in Shirley
     
173. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Trial of the Chicago Seven 
174. Kenneth Branagh in Tenet
     
175. Stephen Root in Uncle Frank 
176. Jasper Pääkkönen in Da 5 Bloods
     
177. Topher Grace in Irresistible 
178. Dan Ewing in Love and Monsters
     
179. Fred Hechinger in News of the World 
180. Ian Lloyd Anderson in Herself
     
181. Sam Claflin in Enola Holmes - 2 
182. Oliver Jackson-Cohen in The Invisible Man
183. Terry Chen in Falling
     
184. Henry Golding in The Gentlemen - 1.5
     
185. Nguyễn Ngọc Lâm in Da 5 Bloods
     
186. Will Brittain in Let Him Go
     
187. Jean Reno in Da 5 Bloods 
     
188. Michael Covino in News of the World
     
189. Jeremy Strong in The Gentlemen - 1
     

Next: 1980 Lead, though I will not be starting this until after the Oscars.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2020: Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth

 Ben Mendelsohn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Henry in Babyteeth.

Babyteeth is a good film about a terminally ill teenage girl Milla (Eliza Scanlen) who befriends an older delinquent, Moses (Toby Wallace). 

Ben Mendelsohn, who unfortunately has fallen into "cast all foreign actors as villain" trope in Hollywood more recently, though he's had a better go of it than many, but nonetheless it then becomes greatly appreciated when it gets to go beyond that, something that more frequently occurs when he returns to his home-turf of Australia. This is one such opportunity as Henry the father of dying girl along with his wife Anna (Essie Davis). We open with a decidedly un-Hollywood Mendelsohn scene as psychiatrist Henry meets with his wife in his office. It must be noted first one rarely see better sandwich eating acting then we see of Mendelsohn here. This is really a fantastic focal point to the naturalism we find in the chemistry between David and Mendelsohn. This as even in his sandwich eating you get a sense of really the relaxed quality of their chemistry, even their sexual chemistry with one another. The two really dance around so many different things in this one moment, from just commenting on his own job that Mendelsohn brings a slight bemusement in trying to stay focused to with his disrobing wife in front of him, though also years of love just in the ease of their moment together even their brief bit of sex. The two of them even so gracefully ponder their daughters health in a brief moment of sincere warmth. It is really masterclass from both as you see a married couple, a mother and father, and two really life long friends in this brief moment. This is so natural in every regard, and for me the sandwich sums it, as Mendelsohn delivers his lines through it, like two people who can chew with their mouths open in front of each other, given they just are that comfortable with one another. 

Now the a major conflict of the film comes in part from the family's reaction towards Moses, a drug dealer, hanging out with Milla. This with a natural tension from their first scene together. Mendelsohn is great in the first scene as she brings Moses over for the first time. This as Mendelsohn couldn't be more artful in being kind of a silly dad, trying to relieve tension with this delivery of astute kind of casual manners, while also in his expression still reflecting his own discomfort in the situation. Mendelsohn is especially great in his little reactions towards Davis, where her Anna is immediately far less comfortable with the arrangement, his reactions convey the sense of concern for his wife, and he delivers with a simple calm trying to keep his wife from reacting too strongly. In the scene Mendelsohn conveys a father willing to present the basic support for his daughter, even when making a seemingly bad decision, while also still showing a father's natural concern for such a decision. This becoming difficult with Moses showing their home into the night to steal from them. Mendelsohn's fantastic in again showing this dad trying so hard to manage the situation. This with frustration, but also kind of a attempt at a logical distance. This in Mendelsohn's manner really reveals a truly loving father as he speaks that there should be some consequence, while also speaking a way that manages his own wish to try to do right by his daughter. It's brilliant work because Mendelsohn really makes this idea, which really could come off as totally forced in the wrong hands, seem both natural and actually an incredibly moving display of paternal love. 

Mendelsohn's work then is showing this man trying his best to deal with a very difficult situation, and in turn presents nothing easy in this attempt. This in even presenting a slightly more than flirtatious relationship with a neighbor Mendelsohn expresses so well as this frustration of just all the emotions of dealing with his daughter's situation. A later moment of looking for their daughter together, Mendelsohn is great in expressing his frustrations, with his daughter's condition, and his wife's way of coping, mostly by using drugs. This as he balances them with a quality of strength just as he shows the anxiety of it. His delivery is of it as pent up, but also spoken as someone who has this strict conviction when he speaks of every action for Milla. I love Mendelsohn's work as he expresses really the difficulty of this attempt at been selfless for his daughter. It isn't easy for him, even as everything he does there is the strong sense of love to it. It's hard and Mendelsohn makes it so poignant by showing it as such. His speech of "You cannot lose it yet" to Anna, is greatness by Mendelsohn as he manages to not sound at all pompous in it. Rather he depicts a sincere need in the man to try so hard, no matter how painful it is for them, to do what they can for their daughter they are slowly losing. This is to the point Henry goes to gather Moses to be with Milla, even willing to write him prescriptions for drugs. Mendelsohn is entirely convincing in the moment, this as he speaks towards his distaste for the man so pointedly however restrained, but even more pointed as he speaks towards his motivation to making the end of his daughter's life as wonderful as he can make it. 

 

Mendelsohn manages to capture this even in just his moments of looking on. There is concern but also this sort of stoic stability of the father watching over his daughter and hoping beyond hope, that he is doing right by her. There's an outstanding simple moment in this regard when both parents hear from Moses that Milla has a lump that she hasn't shared. Mendelsohn's reaction is perfection, this as you can sense all the anguish beneath the surface, as though he still maintains Henry's just holding together best he can in his smaller reaction. It is all there in Mendelsohn's work, even as it remains understated. We see something similar in his final reaction as he sees his daughter has died. Mendelsohn is heartbreaking in the beautiful simplicity of his reaction. There is heartbreak of course in his eyes, but the focus is on love in just his tender moment with her. This just holding her as he would've so many times in her childhood. His moment with her wholly an expression of his deep affection before finally succumbing to the grief. Thankfully the film doesn't end on a wholly tragic note, this as it flashbacks to a time the group spent on the beach, seemingly one more joyful moment, and we get perhaps all of them as they probably were at one time. Mendelsohn couldn't be better in the scene. This as we see him overflowing with happiness as the anxiety has mostly subsided for a moment. This as even his taking photographs like a just any old goofy day, leaves a real impact in showing how the man was at one time when his troubles were more limited. Mendelsohn is so good in this scene, simply outstanding as he and his daughter talk seemingly fully for the last time. Mendelsohn's instruction even on just how to use the camera is great acting. This as he tries to just give her the how, there is the wavering voice of the man knowing the truth of it, as he tries to be his best. When she asks him to take care of Moses after she's gone, Mendelsohn pulls your heart right out, in one pure moment of release of his sadness, albeit brief, yet so powerfully so. Still he shows the man trying so hard to hold it together, and the simple release of it even so briefly, is cathartic even by expressing his sadness with still this expression of love as he smiles at her, even as he tries so hard to hold back the tears. Mendelsohn showing both the smile and the tears to be absolutely real. I adore this amazing performance by Ben Mendelsohn, It is such an eloquent balancing act by Mendelsohn. This as he not only makes the central conceit entirely convincing, which is not an easy pill to swallow on the surface, he makes it something truly poignant and impactful. This as he makes this a wholly honest and utterly devastating portrait of a father trying desperately to hold in his pain, to ease his daughter's own.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2020

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ben Mendelsohn in Babyteeth

 

Brian Dennehy in Driveways

 

Hugh Laurie in The Personal History of David Copperfield

 

Nicholas Hoult in True History of the Kelly Gang

 

Mark Rylance in The Trial of the Chicago Seven

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Results

10. Johnny Depp in Black Mass - Depp returns to form here for an effectively brutal depiction of a vicious mobster.

Best Scene: Whitey tries to explain why he wasn't a rat.

9. Ben Mendelsohn in Mississippi Grind - Ben Mendelsohn gives an endearing and moving depiction of a gambler with his work being particularly well amplified by his amazing chemistry with his co-star Ryan Reynolds.

Best Scene: Gerry plays a piano.

8. Michael B. Jordan in Creed - Jordan gives a great portrayal of a man with the passion to find his own path though with the frustrations of a son trying to overcome the shadow of his father.

Best Scene: "I wasn't a mistake"

7. Jason Segel in The End of the Tour - Segel gives a fascinating portrait of David Foster Wallace capturing his personal idiosyncrasies along with his personal philosophy, intelligence, and vulnerabilities.

Best Scene: Lipsky asks Wallace about his depression.

6. Michael Fassbender in Macbeth - Michael Fassbender offers a unique and powerful alternative interpretation of the tragic Scot, as man slowly destroyed by madness from his post traumatic stress.

Best Scene: Macbeth learns of the fate of his wife.

5. Ben Foster in The Program - Foster brings the right out of control vanity and ego to his Lance Armstrong, but still offers just enough sympathy for the man.

Best Scene: Lance says he'll clean up the sport himself. 

4. Jason Bateman in The Gift - Jason Bateman offers one of the most realistic depictions of a bully you'll find in a film, but goes further to still instill this sort of man with a very real humanity.

Best Scene: The final gift.

3. Ian McKellen in Mr. Holmes - McKellen offers not only his own effective approach to the well worn character, but also goes deeper to realize the personal difficulties of being such a man in heartbreaking detail.

Best Scene: Mr. Holmes and Ann.

2. Tom Hardy in Legend - Tom Hardy gives two great performances, one appropriately outrageous and entertaining as deranged mad man, and the other appropriately charming and moving as a potentially good man who allows himself to fall down the same path as his brother.

Best Scene: The Krays come to blows. 

1. Jacob Tremblay in Room - Good predictions Luke and Anonymous. This year came down to several performances for me, and it's a great year, despite what perhaps the lead actor nominations might allow one to believe. My choice, the choice that I'm picking, yes right exactly now must be chosen, yes the choice. Well obviously I already chose, but this one was particularly difficult as there was not a single performance that just stood out to me, not in a bad way mind you, but rather I had to choose simply through work that I equally loved. Anyway my choice is the youngest of all the nominees yet his work is no less captivating. Tremblay's work is unassuming yet tremendous, as he carries his film so eloquently depicting a quiet yet so powerful depiction of a boy's tumultuous journey to discover the world.

Best Scene: Preparing to leave the room. 

Overall Rank:

1. Ian McKellen in Mr. Holmes
2. Paul Dano in Love & Mercy
3. Jacob Tremblay in Room
4. Tom Hardy in Legend
5. Tom Courtenay in 45 Years
6. Jason Bateman in The Gift
7. Christopher Plummer in Remember 
   
8. Leland Orser in Faults
9. Ben Foster in The Program 
10. Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road
11. Michael Fassbender in Macbeth
12. Jason Segel in The End of the Tour
13. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
14. Michael B. Jordan in Creed 
15. Kurt Russell in Bone Tomahawk
16. John Cusack in Love & Mercy 
17. Christopher Abbott in James White
    
18. Abraham Attah in Beasts of No Nation
19. Tom Hanks in Bridge of Spies 
20. Viggo Mortensen in Far From Men 
21. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in A Second Chance
    
22. Tobey Maguire in Pawn Sacrifice 
23. Ben Mendelsohn in Mississippi Grind
24. Ryan Reynolds in Mississippi Grind 
25. Andrew Garfield in 99 Homes 
26. Ralph Fiennes in A Bigger Splash
    
27. Adam Driver in Hungry Hearts
    
28. John Boyega in Star Wars: The Force Awakens 
29. Patrick Wilson in Bone Tomahawk
30. Joel Edgerton in Black Mass 
31. Jesse Eisenberg in The End of the Tour
32. Johnny Depp in Black Mass
33. Jason Mitchell in Straight Outta Compton
    
34. Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina
35. Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs
36. Song Kang-ho in The Throne
37. Rolf Holger Lassgård in A Man Called Ove
38. Antonythasan Jesuthasan in Dheepan
39. Colin Farrell in The Lobster 
40. Al Pacino in Danny Collins
    
41. Jason Clarke in Everest  
42. O'Shea Jackson Jr. in Straight Outta Compton
    
43. Matt Damon in The Martian  
44. Corey Hawkins in Straight Outta Compton
    
45. Reda Kateb in Far From Men
46. Mathias Schoenaerts in A Bigger Splash
    
47. Sharlto Copley in Chappie 
48. Frederick Lau in Victoria
    
49. Vincent Lindon in The Measure of a Man 
50. Antonio Bolívar in Embrace of the Serpent
    
51. Nilbio Torres in Embrace of the Serpent
    
52. Géza Röhrig in Son of Saul
    
53. Daniel Craig in Spectre
54. Bryan Cranston in Trumbo
55. Michael Fassbender in Slow West
56. Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 
57. Kevin Bacon in Cop Car
58. Pilou Asbæk in A War
59. Ulrik Munther in The Here After
    
60. Mathias Schoenaerts in A Little Chaos
    
61. Tom Hardy in Child 44
62. Chang Chen in The Assassin
    
63. Buddy Duress in Heaven Knows What
    
64. Tom Hiddleston in Crimson Peak
65. Colin Firth in Kingsman: The Secret Service 
66. Armie Hammer in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
67. Henry Cavill in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
68. Paul Rudd in Ant-Man
69. Robert De Niro in The Intern 
70. Vin Diesel in Furious 7
71. Liam Neeson in Run All Night
72. Richard Madden in Cinderella
73. Taron Egerton in Kingsman: The Secret Service 
74. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Walk 
75. Alex Jennings in The Lady in the Van
    
76. James Freedson-Jackson in Cop Car
77. Hays Wellford in Cop Car
78. Jake Gyllenhaal in Southpaw
79. Bill Hader in Trainwreck
80. Noah Schnapp in The Peanuts Movie
81. Sean Penn in The Gunman
82. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Slow West
83. David Thewlis in Anomalisa
84. Chris Pratt in Jurassic World 
85. Joaquin Phoenix in Irrational Man
86. Michael Caine in Youth 
87. Chris Hemsworth in The Heart of the Sea
88. Will Smith in Concussion
    
89. Dev Patel in Chappie 
90. Ryan Reynolds in Woman in Gold
    
91. Yoo Ah-in in The Throne
92. Nick Cannon in Chi-Raq
    
93. Channing Tatum in Jupiter Ascending 
94. Mark Ruffalo in Infinitely Polar Bear 
95. Asa Butterfield in 10,000 Saints
    
96. Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl

Next Year: 1962 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 2015: Ben Mendelsohn in Mississippi Grind

Ben Mendelsohn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Gerry in Mississippi Grind.

Mississippi Grind is sort of The Hustler which believes in humanity I suppose, about two gamblers who go on a gambling road trip.  

Ben Mendelsohn after making his international break out through Animal Kingdom has found himself frequently cast as villainous or at the very least criminal character. This is a nice break from that, though Gerry does engage in some petty theft, as Mendelsohn gets to just play a pretty normal guy here. The film opens with Gerry engaging in a low stakes poker game with Mendelsohn suggesting Gerry is being more or less in a similar low energy state as the rest of the players, though he offers a bit more levity in his manner than the rest as Mendelsohn brings some enthusiasm as he inquires if anyone else saw a rainbow. Another man, Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), joins the game who seems almost on a different wavelength than the rest of the players as he attempts to bring some energy and enthusiasm to the table. Mendelsohn does well in this just through his reactions as shows Gerry obviously appreciating Curtis's upbeat attitude especially against the indifference of the rest of the players. After the game Gerry runs into Curtis again, purely by luck, where the two bond over their fondness for gambling and an affection for a certain bourbon. Now Reynolds and Mendelsohn together is pretty much the film, in that he probably would not have worked at all if these two did not have chemistry.

Now the film has a way in by making Curtis a people person, who just literally loves people, but that explanation was not necessarily even needed in order for us to believe that Curtis and Gerry would become friends. The reason being Mendelsohn and Reynolds have just so much chemistry together. The friendship is instantly convincing and it is made simply a given by the two actors is which is something rather special. The two play each other so well with Mendelsohn staying more low key as the more understated Gerry, while Reynolds indeed is the people person Curtis should be as his good cheer only ever feels genuine. The dynamic is great yet the two are excellent in finding the right connection between the two that is basically an unsaid appreciate for life in general, even though it itself has not been excessively kind to either of them. The two are wonderful together to the point that its just so pleasant to watch the two interact in the moments where there is this mutual appreciation, as the two just are fun to watch have some fun. There banter always comes off as so natural, and there is just something endearing to watch the two go back and forth. I especially love an early moment as the two casually build up the betting of a pool game though it gets them in trouble rather quickly, the good sheer in their raising of the stakes is so charming.

When they are away from one another Mendelsohn utilizes these scenes well to reveal the state of Gerry which is basically as a perpetual loser due to his inability to quit when it comes to gambling. What's remarkable is how Mendelsohn so artfully avoids any melodrama in his depiction of this though. There's a definite sadness to the man that he conveys well by having a general melancholy most of the time, but revealing something even more troubling when he is reminded of his losses in life. Mendelsohn does something very interesting though in that he almost creates a problematic optimism in Gerry that seems to be behind his inability to quit. Whenever he succeeds with a bet there is such an out pour of joy that Mendelsohn undeniably reveals the appeal of the victory, then even in defeat Mendelsohn carries that consistent urge within Gerry as though one will bet will bring him back on top. I like that Mendelsohn does not override any of it being able to present basically a functioning gambler with his performance. The unhealthy obsession with it is there beneath it all, but it's easy to see why he could keep going since it only rears its ugly head completely when he fails. He makes it seem less of a problem, and all the worse of a problem because of that.

Of course it is not all about gambling and there is a great scene where the two spend a night with two prostitutes Simone (Sienna Miller) and Vanessa (Analeigh Tipton), though they are not acting with that function with these two. Now the interactions between Gerry and Vanessa are not romantic in nature, though this is despite Vanessa, through Tipton's reactions throughout the scene, obviously being more than willing to change that. That's not needed to make the scene something very special nonetheless as there is simply this ease of interactions between the two of them as they spend this time together. It is almost a mutual trade as they both do a pseudo talent show for one another then Tipton and Mendelsohn make it a very natural transition as Gerry reveals a bit of his own present predicament as Vanessa reveals some of her own. Mendelosohn is quietly moving as Gerry reveals, without becoming just self-pitying, his own mistakes of the past with the certain heartache of being a non-factor in the life of his daughter. It's made beautifully poignant scene by both performers. I especially like how Mendelsohn does not play it as though Gerry's oblivious to Vanessa's suggestive glances, rather he suggest Gerry is aware of them, but would rather keep things platonic between the two.

As Curtis and Gerry continue on their journey things only become worse for Gerry as he keeps losing money, while refusing to give up which only digs the hole deeper, while Curtis becomes less supportive of Gerry. Again Reynolds and Mendelsohn are so good in making the conflict between the two very real while still keeping it something very reserved. Reynolds is good in showing that Curtis basically forces himself to perform some tough love to try to snap Gerry out of his mindset, while Mendelsohn shows that his obsession to change his luck is almost impenetrable. Now the film's final act does technically sort of cheat in that Gerry's luck just sort of changes and he gets his life back on track by just doing the same exact thing that knocked him down in the first place. Curtis even joins back in with him, and technically speaking Gerry's gambling problem is basically solved by him gambling until he does just win. Now really one shouldn't let the film get away with this, but I have to admit I don't mind the cheat because of Mendelsohn and Reynolds's performances. The two are so likable together that the last scenes of them just finally winning again just work because you want them to work because Mendelsohn and Reynolds make the friendship work.

Alternate Best Actor 2015

And the Nominees Were Not:

Tom Hardy in Legend

Jason Segel in The End of the Tour

Johnny Depp in Black Mass

Michael B. Jordan in Creed

Ben Mendelsohn in Mississippi Grind

Predict those five or these five:

Michael Fassbender in Macbeth

Jason Bateman in The Gift

Jacob Tremblay in Room

Ian McKellen in Mr. Holmes

Ben Foster in The Program 

Or both.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2010: Results

5. Sam Rockwell in Conviction- Rockwell gives the best performance in his film giving some poignancy to his character's situation even though the power of his performance is limited by the film's problems.

4. Andrew Garfield in The Social Network- Garfield plays the emotions of his role a little to heavily at times but still gives an effective performance with a few stand out moments.

3. Chow Yun-Fat in Let the Bullets Fly- Yun-Fat gives a very entertaining villainous turn even if he could have brought just a little more menace to his role. 

2. Pierce Brosnan in The Ghost Writer- Brosnan gives a strong performance effectively creating the different faces of a career politicians with too many secrets.

1. Ben Mendelsohn in Animal Kingdom- Good Prediction Fisti. This might not be a great year for great performances as I don't give anyone a five, but it is a great year for good performances. My personal winner came down to the two criminal uncles of Mendelsohn and John Hawkes in Winter's Bone.

Overall Rank:

1. Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island 
   
2. Taika Waititi in Boy
3. Armie Hammer in The Social Network  
4. Ben Mendelsohn in Animal Kingdom
5. John Hawkes in Winter's Bone
6. Michael Lonsdale in Of Gods and Men
7. Cillian Murphy in Inception
8. Pete Postlethwaite in The Town
9. Ted Levine in Shutter Island
10. Barry Pepper in True Grit 
11. Joel Edgerton in Animal Kingdom
12. Jackie Earle Haley in Shutter Island
13. Jeremy Renner in The Town 
14. Tom Hardy in Inception 
15. John Ortiz in Jack Goes Boating
16. Ray Winstone in Edge of Darkness
17. Pierce Brosnan in The Ghost Writer
18. David Bradley in Another Year
19. Joaquin Cosio in El Infierno
20. Chow Yun-Fat in Let The Bullets Fly 
21. Guy Pearce in Animal Kingdom
22. David O'Hara in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 
23. Olivier Rabourdin in Of Gods and Men
24. Peter Wight in Another Year 
25. Jon Hamm in The Town 
26. Kayvan Novak in Four Lions
27. Andrew Garfield in The Social Network
28. Nigel Lindsay in Four Lions
29. Max von Sydow in Shutter Island  
30. John Malkovich in RED
31. Mark Ruffalo in Shutter Island  
32. Michael Keaton in The Other Guys  
33. Jason Schwartzman in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
34. Justin Timberlake in The Social Network   
35. Bob Hoskins in Made in Dagenham
36. Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2   
37. Chris Evans in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
38. Bill Murray in Get Low  
39. Kieran Culkin in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
40. Ed Harris in The Way Back
41. Sam Rockwell in Conviction 
42. Brandon Routh in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
43. Laurent Lafitte in Little White Lies
44. Arsher Ali in Four Lion 
45. Philipee Laudenbach in Of Gods and Men
46. Gary Oldman in The Book of Eli
47. Emilio Estevez in The Way
48. Ken Watanabe in Inception
49. Ned Beatty in Toy Story 3 
50. Guy Pearce in The King's Speech  
51. Colin Farrell in The Way Back
52. Jack McGee in The Fighter 
53. Jacques Herlin Of Gods and Men 
54. Benoit Magimel in Little White Lies
55. Sullivan Stapleton in Animal Kingdom 
56. Nicolas Cage in Kick-Ass 
57. Morten Rose in Submarino
58. Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu in Boy
59. Ewan McGregor in I Love You Philip Morris 
60. Michael Douglas in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
61. Adeel Ahktar in Four Lions
62. Mark Strong in Kick-Ass
63. Michael Keaton in Toy Story 3 
64. Gary Lewis in Valhalla Rising 
65. Gabriele Ferzetti in I am Love
66. Frank Langella in All Good Things
67. John Carroll Lynch in Shutter Island 
68. Ewan Stewart in Valhalla Rising
69. Lucas Black in Get Low 
70. Samuel L. Jackson in Mother and Child
71. Chris Cooper in The Town
72. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Inception
73. Garret Dillahunt in Winter's Bone 
74. Mickey O'Keefe in The Fighter 
75. Mark Webber in Scott Pilgrim vs the World
76. Matt Damon in True Grit
77. Luke Ford in Animal Kingdom
78. Bill Cobbs in Get Low
79. Choi Moo-sung in I Saw the Devil 
80. Chris Evans in The Losers
81. Dustin Hoffman in Barney's Version 
82. Jim Sturgess in The Way Back
83. Brian Cox in RED 
84. Chris Cooper in The Company Men
85. Oliver Platt in Please Give
86. Maarten Stevenson in Valhalla Rising
87. Pete Postlethwaite in Inception
88. Kevin Costner in The Company Men
89. Tom Wilkinson in The Ghost Writer
90. Don Cheadle in Iron Man 2 
91. Idris Elba in The Losers
92. Ray Winstone in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
93. Karl Urban in RED 
94. Stephen Rea in Ondine
95. Eli Wallach in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
96. Rupert Grint in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows   
97. Mickey Rourke in The Expendables 
98. Paolo Bonacelli in The American  
99. Josh Brolin in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
100. Robert Pugh in The Ghost Writer
101. Andrew Garfield in Never Let Me Go 
102. Benedict Cumberbatch in Four Lions 
103. Saul Rubinek in Barney's Version
104. Michael Caine in Inception
105. Michael Gambon in The King's Speech
106. Morgan Freeman in RED 
107. Gilles Lellouche in Little White Lies
108. Stellan Skarsgard in King of Devil's Island 
109. Tom Berenger in Inception 
110. Gerard Butler in How to Train Your Dragon
111. David Zayas in The Expendables
112. Dileep Rao in Inception
113. Mark Strong in The Way Back 
114. Stanley Tucci in Easy A
115. Jimmy Smits in Mother and Child
116. Lee David in Poetry
117. Scott Speedman in Barney's Version 
118. Jean Dujardin in Little White Lies
119. Frank Grillo in Edge of Darkness
120. Hugo Weaving in The Wolfman
121. Edoardo Gabbriellini in I am Love
122. Tim Blake Nelson in Leaves of Grass
123. Eric Roberts in The Expendables
124. Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid 
125. Yoruck van Wageningen in The Way
126. Elias Koteas in The Killer Inside Me
127. Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Kick-Ass   
128. Peter Gallagher in Conviction  
129. James Nesbitt in The Way 
130. Flavio Parenti in I am Love
131. Ned Beatty in The Killer Inside Me
132. Vincent Cassel in Black Swan  
133. Thomas Haden Church in Easy A
134. Alan Rickman in Alice in Wonderland 
135. Richard Dreyfuss in Leaves of Grass
136. Bill Pullman in The Killer Inside Me
137. Michael Sheen in Alice in Wonderland
138. Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are Alright
139. Derek Jacobi in The King's Speech
140. Josh Hutcherson in The Kids Are Alright 
141. Josh Brolin in True Grit 
142. Jason Statham in The Expendables
143. Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2 
144. Danny Huston in Edge of Darkness
145. Miles Teller in Rabbit Hole
146. Ben Barnes in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader  
147. Crispin Glover in Alice in Wonderland 
148. Brandon T. Jackson in Percy Jackson 
149. Liu Kai-chi in Stool Pigeon
150. Jamie Foxx in Due Date
151. Josh Pais in Leaves of Grass
152. Timothy Spall in The King's Speech
153. Dolph Lundgren in The Expendables
154. Jet Li in The Expendables
155. Randy Couture in The Expendables
156. Anthony Hopkins in The Wolfman
157. Jesse Moss in Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
158. Jason Patric in The Losers

Next Year: 2001 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2010: Ben Mendelsohn in Animal Kingdom

Ben Mendelsohn did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning a couple Australian film awards, for portraying Andrew 'Pope' Cody in Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom is an effective crime drama about a 17 year old boy 'J' who slowly gets deep into his criminal family after the death of his mother. The film is very good but it has one big flaw which is that James Frecheville in the lead as the boy is just awful, especially when compared to the rest of the cast.

Ben Mendelsohn despite not being Oscar nominated for this role has apparently still broken through from now being one of the go to guys for a sleazy low life. Like Christoph Waltz who happened to have a similar break through that resulted in being cast in a few lesser variations (I refer to Three Musketeers and The Green Hornet), the original performance tends to be the best. As Pope Cody he portrays one of the Cody brothers who is an armed robber with his partner Barry Brown (Joel Edgerton), but as the film opens currently is hiding out from a group of police who kill first and never bother to ask questions.

Mendelsohn actually creates sympathy for Pope early on in his portrayal as he just shows him to be a man who finds himself caught in a corner. Although Mendelsohn properly hints that Pope is definitely not just a normal guy he does well in being rather humane in his performance in these early scenes to allow us to see honestly why J would not be instantly sworn off by them. Mendelsohn has a few good moments where he establishes that Pope is somewhat distance thanks to his current problems with the police but as well there is a certain camaraderie that properly suggests the history of the family as well. 

There is one particularly excellent moment for Mendelsohn when his friend his suddenly killed by the police and Pope is near enough to see it. Mendelsohn is terrific in showing a very human reaction filled with both fear that it very well could have been him but also a sadness over seeing his friend killed in such a way. It is a great subtle scene for Mendelsohn and particularly effective in showing the man before we meet the monster. Mendelsohn honestly allows you to feel sorry for Pope in the succeeding scenes as he makes the grief Pope feel understandable to at least a certain extent, and the eventual determination for revenge almost seem not as horrible as it is.

Jackie Weaver as the mother to the uncles and grandmother to J received high praise for her work which seemed like the a likable enough mother type but turned out to be pure evil. Mendelsohn has a similar arc although less extreme as it is no secret that Pope is a criminal to begin with. He does in a way though make Pope initial actions of revenge, even if that includes just murdering to random police officers who did not have anything necessarily to do with his friends death, somewhat reasonable through his passionate and authentic portrayal of Pope's feelings up to the point, and he allows us to believe that he could rope J in on the crime even.

After Pope succeeds in his revenge and the cops press the whole family about what happened we see the true terror in Pope. Where you could sympathize with the unease of Pope in his early scenes Mendelsohn becomes quite frightening as he shows Pope become like a violent animal in the corner. Mendelsohn has a great unpredictability in his performance not allowing us to know exactly what he is going to do, but one thing is sure that the uneasiness in the man should not be taken lightly. Mendelsohn is terrific in revealing the true nature of the man as he portrays a violent intensity that slowly builds as Pope begins to constantly question whether J can really be trusted.

Mendelsohn builds well to the moment in which Pope finally does murder someone he thinks will implicate him in the murders. Mendelsohn is absolutely chilling in the scene by how quickly and by the matter of fact fashion he handles the scene. He begins in such a gentle welcoming fashion, even when he is offering heroine to the person, than the way he than just proceeds to murder the person without hesitation is terrifying. It is an effective scene perfectly handled by Mendelsohn which portrays the animal in the man. It made all the more fearsome by Mendelsohn since once every gets cleared up, he shows that Pope is able to act like nothing happened.

This is a terrific performance by Ben Mendelsohn that honestly makes the film work as he almost steals the place lead, because the actual lead could not steal a free sample let alone a scene. James Frecheville should have conveyed how J was emotionally pulled in than out of the family's sway, but he does not. The film still works though because Mendelsohn through his performance as Pope which starts out as sympathetic and slowly reveals to be only horrific actually makes J's journey believable without the actor playing J to even portray it. Mendelsohn through his compelling portrayal of Pope manages to overcome the major flaw of the film which is really something to say the least.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2010

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ben Mendelsohn in Animal Kingdom

Sam Rockwell in Conviction

Andrew Garfield in The Social Network

Pierce Brosnan in The Ghost Writer

Chow Yun-Fat in Let the Bullets Fly