Best Scene:Winston lays out the case.
Best Scene: "Nobody's perfect"
Best Scene: Rippner reveals his true intentions.
Best Scene: The parlay.
Best Scene: The final appointment.
Next Year: 1951 Lead (make any supporting suggestions as well)
Showing posts with label Choi Min-sik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Choi Min-sik. Show all posts
Monday, 5 December 2016
Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2005: Results
Best Scene:Winston lays out the case.
Best Scene: "Nobody's perfect"
Best Scene: Rippner reveals his true intentions.
Best Scene: The parlay.
Best Scene: The final appointment.
Next Year: 1951 Lead (make any supporting suggestions as well)
Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2005: Min-sik Choi in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Min-sik Choi did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Mr. Baek in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance is stylistic and oddly upbeat, well at compared to its predecessors Oldboy and especially Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, about a woman Geum-ja (Young-ae Lee) seeking revenge against the man who caused her to be wrongly imprisoned for a murder she did not commit.
Old Min-Sik Choi plays the man responsible for Lady Vengeance's sorrows, but he's not actually in the film all that much. In fact I'd say Choi's casting is part of director's Chan-wook Park's way to reference the previous two films in the thematic trilogy, as the leads of Mr. Vengeance Kang-ho Song, and Ha-kyun Shin play mere cameo roles as a pair of hitmen. Choi, the former lead of Oldboy, gets a slightly more substantial role as Mr. Baek the target for revenge. We only get glimpses of Baek for much of the film, pieces of Geum-ja's mind essentially, whether it is of Mr. Baek threatening her daughter, a fantasy of killing him as a dog, or a brief moment where we see him teaching a class through song. I'll admit that last scene does work quite well in creating a disturbing image, as there just seems something off when Min-sik Choi does it. In fact to his credit Choi is such a compelling actor that he manages to at least standout despite the extreme limitations of his role. There just something so innately magnetic about the way Choi works the screen that is always so impressive.
Unlike the targets of the previous two films, who also were motivated by revenge in some way, Mr. Baek is much more a disposable baddie, who we only learn is a child murderer and a rapist in addition to framing Geum-ja. We get again just few glimpses as he attempts to mount his defense, and to be fair Choi exudes menace with such as per usual. He is quickly caught though, and we finally get a bit of that Choi goodness, though not a lot of it. There's a particularly effective scenes where Choi isn't onscreen, yet does add a great deal to the scene as a kidnapped Mr. Baek translates messages into English for Geum-ja. Choi finds nuance within this such as his initial scoff when she threatens him, and his eventual fearful sigh as he begins to understand the severity of his situation. Baek has no hidden plans or tricks up his sleeve though, all his has left are a few words. Choi does his best to make the most of them. I especially love Choi's sleazy, "haven't seen you in awhile", reaction when he first see Geum-ja, as though Baek is attempting to try to not take her seriously.
This changes to fear when it is clear she is very serious, and again Choi probably far more compelling than any other actor in the role could be in portraying the physical fear and eventual pain throughout the scenes. Baek only get one more moment to himself, before his disposal, when one of the parents of his victims asks him why he did it. Choi does his absolute best with this being so beautifully despicable by so casually playing the moment as Baek shrugs off with "nobody's perfect". I'll admit I was a little disappointed with the allowance for Choi here, you can never have enough Min-sik Choi, but he's good with what has. The thing is though the film is more a revenge procedural than a thriller, in that everything basically works for the lady, rather than the terrible back and forth found in the other films in the trilogy. Again this is a good performance by Min-sik Choi despite the limitations, but in the end it feels like a warm up act for his turn in I Saw the Devil.
Old Min-Sik Choi plays the man responsible for Lady Vengeance's sorrows, but he's not actually in the film all that much. In fact I'd say Choi's casting is part of director's Chan-wook Park's way to reference the previous two films in the thematic trilogy, as the leads of Mr. Vengeance Kang-ho Song, and Ha-kyun Shin play mere cameo roles as a pair of hitmen. Choi, the former lead of Oldboy, gets a slightly more substantial role as Mr. Baek the target for revenge. We only get glimpses of Baek for much of the film, pieces of Geum-ja's mind essentially, whether it is of Mr. Baek threatening her daughter, a fantasy of killing him as a dog, or a brief moment where we see him teaching a class through song. I'll admit that last scene does work quite well in creating a disturbing image, as there just seems something off when Min-sik Choi does it. In fact to his credit Choi is such a compelling actor that he manages to at least standout despite the extreme limitations of his role. There just something so innately magnetic about the way Choi works the screen that is always so impressive.
Unlike the targets of the previous two films, who also were motivated by revenge in some way, Mr. Baek is much more a disposable baddie, who we only learn is a child murderer and a rapist in addition to framing Geum-ja. We get again just few glimpses as he attempts to mount his defense, and to be fair Choi exudes menace with such as per usual. He is quickly caught though, and we finally get a bit of that Choi goodness, though not a lot of it. There's a particularly effective scenes where Choi isn't onscreen, yet does add a great deal to the scene as a kidnapped Mr. Baek translates messages into English for Geum-ja. Choi finds nuance within this such as his initial scoff when she threatens him, and his eventual fearful sigh as he begins to understand the severity of his situation. Baek has no hidden plans or tricks up his sleeve though, all his has left are a few words. Choi does his best to make the most of them. I especially love Choi's sleazy, "haven't seen you in awhile", reaction when he first see Geum-ja, as though Baek is attempting to try to not take her seriously.
This changes to fear when it is clear she is very serious, and again Choi probably far more compelling than any other actor in the role could be in portraying the physical fear and eventual pain throughout the scenes. Baek only get one more moment to himself, before his disposal, when one of the parents of his victims asks him why he did it. Choi does his absolute best with this being so beautifully despicable by so casually playing the moment as Baek shrugs off with "nobody's perfect". I'll admit I was a little disappointed with the allowance for Choi here, you can never have enough Min-sik Choi, but he's good with what has. The thing is though the film is more a revenge procedural than a thriller, in that everything basically works for the lady, rather than the terrible back and forth found in the other films in the trilogy. Again this is a good performance by Min-sik Choi despite the limitations, but in the end it feels like a warm up act for his turn in I Saw the Devil.
Monday, 28 November 2016
Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2005
Jeffrey Wright in Broken Flowers
Keanu Reeves in Thumbsucker
Min-sik Choi in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
Cillian Murphy in Red Eye
Ghassan Massoud in Kingdom of Heaven
Edward Norton in Kingdom of Heaven
For Prediction Purposes:
Massoud From Kingdom of Heaven
Monday, 15 April 2013
Alternate Best Actor 2010: Results
Overall Rank:
- Choi Min-sik in I Saw the Devil
- Robert Duvall in Get Low
- Lee Byung-hun in I Saw The Devil
- Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
- Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine
- Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer
- Lambert Wilson in Of Gods and Men
- Casey Affleck in The Killer Inside Me
- George Clooney in The American
- Riz Ahmed in Four Lions
- Jakob Cedergren in Submarino
- Martin Sheen in The Way
- Damián Alcázar in El Infierno
- Eddie Marsan in The Disappearance of Alice Creed
- Christian Bale in The Fighter
- Paul Giamatti in Barney's Version
- Michael Douglas in Solitary Man
- James Rolleston in Boy
- Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech
- Andy Serkis in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
- Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here
- Tommy Lee Jones in The Company Men
- Mads Mikkelsen in Valhalla Rising
- Jiang Wen in Let the Bullets Fly
- Peter Plaugborg in Submarino
- Tyler Labine in Tucker & Dale vs Evil
- Alan Tudyk in Tucker & Dale vs Evil
- Ryan Reynolds in Buried
- Jim Broadbent in Another Year
- Jim Carrey in I Love You Philip Morris
- Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception
- William Jøhnk Juels Nielsen in In A Better World
- Nicholas Tse in Stool Pigeon
- William Shimell in Certified Copy
- Otto Jesperen in Trollhunter
- James Franco in 127 Hours
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Jack Goes Boating
- Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing
- Mel Gibson in Edge of Darkness
- Mikael Persbrandt in In A Better World
- Jeff Bridges in True Grit
- Bruce Willis in Red
- Trond Nilssen in King of Devil's Island
- Francois Cluzet in Little White Lies
- Ge You in Let The Bullets Fly
- Aaron Eckhart in Rabbit Hole
- Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli
- Markus Rygaard in In A Better World
- Ben Affleck in The Town
- Colin Firth in The King's Speech
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan in The Losers
- Zachary Levi in Tangled
- Edward Norton in Leaves of Grass
- Colin Farrell in Ondine
- Ben Stiller in Greenberg
- Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2
- Jay Baruchel in How To Train Your Dragon
- Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter
- Martin Compston in The Disappearance of Alice Creed
- Benjamin Helstad in King of Devil's Island
- Ben Affleck in The Company Men
- Ryan Gosling in All Good Things
- Javier Bardem in Biutiful
- Mark Wahlberg in The Other Guys
- Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
- Shia Laboeuf in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
- Sean Penn in Fair Game
- Will Ferrell in The Other Guys
- Gleenn Erland Tosterud in Trollhunter
- Robert Downey Jr. in Due Date
- Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island
- Aaron Taylor Johnson in Kick-Ass
- Skandar Keynes in Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables
- Benicio Del Toro in The Wolfman
- Logan Lerman in Percy Jackson
- Zach Galifianakis in Due Date
- Jaden Smith in The Karate Kid
- Nick Cheung in Stool Pigeon
- Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland
- James Frecheville in Animal Kingdom
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Alternate Best Actor 2010: Choi Min-sik in I Saw The Devil
Choi Min-sik did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Kyung-chul in I Saw The Devil.
I Saw the Devil is an engrossing and stylish thriller, although definitely not one for the squeamish, about a secret agent who goes about seeking revenge against a serial killer who murdered his fiancee.
Choi Min-sik, who I last reviewed in his terrific no holds barred performance in Oldboy, plays the serial killer of the film and certainly has a somewhat different approach here. Choi has a terrific screen presence and he owns the film in the same way as he did in Oldboy. This time though he does not portray the loopy hero of Oldboy, instead he plays the extremely sinister murderer here. Choi is horrifying here in his two early scenes where he murders two women. Choi's manner of portraying the killer is particularly frightening because of how much he downplays these scenes, especially the second scene where Kyung-chul actually sort messes up his way as he struggles to find his murder weapon in the back seat of his car while his soon to be victim looks on.
Choi is especially disturbing because he doesn't show the murders as anything special to Kyung-shul they are just kind of a day to day thing for him from the casual manner he approaches them. Choi has Kyung-shul go about it in a slow not all rushed way he smokes he takes his time, and he never seems to rush. Choi by taking this approach is especially chilling because it is clear that he has done this before, many times in fact, and to certain degree it has become basically a routine for him. There is a soullessness in Choi's performance that is quite unnerving. The only time he seems all that active is when he goes in his attack where the inner monster comes out and the full brutality of Kyung-shul is seen, and that all he is quite obviously a maniac.
Choi makes Kyung-shul especially off putting because of how nonchalant he is in portraying the killing. This is actually trickier than it sounds as it could be played wrong and it would seem just like a disinterested actor, Choi handles it brutally well in really allowing us to see that there is a history of this killer and it is a very long one indeed. What compels him to commit such atrocities is never exactly stated in the film, but Choi alludes to it well in his portrayal. Firstly through just that complete lack of empathy in his performance, there is such a harrowing quality Choi brings to the role that paints Kyung-shul as a truly hollow man. Choi as well suggest that in Kyung-shul there is a hatred in him toward women that Choi does not shy away from showing it to be as despicable as it is.
The tables are turned on Kyung-shul though when the secret agent Kim Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun) tracks him down. The twist is though when the agent finds him he doesn't kill the serial killer instead to act revenge he purposefully lets him live to keep torturing him. As Choi so brilliantly changed in Oldboy whenever his character had to massively change very quickly, he is just as efficient here although the change this time is far from permanent. Choi changes a bit showing Kyung-shul's confusion at the situation more than anything, but also a bit of a revelation as he almost seems firmer in his resolve to do whatever he feels likes, and again Choi is scary as hell when he intimidates a doctor and nurse shortly after having been treated by them. Kyung-shul's joy is short lived though as the agent makes it clear the first beat down Kyung-shul was only the beginning.
Choi Min-sik is terrific as Kyung-shul stops being the hunter and instead is instead the hunted. Choi is very effectively as he shows that Kyung-shul quickly loses his confidence of before and increasingly becomes a man filled with desperation. Choi is able to bring the fears alive in him, and interestingly as he starts to show him as the mouse begins to at least to allude to some humanity although only in its most basic form. Kyung-shul becomes a frightened man himself, and Choi brings this fear alive brilliantly by making it a counterpoint to the earlier behavior of the killer. When the killer had the power there was nothing but the hollow inhuman shell, but as soon as he faces being the victim Choi believably changes him into a cowering with honest human emotion.
After learning of how the agent is keeping tabs on him Choi again transforms Kyung-shul once again. Kyung-shul gains his confidence back again, but he keeps his humanity, though not in a good way. Choi portrays Kyung-shul at his fiercest as he determines to specifically target the agent for revenge. Choi now turns him into a very imposing villain and makes it clear that Kyung-shul is not a man you want to give a task to. Miin-sik is marvelous just to watch as he shows Kyung-shul become a man entirely in his element and is truly disturbing as portrays the extent he will go to seek his revenge. Kyung-shul's final murder is very personal suddenly and Choi shows the difference in the intense manner he portrays both Kyung-shul's anger and glee in his new situation.
This brings Kyung-shul to the final scene when he and the agent finally face off man to man by this point both having a great deal of blood on their hands. Although Lee Byung-hun is fine as the agent the scene absolutely belongs to Choi the entire time as he gives the full portrait of a man who is coping with the fact that he going to be killed very soon. It is all in one scene but Choi runs through the emotions powerfully without a moment of disconnect between the phases for Kyung-shul. He shows a whimpering man pleading for his life as he sees it closing around him. Choi brings this to him becoming defiant and very chilling as Kyung-shul basically tells the agent that all of his efforts have been a waste, and Choi succeeds in bringing the central theme about the hollow nature of revenge to life. At last though he is left as a man holding on to life literally by his teeth, and he loses that last ounce of defiance he had left.
The very last scene is an amazing scene even though you get none of the gratification one would expect when the villain of a film gets his comeuppance. Choi holds nothing back and brings the unflinching horror of the moment through his performance. It is one last moment for Kyung-shul as Choi shows him reduced to be the opposite of what he was at the beginning. Where he was at first a soulless killer Choi leaves him as just a ball of emotions of sadness and pain as he struggles not only not to die, but as well to spare his family from seeing what the end of his monstrous actions has brought. It is an unforgettable scene, and it works because Choi absolutely earns the moment through his portrayal of Kyung-shul's transformation throughout the film. This is a tremendous performance by Choi Choi as he is a terrifying, imposing, and disturbing villain, while never once failing to meet the needs of the extreme emotional changes of his character.
Choi Min-sik, who I last reviewed in his terrific no holds barred performance in Oldboy, plays the serial killer of the film and certainly has a somewhat different approach here. Choi has a terrific screen presence and he owns the film in the same way as he did in Oldboy. This time though he does not portray the loopy hero of Oldboy, instead he plays the extremely sinister murderer here. Choi is horrifying here in his two early scenes where he murders two women. Choi's manner of portraying the killer is particularly frightening because of how much he downplays these scenes, especially the second scene where Kyung-chul actually sort messes up his way as he struggles to find his murder weapon in the back seat of his car while his soon to be victim looks on.
Choi is especially disturbing because he doesn't show the murders as anything special to Kyung-shul they are just kind of a day to day thing for him from the casual manner he approaches them. Choi has Kyung-shul go about it in a slow not all rushed way he smokes he takes his time, and he never seems to rush. Choi by taking this approach is especially chilling because it is clear that he has done this before, many times in fact, and to certain degree it has become basically a routine for him. There is a soullessness in Choi's performance that is quite unnerving. The only time he seems all that active is when he goes in his attack where the inner monster comes out and the full brutality of Kyung-shul is seen, and that all he is quite obviously a maniac.
Choi makes Kyung-shul especially off putting because of how nonchalant he is in portraying the killing. This is actually trickier than it sounds as it could be played wrong and it would seem just like a disinterested actor, Choi handles it brutally well in really allowing us to see that there is a history of this killer and it is a very long one indeed. What compels him to commit such atrocities is never exactly stated in the film, but Choi alludes to it well in his portrayal. Firstly through just that complete lack of empathy in his performance, there is such a harrowing quality Choi brings to the role that paints Kyung-shul as a truly hollow man. Choi as well suggest that in Kyung-shul there is a hatred in him toward women that Choi does not shy away from showing it to be as despicable as it is.
The tables are turned on Kyung-shul though when the secret agent Kim Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun) tracks him down. The twist is though when the agent finds him he doesn't kill the serial killer instead to act revenge he purposefully lets him live to keep torturing him. As Choi so brilliantly changed in Oldboy whenever his character had to massively change very quickly, he is just as efficient here although the change this time is far from permanent. Choi changes a bit showing Kyung-shul's confusion at the situation more than anything, but also a bit of a revelation as he almost seems firmer in his resolve to do whatever he feels likes, and again Choi is scary as hell when he intimidates a doctor and nurse shortly after having been treated by them. Kyung-shul's joy is short lived though as the agent makes it clear the first beat down Kyung-shul was only the beginning.
Choi Min-sik is terrific as Kyung-shul stops being the hunter and instead is instead the hunted. Choi is very effectively as he shows that Kyung-shul quickly loses his confidence of before and increasingly becomes a man filled with desperation. Choi is able to bring the fears alive in him, and interestingly as he starts to show him as the mouse begins to at least to allude to some humanity although only in its most basic form. Kyung-shul becomes a frightened man himself, and Choi brings this fear alive brilliantly by making it a counterpoint to the earlier behavior of the killer. When the killer had the power there was nothing but the hollow inhuman shell, but as soon as he faces being the victim Choi believably changes him into a cowering with honest human emotion.
After learning of how the agent is keeping tabs on him Choi again transforms Kyung-shul once again. Kyung-shul gains his confidence back again, but he keeps his humanity, though not in a good way. Choi portrays Kyung-shul at his fiercest as he determines to specifically target the agent for revenge. Choi now turns him into a very imposing villain and makes it clear that Kyung-shul is not a man you want to give a task to. Miin-sik is marvelous just to watch as he shows Kyung-shul become a man entirely in his element and is truly disturbing as portrays the extent he will go to seek his revenge. Kyung-shul's final murder is very personal suddenly and Choi shows the difference in the intense manner he portrays both Kyung-shul's anger and glee in his new situation.
This brings Kyung-shul to the final scene when he and the agent finally face off man to man by this point both having a great deal of blood on their hands. Although Lee Byung-hun is fine as the agent the scene absolutely belongs to Choi the entire time as he gives the full portrait of a man who is coping with the fact that he going to be killed very soon. It is all in one scene but Choi runs through the emotions powerfully without a moment of disconnect between the phases for Kyung-shul. He shows a whimpering man pleading for his life as he sees it closing around him. Choi brings this to him becoming defiant and very chilling as Kyung-shul basically tells the agent that all of his efforts have been a waste, and Choi succeeds in bringing the central theme about the hollow nature of revenge to life. At last though he is left as a man holding on to life literally by his teeth, and he loses that last ounce of defiance he had left.
The very last scene is an amazing scene even though you get none of the gratification one would expect when the villain of a film gets his comeuppance. Choi holds nothing back and brings the unflinching horror of the moment through his performance. It is one last moment for Kyung-shul as Choi shows him reduced to be the opposite of what he was at the beginning. Where he was at first a soulless killer Choi leaves him as just a ball of emotions of sadness and pain as he struggles not only not to die, but as well to spare his family from seeing what the end of his monstrous actions has brought. It is an unforgettable scene, and it works because Choi absolutely earns the moment through his portrayal of Kyung-shul's transformation throughout the film. This is a tremendous performance by Choi Choi as he is a terrifying, imposing, and disturbing villain, while never once failing to meet the needs of the extreme emotional changes of his character.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Alternate Best Actor 2010
Choi Min-sik in I Saw The Devil
Robert Duvall in Get Low
Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine
George Clooney in The American
Andy Serkis in Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Alternate Best Actor 2003: Results
- Russell Crowe in Master and Commander
- Choi Min-sik in Oldboy
- Stephen Lang in Gods and Generals
- Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa
- Robert Duvall in Open Range
- Kevin Bacon in Mystic River
- Paul Bettany in Dogville
- Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean
- Song Kang-ho in Memories of Murder
- Daniel Brühl in Goodbye, Lenin!
- Peter Dinklage in The Station Agent
- Paul Giamatti in American Splendor
- John Turturro in Fear X
- Ewan McGregor in Big Fish
- Nicolas Cage in Matchstick Men
- Luigi Lo Cascio in The Best of Youth
- Hayden Christensen in Shattered Glass
- John Malkovich in Ripley's Game
- Takeshi Kitano in Zatoichi
- Campbell Scott in The Secret Lives of Dentists
- Kim Sang-kyung in Memories of Murder
- Mads Mikkelsen in The Green Butchers
- Alessio Boni in The Best of Youth
- Kevin Costner in Open Range
- Colin Farrell in Phone Booth
- Ivan Dobronravov in The Return
- Tadanobu Asano in Last Life in the Universe
- Jeff Daniels in Gods and Generals
- Robert Duvall in Secondhand Lions
- Bill Murray in Lost in Translation
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in Owning Mahowny
- Jude Law in Cold Mountain
- George Clooney in Intolerable Cruelty
- Hayley Joel Osment in Secondhand Lions
- Paddy Considine in In America
- Albert Brooks in Finding Nemo
- Hugh Jackman in X-2
- Michael Pitt in The Dreamers
- Ewan McGregor in Down With Love
- Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai
- William H. Macy in The Cooler
- Johnny Depp in Once Upon a Time in Mexico
- Crispin Glover in Willard
- Tsunashima Gōtarō in Japanese Story
- Tobey Maguire in Seabiscuit
- Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean
- Shia Laboeuf in Holes
- John Cusack in Identity
- Jack Nicholson in Something's Gotta Give
- Will Farrell in Elf
- Rémy Girard in The Barbarian Invasions
- Dougray Scott in Ripley's Game
- John Cusack in Runaway Jury
- Antonio Banderas in Once Upon a Time in Mexico
- Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights
- Dwayne Johnson in The Rundown
- Jack Black in The School of Rock
- Sean Penn in 21 Grams
- Luke Wilson in Old School
- Greg Kinnear in Stuck on You
- Nikolaj Lie Kaas in The Green Butchers
- Stéphane Rousseau in The Barbarian Invasions
- Sean Penn in Mystic River
- Jeremy Sumpter in Peter Pan
- Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog
- Ewan McGregor in Young Adam
- Benicio Del Toro in 21 Grams
- Aaron Eckhart in The Core
- Jackie Chan in Shanghai Knights
- Matt Damon in Stuck on You
- Jack Nicholson in Anger Management
- Eric Bana in The Hulk
- Sean William Scott in The Rundown
- Ben Affleck in Daredevil
- Ben Affleck in Paycheck
- Alex Frost in Elephant
- Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentleman
- Rowan Atkinson in Johnny English
- Adam Sandler in Anger Management
- Tommy Wiseau in The Room
Next Year: 1957
Alternate Best Actor 2003: Choi Min-sik in Oldboy
Choi Min-sik did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Oh Dae-su in Oldboy.
Oldboy is a very effective revenge thriller about a man who tries to find out why he was imprisoned for fifteen years.
Choi Min-sik performance here starts very important with the beginning of Oh Dae-su in a police station shortly before he will be kidnapped. Dae-su is a drunk in the station being loud until taken out by his friend. This is an important scene as Choi is portraying Dae-su as a bit of a mess. He certainly resembles little of how we will see him later on as Choi portrays him as really just a loud drunk who frankly is obnoxious. This is actually a very important moment as it shows the man Dae-su is at the beginning who is just a pretty lowly man to say the least.
Dae-su than suddenly disappears and finds him a room that is apparently a prison that he cannot escape from. At first Choi shows that the annoying drunk Dae-su to just a very scared man who freaks out due to having no idea why he in this place. Choi in a fairly broad way, but in an effective fashion that certainly fits the mood of the film, after all he does have ants crawling all over him in one scene, showing Dae-su devolve into a form of insanity. He handles it well showing it as a painful intensity that is mostly found in his disbelief of what has happened to him, despite not knowing why in the slightest.
Choi tones down though as he the time goes on and on in his cell. Choi changes to this moment and brings about a transformation in Oh Dae-su to a man with a purpose rather than what seemed to be an aimless man beforehand. Choi makes Dae-su still a crazed man, yet he seems to make it far more self contained, and infused into his driving factor which is his lust for revenge. He is good in portraying that really his want to learn who has done this to him is really what has become the primary facet of the man.
When Dae-su is released for reasons that are just as mysterious as why he was put in the prison to begin with, he goes out seeking who did this to him. Dae-su is a completely different man as Choi interestingly plays him as the opposite of the loud mouth at the beginning, which he earned through his transformation in the cell. Dae-su know has become a fairly quiet man, who rather blabbing all the time, seems rather stoic and reserved above all else. His insanity still remains but it comes out at specific times in a sharp distinct manner.
For example the octopus eating scene is of course a deranged scene as he shoves it down his throat, but Choi here effectively shows how Dae-su is now very much a man with a mission as strange and insane as the act is he does it in a controlled and almost stoic manner. Choi is actually quite outstanding in being able to bring to life the oxymoron of this character. It never seems unbelievable, and it always fits well within the style of this unique film.
Choi makes Dae-su quite the intriguing hero to follow through the mystery of the film. Choi does not make Dae-su to be any sort of brilliant detective or tactician, but what really pushes him forward is only his passion to find out the truth. Choi never loses a certain intensity as Dae-su searches for his captors that only grows as he approaches them. He properly brutal when he finally does meet some of them particularly with his free use of hammer. Of course the hammer does a lot of the work, but Choi perfectly conveys the violence Dae-su is capable of.
Dae-su though does not keep his composure forever though as Choi's most difficult scenes really come in at the end of the film when all is revealed to him, which leads him from one intense emotional moment to another. Choi is always very physical in this performance, throwing himself head first in every scene, and this especially true for the climax of the film. This certainly fits for the moments in the film for the revelations are not exactly one's that should be taken lightly, and reacting believably to these revelations is essential to the film, and Choi manages to pull it off.
The first revelation is that that Choi has been set up to commit one the worst sins, and Choibring the the pain, the anger, and the all around horror to the moment that sends Dae-su to the rage. He appropriately shows that Dae-su's is truly horrified by the revelation to the very core of his being. Quickly though after really being told of another revelation there Dae-su becomes filled with regret and remorse. Choi manages to actually bring this change about powerfully so in another scene where he dives right into insanity, and Choi shows that Dae-su loses all of his stoic qualities from before turning essentially into a broken man.
This is certainly a no bars held performance that is striking in just how many risks it takes, and how well they all pay off. Every moment of madness never seems overwrought or needless he makes them all part of the strange journey of Dae-su that becomes something both very powerful, and quite disturbing. Choi never stops for a moment in this bizarre but compelling characterization. It is never a straight forward or simple approach to this character utilizing a technique that very few actors would likely take. With his most unorthodox portrayal Choi makes Oh Dae-su a truly memorable protagonist.
Choi Min-sik performance here starts very important with the beginning of Oh Dae-su in a police station shortly before he will be kidnapped. Dae-su is a drunk in the station being loud until taken out by his friend. This is an important scene as Choi is portraying Dae-su as a bit of a mess. He certainly resembles little of how we will see him later on as Choi portrays him as really just a loud drunk who frankly is obnoxious. This is actually a very important moment as it shows the man Dae-su is at the beginning who is just a pretty lowly man to say the least.
Dae-su than suddenly disappears and finds him a room that is apparently a prison that he cannot escape from. At first Choi shows that the annoying drunk Dae-su to just a very scared man who freaks out due to having no idea why he in this place. Choi in a fairly broad way, but in an effective fashion that certainly fits the mood of the film, after all he does have ants crawling all over him in one scene, showing Dae-su devolve into a form of insanity. He handles it well showing it as a painful intensity that is mostly found in his disbelief of what has happened to him, despite not knowing why in the slightest.
Choi tones down though as he the time goes on and on in his cell. Choi changes to this moment and brings about a transformation in Oh Dae-su to a man with a purpose rather than what seemed to be an aimless man beforehand. Choi makes Dae-su still a crazed man, yet he seems to make it far more self contained, and infused into his driving factor which is his lust for revenge. He is good in portraying that really his want to learn who has done this to him is really what has become the primary facet of the man.
When Dae-su is released for reasons that are just as mysterious as why he was put in the prison to begin with, he goes out seeking who did this to him. Dae-su is a completely different man as Choi interestingly plays him as the opposite of the loud mouth at the beginning, which he earned through his transformation in the cell. Dae-su know has become a fairly quiet man, who rather blabbing all the time, seems rather stoic and reserved above all else. His insanity still remains but it comes out at specific times in a sharp distinct manner.
For example the octopus eating scene is of course a deranged scene as he shoves it down his throat, but Choi here effectively shows how Dae-su is now very much a man with a mission as strange and insane as the act is he does it in a controlled and almost stoic manner. Choi is actually quite outstanding in being able to bring to life the oxymoron of this character. It never seems unbelievable, and it always fits well within the style of this unique film.
Choi makes Dae-su quite the intriguing hero to follow through the mystery of the film. Choi does not make Dae-su to be any sort of brilliant detective or tactician, but what really pushes him forward is only his passion to find out the truth. Choi never loses a certain intensity as Dae-su searches for his captors that only grows as he approaches them. He properly brutal when he finally does meet some of them particularly with his free use of hammer. Of course the hammer does a lot of the work, but Choi perfectly conveys the violence Dae-su is capable of.
Dae-su though does not keep his composure forever though as Choi's most difficult scenes really come in at the end of the film when all is revealed to him, which leads him from one intense emotional moment to another. Choi is always very physical in this performance, throwing himself head first in every scene, and this especially true for the climax of the film. This certainly fits for the moments in the film for the revelations are not exactly one's that should be taken lightly, and reacting believably to these revelations is essential to the film, and Choi manages to pull it off.
The first revelation is that that Choi has been set up to commit one the worst sins, and Choibring the the pain, the anger, and the all around horror to the moment that sends Dae-su to the rage. He appropriately shows that Dae-su's is truly horrified by the revelation to the very core of his being. Quickly though after really being told of another revelation there Dae-su becomes filled with regret and remorse. Choi manages to actually bring this change about powerfully so in another scene where he dives right into insanity, and Choi shows that Dae-su loses all of his stoic qualities from before turning essentially into a broken man.
This is certainly a no bars held performance that is striking in just how many risks it takes, and how well they all pay off. Every moment of madness never seems overwrought or needless he makes them all part of the strange journey of Dae-su that becomes something both very powerful, and quite disturbing. Choi never stops for a moment in this bizarre but compelling characterization. It is never a straight forward or simple approach to this character utilizing a technique that very few actors would likely take. With his most unorthodox portrayal Choi makes Oh Dae-su a truly memorable protagonist.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Alternate Best Actor 2003
Tommy Wiseau in The Room
Peter Dinklage in The Station Agent
Paul Giamatti in American Splendor
Stephen Lang in Gods and Generals
Choi Min-sik in Oldboy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)