Alternate Best Actor 2004: Daniel Brühl in The Edukators

Daniel Brühl did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jan in The Edukators. 

The Edukators follows three wannabe radicals who disrupt the homes, as literally just mess around with their possessions, of rich people as their acts of rebellion. 

The duo is initially Peter (Stipe Erceg) and Jan, who are eventually joined by Jule (Julia Jentsch) Peter’s girlfriend. Peter and Jan’s MO is to go into rich people’s houses, mess with their stuff and then leave cryptic messages about how their wealth will come to an end. Daniel Brühl plays the part of Jan in a fairly expected way of essentially the attempt of the “cool” radical who wants to shake things up with his friend. Something that Brühl can deliver better than some, as this role would very easily be instantly intolerable, by offering some genuine charisma and at least some nuance within Jan. Although Jan is passionate about his views with Peter, Brühl tempers his performance enough to make it so he’s someone who is at least approachable within his radical notions. He conveys the very youthful jubilation he shares with Peter as they go about what they see as their rebellion against the system, and as much as I don’t think Jan particularly sold me too much, I will say Brühl at the very least keeps him from repelling you through his natural charm and ability to not overplay the passion. 

The situation complicates itself as Jan ends up sharing their particular methods with Jule, after she comes afoul of a rich man she owes money to, and she seeks guidance from the “edukators”. An element where Jan takes center stage with Jule, and even though she’s the girlfriend of his best friend, he starts becoming increasingly closer to her. Brühl and Jentsch have a strong chemistry with one another, as they create a natural ease in their interactions, and you see the ease of the gradual connection the two share. A connection that develops to an affair, where the two are very convincing in showing the passion getting the better of them, as the thrill of playing the rebels finds itself into a mutual passion for each other. Although again Brühl nicely tempers this even a bit where you see the moments before and the moments afterwards, where guilt seems to sink within his physical manner of his performance. There is shame in the betrayal of his friend, within Brühl’s expressive eyes, even if it doesn’t stop Jan from continuing the affair regardless. 

Eventually the plot reveals itself as they end up kidnapping the rich man, and going far deeper into the notions of being rebels, as they are both challenged by the man and attempt to challenge him with their views. Brühl gets a strong scene where he gets to be the one to articulate their views of society, where he isn’t a great orator, but a believable sharp passion befitting more so say a college student with strong views than a full on rebel. The situation also eventually leads to Peter and Jan having a falling out, but also a reconnection over Jan’s obvious betrayal with Jule. Something where I think maybe a limitation is that Brühl and Erceg are just fine together, but not really all that dynamic. They’re convincing enough as bickering friends, but never did I find their relationship to feel all that impactful. Partially this is the limitations of Erceg’s unmemorable performance, but also the writing limits them to just a few sudden moments of running through a friendship. Brühl does what he can with what he has, but while he’s always good here, it never elevates to a truly memorable portrayal of any aspect of this story. Brühl is good though, charismatic, elevates what he can, but never made me feel his character, much like the film, was “fine I guess”. 

Alternate Best Actor 2003: Results

5. Alex Frost in Elephant - Frost does a lot of important walking while looking bored, then becomes an overt psychopath in the last few seconds of the film.

Best Scene: The special act of walking. 

4. Rémy Girard in The Barbarian Invasions - Girard's performance is often fairly one note as this stubborn and dying intellectual. He plays the role most often in an excessively broad way, as a caricature of a fussy intellectual. When he tones it down a bit he's fairly effective but such moments are rare.

Best Scene: Leaving his classroom.

3. Ivan Dobronravov in The Return - Dobronravov gives an appropriately raw portrayal of the mess of emotions of a boy when his absentee father suddenly appears.

Best Scene: Ivan "conquers" the tower.

2. Daniel Brühl in Goodbye, Lenin! - Brühl gives a charming and delightful portrayal that manages to make his character's most unusual actions not only believable but also deeply affecting. 

Best Scene: Meeting his father.

1. Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa - Good predictions Michael McCarthy, Tahmeed, Luke, RatedRStar, Jackiboyz, and Omar. Thornton gives a great performance as he manages to be absolutely hilarious by in no way softening the edges of his very crude criminal yet his approach also manages to earn the character's transition to a better man by the end of the film.

 Best Scene: "For God's sake it's Christmas"

Updated Overall

Next Year: 2003 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 2003: Daniel Brühl in Good Bye, Lenin!

Daniel Brühl did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Alexander Kerner in Good Bye, Lenin!.

Good Bye, Lenin! is a terrific film about a young man in East Germany taking most unorthodox measurse to protect his mother from experiencing a fatal shock after a coma caused her to be unconscious through the entire German unification.  

Daniel Brühl being a German actor obviously has played his share of Nazis as well as villains in his English language work, and even in his technically sympathetic roles he usually plays rather prickly sorts. It is quite a treat though to see him here in this role where he's not playing a Nazi, certainly not a villain, just a normal guy. Brühl's Alex in the opening scenes of the film is particularly normal young man living in East Germany though he does engage in just a bit of rebellion, the little that there can be against the totalitarian government. Really though Brühl's performance even suggests this is not as a major as it might seem portraying a far greater interest in running into a young woman also at the protest than in the protest itself. There is nothing questionable even in this though as Brühl brings a genuine unassuming charm to Alex, and in this early moment importantly shows his convictions in the moment where he is arrested and simultaneously his mother has her near fatal heart attack from the shock. Brühl is quite affecting in this moment in capturing the son's intense concern for his mother which is pivotal for the rest of the film.

Well that heart attack puts Alex's mother into a coma, which leaves her unaware of the German reunification which Alex and his sister Ariane fully embrace, though Alex continually visits his mother where he also finds that the young woman, Lara, he formerly met at the rally is one of her nurses. Brühl again is incredibly charming by offering such earnestness in both Alex's enthusiasm towards his new discoveries in Germany, but also in his constant concern for his mother. Eventually his mother does awaken but with Alex being given the warning that her next heart attack will probably be fatal. In order to avoid the great shock of the collapse of their old way of life Alex takes it upon himself to hide the German reunification from his mother. Now this is the central conceit to the film and Brühl's performance is essential to not making it feel ridiculous. Brühl makes it work by portraying Alex's devotion to his mother's health so honestly. Although he is lying to her Brühl's delivers these initial lies with only the utmost warmth, and gentle regard always emphasizing that Alex believes this is the only way to save his mother. 

The film then proceeds to reveal Alex's strange game where he takes many unorthodox methods to present everything that his mother sees as still being part of the old Germany. Brühl brings the right energy to the performance as he pulls you right into Alex's mission by making it such a sympathetic prospect. Brühl makes these such engaging scenes though because he reveals everything that comes with them. He has those moments where he is so endearing and encouraging in portraying this ingenuity in Alex as he tirelessly finds ways to create and refine the illusion. Brühl is never one note though in that even when he's in the process itself he does reflect the sort physical effort needed, as with each successive scene Brühl conveys Alex just wearing himself out a bit from it all. Furthermore though he also brings the real frustrations in his arguments with his sister over the illusion as he delivers his counters with that conviction that alludes to his motivation, even while it becomes harder and harder to keep it up his illusion. Meanwhile though I love those moments he has where Alex sees his mother happy, and Brühl so powerfully reaffirms that underlying motivation every time by presenting just the most genuine love towards his mother and happiness at seeing that she is still with him. 

Although his mother's world is crafted by Alex, Alex's own existence is not a constant outside of it. Now one positive aspect of this is in his relationship with Lara to where Brühl makes for a great low key romantic lead. These scenes are pretty modest yet offers the right sweetness to them, though with just the right reservations at times in the persistent argument over Alex's treatment for his mother. Another problem though appears in the form of Alex and Ariane's father who they can now technically reconnect with, as he disappeared to the west when they were children. Brühl has a great scene where he goes to see his father, who has started a new family. In the scene Alex's dialogue is fairly sparse but Brühl's eyes though say it all as they reflect the years of feeling abandoned. He presents this as a sorrow but not anger though suggesting Alex's willingness to potentially forgive the past particularly so that he can bring his father back to see his mother one last time. That moment though is simply the natural state of this wonderful performance by Daniel Brühl as he makes Alex such a likable but also believable lead. He's charming yes but he also offers the right convictions to allow the central conceit to work. He makes you empathize with the young man's plight throughout the film. It's terrific performance and I have to say I hope we'll be able to see this side of Brühl again sometime in the future.

Alternate Best Actor 2003

And the Nominees Were Not:

Alex Frost in Elephant

Rémy Girard in The Barbarian Invasions

Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa

Daniel Brühl in Good Bye Lenin!

Ivan Dobronravov in The Return

And a review of:

Russell Crowe in Master and Commander