Best Actor: Harvey Scrimshaw

Showing posts with label Harvey Scrimshaw. Show all posts

Saturday, 18 February 2017

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2016: Results

13. Yoshi Oida in Silence - Oida gives a moving depiction of the quiet earnest devotion of one of the most devote Christians in Japan.

Best Scene: Ichizo pleads for someone to join him.

12. Shinya Tsukamoto in Silence -Tsukamoto along with Oida gives a moving depiction of a devoted Christian particularly as he faces certain demise.

Best Scene: A final hymn.

11. Alden Ehrenreich in Hail Caesar! - Ehrenreich gives a very funny performance by being so earnest in his approach to a singing cowboy who tries to be an actor.

Best Scene: Would that it were so simple.

10. Harvey Scrimshaw in The Witch - Scrimshaw gives an effective natural depiction of a boy in an unnatural situation that is absolutely haunting in his final moments.

Best Scene: Caleb wakes up.

9. Damian Lewis in Our Kind of Traitor - Lewis gives an incredibly compelling performance that works so well within the certain constraints he purposefully sets up for his refined government agent.

Best Scene: Hector tells about his son.

8. Tadanobu Asano in Silence - Asano gives an extremely incisive yet somehow funny portrayal of a man viciously needling his hostage in order to break him.

Best Scene: The interpreter meets Rodrigues.

7. Ralph Ineson in The Witch - Ineson gives a powerful depiction of a man essentially coming to terms with his own desperate state, and losing his delusions of grandeur.

Best Scene: William's prayer at night.

6. Stellan Skårsgard in Our Kind of Traitor - Skårsgard is asked to do a lot in short order, yet he matches the challenge while giving an incredibly poignant portrait of a man doing whatever it takes to save his family.

Best Scene: Dima says goodbye to Perry.

5. Yosuke Kubozuka in Silence - Kubozuka gives a haunting portrayal that grants a heartbreaking understanding of what seems to be a wretched man.

Best Scene: Kichijiro's first Confession.

4. Liam Neeson in Silence - Neeson in only a few scenes leaves such a considerable impression through his subversion of his usual role as the confident mentor by instead portraying a sad broken man being forced to destroy his own teachings.

Best Scene: Ferreira meets Rodrigues.

3. Issey Ogata in Silence - Ogata gives a truly menacing yet somehow also absolutely hilarious portrayal of a persecutor with a unique yet brutally effective method of destroying his foes.

Best Scene: A story of Concubines.

2. Sam Neill in Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Sam Neill delivers his best performance giving such a hilarious yet heartwarming portraying an irascible old man finding a connection with a troubled boy. Neill balances the various tones of the film brilliantly to be both very funny yet incredibly touching in depicting Uncle Hec's personal journey during his more literal journey through the bush.

Best Scene: The Boar.

1. Ben Foster in Hell or High Water - Good prediction Michael McCarthy, and Luke Foster gives yet another great performance to his ever growing list of them. He gives an entertaining yet edgy depiction of an outlaw, yet he underlines it all with just a heartbreaking portrayal of man who has only ever found any use for himself as a criminal. Although this was a strong year for the category I have to admit this was an easy choice for me. Not just because this is a great performance, it is, but it hit me on an even more personal level than a good performance already hits you on.

This is not something I mentioned in my review but will I now. Foster's realization of Tanner went even further for me as he so reminded of my own older brother with whom I share a similair relationship to that Toby shares with Tanner, though far less extreme and in different circumstances of course. The little nuances and details of such relationship were there for me, and it connected with me on an even deeper level because of that. I simply cannot deny something like that.

Best Scene: The brothers say their goodbyes.

Overall Rank:

Ben Foster in Hell or High Water
Sam Neill in Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Issey Ogata in Silence
Tadanobu Asano in Harmonium
Mahershala Ali in Moonlight
Liam Neeson in Silence
Yosuke Kubozuka in Silence
Stellan Skårsgard in Our Kind of Traitor
Hugo Weaving in Hacksaw Ridge
Ralph Ineson in The Witch
Tadanobu Asano in Silence
Damian Lewis in Our Kind of Traitor
Woody Harrelson in The Edge of Seventeen
Harvey Scrimshaw in The Witch
Alden Ehrenreich in Hail Caesar!
Christopher Lloyd in I Am Not A Serial Killer
Ha Jung-woo in The Handmaiden
Farid Sajadhosseini in The Salesman
Shinya Tsukamoto in Silence
Yoshi Oida in Silence
Gil Birmingham in Hell or High Water
Sharlto Copley in Hardcore Henry
Jack Reynor in Sing Street
Macon Blair in Green Room
Tracy Letts in Christine
Nick Offerman in The Founder
John Carroll Lynch in The Founder
Cho Jin-woong in The Handmaiden
Toby Kebbell in A Monster Calls
Jun Kunimura in The Wailing
Jared Harris in Certain Women
Alan Rickman in Eye in the Sky
Donnie Yen in Rogue One
Tom Bennett in Love and Friendship
Adam Driver in Silence
Shia Labeouf in American Honey
John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane
Andre Holland in Moonlight
Ma Dong-Seok in Train to Busan
Glen Powell in Everybody Wants Some
Jovan Adepo in Fences
Kurt Russell in Deepwater Horizon
Ralph Fiennes in Hail Caesar!
Roger Guenveur Smith in Birth of A Nation
Patrick Stewart in Green Room
Kevin Costner in Hidden Figures
Aaron Paul in Eye in the Sky
Mykelti Williamson in Fences
Sebastian Stan in Captain America Civil War
Alan Tudyk in Rogue One
Jharrel Jerome in Moonlight
Taiyō Yoshizawa in After the Storm
Tom Wilkinson in Denial
John Gallagher Jr. in 10 Cloverfield Lane
Craig Robinson in Morris From America
Lucas Dawson in The Witch
Stephen Henderson in Fences
Barkhad Abdi in Eye in the Sky
Bradley Whitford in Other People
Daniel Bruhl in Captain America Civil War
Mads Mikkelsen in Rogue One
Luke Bracey in Hacksaw Ridge
Evan Peters in X-Men Apocalypse
Byung-hun Lee in The Age of Shadows
Tom Holland in Captain America Civil War
Alessandro Nivola in The Neon Demon
Kevin Spacey in Elvis & Nixon
George Clooney in Hail Caesar!
Liam Neeson in A Monster Calls
Barry Shabaka Henley in Paterson
Billy Crudup in Jackie
John Leguizamo in The Infiltrator
Frank Langella in Captain Fantastic
Peter Sarsgaard in Jackie
Keegan Michael-Key in Don't Think Twice
Ethan Hawke in The Magnificent Seven
Chadwick Boseman in Captain America Civil War
John Hurt in Jackie
Billy Crudup in 20th Century Women
Max Baker in Hail Caesar!
Michael Fassbender in X-Men Apocalypse
William Jackson Harper in Paterson
Bill Murray in The Jungle Book
Russell Hornsby in Fences
Blake Jenner in The Edge of Seventeen
Rene Auberjonois in Certain Women
James McAvoy in X-Men Apocalypse
Anthony Mackie in Captain America Civil War
Adam Driver in Midnight Special
Paul Rudd in Captain America Civil War
Kanji Furutachi in Harmonium
Luke Treadaway in Ethel & Ernest
Ralph Fiennes in Kubo and the Two Strings
Riz Ahmed in Rogue One
Byung-hun Lee in The Magnificent Seven
Masatoshi Nagase in Paterson
Hugh Jackman in Eddie the Eagle
Mike Birbiglia in Don't Think Twice
Channing Tatum in Hail Caesar!
Idris Elba in The Jungle Book
Hayden Szeto in The Edge of Seventeen
Mads Mikkelsen in Dr. Strange
Lucas Hedges in Manchester by the Sea
David Wenham in Lion
Jiang Wen in Rogue One
Brendan Gleeson in Live By Night
Toby Jones in The Man Who Knew Infinity
Sam Worthington in Hacksaw Ridge
TJ Miller in Deadpool
Jimmy O Yang in Patriots Day
Charles Berling in Elle
Michael Shannon in Nocturnal Animals
Simon Pegg in Star Trek Beyond
Toby Jones in Anthropoid
Colin Farrell in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Oscar Kightley in Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Aaron Eckhart in Bleed for This
Colin Hanks in Elvis & Nixon
Rhys Darby in Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Jeremy Renner in Captain America Civil War
JK Simmons in Kung Fu Panda 3
Stefan Kapicic in Deadpool
Ben Kingsley in The Jungle Book
Michael Sheen in Passengers
Hwang Jung-min in The Wailing
Joel Edgerton in Midnight Special
Tyler Hoechlin in Everybody Wants Some
Michael Parks in Blood Father
Shingo Tsurumi in The Age of Shadows
Aidan Gillen in Sing Street
Corey Stoll in Cafe Society
Jaden Piner in Moonlight
Ben Mendelsohn in Rogue One
Robert Picardo in Hail Caesar!
Joe Cole in Green Room
Kyle Chandler in Manchester by The Sea
Alex Wolff in Patriots Day
Themo Melikidze in Patriots Day
Benedict Wong in Dr. Strange
Callum Turner in Green Room
Ed Skrein in Deadpool
Keanu Reeves in The Neon Demon
Timothy Spall in Denial
Frank Grillo in Captain America Civil War
Bryan Cranston in Kung Fu Panda 3
Matthew Goode in Allied
Chiwetel Ejiofor in Dr. Strange
Mahershala Ali in Hidden Figures
Bill Camp in Midnight Special
Mahershala Ali in Free State of Jones
Jared Harris in Allied
Laurence Fishburne in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Ciaran Hinds in Bleed For This
Jemaine Clement in Moana
Kevin Bacon in Patriots Day
Nicolas Cage in Snowden
John Goodman Patriots Day
Ben Foster in The Finest Hours
Babak Karimi in The Salesman
Laurence Fishburne in Passengers
Jonas Bloquet in Elle
Ciaran Hinds in Silence
JK Simmons in Patriots Day
Woody Harrelson in Triple 9
William H. Macy in Blood Father
Jeremy Irons in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Kodi Smit-McPhee in X-Men Apocalypse
Ethan Suplee in Deepwater Horizon
Jay Hernandez in Suicide Squad
Karl Urban in Star Trek Beyond
Tye Sheridan in X-Men Apocalypse
Clancy Brown in Hail Caesar!
George MacKay in Captain Fantastic
Rhys Ifans in Snowden
Robert Seeley in The Love Witch
Aaron Eckhart in Sully
Daniel Grao in Julieta
Chiwetel Ejiofor in Triple 9
Laurent Lafitte in Elle
Karl Urban in Pete's Dragon
Zachary Quinto in Star Trek Beyond
Jeffrey Vincent Parise in The Love Witch
Harry Lloyd in Anthropoid
August Diehl in Allied
David Costabile in 13 Hours
Anthony Mackie in Triple 9
Ken Stott in Cafe Society
Simon McBurney in Allied
Wyatt Russell in Everybody Wants Some
Bradley Cooper in War Dogs
Karl Geary in I Am Not a Serial Killer
Graham McTavish in The Finest Hours
Norman Reedus in Triple 9
Chris Messina in Live By Night
Jeremy Renner in Arrival
Chris Cooper in Demolition
Keanu Reeves in Keanu
Robert Redford in Pete's Dragon
Ryan Guzman in Everybody Wants Some
Keith Carradine in A Quiet Passion
Edgar Ramirez in Gold
Mark Strong in Miss Sloane
Stephen Fry in Love and Friendship
Anthony Head in A Street Cat Named Bob
Vince Vaughn in Hacksaw Ridge
JK Simmons in The Accountant
Chris Tucker in Billy Lynn's Halftime Walk
Idris Elba in Zootopia
Jai Courtney in Suicide Squad
Kevin Pollack in War Dogs
Christopher Lambert in Hail Caesar!
Ewan McGregor in Miles Ahead
Michael Shannon in Loving
Sam Waterston in Miss Sloane
Steve Carrell in Cafe Society
Sam Shepard in Midnight Special
Anton Lesser in Allied
Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Nocturnal Animals
Jon Bernthal in The Accountant
JK Simmons in Zootopia
Clifton Collins Jr. in Triple 9
Method Man in Keanu
Anton Yelchin in Star Trek Beyond
Choi Woo-shik in Train to Busan
Jason Mitchell in Keanu
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in The Magnificent Seven
Andrew Scott in Denial
Forest Whittaker in Arrival
Michael C. Hall in Christine
Don Wycherley in Sing Street
Eric Bana in The Finest Hours
Chris Gethard in Don't Think Twice
Steve Martin in Billy Lynn's Halftime Walk
Matthew McConaughey in Kubo and the Two Strings
Kim Eui-sung in Train to Busan
Scoot McNairy in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Martin Sensemeier in The Magnificent Seven
Johnny Depp in Yoga Hosers
Christopher Walken in The Jungle Book
Tracy Letts in Indignation
Chris Hemsworth in Ghostbusters
Keith David in The Nice Guys
Idris Elba in Star Trek Beyond
John Lithgow in The Accountant
Armie Hammer in Birth of a Nation
Zach Woods in Other People
Dylan Minnette in Don't Breathe
Andy Garcia in Ghostbusters
Gian Keyes in The Love Witch
Peyman Moaadi in 13 Hours
Wes Bentley in Pete's Dragon
Justin Long in Yoga Hosers
Matt Bomer in The Nice Guys
Michael Stuhlbarg in Arrival
Robert Glenister in Live By Night
Michael Sheen in Nocturnal Animals
Will Smith in Suicide Squad
Oscar Isaac in X-Men Apocalypse
Beau Knapp in The Nice Guys
Luke Evans in Girl on the Train
Michael Stuhlbarg in Miss Sloane
Chris Cooper in Live By Night
Ezra Miller in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Daniel Zovatto in Don't Breath
John Malkovich in Deepwater Horizon
Nick Kroll in Loving
Vin Diesel in Billy Lynn's Halftime Walk
Aaron Paul in Triple 9
Jim Parsons in Hidden Figures
Vincent D'Onofrio in The Magnificent Seven
Diego Luna in Blood Father
Armie Hammer in Nocturnal Animals
Forest Whittaker in Rogue One
Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Jackie Earle Haley in Birth of A Nation
Jacob Latimore in Collateral Beauty
Justin Theroux in Girl on the Train
Bill Murray in Ghostbusters
Judah Lewis in Demolition
Peter Sarsgaard in The Magnificent Seven
Ralph Garman in Yoga Hosers
Joel Kinnaman in Suicide Squad
Tyler Posey in Yoga Hosers
Jesse Eisenberg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Matthew Maher in Live By Night
Simon Helberg in Florence Foster Jenkins
Jared Leto in Suicide Squad
Edward Norton in Collateral Beauty
Austin Butler in Yoga Hosers
Christian Madsen in Mr. Church
Neil Casey in Ghostbusters
Michael Pena in Collateral Beauty

Next Year: 1937 though I'm going to take a break until after the Oscars.

Friday, 17 February 2017

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2016: Ralph Ineson and Harvey Scrimshaw in The Witch

Ralph Ineson did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying William and Harvey Scrimshaw did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Caleb in The Witch.

The Witch is an effective atmospheric horror film, though I think they might confirm the supernatural far too early and one character decision later on makes no sense, about a man who decides to go off into the woods alone with his family after breaking off from his colony in early 1600's New England.

Ralph Ineson, the man with the amazing voice, plays William the patriarch of the family. The film opens as he is expelled from his colony for apparently having too puritanical view for even the puritans. He then takes his family off into the woods where they attempt to make a life for themselves secluded from the rest of the world. The Witch attempts to recreate period authentic dialogue which is a risky move to take this approach given it's kind of requiring a sort of Shakespearean performance but without the same well worn material to practice with. This approach though is successful in large part do to all the cast members effectively having a grasp on the dialogue. Not one of the actors struggles with it for more than a few words, and they make it sound wholly natural. Ineson though deserves special mention though for perhaps going full Shakespearean with how naturally the lines seem to flow from his mouth, though again it probably helps that his voice makes them all the more compelling. Ineson, and really the entire cast, Scrimshaw included, manage to merely seem of the period which helps in creating that creepy authenticity within the film.

We are introduced to the family in a rather cold way, and at times in the film it often feels we are given more of an uncomfortable association than an actual empathy with the group. We are kept at a purposeful distance from them. Ineson is effective early on in the film by depicting the sort of presence needed for such a man who is willing to risk the lives of his family for the sake of his skewed principles. Ineson though has this grandeur in himself in these scenes, an innate confidence of a man who is fervent in his beliefs. There is an unquestioned conviction in his eyes and his voice as he states he'd be rid of the colony. Scrimshaw in the early scenes has few lines though and depicts well just a scared boy in a difficult situation, creating the sense of confusion within the general fear of being forced to embark on their journey off into the bleak wilderness. Again a strong contrast against Ineson's portrayal of William which is filled with the pride of a zealot. There's notable scene early on as William leads his family in pray over their new land, and there feels an indulgence in his prayer as Ineson reflects more of praying for a glory to his "accomplishment" than to God.

Their attempt at independence goes very poorly very quickly as their crops fail to thrive, and the paranoia emerges when their youngest infant baby mysteriously disappears, through we as the audience know it has been abducted and killed by a witch. Scrimshaw's performance works very well in reflecting the simplicity of a boy's uncertainty. He presents Caleb's struggle well by providing the confused state that is only made more severe by his growing experiences of lust in addition to the uncertainty of their new life. Scrimshaw's work is very affecting by providing this tragic faulty attempt at bravery within this state. Now one slightly comforting element of sorts is his relationship with his older sister Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), although even this is problematic due those random thoughts of lust. Taylor-Joy and Scrimshaw an effective chemistry though at times where there appears to be an honest love between a brother and sister however brief, and even hidden beneath their other concerns. Scrimshaw and Taylor-Joy though still convey this connection, and even allusion to better times in the brief moments they speak without concern for their lives or their souls.

Ineson defines his performance by slowly becoming more sympathetic by essentially bringing William down to earth as the family's situation worsens. Ineson loses that passion of the zealot and trades it for a sad desperation. Ineson so well internalizes William's realization that he has made a terrible mistake for his family, and reveals just the man underneath the zealot. Ineson ends up showing particularly honest frustrations in the man as he tries to make peace between the ever growing divide between his family. I love that Ineson actually does not really stylize these moments but rather brings some honest humanity in portraying such realistic frustrations in William as he attempts calm the intensity within his family. The intensity only grows though when Caleb also disappears into the woods when he meets a witch in the forest. The scene is potentially ridiculous but the combination of horror and fascination portrayed by Scrimshaw grounds it. Eventually Caleb is found though he appears to be in a catatonic state. He eventually comes to which is a phenomenal piece of acting by Scrimshaw. There feels no performance, which makes it absolutely terrifying, as he first convulses to release an apple from his throat, then breaks into a hysterical prayer. Scrimshaw is absolutely haunting in bringing such a horrifying combination of this terrible glee, and terror as Caleb seems to give his own last rites before his sudden death.

William continues on as he attempts to still to bring them together even as his children and wife are at each other throats by accusing each other of witchcraft. Ineson continues to be so strong in the way he actually just keeps bringing William further from that pedestal he had initially placed himself upon. That pride is completely gone, and even though he's still far from a perfect man Ineson does reveal a genuine concern for his family. Ineson is particularly moving in the scene where William reveals he took and stole his wife's father's silver cup. A point of division between her and Thomasin because she thought Thomasin had taken it. Ineson is great in the scene as he so meekly reveals the truth and he shows William finally looking upon his own sin. There is the unfortunate scene where William locks all his remaining children in with the goat that they all believe may be demonic. It makes no sense not only because why would he put them in there, but it also isn't quite fitting to where Ineson has brought William to at this point in his arc. Frankly Ineson presents just a more reasonable man at this point, again this a case of not fulfilling the plot point, but Ineson's approach feels like the far better approach for the character. One of the most powerful scenes in the film is when we see Willliam praying for his family, this is because Ineson's delivery so different from the first prayer we saw. This one is without that zealotry, rather just a man who is actually pleading to God for help. Both Ralph Ineson and Harvey Scrimshaw give very compelling performances by crafting remarkably honest depictions of these two people. They do not excuse their work by genre or by the supernatural element. They give real people going through unreal events.

Wednesday, 8 February 2017

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2016

And the Nominees Were Not:

Stellan Skarsgård in Our Kind of Traitor

Damian Lewis in Our Kind of Traitor

Sam Neill in Hunt For the Wilderpeople

Ben Foster in Hell or High Water

Alden Ehrenreich in Hail Caesar!

Ralph Ineson in The Witch

Harvey Scrimshaw in The Witch

For Prediction purposes:

Skarsgård from Traitor

Ineson from the VVitch

And they also were not:

Shinya Tsukamoto in Silence

Yoshi Oida in Silence

Tadanobu Asano in Silence

Liam Neeson in Silence

Issey Ogata in Silence

Yosuke Kubozuka in Silence

For prediction purposes:

Tsukamoto out of the villagers.

Best Actor