Alternate Best Actor 1981: Results

5. Sam Neill in Possession - Neill gives a scattershot yet potent performance that matches his insane film, though he is overshadowed by his co-star.

Best Scene: Rocking Chair

4. Jeremy Irons in The French-Lieutenant's Woman - Irons is able to deliver honest and power to both forbidden romances of very different ilks.

Best Scene: A late visit. 

3. Keith Carradine in Southern Comfort - Carradine gives a striking performance through his calm yet incisive demeanor. 

Best Scene: Making decisions. 

2. Michel Serrault in Garde à Vue - Serrault effectively delivers a tricky performance that is convincing in creating the sense of a man in an emotionally heightened state. 

Best Scene: Seeing something horrible.

1. John Heard in Cutter's Way - Good predictions Robert, Ytrewq & Calvin. Heard proves he was perhaps a largely untapped talent with this powerfully intense portrait of a wounded war vet attempting a strange sort of revenge. 

Best Scene: Cutter's reasoning for his plan.

Updated Overall

Next: 81 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1981: Jeremy Irons in The French Lieutenant's Woman

Jeremy Irons did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a BAFTA, for portraying Charles Henry Smithson and Mike in The French Lieutenant's Woman. 

The French Lieutenant's Woman tells of two actors having an affair portraying a forbidden romance of the past. 

It must be said Jeremy Irons has a peculiar relationship with the academy with his one nomination and one win to his name, though a most deserving win to be sure. Being ignored throughout what was his most prominent decade of the eighties consistently including this film, which did quite well with Meryl Streep's leading role, as Charles's eventual lover Sarah and Mike's lover/co-star Anna, I would say just missed winning, losing out over an unneeded fourth win for Katherine Hepburn, given that Streep had won the drama Globe and later the BAFTA for her performance. Anyway Irons I think, as much as he would be dynamic in many more off-beat roles, seems tailored made for a period drama. That is his patrician look and far more patrician voice of his, but also Irons being just an especially striking performer. What makes him striking though is very specific in that Irons has all the surface-level qualities of a stuffy performer however he doesn't feel as such. Irons is rather brilliant in being able to ply his trade in this form as he is an actor very much of the eyes in a film like this where Charles is the proper gentleman. The proper gentleman in as we see him with his more proper fiancée do we have Irons projecting the gentle smile and upright demeanor expected of such a man. His eyes though are the truth of the man, and when he first sees Sarah dramatically at the end of a long dock, Irons's performance so subtly, yet potently, reveals the emotional conflicts of the man as the image of the woman clearly weighs within the man's mind, almost against his wishes. 

The development of this affair is the classic narrative of the man really of deep contemplation of Charles. Irons is exceptional really at that as he really does it with such ease, and for the best work, grace. He knows exactly how to contain emotion in his performance while still portraying a very reserved man. In this relationship, we get the scenes of the two together that slowly develop and really begin with Charles just being fascinated with this woman. Irons portrays this so well because he doesn't make it really this obvious lust but rather genuinely this captivation with her that goes far beyond that. This is carried in their conversation, as she describes her state after a lurid affair with the titular French Lieutenant, and Irons is exceptional in presenting this deeply rooted empathy and interest even as she reveals herself in this way. Irons presents his man not as a lothario but rather with this deep compassion for this woman that becomes a real love for her. This even in the moment of forgetting his fiancée, even having to face society who is against any rejection of the expected match, Irons presents Charles's attitude so effectively as this man burdened by this truth in his mind. We see everything that is going on through his mind so carefully and elegantly in his performance. Again Irons is ideal for such a film and such a character because as much as he can be a magnificent broad performer, he can contain so much in a look. That is what we get here from Irons and he naturally creates the sense of the development of the relationship with Streep's Sarah. 

Contrasting all of that is his performance as Mike where Irons doesn't put on any overt mannerisms per the change, other than somewhat less emphasizing the properness of his accent, Irons though demeanor naturally segues in a way where you might not even take notice. The stiffness of the man is removed and there is just much more of a man a more modern man as we see him with Anna. The two share a moment in bed being purposefully far less dramatic but effectively far less dramatic in that sense. The two are much more bluntly having an affair, but here you get very strong work from Streep and Irons in portraying a modern affair in this sense. Although there is a reserve in their scenes out among others, as they are hiding an affair, and there Irons presents a different kind of pressure in Mike as opposed to Charles. A man who is more overtly frustrated at times. This is against their intimate moments where there is an ease between the performances. Both in a way that articulates this connection as almost too blithe in a way and perhaps too casual between the two. They just really are with each other, you get a playful sense of them together. The change here is not that burden of the woman on his mind in such a grandiose way as with Charles, but much more viscerally of the now. Irons is as good at presenting this much more overtly in his performance and expresses it more openly. Irons really excels in showing two different distinct shades of the same idea. Each shows a man needing to deal with this affair, one with that deep contemplation and the other just a direct pressure upon him to try to make their relationship more than it is.  

The performances of both actors really are the key to this film working, as much as it is certainly well helmed and rather beautifully shot. These are the differences in the two performances is which help to craft the contrasting affairs of the film of Sarah and Charles again Mike and Anna. We see two people going through a similar thing but very differently by the age they live in. And in turn, you get two great moments of building towards their finale in facing the affair. Irons as Charles in the past confronts Sarah where it is this unleashing of emotion, a powerful unleashing where the restraint naturally goes away as basically the quiet man having the secrets within him forced out of him at this moment. Although in that release seemingly find solace and perhaps tenderness between the two. Contrasting that one final time is Mike and Anna as their wrap party. A simpler and now it is quieter resolution. The two just kinds of very subtly portray each considering each other, but not quite embracing each other. Both find just the right sense of two people with a secret that is almost too separated within the loud world of the party to share. The final moment is the last spoken word of Mike trying to cry out. Irons is great though in showing not the distraught pathos of old, but this modern just recognition of the failed state of the affair. Although as dual role performances go, even in Irons's career, this is relatively reserved, it is strong work in presenting and articulating the same idea though as changed by the nature of time and place. 

Alternate Best Actor 1981

And the Nominees Were Not:

John Heard in Cutter's Way

Michel Serrault in Garde à Vue

Jeremy Irons in The French Lieutenant's Woman

Keith Carradine in Southern Comfort

Sam Neill in Possession 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2000: Results

10. Jeremy Irons in Dungeons & Dragons - The best part of his atrocious film, however doesn't achieve the true brilliance of a performance of its ilk.

Best Scene: Blood in the sky.

9. Lucas Black in All The Pretty Horses - Brings a moving authenticity that is bluntly missing from the rest of his film.

Best Scene: Being taken off.

8. Stephen Tobolowsky in Memento - Tobolowsky in his brief screentime finds the humanity in his odd state.

Best Scene: Insulin.

7. Sean Connery in Finding Forrester - Connery one last time brings out his actor in delivering a properly charismatic yet also troubled turn as a recluse.

Best Scene: Explaining why he is recluse.

6. Kyle MacLachlan in Hamlet - MacLaclan gives a powerful portrayal that manages to modernize the role of Claudius while also mine the greatness of the character in his traditional form.

Best Scene: Limo phone call.

5. Song Kang-ho in Joint Security Area - Song gives a brilliant portrayal of man who puts on a facade of the cold soldier, and reveals the empathetic human within.

Best Scene: The Event.

4. Joaquin Phoenix in The Yards - Phoenix proves his measure early on here in his remarkable and intense portrayal of a wannabe gangster coming to terms with himself. 

Best Scene: Final scene.

3.  Emilio Echevarria - Amores Perros - Echevarria gives a terrific portrayal of man struggling with empathy so naturally seguing from a broken animal lover and a callous hitman.

Best Scene: Finding the dogs.

2. Paddy Considine in A Room For Romeo Brass - Considine delivers an absolutely stunning debut turn that manages to be equally every bit of the mess of a man both terrifying yet also heartbreaking.

Best Scene: The threat.

1. Malcolm McDowell in Gangster No.1 - Good predictions Razor, Ytrewq, Shaggy (X2), and Brazinterma. McDowell delivers a proper ferocious portrayal of a vicious gangster, yet is also oddly heartbreaking in his portrayal of a man realizing the meaningless of his life.

Best Scene: "Number one"

Updated Overall

Next: 1955 Lead

Alternate Best? Supporting Actor 2000: Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons

Bad Actor Struggling not to laugh at Good Actor's HAMMM

Essential awkward boot shot

Jeremy Irons did something in 2000's I think, to say he did not receive anything would be a bit silly in this instance he's playing Mage Profion or something I think, I'm shoe give a sjit. Thora Birch certainly doesn't who gives the greatest performance of someone not caring about anything evne slightly since Bunny Breckinridge in Plan Nine Frm OIuter S[ace. How about that CGI dragon as well, and to think this was mde only a year befroe Fellowship of the Ring, even by the same studio. Anyway I guess Im';m ahere ot trtiteiona baout Jeremy Irons in this film. H'e's argeat actor I think that is obvious, thiss isn't his finest work infa ct you could say you see a man who is eyeing his pay check the whole time and can obviously tell is director's sddnest particualry careaobuanta kkmcuh of anything bit like youtrs truly trightn now. Nw I've covereed performances of great actors in abad films before, although suprirsekd to say this, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Street Fighter are both much better films than this rare is the day you can say that. Irons also unlike Alan Rickman and Raul Julia isn't in this film much so how much entertainment the talented actor can bring to garbage is limted anyaways. I actually I'll amdit aafiafand Birch's reading slowly off cue cards more entertaining by its level of lifeliness. 

Random Guy: Remember the Paycheck Jeremy, Jeremy: I Know.

 

This image speaks for itself.

Unrelated Image of Bob Newhart

"I'm Sleepy"

 

"I know this is a bad movie...but that's your take Thora? Maybe I'm trying too hard"

"Eh, screw it! let's live it up!!!!!"

Okay okay, I'll try a little harder than this film....though then why did a do so many pictures....just a little harder though in terms of writing because I want to praise Raul Julia and Alan Rickman a bit who I think pulled off something Irons doesn't quite do here. This is as much as both those performances are riffing on their films there is devotion to their audience in a way all the same, and their conviction within a scene actually is evident despite their purposeful lack of subtly at times...to put it subtly. They both want to entertain us despite their less than stellar material. Irons on the other hand is mostly doing whatever to entertain himself mostly it seems, in the basic exposition scenes Irons goes for a general gravitas, but he'll randomly grit his teeth and "RAGE", which is kind of funny, but also maybe a little too random. These are too brief, I'll give it to him for his "LET THE BLOOD RAIN FROM THE SKY" he was clearly entertaining himself as he earned his castle payment, but I was entertained too. Mostly though Irons is doing more than this film deserves, but not quite enough for him to truly go beyond its awfulness. He's hamming it up, but...not quite that honey glazed good stuff. It's a little fatty, a little chewy, a couple of good bites, but....eh not quite there. And that's why you're chopped...or you get it a three on the Shaw scale.