Paul Dano nor did John Turturro Oscar nominations for portraying The Riddler and Carmine Falcone respectively in The Batman.
Paul Dano had two performances in noted productions, the first was early in the year in The Batman as Edward Nygma aka The Riddler, depicted this version as a serial killer utilizing his clues and murders to uncover the corruption of Gotham. Watching the film more than once that performance remains a little bit of a mystery to me, and one where I can't quite parse out the intention of either Dano or the filmmakers. In both instances, I found Dano fairly effective in the scenes where his work is more obscured both visually and somewhat vocally as he speaks through a filter. Even as such I did find him largely effective in bringing the manic yet specific killer's intensity in his eyes and through the random vocal flares he brought to the part. He was off-putting in the right way in these scenes. Creating an unpredictable type of presence in the brief moments he did have screentime. Having said that, his actual first appearance when caught in Arkham asylum all shatters to the point that I can't tell if it was intentional or not. This is to the point that his behaviors elicited laughter from those I was watching the film with, both in theater and not. Any intimidation he has is lost as he just seems like some random deranged loser, and Dano goes big, and if we're not meant to take him seriously past a certain point, it kind of works, however, if we're still supposed to find him intimidating, that's a bit more questionable. As his crazed faces with joy at the explosion, his singing of Ava Maria, and his emphasis on the name Bruce Wayne, are all kind of ridiculous to the point it is hard to take The Riddler seriously. The thing is though this is kind of true for his comics rep, where once you unlock the riddles, there's a not particularly intimidating, pathetic man behind it all. I will concede I'm probably on shaky ground with this theory, however, I can't help but feel there is some credence in the scene where Batman plays his last vlog. Every other message we see from The Riddler in the first half of the film is effectively disturbing in Dano projecting this psychopathic energy. In this scene, though he comes off as just the worst kind of youtube vlogger, with an equally pathetic subscriber base, and the whole mystique of the other scenes is completely absent. Although I think you can argue either way in the Arkham scenes, this scene's intention I think is pretty evident to support my theory. Maybe it's a stretch but I'll stick to it. Having said that regardless, I think it is an effective villain however I wouldn't say it is a great villain performance by most measures.
In fact, I wouldn't say it is even the best villain performance in the film. And no I'm not referring to Colin Farrell's unrecognizable performance as The Penguin, but rather John Turturro's performance as Carmine Falcone, the elusive mob boss who rarely emerges from the depths of his club/hideout. Turturro, unlike the other villain performances, gives a decidedly uncomicbooky performance, playing it rather close to the bone as he might if he was in a true story film about a mob boss. Turturro successfully brings a smooth relaxed style to the character. His manner is that of calm and the sense of power is merely a given. Turturro's emphasis is on just the ease of that power and that Falcone is very much a man of charge even as he hides away to survive. Turturro though brings more than that in his first scene with Bruce, Turturro gives almost a fatherly near warmth about it suggesting this innate admiration for Bruce's father, who had saved Carmine's life years before via surgery, and Turturro exudes the innate respect that strangely disarms you about Carmine despite knowing his status as a crime boss. In the second major scene of Bruce coming to find out more information about his father's mysterious death, Turturro is brilliant throughout the scene. He has this grace about him and again a blunt kind of strange sympathy it would seem, as he tells Bruce the "truth", and that his father had come to him for help. Turturro's performance is slick, the idea of slimy in there, but not dominating. There is care, and concern in his voice, and offers the words as though he is a wise father himself. He doesn't hide the gangster but presents him as the gangster who might care. Of course, this is all a lie in the end, but what Turturro had done so successfully is play it convincing to the point that you as the viewer don't immediately second guess the story. Turturro successfully plays a real vile fiend who was as successful as he was not for obvious evil, but cool, calculated methods, with one being the ability we see in this scene to willfully manipulate. We only see the blunt evil when his illegitimate daughter Selena Kyle comes to kill him for his crimes against her, including having murdered her mother. Turturro uses the moment of trying to Selena well by just bringing a bit of psychopathy out with this sort of egotistical control of it, and the viciousness as something very much part of him, just as something that doesn't always need to reveal itself. Honestly what Turturro here, is kind of where a great actor can do so much more than the call of duty, which Turturro is when he's 100% dialed in. Because a "just fine" performance could've been fine for this character, but Turturro brings so much more depth to the character through his performance. This is to the point I kind of wish the whole film had been a miniseries instead, of the full Long Halloween, where Falcone was a major villain. The reason being Turturro so much gives it his all here, fleshing out Falcone far beyond just a plot point character, and giving a real depth to the vile gangster.
Paul Dano did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite receiving a SAG nomination, for portraying Burt Fabelman in The Fabelmans.
The Fabelmans tells more or less the tale of Steven Spielberg's childhood including his aspirations as a filmmaker and dealing with the relationship between his parents.
Anyway with that divergence out of the way let's talk about the Fabelmans, where Dano's performance as Burt Fabelman, the father of our central character Sammy (and Spielberg's surrogate), couldn't be further from his turn from The Riddler. I'll say watching this film for the first time, did give me a bit of a natural annoyance at "film hype" which often goes to the biggest performances, not always the best, and the way Dano got so many "he's good to" notices for the film, really suggests maybe a tendency to get wowed solely on the big (Note: a big performance can also be great, but it shouldn't cause one to overlook a more modest turn). Dano gives a very subdued performance and in many ways, a very un-Paul Danoesque character, usually playing characters more so on some kind of fringe, like the Riddler, however, Burt is just an all-American dad. And what one can note first off is the physical manner of Dano here is very subtle, but actually very different from his typical performance. He has a particularly upright posture, that emphasizes him as taller than he is usually depicted, he isn't a short guy yet it often seems like he is such in his roles. His gait is very much of a dad of the '50s with almost the sense of his time in the army being warped into now just a man trying to live his best life with his family now. Even the way Dano puts his hands on his hips exudes just a different kind of energy than is typical, there's an innate assurance in the man, and you get a strong sense of this man in terms of his life and his time period. Dano is very much the mature father, the proper dad, and feels a man very confident in himself in a way that is so rarely the case with a Dano character. This idea though is something you just simply accept as the truth of the character. Dano simply is Burt Fabelman and that is just a given, which really is a place any actor wants to begin with. And that is great for Dano and for the film because you do just accept him in this different kind of presence and role. It is impressive how Dano transforms in this way, not a transformation through to something bigger or stranger, but rather quiet and very much "normal".
Dano does something wonderful in really making a dad who isn't defined by a singular idea, and I think it could've been easy to accentuate one aspect of this character too much, however, Dano never makes this mistake. One of the keys to Burt is his passion for his work something that could seem too insular even as he speaks about it, however, Dano very much presents it as the way Burt filters the world through, though it isn't all that defines him. His work is computer engineering but engineering in general. Take the opening scene where he tries to calm Sammy by explaining how films work in a very practical way, however, I love that Dano brings even this extremely literal definition of how film works, the earnestness of the description shows that for him this is what Burt lives for in his way. Dano is as passionate, even if more subdued in his way, as we see from Sammy's more artistically minded mother Mitzi (Michelle Williams). Dano though makes that passion no less real or less fundamental it just happens to be in a different area of expertise. We see this in a dinner table scene as well where Burt explains what he is working on in very technical terms along with his co-worker and friend? Benny (Seth Rogen), who spends an awful lot of time at the Fabelman house. As much as Burt is technically alienating in that most don't know what he's talking about, the excitement in Dano's eyes is 100% real and just as pure as anything regarding Mitzi's piano playing or Sammy's eventual filmmaking, it just is a passion for his field with a more direct practical application. Dano in every one of these instances makes the most of them to show that Burt's technical workaholic manner, isn't just for the sake of it, he absolutely lives for what he does.
And I think that is what comes from the complication of the character, however, Dano makes that backbone of a calm though quietly passionate person. He exudes really a man built from the idea of responsibility first, whatever comes next must come later, however, that doesn't make him a cold person. Dano finds just the right tone as the dad. In that Dano is not a loving and caring dad. In any given scene there is a bountiful of warmth in every moment. The thing is with Dano's work it is just something that simply is, Burt loves his kids, that's just it, there doesn't more to be said in a certain sense, and you purely accept him as such even as modest as he is. And again why I hate that so many handwaved his work in the initial reception of the film, because of how much Dano does with his presence here while staying modest. He's not going for the showy route, he's going for the right route. And in that, he is a remarkable presence as just being Burt, in a way that is so tangible. Because we see Burt as he helps out Sammy with his films in moments, and even admires their efforts of them particularly the way Sammy managed to make his gunshots look better. Dano brings such a quiet sincerity in these moments with I think the right sort of curiosity but also a kind of father's deference. Dano expresses a sense of support, and care, yet his whole manner is always supportive directly as a supportive dad, though not quite to someone who fully understands it as passion. Dano brings just enough, such as his delivery of just "Sammy" after one screening, which is just the right "good for you son" definitely no less but also no more, which doesn't make Burt any less.
I think it is important to see the contrast in the scenes where Burt is a bit more demanding of Sammy trying to focus on the practical needs of the family or just his practical needs as a student or growing into adulthood. Dano never for a moment makes Burt mean, but just practically direct and at times concerned. Such as when he asks that Sammy focus on editing home movies to cheer his mother up than focus on his own film. Dano's delivery is pitch perfect because even when he refers to it as a hobby, technically dismissively, he doesn't perform dismissively just practically. Dano's work at the moment accentuates the concern for the family at the moment that in Burt's view should overwhelm artistic passion. When Sammy refers to the costs of his film equipment, compared to focusing on school, Dano is wonderful through consistency. In his eyes, there is more concern than there is in his delivery which is that of just an intelligent cautioning tone, encouraging to focus on the practical, but not directly discouraging that passion. Dano shows a man who doesn't 100% understand this particular passion, but he also would never dismiss something his son loves entirely either. Take this half of the final scene with Sammy, who wants to drop out of college. Dano's way of speaking Burt's externalized monologue of potentially squashing the film dream earlier is with this earnest calculation but also a concern. What is just as true, just as pure though is his words of support and strict admiration that he thinks his son can succeed in whatever he puts his mind to. Dano naturally finds this very tricky balancing act, between being just a supportive dad, but not without concerns. All of it though all feels just true, which is the greatest compliment I can give I think.
The most essential aspect of the character, and the most subtle in Dano's work, is regarding the relationship between Burt and Mitzi, who are in some ways opposite, and in many ways, William and Dano take very alternative approaches in depicting the two. What Dano emphasizes early on, and for much of the film, is that Burt bluntly loves his wife. It isn't something he has to try to do or think about. Dano's reaction is just that as he looks at Williams in every scene together with just the purest of affection. Even in one of the earliest scenes of her less mental wellness, where she takes some of the kids towards a tornado after Burt announces they're moving. Dano's reaction in this scene is key in a way in that it is more genuine confusion but also just direct concern. His mention equally of Benny in these scenes couldn't be more welcoming and when he says that Benny's his best friend, Dano's delivery of that is the truth. That is the beginning of it, and I think what is so amazing about Dano's work is how he quietly deconstructs this relationship with his performance throughout the film. And for most of it, he is rarely overtly emphasized in the sequences, there is no telegraphing just quietly implying. When for example Mitzi's mom dies, which she takes particularly poorly, Dano's reactions in these moments speak towards real empathetic care for his wife, but there is also just a hint in his eyes of a lack of assurance on how to approach. In a moment of a nightmare, again Dano's tone is completely comforting and calming however just the faintest hint of frustration by the difficulty in trying to deal with her particular mental state. Again what Dano does isn't make it that Burt doesn't care, that is far from the case, rather just quietly alludes to the real complexity of trying to live every day in such a situation. Again and again, Dano projects this saintly reserve in the relationship, however, what makes Dano's work so incredible is that, for much of the film that is merely what he is presenting for the children. Take for a later moment of the family camping trip, where Mitzi is moving ever closer to Benny, Dano's work is downright outstanding. Take every reaction and he's saying nothing yet so much at the same time. He always still is the stable dad, but in the moment of watching Mitzi dance, which is part flamboyance part mental breakdown, Dano's reaction is absolutely brilliant work. He is able to show just bluntly the insatiable infatuation, the concern for her mental state still in shades of the reaction, but also this kind of anxiety around likely her interactions with Benny. And there are so many moments of Mitzi doing something, and just watching Dano, he is taking it all in, and creates the real sense of the painful position Burt is in, as the loving husband, whose wife doesn't find him to be enough.
What Dano does by holding it in, in turn, makes the moments of any break in this especially powerful. The first is as they drive to move again, this time without taking Benny along, Burt speaks of a dream he had where he punched Benny. Dano plays this scene perfectly because it is Burt revealing something but only to the extent he can at the moment. This is as if there's more going on in his eyes yet he delivers this with a kind of joyful curiosity, though on just the edge of something more intense. In the new move we see the greater frustration of Burt finally coming out and it feels so natural because Dano has so eloquently built toward this point. Dano doesn't show Burt suddenly exploding, but the ability to separate it all is in every moment he speaks. There's a certain resignation in Dano's voice at times and he grants the sense of Burt no longer being able to keep it up, though still in his potently subtle way. That is except in one scene where a frustrated Sammy calls both his parents out over the situation almost revealing it to his dad. Dano is astonishing in this scene, and it is so striking because the rest of his performance was so self-contained. His moment of finally unloading his frustration, and really all his pent-up emotional desperation is so heartbreaking really because we see in just a few seconds the tremendous wave of pain that Burt has been holding in. It is so potent really because we see how much distance we've come with the character. And in turn, the dinner fight that follows is great work, as Dano shows this dissolution and in Dano shows in every moment that just the love isn't enough at this point. Dano is seething with just exasperation over his relationship at this point, still in his Burt way, however it being so tangible as Burt makes it all the more impactful once again. And as great as those bigger scenes are, and trust me they are great, equally powerful is just the sad resignation in Dano's voice as he announces the divorce to the family. The other is his final scene, the other half of the words of encouragement to Benny, seeing his wife having fully moved on and now with Benny via photo. Dano's reaction in this scene again is masterful work. Just a subtle change in expression that slowly segues towards just all the loss in the man, and you see him going through it all. A man who tries not to show such a thing to his family, and we see as he walks out of Sammy's view, the real full pain of it slowly seeps into his expression, and Dano makes it an absolutely heart wrenching moment. Because Dano never made this a situation of bad man losing his wife or an indifferent man. In fact he always showed a man who unquestionably loved his wife, so then, making his largely quiet yet particularly vivid depiction of the man slowly accepting the loss of this relationship, to be one of the most painful depictions of a marriage falling apart in any film.
But to avoid ending on too somber of a note....
David Lynch did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying John Ford in The Fabelmans.
Okay so much the film, we get David Lynch being hilarious as John Ford, as Sammy gets to meet the "greatest living director" being played by the greatest living director...or at the very least one of them. And I'll say I'm always welcome to any David Lynch, behind or in front of the camera because there's no one like him in either instance. That voice of his alone, which doesn't sound at all like your typical film actor, yet in a way that is what makes it so special. Also makes him ideal for the grumpy cuss that was John Ford, who Lynch depicts as such as he stares down Sammy as an oddity when he first walks in. Lynch's voice in turn here, not unlike his Louie turn, has the perfect hilarious kind of indifference if not complete annoyance. Lynch's delivery here demanding Sammy tell him about his knowledge of art, by pointing out where horizons are in paintings, is comic gold as he is completely annoyed while oh so direct in that proper Lynch way, which is also ideal for depicting Ford. Lynch's reactions of annoyance for every moment Sammy doesn't quite get it, is great comedy but the greater comedy is his delivery of "When the horizon is at the bottom it's interesting, when it is at the top it's interesting, when the horizons in the middle it's boring as shit", with a sage kind of just barely maintained near rage. Followed by the wonderfully dual, though ends up really being three, tones of his slightly earnest "good luck to you", his completely venomous "now get the fuck out of my office", and then his completely earnest "my pleasure" after Sammy thanks him, is just perfection. Lynch is that delightful cuss, but with just enough heart. Being the complete misanthrope Ford was known as to most people, but with just the small hint of the softie he supposedly was deep down according to his brother. Lynch brings that to life brilliantly, and in an effortlessly entertaining way only he could, making for the proper "one-man sendoff" needed for the film.
