Alternate Best Actor 2011: Results

5. Robert Wieckiewicz in In Darkness- This is not a great performance by any means as the role is relatively simple, but Wieckiewicz nevertheless gives a realistic performance.

4. Michael Fassbender in Shame- A compelling performance by Fassbender that creates a memorable performance of a man seeking pleasure but only finds emptiness.

3. Brendan Gleeson in The Guard- Gleeson makes this just a very entertaining from beginning to end through his realization of a man who may be the best and worst cop simultaneously.

2. Michael Shannon in Take Shelter-Shannon gives an excellent performance here through his ability to maneuver through the complex state of his character.

1. Ryan Gosling in Drive- This is another year where the choice of the winner was extremely difficult not only among the alternates, but also the overall of the year. My top three favorites still consist of the three who speak the least. Gosling gives an amazing performance with few words, but all the meaning needed through the smallest of gestures.

Overall Rank:

1. Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2. Ryan Gosling in Drive
3. Jean Dujardin in The Artist
4. Matthias Schoenaerts in Bullhead
5. Woody Harrelson in Rampart
6. Michael Shannon in Take Shelter
7. Brendan Gleeson in The Guard
8. Michael Fassbender in Shame
9. Demian Bichir in A Better Life
10. Aksel Hennie in Headhunters
11. Peter Mullan in Tyrannosaur
12. Peyman Moaadi in A Separation
13. Ralph Fiennes in Coriolanus
14. Jake Gyllenhaal in Source Code
15. Daniel Henshall in Snowtown
16. Antonio Banderas in The Skin I Live In  
17. Omar Sy in The Intouchables
18. Francois Cluzet in The Intouchables 
19. Mel Gibson in The Beaver
20. Matthew McConaughey in The Lincoln Lawyer
21. Matt Damon in The Adjustment Burea
22. Michael Fassbender in X-Men First Class
23. Tom Hardy in Warrior
24. Joel Edgerton in Warrior
25. Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
26. John Boyega in Attack the Block
27. Paul Giamatti in Win Win
28. Jack Black in Kung Fu Panda 2
29. Michael Fassbender in Jane Eyre 
30. Clive Owen in Trust
31. Luis Tosar in Sleep Tight
    
32. Ben Foster in The Mechanic
33. Lucas Pittaway in Snowtown
34. Christoph Waltz in Carnage
35. Ewan McGregor in Beginners
36. Michael Smiley in Kill List 
37. Brad Pitt in Moneyball   
38. Johnny Depp in Rango
39. Daniel Craig in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 
40. Dominic Cooper in The Devil's Double
41. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50
42. Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March 
43. Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 
44. Andy Serkis in The Adventures of Tintin
45. Jamie Bell in The Adventures of Tintin 
46. David Thewlis in The Lady
47. Robert Wieckiewicz in In Darkness
48. Neil Maskell in Kill List
49. Jakub Gierszal in Suicide Room
50. Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
51. Michael Fassbender in A Dangerous Method   
52. Harrison Ford in Cowboys & Aliens
53. Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
54. James McAvoy in X-Men First Class
55. Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris
56. Simon Pegg in Paul
57. David Hyde Pierce in The Perfect Host
58. Chris Evans in Captain America
59. Chris Hemsworth in Thor
60. John C. Reilly in Carnage
61. Jason Statham in The Mechanic 
62. Charlie Day in Horrible Bosses
63. Jason Bateman in Horrible Bosses
64. Jason Sudeikis in Horrible Bosses
65. Asa Butterfield in Hugo
66. Vin Diesel in Fast Five  
67. Rhys Ifans in Anonymous
    
68. James McAvoy in Arthur Christmas
69. Alex Shaffer in Win Win
70. Joel Courtney in Super 8
71. Bradley Cooper in Limitless
72. James Franco in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
73. Daniel Craig in Cowboys & Aliens
74. Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar
75. Jason Segal in The Muppets
76. Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows 
77. Hunter McCracken in Tree of Life
78. George Clooney in The Descendants 
79. Paul Walker in Fast Five
80. Clayne Crawford in The Perfect Host  
81. Seth Rogen in Paul
82. Eddie Redmayne in My Week With Marilyn 
83. Jeremy Irvine in War Horse
84. Thomas Horn in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Next Year: 1954

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Robert Wieckiewicz in In Darkness

Robert Wieckiewicz did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Leopold Socha in In Darkness.

In Darkness is a sometimes prodding but also sometimes effective film about a group of Jews who avoid the Nazis by living in the sewer of a city.

 Robert Wieckiewicz portrays the man Leopold who hides the Jews. Leopold is a sewer maintenance worker who knows the sewers better than anyone, as well as early on is just a small time thief. At first he does not hide the Jews who take refuge in the sewer for any sort of noble reason. He in fact only hides them because they agree to pay him for his services and that it is all. He continues to hide them even after they run out of money and stop paying him, and even after it becomes far far more dangerous for him to keep their existence under wraps.

Robert Wieckiewicz portrays Leopold in a rather blunt fashion as just a man trying to make some money at first. He really does not try to make him particularly devious in his thievery, and there is not really any doubt shown in him just really the habit of going about his business to survive during the war. Wieckiewicz really does not depict all that much of a transition in his character, even though Leopold becomes completely selfless after awhile. This is not really a problem though as it is an interesting way to portray Leopold's motivations, and really Wieckiewicz takes a realistic approach to his entire characterization.

Wieckiewicz really plays it as Leopold merely doing what he is doing because simply that is what is right to do. Although it is true he keeps going even after doing it for the money at first their are not the moments of revelations like say there were in Liam Neeson's performance in Schindler's List, but Leopold is very different from Oskar Schindler. As he goes from doing it for the money to doing for the good of the people he treats both with the same workman like approach. Wieckiewicz stays true to the character by doing this actually, and really is showing that Leopold was simply a good man all along.

Leopold has a rather strange relationship with his Jews as portrayed by Wieckiewicz. He never does seem to really connect with them and is always distant protector of them. Even when he is telling them they need to move or bad news Wieckiewicz presents it as Leopold still just mostly doing his job. He shows that Leopold never does connect with them and always is an outsider to them even by the very end of the film. Wieckiewicz is actually effective again because he very realistically shows that Leopold never feels in the same position as they are.

Throughout the film Wieckiewicz is very to the point in the role just carrying through the scenes quietly by honestly portraying Leopold's journey through hiding the people. He is very consistent save for the very end when Leopold has believed they have all died, and Wieckiewicz shows the horrible distress he undergoes over believing the loss of the people. The other scene is at the very end where he joyously tells the people to come out. It is a moving scene as he shows Leopold's genuine pride and happiness at bringing the group of people alive through the war. This is not a great performance by any means as the role is relatively simple, but Wieckiewicz nevertheless gives a good realistic performance.

Alternate Best Actor 2011

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ryan Gosling in Drive

Robert Wieckiewicz in In Darkness

Michael Fassbender in Shame

Michael Shannon in Take Shelter

Brendan Gleeson in The Guard