Best Actor: Romain Duris

Showing posts with label Romain Duris. Show all posts

Friday, 9 February 2018

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2017: Results

10. Daniel Craig in Logan Lucky - Craig goes wildly against his established James Bond type here to give a very entertaining portrayal of a southern crook that manages to get laughs even when the film undersells his moments.

Best Scene: "We're dealing with science here"

9. Hugh Grant in Paddington 2 - Grant gives a very enjoyable performance here bringing the needed charm but also the explosive ego to his villainous actor.

Best Scene: A character conference.

8. Paul Dano in Okja - Dano gives yet another strong performance here bringing such warmth and delivering an uncompromising empathetic figure within a film that is very much in need of one.

Best Scene: Taking the stage.

7. Jack Dylan Grazer in It - Grazer gives the best performance of the loser boys as he not only adds so much to the overall chemistry of the group, but also has some stand out individual moments through his arc that he realizes so well.

Best Scene: Gazebos.

6. Mark Hamill in Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Although I think his performance is slightly weakened by the forced humor given to his character, Hamill delivers a powerful reprise here in his depiction of a broken man.

Best Scene: Final scene with Leia.

5. Jerome Flynn in Loving Vincent - Flynn in one major scene makes a tremendous impact that sums up the nature of van Gogh's death through his moving portrayal of the man who blames himself for it.

4. David Lynch in Lucky - Lynch delivers some Lynchian greatness here as he manages to be both hilarious yet heartbreaking in his portrayal of a man who has lost his tortoise.

Best Scene: Coming to terms with tortoise loss.

3. Romain Duris in All the Money in the World - Duris quietly steals this film in his dynamic and moving depiction of the crisis of conscience of his kidnapper who struggles with his innate goodness as he tries to be a bad man.

Best Scene: The amputation.

2. Will Poulter in Detroit - Poulter's work is truly disturbing here as rather than portraying an overt drooling racist he depicts a calm and confident one who doesn't need to announce his prejudice as obvious hate rather he puts it within his horrible actions.

Best Scene: Interrogation tactics gone wrong.

1. Patrick Stewart in Logan - Good Prediction Michael McCarthy. Patrick Stewart gives a heartbreaking reprise of his most famous cinematic role. He realizes the real tragedy of the Professor's demise through how far he has fallen through his failing mind, but also finds a real poignancy just in those minor hints of the man he once was.

Best Scene: The most perfect night.

Overall Ranking:

Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Kōji Yakusho in The Third Murder
Sebastian Stan in I, Tonya
Woody Harrelson in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Patrick Stewart in Logan
Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project
Will Poulter in Detroit
Romain Duris in All the Money in the World
David Lynch in Lucky
Jason Isaacs in The Death of Stalin
Jerome Flynn in Loving Vincent
Mark Hamill in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Tom Skerritt in Lucky
Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World
Jack Dylan Grazer in It
Michael Palin in The Death of Stalin
Paul Dano in Okja
Eric Tsang in Mad World
Mark Rylance in Dunkirk
Algee Smith in Detroit
Richard Jenkins in The Shape of Water
Michael Keaton in Spider-man: Homecoming
Hugh Grant in Paddington 2
Daniel Craig in Logan Lucky
Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Mom
Bruce Greenwood in Gerald's Game
Jason Mitchell in Mudbound
John C. Reilly in Kong: Skull Island
John Boyega in Detroit
Brendan Gleeson in Paddington 2
Rory Cochran in Hostiles
Jean-Louis Trintignant in Happy End
Ray Romano in The Big Sick
Paul Walter Hauser in I, Tonya
Paddy Considine in The Death of Stalin
Caleb Landry Jones in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Cillian Murphy in Dunkirk
Bradley Whitford in Get Out
Robert Carlyle in T2
Rupert Friend in The Death of Stalin
Ben Foster in Hostiles
Shia LaBeouf in Borg McEnroe
Armie Hammer in Free Fire
Jeff Goldblum in Thor: Ragnarok
Stephen Merchant in Logan
Terry Notary in The Square
Bill Nighy in Their Finest
Thomas Kretschmann in A Taxi Driver
Sharlto Copley in Free Fire
Michael Rooker in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Dave Bautista in Blade Runner 2049
Michael Stuhlbarg in Call Me By Your Name
Harrison Ford in Blade Runner 2049
Clarke Peters in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Bruce Greenwood in The Post
Carlos Sanz in Stronger
Michael Shannon in The Shape of Water
Idris Elba in Molly's Game
Jaeden Lieberher in It
Stellan Skarsgard in Borg McEnroe
Anthony Mackie in Detroit
Kenneth Branagh in Dunkirk
Bob Odenkirk in The Post
Ewen Bremner in T2
Gil Birmingham in Wind River
Dave Bautista in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Michael Stuhlbarg in The Shape of Water
Jon Hamm in Baby Driver
Luke Evans in Beauty and the Beast
Ian McShane in John Wick Chapter 2
Ben Mendelsohn in Darkest Hour
Buddy Duress in Good Time
Lakeith Stanfield in Get Out
Traci Letts in Lady Bird
Peter Dinklage in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Bill Skarsgård in It
Austin Stowell in Battle of the Sexes
Jack Reynor in Free Fire
O'Shea Jackson Jr. in Ingrid Goes West
Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Jared Leto in Blade Runner 2049
Jack Lowden in Dunkirk
Danny McBride in Alien: Covenant
J. Quinton Johnson in Last Flag Flying
Ben Safdie in Good Time
James Darren in Lucky
Woody Harrelson in War for the Planet of the Apes
Ryu Jun-yeol in A Taxi Driver
Tom Hiddleston in Thor: Ragnarok
Jamie Foxx in Baby Driver
Jeremy Ray Taylor in It
Owen Wilson in Lost in London
Graham Greene in Wind River
Josh Gad in Beauty and the Beast
Tom Hardy in Dunkirk
Hugh Bonneville Paddington 2
Camille Salameh in The Insult
Mark Hamill in Brigsby Bear
Gary Basaraba in Suburbicon
Fionn Whitehead in Dunkirk
Udo Kier in Brawl in Cell Block 99
Jeffrey Tambor in The Death of Stalin
John Hawkes in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Ronald Pickup in Darkest Hour
Taika Waititi in Thor: Ragnarok
Jonathan Majors in Hostiles
Oscar Issac in Suburbicon
Ron Livingston in Lucky
Pedro Pascal in Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Cillian Murphy in Free Fire
Mark Ruffalo in Thor: Ragnarok
Barry Keoghan in Dunkirk
Matt Walsh in Brigsby Bear
Too Hae-jin in A Taxi Driver
CJ Jones in Baby Driver
Johnny Lee Miller in T2
Timothy Spall in The Party
Gael Garcia Bernal in Coco
Akshaye Khanna in Mom
Ian Hart in God's Own Country
Wes Studi in Hostiles
Ed Oxenbould in Better Watch Out
Dwight Yoakam in Logan Lucky
Jacob Latimore in Detroit
Bill Pullman in Battles of the Sexes
Domhnall Gleeson in American Made
Jesse Plemons in Hostiles
Cillian Murphy in The Party
Tom Holland in The Lost City of Z
Tommy Flanagan in The Ballad of Lefty Brown
Joe Cole in Thank You For Your Service
Chosen Jacobs in It
Steven Yeun in Okja
Kenneth Cranham in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Kevin Costner in Molly's Game
Aneurin Barnard in Dunkirk
Eddie Marsan in Atomice Blonde
Robert Pattinson in The Lost City of Z
Kit Harington in Brimstone
Chris O'Dowd in Loving Vincent
Josh Gad in Murder on the Orient Express
Paul Scheer in The Disaster Artist
Barry Shabaka Henley in Lucky
Wyatt Russell in Ingrid Goes West
Adnan Siddiqui in Mom
Dallas Roberts in My Friend Dahmer
John Goodman in Atomic Blonde
Greg Kinnear in Brigsby Bear
Oscar Isaac in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Boyd Holbrook in Logan
Michael Smiley in Free Fire
Stephen Henderson in Lady Bird
Bruno Ganz in The Party
Lior Ashkenazi in Norman
Giancarlo Esposito in Okja
Stephen Root in Get Out
Stephen Dillane in Darkest Hour
John Boyega in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Seth Rogen in The Disaster Artist
Marcus Henderson in Get Out
Harry Styles in Dunkirk
Martin McCann in Lost in London
Laurence Fishburne in John Wick Chapter 2
Finn Wolfhard in It
Steve Buscemi in Norman
Toby Jones in Atomic Blonde
Michael Sheen in Brad's Status
Don Johnson in Brawl in Cell Block 99
Barry Keoghan in The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Sterling K. Brown in Marshall
Willem Dafoe in Death Note
Armie Hammer in Call Me By Your Name
Tom Glynn Carney in Dunkirk
Dwayne Johnson in Fast 8
Jason Statham in Fast 8
Ralph Fiennes in The Lego Batman Movie
Kurt Russell in Fast 8
Robert Downey Jr. in Spider-man: Homecoming
Alex Lawther in Goodbye Christopher Robin
Karl Urban in Thor: Ragnarok
Glenn Fleshler in Suburbicon
Carel Struycken in Gerald's Game
Alan Cumming in Battle of the Sexes
Rob Morgan in Mudbound
Ben O'Toole in Detroit
Brian Gleeson in Phantom Thread
John Lithgow in Beatriz At Dinner
John Magaro in War Machine
Alec Secareanu in God's Own Country
Benjamin Bratt in Coco
Jon Favreau in Spider-man: Homecoming
Barkhad Abdi in Good Time
Noah Taylor in Paddington 2
James D'Arcy - Dunkirk
Choi Woo-shik in Okja
Mathieu Kassovitz in Happy End
Eddie Izzard in Victoria and Abdul
Bokeem Woodbine in Spider-man: Homecoming
Morgan Spector in Chuck
Anthony Hopkins in Thor: Ragnarok
Peter Capaldi in Paddington 2
Bobby Cannavale in I, Tonya
Wyatt Oleff in It
Derek Jacobi in Murder on the Orient Express
Matvey Novikov in Loveless
Franz Rogowski in Happy End
Adeel Akhtar in The Big Sick
Jason Mitchell in Detroit
Lakeith Stanfield in War Machine
Colin Firth in Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Donald Glover in Spider-man: Homecoming
Brian Gleeson in Logan Lucky
Jack Quaid in Logan Lucky
David Thewlis in Wonder Woman
Kwon Hae-hyo in On the Beach at Night Alone
Sam Riley in Free Fire
Ron Perlman in Chuck
Richard E. Grant in Logan
Jonathan Pryce in The Man Who Invented Christmas
Alex Wolff in My Friend Dahmer
Samuel L. Jackson in Kong: Skull Island
Nicholas Hamilton in It
Sam Claflin in Their Finest
Marton Csokas in Mark Felt
Jung Jae-young in On the Beach at Night Alone
Michael Rapaport in Chuck
Traci Letts in The Post
Johannes Krisch in In The Fade
John Goodman in Kong: Skull Island
Colin Farrell in Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Michael Cera in Molly's Game
Beulah Koale in Thank You For Your Service
Mark Strong in Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Lance Reddick in John Wick Chapter 2
Christopher Plummer in The Man Who Invented Christmas
Jim Gaffigan in Chuck
Denis Moschitto in In The Fade
Said Taghmaoui in Wonder Woman
Matthias Schoenaerts in Our Souls At Night
Jacob Batalon in Spider-man: Homecoming
Bradley Cooper in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
Willem Dafoe in Murder on the Orient Express
Lucas Hedges in Lady Bird
Bill Camp in Molly's Game
Billy Crudup in Alien Covenant
Timothee Chalamet in Lady Bird
Ewan Bremner in Wonder Woman
Michael Cera in The Lego Batman Movie
Christopher Fairbank in Lady Macbeth
David Cross in The Post
Anupam Kher in The Big Sick
Jon Bernthal in Wind River
Paul Hilton in Lady Macbeth
Tom Hanks in The Circle
Domhnall Gleeson in Mother!
Ezra Miller in Justice League
Nick Offerman in The Hero
Shea Whigham in Death Note
Paul Anderson in Brimstone
Jacob Tremblay in The Book of Henry
Michael McElhatton in The Foreigner
Emory Cohen in War Machine
Christopher Lloyd in Going in Style
Ian McKellen in Beauty and the Beast
Udo Kier in Downsizing
Peter Fonda in The Ballad of Lefty Brown
Leslie Odom Jr. in Murder on the Orient Express
Tim Blake Nelson in Colossal
Lee Pace in The Book of Henry
Michael Sheen in Norman
Dominic West in The Square
Christopher Abbot in It Comes At Night
Caleb Landry Jones in The Florida Project
Noah Taylor in Free Fire
Michael Stuhlbarg in The Post
Christoph Waltz in Downsizing
Stephen Graham in Films Stars Don't Die Liverpool
David Yow in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore
Jesse Plemons in The Discovery
Sunny Suljic in The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Arnaud Valois in BPM
Jim Caviezel in The Ballad of Lefty Brown
Caleb Landry Jones in Get Out
Steve Zahn in War For the Planet of the Apes
Owen Wilson in Wonder
Ed Harris in Mother!
Bradley Whitford in The Post
Benicio del Toro in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Dustin Hoffman in The Meyerowitz Stories
Garrett Hedlund in Mudbound
Aleks Mikic in Better Watch Out
Israel Broussard in Happy Death Day
Jack Reynor in Detroit
Aidan Gillen in The Lovers
Brian Gleeson in Mother!
Lucas Hedges in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Jason Momoa in Justice League
Riz Ahmed in Una
Jordan Rodrigues in Lady Bird
Andy Serkis in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Lil Rel Howery in Get Out
Ian Glen in My Cousin Rachel
Matthew Rhys in The Post
Jon Hamm in Marjorie Prime
Tom Hollander in Breathe
Robert Redford in The Discovery
Ray Fisher in Justice League
Adeel Akhtar in Victoria & Abdul
Emory Cohen in Shot Collar
Tim Robbins in Marjorie Prime
Dan Stevens in Colossal
Jim Belushi in Wonder Wheel
Zach Efron in The Greatest Showman
Austin Abrams in Brad's Status
Jason Clarke in Mudbound
Henrik Rafaelsen in Thelma
Eugene Brave Rock in Wonder Woman
Seth MacFarlane in Logan Lucky
Ewan Mcgregor in Beauty and the Beast
Jay Hernandez in Bright
Johnny Depp in Murder on the Orient Express
Oliver Platt in Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman
Jeffrey Donovan in Shot Collar
Dacre Montgomery in Better Watch Out
Scott Eastwood in Fast 8
J.K. Simmons in The Snowman
Common in John Wick Chapter 2
Edgar Ramirez in Bright
John Ortiz in Going in Style
Domhnall Gleeson in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
John Slattery in Churchill
Jeremy Strong in Molly's Game
Tyler Ross in The Lovers
Toby Kebbell in Kong: Skull Island
David Dencik in The Snowman
Bo Burnam in The Big Sick
Chris O'Dowd in Molly's Game
Clancy Brown in Stronger
Danny Huston in Wonder Woman
Zack Galifianakis in The Lego Batman Movie
Billy Magnussen in Ingrid Goes West
Dean Norris in The Book of Henry
Devon Graye in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore
John Krasinski in Detroit
Ike Barinholtz in Bright
Kurt Braunohler in The Big Sick
Mike Colter in Girls Trip
Jonathan Banks in Mudbound
Jonas Karlsson in The Snowman
Michael Mando in Spider-man: Homecoming
Caleb Landry Jones in American Made
Jake Gyllenhaal in Okja
Riccardo Scamarcio in John Wick Chapter 2
Thomas Mann in Kong: Skull Island
James Jordan in Wind River
Elton John in Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Ellar Coltrane in The Circle

Next Year: 2017 Lead

Tuesday, 6 February 2018

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2017: Romain Duris in All the Money in the World

Romain Duris did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Cinquanta in All The Money in the World.

Romain Duris oddly enough is in the part of the film that has been largely been forgotten due to the two controversies involving the film in rapid succession. The first eventually involving the extremely late introduction of Christopher Plummer to the project to replace the previous actor in the role of J. Paul Getty, and then soon afterwards the pay discrepancy between Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg in order to complete that replacement. Duris's portion of the film went untouched, and mostly unmentioned in the press. Although this portion is that which compels the film forward where it actually depicts the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer), and his ordeal while in captivity. Duris plays one of the initial kidnappers known Cinquanta, and what Duris accomplishes here is one of the most interesting elements of the film. Now Duris is essentially this part of the film as the young Plummer mostly just plays different levels of fear in John Paul, and the other kidnappers throughout are seen as rather cold and distant figures. This leaves Duris who from the outset intends on making the most of this role, and fleshing out his kidnapper far beyond from that specific role. This is from his first scene where he calls John Paul's mother Gail (Williams) demanding the ransom, to which she initially thinks is someone just telling her that he's okay. Duris is terrific in this scene in the way his delivery attempts this vicious menace while coldly demanding the money, meanwhile though his expression holds less of decisive attitude. Duris finds even a bit humor in his portrayal of a momentary confusion when he has his initial "we have your son" doesn't properly take.

Duris even in that scene portrays Cinquanta believable enough as this potentially violent man asking for money, but even in that moment as we see him, though Gail does only hears him, he shows signs that he's probably not as sinister as his hissing voice suggests. This continues as Cinquanta acts as the primary guardian for Getty while in captivity, and again Duris excels in creating this duality within Cinquanta utilizing his voice and his physical performance separately. A great moment with this is when he speaking to Getty from outside of his cell so he can only hear his voice, but we obviously see Duris the entire time. Again Duris delivers Cinquanta's lines possibly with the interpretation of creating fear in the young man as questions why his family hates him so much since they refuse to pay the ransom. Meanwhile Duris physically shows in this moment Cinquanta taking in this idea of a family refusing to this for his son genuinely troubles him, and creating this anguish in his eyes as he thinks about being so rejected that his family would leave him at the torment of his kidnappers. Duris again reveals more of a duality in this as he portrays Cinquanta again attempting the role of the kidnapper through his words, yet the man's thoughts tell a different story. This is more fully exploited when Cinquanta casually walks into the cell exposing his face to Getty. Duris's performance in this scene is essential to the moment as he approaches in exuding just a friendly demeanor and even the moment of the realization Duris plays not as anger towards Getty, but rather a moment of sheer anxiety for potentially his own fate and possibly his hostage as well for this exposure.

Duris quietly realizes in each subsequent scene this gradual reduction of any sort of false intensity, needed for a kidnapper, and slowly begins to reveal this decent man despite himself. This continues as Cinquanta and his family decide to sell Getty to a bigger name in the underworld of Italy, who they decide to keep Cinquanta on as basically a caretaker for Getty. Duris in these scenes, even when he says barely anything, is the most captivating factor. His silent work is remarkable as he so effectively portrays the ever growing concern in Cinquanta as the other men speak of the young man's fate. I love the way Duris reveals, even though there is not a great deal of attention paid to this by the film overall, this conflict in the man. He depicts almost this dual frustration in him that begins more as the man is pained by his inability to be harder than he truly is in heart, that slowly coverts towards itself to not being able to fully be that man he is in heart. Duris though in each scene breaks the walls down on any facade of this vicious thug. In his scenes with Plummer Duris begins to become quite moving actually in showing a more direct warmth and as a well a somberness as he tends to Getty knowing some terrible things may happen to him very soon. Duris does a great deal of heavy lifting here as I found Duris's performance made me care more about John Paul III than Charlie Plummer's performance.

Duris keeps this direct concern alive, and brings a real needed emotion to the tension of these scenes. Duris is fantastic as he begins to make it that even in his phone calls, where Cinquanta could most easily put on the kidnappers act, he now reveals his concern. This is to the point that Duris in the later calls brings the urgency in every word almost to the point as though he's the one attempting to ensure Getty's release. In a way he is and it is marvelous the way Duris so naturally realizes this transition. One of the best scenes in the film is Getty's ear amputation, which is a infamous moment in the actual case, but the reason for this again is Duris's devoted work to the idea of Cinquanta's concern for Getty. Duris is again oddly enough far more heartbreaking than Plummer in this scene by showing how much the act is tearing apart the man in watching while at the same time still so earnestly projecting such a warmth as he talks him through the "surgery". In every scene Duris is genuinely affecting by quietly portraying this sympathy that only gets stronger. I love the moment where Getty almost escapes, and Duris delivers just this subtle bit of joy in the moment hoping that he has been successful. The idea that the kidnapper goes from one of the people putting a bag over the young man's head to attacking another man to save the kid is a bit farfetched. Duris manages to overcome this rift in the suspension of disbelief by so honestly and effectively portraying every step of this transformation by showing to be more of this revelation of the man's true self throughout. This is a great performance, and it is an utter shame that it has been barely given a mention around the film since honestly Duris is the best part of it.

Friday, 2 February 2018

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2017

And the Nominees Were Not:

David Lynch in Lucky

Patrick Stewart in Logan

Daniel Craig in Logan Lucky

Jerome Flynn in Loving Vincent

Romain Duris in All the Money in the World

And for the Second Set of Predictions:

Will Poulter in Detroit

Mark Hamill in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Hugh Grant in Paddington 2

Paul Dano in Okja

Jack Dylan Grazer in IT

With special appearances by:

John Boyega in Detroit

Brendan Gleeson in Paddington 2

Bill Skarsgård in IT

Sunday, 27 November 2016

Alternate Best Actor 2005: Results

5. Cillian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto - Murphy is convincing in his challenging role managing to be both humorous and heartwarming though the film doesn't seem to use his work to its fullest potential.

Best Scene: Kitty visits his mother.

4. Romain Duris in The Beat That My Heart Skipped - Duris gives moving portrayal of man wavering from a life of violence to a life of something more.

Best Scene: The final scene.

3. Daniel Auteuil in Caché - Auteuil gives a compelling performance that effortlessly brings the needed complexity to his character's terrible situation.

Best Scene: Georges is confronted by the son.

2. Damian Lewis in Keane - Lewis gives a harrowing and emotional resonate portrayal of a mentally disturbed man.

Best Scene: Keane tries to find the kidnapper.

1. Byung-hun Lee in A Bittersweet Life - Lee gives a downright brilliant performance. He is the badass lead you'd expect in such a role but goes even deeper to give a surprisingly heartbreaking and humane portrait of a man granted just a glimpse of a better life.

Best Scene: The final scene.

Updated Overall

Next Year: 2005 Supporting

Saturday, 26 November 2016

Alternate Best Actor 2005: Romain Duris in The Beat That My Heart Skipped

Romain Duris did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Thomas Seyr in The Beat That My Heart Skipped.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped is an intriguing film about a young man torn between a life of crime or life as a pianist.

Well this film, and performance mine some similair thematic material as the last performance and film I covered, Byung-hun Lee in A Bittersweet Life. Both films follow essentially "thugs" who see potentially a different kind of life, while undergoing particularly difficult circumstances as a criminal. The story of Thomas differs from Sun-woo, though in that Thomas's life of crime is more innately intertwined with his life in general since a great deal of it stems from his father (Niels Arestrup), who encourages a life of violence and crime. The early scenes of the film are where we see Thomas in essentially his learned life as he consorts with corrupt men of a similair ilk, and deals with whatever tasks his father might have set for him. Duris wears this life well within his performance conveying the inner tension right in his body language. Duris Thomas this constrained manner, reflecting essentially the ability for violence, even when he is technically just sitting still, there seems to be a possibility for an outburst.

Of course what is notable about Duris's portrayal of Thomas's intensity is very particular. He doesn't quite make it something that is of his very nature of a person as though he was born that way, rather it was something embedded into him. A strange dichotomy but Duris pulls this off with his performance. Duris finds the moments in which that taught violence is forced to come out, Duris portrays the way this rears its head very specifically, which relates directly to who the character really is. Now this is of course whenever there is any sense danger to begin with but it is more than that even in Duris's performance. There is brilliant way he adjusts almost the sort energy that comes from in the moments, as he becomes off putting in a way that he was not just a second before. This is particularly well shown in an early scene with his father, where the moment his father turns to his own questionable nature, Duris conveys Thomas's reaction as a reflection of his father. Again he never suggests a specific intention, but rather makes it a genuine automatic reaction at this point.

There is another side to Thomas that Duris shows to be most obvious when Thomas is investing in his time as a pianist. Thomas is reintroduced to the idea accidentally as he comes across his mother's former manager, as she was also a pianist, who asks Thomas to audition for him. Duris brings a real earnestness to these scenes, though he does not overplay them. What he does is suggest a comfort in these moments which are not readily apparent in the world of his father. Duris makes this something rather unassuming, though quite poignant, as he shows Thomas's interest as straight forward with a real enthusiasm within it. Duris is careful to bring nuance in this enthusiasm though as he so nicely conveys the certain hesitations that are normal to someone unsure of their musical skill. The film proceeds forward as Thomas continues to practice piano in order to be ready for his audition, while dealing with his corrupt business partners as well as his father's downward spiral which only becomes worse due to his own shady connections.

Duris portrays Thomas essentially a man in an emotional limbo of sorts where he is pulled to one side or another depending on the situation. Throughout the film when the situation becomes stressful in almost anyway, even during his time with the piano, Duris portrays the needed visceral reaction in Thomas to this. Duris shows the man falling right upon basically what his father taught him, and Duris does not hold back in revealing just how vicious the man becomes. Duris takes this further than just physical assault, also bringing such venom in his verbal attacks when the situation calls for it. In all this Duris suggests almost a mindlessness about it, in that Thomas never chooses this exactly, instead the way he has been raised often brings him to this point. In contrast when he is allowed to find a bit of solace, whether it is through the piano or just not dealing with the worst side of people for a moment, Duris reveals a better man seeking what appears to be a better life. Duris keeps at the heart of his arc for Thomas, a subtle change. Not in the man entirely, but rather in terms of conveying the self-reflection the character slowly achieves. Duris is careful to show that this technically does not change his actions through the film yet gives sense to this. There's a scene late involving Thomas's father, and Duris brings the very understandable attachment, as Thomas loves his father despite what his lessons have done to him. Duris never brushes off the history of the character, and is rather affecting as he brings the very real conflict in Thomas to life. This is best represented perhaps by his final scene where the two sides of his life are in the same moment, as he must violently resolve a situation just before a piano concert. Duris is powerful by giving the intensity within the violence, yet revealing the devastation in Thomas is now all to aware of what he does, and what he is.

Monday, 31 October 2016

Alternate Best Actor 2005

And the Nominees Were Not:

Cillian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto

Daniel Auteuil in Caché

Romain Duris in The Beat That My Heart Skipped

Damian Lewis in Keane

Byung-hun Lee in A Bittersweet Life

And

Tony Leung Ka-Fai in Election

Best Actor