Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road
Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges
David Kross in The Reader
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Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Best Actor 2008: Results
Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road
Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges
David Kross in The Reader
Best Actor 2008: Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler.
The Wrestler tells the story of past his prime pro-wrestler, who tries to reform his life, after a severe heart attack.
Mickey Rourke's performance here most certainly has an extra quality due to his long troubled career before the Wrestler. Rourke has some detractors here for playing himself, which certianly is a blatant rather foolish statement because what Rourke does here, is anything but just simply act as himself. He may certainly channel himself, and his experiences but almost any actor does that, and rarely do actors ever do as well as Rourke in this film.
The Ram at the beginning of the film is not shown to be the best off fellow, in fact he lives pretty shabbily, and seems to not really have any meaningful relationships in his life. He was a big star in the professional wrestling world though at one time. Rourke is extremely good here, because he certainly shows just the tired aged demeanor of the man in his rather exasperated way of just doing his day to day tasks. Rourke is especially in good in showing that he his time really was the 80's and certainly seems a little lost, such as when he fails to understand a young local kid's description of a modern game.
Rourke though shows that The Ram is not entirely without his small pleasures in his life, he does have a little fun for example with the local kids, but that certianly does not overcome his age. What does overcome this more mentally, although not physically, is found in his wrestling experience, both at local little conventions, and matches at rather small venues.
Rourke here is especially good because he shows Randy's charisma, and presence he has in the ring. Rourke is natural in the ring, and he finds the right believable camaraderie with the other wrestler that works extremely well. Rourke shows that in the ring Randy is in his own, and suggests his past as the wrestling superstar.
Randy though after a brutal extreme wrestling match and suffers his heart attack and has to quit wrestling. He decides to try to create a relationship with a local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). It is an interesting relationship because the stripper constantly rebukes him due to her defenses due to her profession. It is not cold, but sort of harsh, but Rourke is extremely good because of his earnestness in the relationship even if it not all shared. Rourke shows that Randy desperately needs the relationship, and it is the desperation that makes him keep trying.
At the same time he tries as well to try to once again create a relationship with his estranged daughter. Rourke shows quite clearly his torrid history with his daughter, and how he really does not know her well at all, due to his complete awkwardness talking about her earlier with Cassidy. Rourke as well shows that still shows his desperation makes him still try, and that he does have a love for his daughter even if he himself can't always remember that. This is of course shown best by his "piece of meat speech" which could have easily been overly melodramatic, but because of Rourke emotional honesty the scene is incredibly effective.
Randy also works more at his supermarket job by working behind a deli, which may be for me, the best part of his performance. Rourke's performance is amazing simply, when he once again finds the old Randy but this time as just a worker in the deli. He once again shows his charisma underneath that age once more, in a simply great scene. Rourke is outstanding in his performance, as he is humorous, a very entertaining and all that Randy is doing is working at a deli.
Randy life though never reforms as he wishes, despite his attempts, but that is due to his own destructive behavior. Rourke makes Randy's downfall believable because Randy is never portrayed as perfect, and Rourke always presents that his trying to fix his life, is always part of his desperation in life. Rourke's performance simply is outstanding becuase he perfectly mixes each part of his life so well, his mistakes, his tries, his success and his failure.
Mickey Rourke's performance here most certainly has an extra quality due to his long troubled career before the Wrestler. Rourke has some detractors here for playing himself, which certianly is a blatant rather foolish statement because what Rourke does here, is anything but just simply act as himself. He may certainly channel himself, and his experiences but almost any actor does that, and rarely do actors ever do as well as Rourke in this film.
The Ram at the beginning of the film is not shown to be the best off fellow, in fact he lives pretty shabbily, and seems to not really have any meaningful relationships in his life. He was a big star in the professional wrestling world though at one time. Rourke is extremely good here, because he certainly shows just the tired aged demeanor of the man in his rather exasperated way of just doing his day to day tasks. Rourke is especially in good in showing that he his time really was the 80's and certainly seems a little lost, such as when he fails to understand a young local kid's description of a modern game.
Rourke though shows that The Ram is not entirely without his small pleasures in his life, he does have a little fun for example with the local kids, but that certianly does not overcome his age. What does overcome this more mentally, although not physically, is found in his wrestling experience, both at local little conventions, and matches at rather small venues.
Rourke here is especially good because he shows Randy's charisma, and presence he has in the ring. Rourke is natural in the ring, and he finds the right believable camaraderie with the other wrestler that works extremely well. Rourke shows that in the ring Randy is in his own, and suggests his past as the wrestling superstar.
Randy though after a brutal extreme wrestling match and suffers his heart attack and has to quit wrestling. He decides to try to create a relationship with a local stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). It is an interesting relationship because the stripper constantly rebukes him due to her defenses due to her profession. It is not cold, but sort of harsh, but Rourke is extremely good because of his earnestness in the relationship even if it not all shared. Rourke shows that Randy desperately needs the relationship, and it is the desperation that makes him keep trying.
At the same time he tries as well to try to once again create a relationship with his estranged daughter. Rourke shows quite clearly his torrid history with his daughter, and how he really does not know her well at all, due to his complete awkwardness talking about her earlier with Cassidy. Rourke as well shows that still shows his desperation makes him still try, and that he does have a love for his daughter even if he himself can't always remember that. This is of course shown best by his "piece of meat speech" which could have easily been overly melodramatic, but because of Rourke emotional honesty the scene is incredibly effective.
Randy also works more at his supermarket job by working behind a deli, which may be for me, the best part of his performance. Rourke's performance is amazing simply, when he once again finds the old Randy but this time as just a worker in the deli. He once again shows his charisma underneath that age once more, in a simply great scene. Rourke is outstanding in his performance, as he is humorous, a very entertaining and all that Randy is doing is working at a deli.
Randy life though never reforms as he wishes, despite his attempts, but that is due to his own destructive behavior. Rourke makes Randy's downfall believable because Randy is never portrayed as perfect, and Rourke always presents that his trying to fix his life, is always part of his desperation in life. Rourke's performance simply is outstanding becuase he perfectly mixes each part of his life so well, his mistakes, his tries, his success and his failure.
Best Actor 2008: Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
Richard Jenkins received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Walter Vale in The Visitor.
The Visitor is a somewhat contrived, although not entirely ineffective film about a man who finds a purpose again in life by befriending illegal immigrants.
Richard Jenkins is quite good at being just an average man in this film as Walter Vale. He plays a widowed economic professor. He seems to simply be drifting through life without much of a purpose, except the rather simple day to day tasks involving his job, and the piano lessons he takes basically because his wife memory.
Jenkins simply, but effectively portrays his characters rather overt, yet at the same time subtle depression. He is not visibly crying constantly nor has he stopped his life completely, but Jenkins clearly suggests the profound effect the death of Walter's wife has had on him. It is not so much a sadness, but a lack of joy that Jenkins conveys wonderfully.
Walter soon meets a group of illegal immigrants that is the main focus of the film. Jenkins is again good in his confused apprehension at first as he encounters them in his apartment in New York City that he rarely uses. Walter comes around to them, and in fact befriends the illegal immigrant couple, particularly the man Tarek, who starts to teach him to play the drums.
Jenkins' transition of Walter's relationship is not a huge jump by anyways, but it honestly portrayed by Jenkins, because he still shows that some awkwardness in his relation with the immigrants does stay, and that it is a very gradual transition of greater comfort with his very different from him, new friends.
Jenkins also does not become instantly happy at all, but shows that his life has simply found something new, and has again given more of some joy, that the utter devoid he had before. A passion also grows even more fully actually when Terek is imprisoned due to his illegal status.
Walter once again finds a passion within himself to help Terek the best he can, and Jenkins suggests it as not something new to Walter, but rather this part of himself being risen once more. This is particularly shown well in his angry speech scene at the prison, where Jenkins is effective because he shows that he really does care for what is being done to Terek, and how his relationship with him has moved quite deeply.
With the imprisonment of Terek he also meets and befriends as well Terek's mother Mouna. Again Jenkins is good in creating and honest natural relationship with her, but this time he seems to make an even deeper connection with her, so much that he reveals and reflects more about himself. Jenkins comes full circle very well in showing how Walter had been sleepwalking through life, but finally has grown enough to find a purpose as well as see how he had been previously.
I think I have probably sounded rather positive throughout this whole review, no doubt coming at least partially from the rather lackluster performances I have just gone through. I will say I am positive this is a good performance, and Jenkins shows his ability as a leading man as he did more commonly as a supporting actor. At the same time this is a good performance always, but never quite a great one. Not really for any major reasons but I mostly saw the performance as being a good performance, but it never really made me exceedingly invested in the character just that's all. It never quite had that extra quality that makes a 4.5 and a 5 for me, but still this is a consistently good performance I want to make that clear.
Richard Jenkins is quite good at being just an average man in this film as Walter Vale. He plays a widowed economic professor. He seems to simply be drifting through life without much of a purpose, except the rather simple day to day tasks involving his job, and the piano lessons he takes basically because his wife memory.
Jenkins simply, but effectively portrays his characters rather overt, yet at the same time subtle depression. He is not visibly crying constantly nor has he stopped his life completely, but Jenkins clearly suggests the profound effect the death of Walter's wife has had on him. It is not so much a sadness, but a lack of joy that Jenkins conveys wonderfully.
Walter soon meets a group of illegal immigrants that is the main focus of the film. Jenkins is again good in his confused apprehension at first as he encounters them in his apartment in New York City that he rarely uses. Walter comes around to them, and in fact befriends the illegal immigrant couple, particularly the man Tarek, who starts to teach him to play the drums.
Jenkins' transition of Walter's relationship is not a huge jump by anyways, but it honestly portrayed by Jenkins, because he still shows that some awkwardness in his relation with the immigrants does stay, and that it is a very gradual transition of greater comfort with his very different from him, new friends.
Jenkins also does not become instantly happy at all, but shows that his life has simply found something new, and has again given more of some joy, that the utter devoid he had before. A passion also grows even more fully actually when Terek is imprisoned due to his illegal status.
Walter once again finds a passion within himself to help Terek the best he can, and Jenkins suggests it as not something new to Walter, but rather this part of himself being risen once more. This is particularly shown well in his angry speech scene at the prison, where Jenkins is effective because he shows that he really does care for what is being done to Terek, and how his relationship with him has moved quite deeply.
With the imprisonment of Terek he also meets and befriends as well Terek's mother Mouna. Again Jenkins is good in creating and honest natural relationship with her, but this time he seems to make an even deeper connection with her, so much that he reveals and reflects more about himself. Jenkins comes full circle very well in showing how Walter had been sleepwalking through life, but finally has grown enough to find a purpose as well as see how he had been previously.
I think I have probably sounded rather positive throughout this whole review, no doubt coming at least partially from the rather lackluster performances I have just gone through. I will say I am positive this is a good performance, and Jenkins shows his ability as a leading man as he did more commonly as a supporting actor. At the same time this is a good performance always, but never quite a great one. Not really for any major reasons but I mostly saw the performance as being a good performance, but it never really made me exceedingly invested in the character just that's all. It never quite had that extra quality that makes a 4.5 and a 5 for me, but still this is a consistently good performance I want to make that clear.
Best Actor 2008: Sean Penn in Milk
Sean Penn won his second Oscar from his fourth nomination for portraying Harvey Milk in Milk.
Milk is a rather standard biography film, that basically is just a retelling of the documentary about Harvey Milk, making its original screenplay win pretty hard to understand.
I think the best way actually to criticize this performance is to examine much of its praise which it heavily received in 2008. Well it was constantly praised as a technical performance. Look at the way he holds his arms back in enthusiasm was one, the way he walked was another. Well I must say that actually detracted greatly from the performance in my view. Penn lack in Mystic River, but to an even fuller extent always seems to be far to self-aware of his performance.
I know some might say, hey but aren't you that guy who think Laurence Olivier is one greatest actors ever, he most certianly was an actor who knew the in and out of his performance, well in his best performances he never let the audience knew he knew, and brought it about naturally. Sean Penn on the other hand never seems to not let the audience know that he most certianly is acting in this performance.
Penn I never felt really attempted at much to show a greater inner depth of character, but rather like Langella in my view always played each scene as just an acting display. Sure he most certianly has his quiet scenes as Langella did, but like them they seemed much too tailored merely to be the quiet scenes, rather than more natural scenes to show the range of the character.
I was never very convinced by Penn portrayal of Milk becuase of this, and I always felt it to be a very on the surface performance, always caught up on making far too obvious of faces, and gestures in both his quiet and loud scenes. I also thought his portrayal really tried to focus on the flamboyant aspects of Milk, just to simply go hey look I'm Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk, isn't this performance completely different from my other performances.
Due to this fact I always felt he played Milk in a rather stereotypical fashion, that always seemed rather awkward and unnatural to me. Milk's relationship with James Franco's character, never seemed believable because frankly both actors in all of those scenes seemed too aware that they were playing homosexual characters, and they themselves were not.
Sean Penn's performance as Milk never goes beyond his external obvious acting in my book. I think this is partially to blame the film as well, which perhaps also looks as Milk as a fairly surface documentary subject, rather than trying to completely get into the real depth of the character. Well perhaps the film believed Penn would do that, well for me though he never did that in the least.
I think the best way actually to criticize this performance is to examine much of its praise which it heavily received in 2008. Well it was constantly praised as a technical performance. Look at the way he holds his arms back in enthusiasm was one, the way he walked was another. Well I must say that actually detracted greatly from the performance in my view. Penn lack in Mystic River, but to an even fuller extent always seems to be far to self-aware of his performance.
I know some might say, hey but aren't you that guy who think Laurence Olivier is one greatest actors ever, he most certianly was an actor who knew the in and out of his performance, well in his best performances he never let the audience knew he knew, and brought it about naturally. Sean Penn on the other hand never seems to not let the audience know that he most certianly is acting in this performance.
Penn I never felt really attempted at much to show a greater inner depth of character, but rather like Langella in my view always played each scene as just an acting display. Sure he most certianly has his quiet scenes as Langella did, but like them they seemed much too tailored merely to be the quiet scenes, rather than more natural scenes to show the range of the character.
I was never very convinced by Penn portrayal of Milk becuase of this, and I always felt it to be a very on the surface performance, always caught up on making far too obvious of faces, and gestures in both his quiet and loud scenes. I also thought his portrayal really tried to focus on the flamboyant aspects of Milk, just to simply go hey look I'm Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk, isn't this performance completely different from my other performances.
Due to this fact I always felt he played Milk in a rather stereotypical fashion, that always seemed rather awkward and unnatural to me. Milk's relationship with James Franco's character, never seemed believable because frankly both actors in all of those scenes seemed too aware that they were playing homosexual characters, and they themselves were not.
Sean Penn's performance as Milk never goes beyond his external obvious acting in my book. I think this is partially to blame the film as well, which perhaps also looks as Milk as a fairly surface documentary subject, rather than trying to completely get into the real depth of the character. Well perhaps the film believed Penn would do that, well for me though he never did that in the least.
Best Actor 2008: Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
Frank Langella received his first Oscar nomination for portraying former president Richard M. Nixon in Frost/Nixon.
Frost/Nixon is a film that frankly tries to make its subject matter seem too important by forgetting about historical accuracy, and just having the wrong tone for the story.Watching the actual interviews are a lot more interesting, than anything in this film.
Frank Langella's performance is what should be described as a mannerism filled performance from his face, to his voice to the way he walks. All in an attempt to imitate the real Richard Nixon. Now Langella claims in interviews that he was not trying to imitate, yet he was still using a voice not of his own, as well as mannerisms, so its a little hard to believe his statement. I guess he was just trying to excuse the fact that he fails to get Nixon down, who real is not really nearly as mannered as Langella's performance makes him out to be.
Frank Langella whole mannered performance is a severe hindrance to his entire performance. He looks almost like a cartoon character at times, because he looks so strange, in not only the way he is made up but also because of the way he walks, and talks, which simply does not work well for Nixon as a character. Langella's whole performance feels out of place because of this, he just never seems natural in his characterization of Nixon, he simply should have cut back on the mannerisms.
Langella performance after his mannerisms seems to have three sets of acting scenes in this film. One is he awkwardly tries to talk to people normally, again Langella mannerisms made Nixon's inability to connect with other people rather unnatural, now that might make it seem like I am saying the right type of unnatural, but I would say unrealistic type of unnatural, not proper to a real person type of unnatural.
Another is his yelling scenes or at least loudly pitched scenes, which has too many of. There are great numbers when he loses it, and frankly again it never felt particularly natural, instead it always came off as excessive ACTING to me. I never felt it was ever really effective, in conveying emotion, but rather just trying to override all other emotions with his angered yelling, which also is completely incorrect to how Nixon acted on the actual tapes, if Langella had been more like how he actual was that could have been a great performance.
Finally he also has his token quiet scenes, where the filmmaker show their belief to create some sympathy for the character just put in some obvious scenes that basically come off as the "sympathy creation scenes". Langella and his mannerisms again undermine any potential emotion that could have possibly been made in these rather forced moments. Langella never finds the right depth of emotion to really create anything in these scenes either. This is a performance that fails to be a good imitation, and it puts so much of its effort into its imitation causes it to be just a bad performance.
Frank Langella's performance is what should be described as a mannerism filled performance from his face, to his voice to the way he walks. All in an attempt to imitate the real Richard Nixon. Now Langella claims in interviews that he was not trying to imitate, yet he was still using a voice not of his own, as well as mannerisms, so its a little hard to believe his statement. I guess he was just trying to excuse the fact that he fails to get Nixon down, who real is not really nearly as mannered as Langella's performance makes him out to be.
Frank Langella whole mannered performance is a severe hindrance to his entire performance. He looks almost like a cartoon character at times, because he looks so strange, in not only the way he is made up but also because of the way he walks, and talks, which simply does not work well for Nixon as a character. Langella's whole performance feels out of place because of this, he just never seems natural in his characterization of Nixon, he simply should have cut back on the mannerisms.
Langella performance after his mannerisms seems to have three sets of acting scenes in this film. One is he awkwardly tries to talk to people normally, again Langella mannerisms made Nixon's inability to connect with other people rather unnatural, now that might make it seem like I am saying the right type of unnatural, but I would say unrealistic type of unnatural, not proper to a real person type of unnatural.
Another is his yelling scenes or at least loudly pitched scenes, which has too many of. There are great numbers when he loses it, and frankly again it never felt particularly natural, instead it always came off as excessive ACTING to me. I never felt it was ever really effective, in conveying emotion, but rather just trying to override all other emotions with his angered yelling, which also is completely incorrect to how Nixon acted on the actual tapes, if Langella had been more like how he actual was that could have been a great performance.
Finally he also has his token quiet scenes, where the filmmaker show their belief to create some sympathy for the character just put in some obvious scenes that basically come off as the "sympathy creation scenes". Langella and his mannerisms again undermine any potential emotion that could have possibly been made in these rather forced moments. Langella never finds the right depth of emotion to really create anything in these scenes either. This is a performance that fails to be a good imitation, and it puts so much of its effort into its imitation causes it to be just a bad performance.
Best Actor 2008: Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Benjamin Button in the Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an overly long, often boring film about a man who ages backwards.
Brad Pitt's performance here cannot be mentioned without mentioning all of the special effects in the various scenes of the film. It is many times difficult to tell how much of the actual character is Pitt in these early scenes, which even seems to include the face partially at times. The one thing that seems to Pitt's own most of the time seems to just be his voice, except for of course at the very end of the film.
I think a major problem, one of the major problems with this performance, is that much of it is special effects, or makeup. Pitt's I never felt really did all that much to do all that much himself to indicate the age as well as deaging of the character. Pitt' always seems to just let the special effects handle most every thing, and I geuss he alters his voice a little bit but not all too much, or all that interestingly.
Another problem comes from the fact that Pitt's portrays his part in an extremely uninteresting fashion. He has a distinct lack of charm in the role, and he again seems to want the special effects to do everything, including in trying to make him an interesting character. Pitt is just deadly dull because he does this, perhaps one could say well the special effects were hindering, I say no, watch John Hurt in The Elephant Man to see a performance, that technically could have been hindered by makeup but never for single moment was.
Pitt's whole performance shows what makes other performances good actually, because when there is a close up to Pitt's face, what does one see nothing. He shows absolutely no reflection on the character's life, or frankly much of a realization that his character is even aging backwards. Pitt always keeps the part at this same level of passiveness, that is quite boring to watch.
Pitt in fact does try to give a performance similar to that of Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. He tries to be a likable guy to follow through his adventures, and misadventures through time. Although I believe this to be a faulty way in portraying a character that seems like he should have deeper reflection, even though he never does. Still as even trying to be like Hanks he fails, because Hanks still was able to be likable and carrying his film, Pitt never does this, making the story of Benjamin Button, quite a dull one.
Brad Pitt's performance here cannot be mentioned without mentioning all of the special effects in the various scenes of the film. It is many times difficult to tell how much of the actual character is Pitt in these early scenes, which even seems to include the face partially at times. The one thing that seems to Pitt's own most of the time seems to just be his voice, except for of course at the very end of the film.
I think a major problem, one of the major problems with this performance, is that much of it is special effects, or makeup. Pitt's I never felt really did all that much to do all that much himself to indicate the age as well as deaging of the character. Pitt' always seems to just let the special effects handle most every thing, and I geuss he alters his voice a little bit but not all too much, or all that interestingly.
Another problem comes from the fact that Pitt's portrays his part in an extremely uninteresting fashion. He has a distinct lack of charm in the role, and he again seems to want the special effects to do everything, including in trying to make him an interesting character. Pitt is just deadly dull because he does this, perhaps one could say well the special effects were hindering, I say no, watch John Hurt in The Elephant Man to see a performance, that technically could have been hindered by makeup but never for single moment was.
Pitt's whole performance shows what makes other performances good actually, because when there is a close up to Pitt's face, what does one see nothing. He shows absolutely no reflection on the character's life, or frankly much of a realization that his character is even aging backwards. Pitt always keeps the part at this same level of passiveness, that is quite boring to watch.
Pitt in fact does try to give a performance similar to that of Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. He tries to be a likable guy to follow through his adventures, and misadventures through time. Although I believe this to be a faulty way in portraying a character that seems like he should have deeper reflection, even though he never does. Still as even trying to be like Hanks he fails, because Hanks still was able to be likable and carrying his film, Pitt never does this, making the story of Benjamin Button, quite a dull one.
Best Actor 2008
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sean Penn in Milk
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
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