Oscar Time: Best Actor
[Originally posted on MySpace]
It’s Oscar time… Every year I have a few favorites going in, but I’ve never actually seen all the movies nominated. This year, I’m taking a few hours out of each night to screen movies nominated for the top categories. Over the next week I’ll post my picks here…
As usual, there are a number of strong performances nominated for best leading actor. My picks – in reverse order:
#5: David Strathairn in Good Night & Good Luck
His character (Edward R. Murrow) demanded a strong performance and David delivered it. I call it a strong performance because so much of the character is delivered without dialogue. The nervous moments before going on camera, the scene in the bar when we find out what happens to Ray, and the way he delivers such precisely worded commentary are shining moments. But it wasn’t quite enough to best my next pick…
#4: Terrence Howard in Hustle & Flow
I saw Crash before watching this movie, so I thought I knew what to expect from Terrence in this type of role – but he proved me wrong right off the bat. Terrence _is_ DJay… I never questioned this character throughout the entire movie, his acting was completely transparent to me. This role required a lot focus & dedication and Terrence delivered.
#3: Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line
Out of all 5 movies, this is the one I saw last and wanted to see the least. I’m not a Johnny Cash fan and I didn’t really care about his life story. But personal interests aside, it does feature a powerful performance from Joaquin. Just like Terrence, Joaquin completely takes over the character. Joaquin _is_ Johnny Cash. The fact that he also performed all the songs himself really impresses me… But, just like Terrence I feel like I understand everything there is to understand about this character. I don’t feel like I would discover a new depth to the character by watching the film again…
#2: Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain
This was a tough decision… Unlike Terrence & Joaquin I feel like there are undiscovered aspects to the performances of Heath & Philip. It’s hard to explain… But I can see many different levels to these characters – perhaps it’s due to their circumstances… In the case of Ennis he has a different style of interaction depending on where he is, and who he’s with. Think back to Ennis by himself (travelling alone or waiting outside the office) and compare that to Ennis on the mountain with Jack and compare that to Ennis at home with Alma and compare that to Ennis with his teenage daughter at the end of the film and compare that to Ennis at Jack’s parents house… There are many different sides to this character and I like how the viewer is left to fit them all together to come up with our own interpretation of who he really is…
#1: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote
But…. I think Philip is going to take the award this year… Again, I really enjoyed the multiple different levels that Philip plays. When I left this movie, I was struck by how different Truman is depending on who he interacts with. Compare Truman’s interactions with Perry Smith (one of the killers), to interacting with Jack the sherrif, compared to Harper Lee, compared to his publisher, compared to his personality at parties… I’m never sure who the real Truman is but I enjoy piecing together all the different personalities. Philip does a tremendous job in this role and is my pick for best leading actor.
So, now it’s your turn – What do you think? Who is your pick?
