Best Actors Now

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Yesterday Envelope /Gold Derby guy Tom O'Neil posted his choice for Best Actor front-runners at this stage of the game. I feel torn, as always, between pushing those performances in this category which I know are the "best" (i.e., the most striking, affecting, powerhouse-y, likely to be fondly remembered 20 years hence) and those that the Zelig crowd either thinks will win or needs to see win due to genetic tribal-current issues.

Right now HE's most worthy contenders -- comfort-seekers be damned -- are, in this order, Colin Firth in A Single Man, Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker, Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man, Nicolas Cage in Bad Lieutenant and a tie between Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart and Hal Holbrook in That Evening Sun (i.e., two gray-haired guys facing last-act issues). Every one of these performances is a major eye-opener and head-turner. On top of which Renner and Stuhlbarg are fashion models in the new Esquire (i.e., the one with the guaranteed-not-to-be-nominated-for-anything Robert Downey, Jr. on the cover).

But then basic human instinct (particularly the primal need to show obeisance before power) has to be factored in, which of course means stars (or bigger names) in this equation. I'm presuming that the Up In The Air current will carry George Clooney (who's quite affecting as a sad flyaway guy) into contention, and that Morgan Freeman's Nelson Mandela in Invictus is almost certainly a nommie waiting to happen. Anyone who sees Nine will find themselves curiously drawn to Daniel Day Lewis's spell-like performance, so there's a good to pretty good chance he'll snag a nomination as well.

So blend these two together, think it all through and let the natural selection process manifest and you're left with the following five contenders: Colin Firth in A Single Man, Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker, Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man, Nicolas Cage in Bad Lieutenant and Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. Big names don't get a pass 'round these parts just because they're big names. When Invictus starts to be shown this week and the calls start coming in about Freeman, we'll see. I'd like to figure some way to wedge Holbrook in but I can't figure a way.

Matt Damon's The Informant! character finally feels like more a sociopathic riddle or curiosity than a guy I understood and felt in a deep-down way. I haven't seen Everybody's Fine but my sense is that as touching and soulful as Robert De Niro may be in it, the film itself may be too much of a problem. Like others I respected but was never truly knocked down by Viggo Mortensen's performance in The Road.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 16, 2009 at 4:54 AM

comment #1

LauraReeling says ...

Michael Sheen for The Damned United isn't even being tossed out there? Surely one of the best performances of the year....

Posted by LauraReeling at November 16, 2009 7:19 AM

comment #2

moviefan says ...

Jeffrey,

Thank you for saying all this! I've been grumbling for weeks about how increasingly a popularity contest the Oscars have become. It's interesting how the Academy doesn't seem to pick commercial/popular films for Best Picture but they surely do want to have several 'movie stars' included in the actors' categories, with little regard to whether or not their acting was anywhere near the 'best' of the year.

Not being privy to early viewing of films as critics/reviewers are, my favorite acting performances of the year so far have been from Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell and Sharlto Copley. I'm looking forward to seeing Jeff Bridges, Colin Firth, Viggo Mortensen, Hal Holbrook and a couple of others but I'd be thrilled to see a list of Best that didn't include any 'stars' if those were the best performances of the year.

Posted by moviefan at November 16, 2009 7:21 AM

comment #3

Mark says ...

The love for Jeremy Renner on this board is a bit puzzling. He was good, but a far cry from Colin Ferril's somewhat similar Tigerland performance that was ignored by the Academy.

Christoph Waltz and Adam Sandler should both be in this conversation.

Posted by Mark at November 16, 2009 8:54 AM

comment #4

Josh Massey says ...

This has to be Bridges' year, right? A son of Hollywood, acting forever, never won - shoo-in city, I'd think.

Don't know too much about Invictus, but the trailers indicate Freeman could be supporting. Not the case?

Posted by Josh Massey at November 16, 2009 8:56 AM

comment #5

Jeffrey Wells says ...

If Freeman is supporting...? Such a view could well emerge. Invictus needs to be seen.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at November 16, 2009 9:38 AM

comment #6

alan says ...

The absence of Christopher Plummer from both lists is puzzling. Did I miss some news about that film being delayed or something?

Posted by alan at November 16, 2009 11:17 AM

comment #7

BurmaShave says ...

alan, Plummer is being campaigned in Supporting.

Posted by BurmaShave at November 16, 2009 1:20 PM

comment #8

Caustic712 says ...

I liked A Serious Man, and I liked Stuhlbarg in it, but it's not happening. It's a film in which everything happens to the character, and the character makes nothing happen -- and keeps reminding everyone of it. (Although the climactic bit can be argued.) If actors band together to recognize that performance, I'll happily eat someone's yarmulke.

Fred Melamed as Sy Abelman, though... if he had a couple more scenes, I think he'd have a shot.

Posted by Caustic712 at November 16, 2009 5:57 PM

comment #9

lipranzer says ...

Mark said:

"The love for Jeremy Renner on this board is a bit puzzling. He was good, but a far cry from Colin Ferril's (sic) somewhat similar Tigerland performance that was ignored by the Academy."

See, I would disagree. I was too conscious of Farrell struggling with his accent in TIGERLAND. And Renner did a better job of letting you in. He's still my choice as best actor so far.

Posted by lipranzer at November 16, 2009 7:00 PM

comment #10

Anthony Thorne says ...

Fuck I'd love for Jeff Bridges to win, surely it's about fucking time for him to get a bit of love. Also, he's in TRON 2 next year, how can you not love that.

Maybe Ebert's future championing of INVICTUS will mean that Freeman and the chick from PRECIOUS sweep the Best Actor/Actress awards, thereby giving newspapers all over the world a chance to show photos of the smiling pair demonstrating the nobility of the human spirit the next day.

Posted by Anthony Thorne at November 16, 2009 7:30 PM

comment #11

thatmovieguy says ...

Good point, LauraReeling: Saw "The Damned United" last week and Sheen was outstanding in a very difficult role. Not many actors would dare to play someone so enormously unlikable. In fact, I found myself thinking that was exactly the kind of movie that would never get made in Hollywood today because the "hero" is a full-blown jerk on a prolonged ego trip. Brave performance, thought-provoking film.

Posted by thatmovieguy at November 16, 2009 8:08 PM

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