Ranking Oscar Nominees: Best Supporting Actor 2016

5. Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Detective Bobby Andes, like everyone and everything in Nocturnal Animals, is a caricature. Now that's not inherently a good or bad thing, unfortunately most things in Nocturnal Animals veer towards the latter, from Laura Linney's overblown,embarassingly over-the-top one-scene disaster, to the rather awful host of supporting sterotypes that Amy Adams' Susan bumps into on occasion, oh yes her dreadful, dreadfully dull and dreadful husband played by Armie Hammer that is whose scenes are just pointless. That terrible jump scare that comes out of nowhere in the most tonally inept sort of way, 'parallels' being drawn visually of Amy Adams with her most embarassing 'bathtub contemplation scenes' of 2016 (and that's saying something with Batman v.s. Superman released in the same year), and don't even get me started on that godawful screenplay.

I'll admit that Michael Shannon's performance, which I really, really took to initially, has kind of dwindled in terms of his stature among my Best Supporting Actor choices of 2016. And as aforementioned, his character is relatively simplistic compared to the other performances here since Andes is literally a figment of imagination, very explicitly a specific type of character in a very specific sort of story that (I'd argue) is not very well told. Shannon manages to make the most out of the role as the somewhat disgruntled sheriff who finds a passion in the case of Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal, a performance that gets worse the more I think about it). He's rather excellent in creating the whole disgruntled, disillusioned state of the detective who's lost whatever little passion he had in his job, and when confronted with the case of Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his murdered wife and daughter, he's rather compelling in showing how this case comes to gradually haunt him, and implore him to do something for the greater good. His character arc ends rather abruptly, but before that I found Shannon was rather good at bringing a creepy, but somewhat inspiring, sense of justice to his man of the law who knows he's dying soon, and wants to make the most of his final pursuit of justice. He has one particularly great scene where he performs a twisted sort of Sophie's Choice for Tony. He may not be in a great film, and the role is too limited for a truly great performance, but I found Shannon does his best with what his role and I was impressed.  

4. Dev Patel, Lion

Firstly, I'm glad out of the two 'long-haired, good-looking young British actors) that were in contention for an Oscar nomination this year, Patel was the one who got in. Not that I disliked Aaron Taylor-Johnson, he was good (although like Shannon, my passion for his performance is diminishing). But Patel, despite being category fraud, gave the superior performance of the two in a far trickier role. I can kind of understand the thinking behind Patel's portrayal of Saroo Brierley going Supporting for his performance here, as he takes about an hour or so to enter the film. The first half or so of the film focuses on young Saroo (an excellent Sunny Pawar), who gets separated from his older brother, accidentally boards a train to faraway Calcutta where he does not speak the language of Bengali, and is unable to give enough information to anyone to help find his way home; and finally to an orphanage where he is adopted by a kindly Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). Years later, Saroo begins a personal journey of self-discovery: to retrace the past and reconnect with his family. It's no spoiler to say he succeeds.

It's an incredible story to be sure, and the first half of the film is a terrifying but also strangely beautiful exploration of the initial stages of this story as we watch a boy become so far removed from his original world, and entering a strange new one. Pawar's half of the story ends on a rather powerful note, and it could've been easy for the film to flounder after that. Patel prevents it from doing so. It has to be said that Patel is exceptionally charming in the role of older Saroo, not excessively or artificially so, but he just seems like a cool guy you'd love to hang out with, which stands in interesting contrast to some of his other well-known performances in Slumdog Millionaire and Chappie where his characters are awkward sorts, though still fairly likeable. Also, his Australian accent is not only pretty convincing, but also entirely natural.

Patel is really good in striking up a sense of love for his father and especially mother, and Kidman and Patel have a very special sort of connection I'll get onto in a bit; and in his scenes with his deadbeat adoptive brother Mantosh (Divian Ladwa) he shows a different sort of love, one which hopes futilely for his brother to change but is hurt by his behaviour.There's also a very low-key and rather swift romance with Rooney Mara's Lucy. Now before going into the film I'd read reviews saying this was the weakest part of the film, and feel unnecessary. The romantic subplot might not have been necessary, but I'll admit I wholly enjoyed watching their burgeoning romance. Patel and Mara are just very sweet, realistically so, with one another, but also their relationship helps to gradually develop Saroo's search for his past. In that it increasingly puts a strain on their relationship, even leading them to break up at one point, but there's still that strong vein of love that pulsates through it all. Patel is really god in showing how he tries to reconcile the happiness he finds with Lucy and the life of privilege and happiness he has found in Australia, and the desire he has to resolve his past. He's also good in showing how the past has never really left him in often silent reactions, and makes the relatively weaker scenes of Saroo just sitting around contemplating, walking, Google Earth-ing, still very engaging.

Of course I haven't gotten to the best part of his performance, which is his chemistry with Kidman (giving one of the best performances of her career, no joke). Pawar and Kidman, and Patel and Kidman bridge their mother-son relationship beautifully, and it's the most powerful part of a very powerful film. Their relationship is not without hardships, and both Patel and Kidman reflect how the former's desire to find his birth mother strains it, but their final scene where the full extent of Patel's efforts is revealed is a tremendous scene, Kidman's scene mostly to be fair, but Patel is also great in showing a successful reconnecting of the present and past. Then, when the big moment of reunion comes, Patel is amazing in bringing about the mess of emotions in the man. It's a great ending to a very strong performance, one I'm very glad got awards traction alongside the film.

3. Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Firstly, can I just say how pleased I am with the love Hell or High Water is getting. I may not have loved it as much as many seem to, but it's a very effective and taut thriller which not only packs the right amount of thrills, but also a great deal of depth, and a sense of place and time in its neo-Western setting. In fact, a lot of the stuff this film does well is where Nocturnal Animals went awry. Anyway, Bridges plays Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton, who with his partner Alberto (a very good Gil Birmingham), investigates a series of bank heists across several well-planned robberies across West Texas by the Howard brothers Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby (Chris Pine). This nomination is category fraud I'd say, Bridges is co-lead with Pine as their stories switch back-and-forth throughout the film, with Foster and Birmingham as their respective foils. But anyway, what about the performance itself? Like Shannon, Bridges has a particular style to his performance, less overtly so in terms of mannerisms and tics I'd say, and like Shannon it feels completely natural. Although I'd disagree with people who've said that this is Bridges playing himself, or reprising his Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. Marcus is a far less overtly jovial and relaxed figure than Bridges' public persona, but also more casual and less incisive than Cogburn. He's a fairly approachable and easygoing guy, but also very much a professional at his job.

As the film progresses we get more insight into Hamilton through his conversations with Alberto. Now the first time I watched the film, I found some of these discourses a bit tiresome, on re-watch though they aged quite beautifully. and I think the two actors find a very particular sense of humour but also profoundness in them shooting the breeze. Their philosophizing about the nature of crime and good and evil might be a bit on the nose, but Bridges in particular makes it all feel very much just a man's life and principles being vocalized onscreen. He's just very enjoyable to watch every second he's onscreen, but also quite moving in showing a man quietly awaiting the end of his career, and a life he's been part of for perhaps too long. The finale is where Bridges truly gets a chance to shine.

(SPOILERS)

In the final shootout with Tanner, Bridges reaction to Alberto's death is absolutely heartbreaking, and probably some of the best acting of Bridges' career. Almost as good is his reaction after gunning down Tanner, as he segues so beautifully from a joy at having avenged his partner, to an overwhelming grief for a lost friend. Then in his final confrontation with Toby (Chris Pine is magnificent in this scene too, and I really should bump him up my rankings with the re-watch), Bridges completely delivers in the repressed anger but also a certain wisdom he brings to his accusations and acceptance that they'll have to face each other down for the final time at some point. This is a rather powerful performance by Jeff Bridges, in a very unique Bridges fashion, and though he's been nominated in the wrong category, and is not quite my favourite performance in the film, I'm delighted he's gained recognition for his terrific work here.  

Runner-Up: Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

http://directors-vision.com/2017/01/20/cinematic-crumbs-life/ Here's my Manchester by the Sea review for extended thoughts on the film itself, which has only grown more and more on me since I watched it last week. It's a beautifully crafted, poignant and very human film that doesn't overplay its hand in terms of emotion and grief, even though the story could've very easily sent it down that direction. This does not exactly extend to all its performances, a few of the bit parts, Kara Hayward for example, overdo their performances, and though I found Michelle Williams' 'my heart was broken' scene affecting, I much preferred the more understated work of her fellow nominees. Hedges plays Patrick Chandler, the nephew of Casey Affleck's Lee, and who is most directly affected by the first revealed tragedy of the film, the passing of his father (Kyle Chandler).

Now this would imply that Patrick would be a ball of overwhelmed grief, and Hedges is effective in portraying the sense of loss in Patrick early on in the film, but even more impressive is how he portrays the coping mechanism of the teenaged boy, in dealing with his father's demise. He tries to stay casual about it all, viewing his father's body with a seeming indifference, and trying to continue along with life as it is with his friends, his band, and trying to get laid with his two girlfriends. Patrick is a bit of an annoying teenager, Hedges doesn't shy away from that, and realistically portrays how a young man in his situation would be understandably a bit grating towards others, especially Lee. Now something else rather remarkable about Hedges' performance is how funny he is in showing the awkward relationship with his uncle. That sense of awkwardness is never entirely lost in terms of Lee being a bemusedly incompetent replacement father figure, and Patrick being a bit of a dweeb, so to speak. They craft some truly hilarious moments whilst just shooting the breeze and trying to make conversation, and gradually create a very unassuming chemistry between the two characters.

Now in addition to Affleck, Hedges has to interact with most of the supporting cast in Manchester by the Sea, and is forced with several of the lesser subplots, like his rock band and second girlfriend subplot. These are lesser subplots because they don't feel cohesive to the rest of the film, but Hedges manages to make them engaging enough to watch, and even quite funny in portraying this sorta dumbass trying anything within his means, including his godawful rock band, to get laid. I found his comedic bits quite golden even when what was surrounding him might've been a bit extraneous.

The most prominent  moments of his performance, though, is showing how the grief for his deceased father gradually comes out. Hedges has several 'Oscar-y' scenes, including the expected breakdown scene, but they all play out in a particularly interesting way that deviates from the norm. The slight edge of humour to his performance is never altogether lost in these scenes, it comes out in his attempts to cope with his grief, so that when it all spills out, it's all the more affecting. Hedges never goes 'loud' with his emotions, but nevertheless when they come out they feel so powerful. You really feel like this is a real boy going through these issues, not just some film caricature. When he visits his runaway mum and becomes utterly shocked by how much she's changed, you really feel for him. And in one of his final scenes with Affleck, a dining table scene (you'll know which one I mean when you've seen it), the love he shows for Lee in such a low-key way, hoping agaisnt all the odds that Lee will 'beat it', is incredible. I really love that the nominees for this year are largely such low-key performances, and Hedges is no different. He gives a funny but also heartbreaking portrayal of an average kid suffering through grief, working in perfect tandem with his masterful film and co-star.

WINNER: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Mahershala Ali's awards narrative this year is the stuff of dreams: hardworking veteran on television and in film finally getting a big juicy role to dig his teeth into and nails it. The funny thing is though that the role of Juan in Moonlight wouldn't immediately strike one as an 'Oscar-y' role just from a brief outline of it. Juan is a drug dealer who forms a very important part of our protagonist Chiron's formative years. He's a crucial part to the film as well, but leaves the film 1/3rd of the way through, and is only directly brought back through asides and references, not even flashbacks or anything. This leaves Ali with a pretty tricky role, but one he absolutely delivers on with aplomb.

We actually begin the film from Ali's perspective as he goes on his rounds about his dope holes in town, chatting with his boys and doing business. Ali's creation of Juan as a character is quite masterful. He's effortlessly charismatic, with an air of undeniable swagger about him, which is actually quite different to the different, quieter sort of charm Ali shows in his interviews. It's technically mannered in that he adopts, in a very subtle fashion, a certain way of walking, talking, and even looking, that establishes so much about his characters background, his gift of connecting with people, but also the tough environment he grew up in. There's a spring in Juan's step, but there's also a sense of grit and determination, showing that he's an amiable drug dealer, but a drug dealer nevertheless. There's so many contradictions that seem to circle his character, but Ali makes this all seem perfectly fitting.

Moonlight details the journey of Chiron coming to terms with his sexuality, but also coming to terms with what it means to become a man. The first essential step to this journey is Juan, whose tutelage he comes under when the kindly fellow comes looking out for him after witnessing several bullies chasing him. Juan exudes such heartwarming kindness in his first interactions with Chiron, and you immediately fall for him. The way he and his girlfriend Teresa (a wonderful Janelle Monae) gently coax the quiet Chiron out of his shell is for lack of a better word, beautiful. Ali creates this gentle, kind father figure so well without compromising the more hardened edge to the character we've seen, and makes his unassuming but extremely poignant kindness towards Chiron to be something that endears both characters to us.

In the scenes where the two have grown more accustomed to one another's presence, Ali moves towards also being a mentor towards Chiron in the ways of life. In the beach scenes (which also feature some of Barry Jenkins' most inspired directorial moments), Ali delivers the philosophy of Juan's stance on life, that a man has to figure out who he wants to be if he wants to make his way in the world, and stay true to that identity. I could've listened all day to Ali spouting these lines (beautifully written ones, to be fair), but alas it was never to last. Ali inevitably comes to blows with Chiron's junkie mother Paula (Naomie Harris). Ali is incredible in this confrontational scene as he starts out with that menacing edge of a man who gets his way, before gradually retreating into himself as he's called out on his hypocrisies. It would be a great performance if it ended there, but Ali one-ups himself with his final scene where Chiron visits him for the last time. Ali is once again so compassionate as he gently tries to comfort Chiron about the latter's growing awareness of his homosexuality, and rejecting conventional ideas of 'masculinity' by baring his soul to the boy; and devestating as Chiron questions him about his drug-dealing lifestyle. Though he exits the film early, Ali haunts the rest of it spectacularly, including a particular performance I'll get onto in a bit. It's the equivalent of a 'Mark Rylance-in-Bridge of Spies' role for this year as in such brief time, he gives such a tremendous and unforgettable portrayal of an endearing enigma who's always viewed at a certain distance, but really immerses his heart and soul into yours. Amazing work, and hopefully like Rylance he'll take the gong.

Bonus Round: Hairstyle/Facial Hair Ranking

5. Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea (work in progress, he'll get there soon, anyway who am I to talk, and I can see him pulling off the Domhnall Gleeson look in the future)

4. Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals (good effort and a sort of spiritual successor to his work in The Iceman, though I've always found a clean-shaven Shannon to be more inherently intimidating)

3. Mahershala Ali, Moonlight (like his performance, understated and low-key but adds a lot to his visual presentation, plus that hat he wears is pretty cool, sort of like a better variation of what Will Smith wore in I, Robot) 

2. Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water (classic Bridges 'stache and that incredible head of wavy hair, and that headgear, no one else could pull of this look besides him)

1. Dev Patel, Lion (Variations on 'he looks so good with that long hair and beard' have been heard anywhere, including a series of quiet whispers nearby in the cinema, and I'll have to admit I wholeheartedly agree, he really rocks that Kit Harrington-esque look)