Ranking the Oscar Nominees: Best Supporting Actor

Well here we are again: Oscar season has officially arrived. I usually do an overall breakdown of the various categories in a big post, but seeing as there's plenty I still have to see - with Phantom Thread, Lady Bird, I, Tonya and wait, what Roman Israel Esq.? - I need to check out before I can comment on which films did or did not deserve their respective nominations, which one comes out on top, which film will win and all that, in every category. I'll start off with the categories which I am a 'completist' of, having seen all the nominees, starting with - Best Supporting Actor. First I'll talk a bit about the nominees' awards season narratives, then I'll discuss their performances in more detail - ranking them alongside one another. I might/might not do the former for every category - for example, it's hard to discuss a narrative for Roger Deakins winning for Blade Runner 2049 beyond 'about damn time' -, but I will definitely do a ranking for every Oscar category and its nominations, assuming that I will be able to get to all of the films before 4th March.

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project; Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water; Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World 

The nominees were: 

Willem Dafoe. The Florida Project

Dafoe, who's been nominated twice before for his performances in Platoon and Shadow of the Vampire as two very different characters, started off the awards season as almost the unquestioned front-runner; like Gary Oldman, the great character actor veteran who disappears effortlessly into every role he's given. While he's picked up a great deal of goodwill, from the critics awards in particular, his top dog status has been usurped for the time-being by Sam Rockwell, with the latter's wins at SAG and the Golden Globes. Still, a nomination here was never in question, even though awards traction for The Florida Project has been somewhat underwhelming, with Dafoe being the film's sole Oscar nomination. I have less to say about his awards narrative than the other nominees here because really, this is the sort of performance by the sort of actor that was always going to get attention at the Oscars, and most of what I'll want to discuss will be with regards to the performance itself.

Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

I can't remember the last time two supporting actors from the same film were nominated. I believe Nocturnal Animals came close last year, and this year there was the potential for this combination for not only Three Billboards, but also Call Me By Your Name with the two-headed dragon of Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg, and even Jenkins and Academy darling Michael Shannon for The Shape of Water. In the end, neither of these combinations were nominated, with Hammer's chances possibly hurt by splitting votes with Stuhlbarg, and Stuhlbarg's chances hurt by not getting enough precursors to pave his way to a nomination, while Shannon just wasn't included in any of the precursors at all, with Jenkins getting all the awards attention.

This is Harrelson's second nomination in the Supporting category after his solid turn as another authority figure in The Messenger, and his third nomination overall, having been also nommed for his portrayal of the titular porn mogul in The People vs Larry Flynt. As for Rockwell, making his debut entry onto the Academy's shortlist, his name has been bandied around over the years as a dark horse Oscar contender, notably back in 2010 for Conviction, but this is the first time he's been genuinely considered to be a powerhorse contender all throughout awards season. The hype began early last year with raves from festival screenings, which only intensified with its wide release in cinemas. Having won the two biggest precursors to the Oscars so far, it seems he's close to having the award in the bag. Harrelson's presence on the awards season began slowly, but as love for Three Billboards intensified so did the attention to his performance, and though he missed out at the Globes, nominations at SAG, the BAFTAs, and Three Billboards winning Best Ensemble at SAG, plus the Academy's general liking for him, contributed to his nod.

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Jenkins is an interesting case of the supporting performance in a widely acclaimed film, sort of riding the momentum of its praise and garnering enough love from the awards organizations to make it into the Oscars. Earlier on last year I'd imagined this 'spot to be taken by Ben Mendelsohn in Darkest Hour, Mark Rylance in Dunkirk, Idris Elba in Molly's Game, Jason Mitchell in Mudbound, Steve Carell in either Battle of the Sexes or Last Flag Flying, or Will Poulter in Detroit. Mendelsohn and Rylance's films have performed well at the Oscars but their performances, while praised, haven't been highlighted by their awards campaign, so that was expected. Elba's film did not achieve the sort of momentum that I'd expected for an Aaron Sorkin, and while Mudbound has done well for itself Michell's performance has become strangely sidelined in terms of praise, while both Carell's films have underperformed with both critical acclaim and awards success. And then there's Poulter who some were pegging as a dark horse winner midway through last year but has been entirely shut out this awards season, largely because there's another portrayal of a racist cop which has been getting the majority of plaudits, and also Detroit has had absolutely no success on the awards front.

As for Jenkins, this is actually his second Oscar nomination, he was nominated in the lead category in 2008 for The Visitor, which is interesting to note since he's known primarily for his supporting roles in stuff like Bone Tomahawk, Killing Me Softly, oh yeah, and Step Brothers which he's a hoot in.

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

And finally, we have Not Kevin Spacey in one of the more fascinating narratives going through awards season. As you all know, allegations against Spacey (and I must say, his piss-poor attempt at an 'apology') resulted in quite the Hollywood clusterfuck. Edgar Wright's Baby Driver managed to avoid this, but many projects involving Spacey were put on hold or altogether cancelled. Spacey had filmed his role in  All the Money in the World as J. Paul Getty, with the studio lining him up for his own Best Supporting Actor campaign. Grumpy Ridley Scott decided not to let the Spacey controversy waste the hard work of his cast and crew and decided to in the span of 9 days, to reshoot Spacey's scenes with the alleged first choice, Christopher Plummer.

I'm mentioning this whole narrative again because I'd prefer not to discuss it in context of the performance itself. Of course it played its part in getting Plummer the attention he needed for a nomination, but I hope people won't just assume this is a wasted nomination. This is Plummer's third nomination, he was nominated for The Last Station in 2009 and very deservedly won in 2011 for Beginners. I don't think he cares all that much about getting nominated or winning here, he didn't actively campaign for this performance as far as I'm aware, but I'd just like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to his dedication in taking on the role in such a short span of time, and of course the rest of the cast and crew for being equally efficient. What about his performance as, at one point, the 'richest man in the world'? Let's see.

Anyway, without further ado, my ranking of the 2017 nominees for Best Supporting Actor (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but I'll signpost them if they appear):

5. Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World

This is a very strong lineup, and I hate to put Plummer last because this is a very impressive performance. Plummer the elder plays a somewhat antagonistic role in the film even though he's technically on the victim's side when his grandson, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped. The film itself I found a bit routine as a standard thriller, but what does enliven it a bit is the way it utilizes J. Paul Getty's character. The conflict between Gail (Michelle Williams), Paul's mother who's estranged from the Getty family, and Getty who refuses to pay the ransom despite having (yes) all the money in the world is the most intriguing part of the film. Plummer the elder is a great Scrooge McDuck of sorts, but a Scrooge McDuck one is easily in awe of as Plummer carries such a strong domineering presence. He plays the man's miserly nature just enough to be very entertaining, and I particularly love his amiable delivery of 'nothing' when asked how much he will pay for the ransom, the flashback scene where he dictates letters to a younger Paul, bluntly denying the requests of acquaintances for money, and especially his big scene where he negotiates terms for the ransom.

Plummer also finds a nuance to his character, where the audience can understand and even somewhat sympathize with why he refuses to put the lives of his other grandchildren at risk, and the scenes where he eloquently explains why he refuses to pay the ransom are infused with such surprising warmth, that it's easy to be taken aback when his more cruel, baser instincts are revealed in the scenes where his beliefs are directly attacked. Plummer even helps raise the level of Wahlberg's performance in the scenes they share together, particularly their final confrontation, and though his character's final few scenes are not very well directed by Scott, he does more than an admirable job in them. A very good performance and I'm glad we got the chance to see it.

4. Richard Jenkins as Giles in The Shape of Water

A performance that's really grown on me, the more I think about the film. The Shape of Water is of course, in many ways the Guillermo del Toro and Sally Hawkins show, more about that at a later point. It is a visually stunning and emotionally rich film, and the aforementioned two are the primary reason for that alongside the array of technical elements it excels in, but that isn't to say the rest of the cast don't get a chance to shine. I'll discuss Octavia Spencer at a later date, but the Michaels, Stuhlbarg and Shannon, are both very good as sort of the standard sort of characters in this sort of fantasy film - sympathetic scientist and nasty government agent -, playing into their usual 'types' rather well. Jenkins' performance, though, is my favourite supporting performance in the film, the closeted homosexual artist neighbour and best friend of mute janitor Elisa (Hawkins) who witnesses her strange, unique relationship with the strange humanoid amphibian played by Doug Jones blossom. Jenkins stands out so well with a character who could've been entirely forgettable, or worse a lame caricature. The idea of the gay best friend may have been done many times before, but Jenkins makes it feel very fresh, as he makes Giles feel so perfectly attuned to the 1960s setting. He doesn't overdo the usual tics and mannerisms for a homosexual character, and most importantly makes them feel very natural to who Giles is: an erudite, slightly crass, earnest fellow with a love for the arts, and nostalgia for the past.

Jenkins is utilized for many things in the film, and fulfills each of them perfectly. He's an effective comic relief - I particularly his deadpan reaction to one of his cats after a particularly unpleasant experience -, but also such a heartbreaking presence in the scenes where he deals with failures in his professional and love life, and his gentle, heartfelt narration helps bookend the film beautifully. Of course, the most important part of his performance is his chemistry with Sally Hawkins, which is just thoroughly amazing, as the dynamic, between the talkative man who doesn't always have to courage to act, and the mute woman who is determined to do the right thing. Jenkins gives a lovely performance with a 'supportive' character in the best possible sense.

3. Woody Harrelson as Chief Bill Willoughby in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri  

To discuss what exactly makes this performance great, spoilers are definitely required, and if you haven't seen the film and are still reading, well go on then.

Harrelson's Willougby comes into conflict with Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) over the three billboards she's rented outside (you guessed it) Ebbing, Missouri, calling out the police department for making no progress in investigating the rape and murder of her teenage daughter. His performance is one I appreciated the first time I watched the film, but on re-watch (upon which I loved the film even more), I noticed many things I didn't pick up the first time round that make this a rather amazing performance, despite the somewhat unconventional way Willloughby is used in the film. Harrelson's depiction of the small town sheriff starts off as a strict but fair authority figure who loves his family and berates the often incompetent officers, carrying the right sort of command in his performance, evident in the scenes where he interrogates people about the billboards or visits Mildred in attempt to reason with her about the billboards.

SPOILERS

What I really love about this performance is how it is equal parts a great comedic and dramatic performance. He's such a great straight man to Frances McDormand as almost in awe of her extreme antics, while seguing so effectively into his more tender scenes as he shows the fragile side of Willougby, who has pancreatic cancer, and is haunted by his inability to find the killer of her daughter. With his fellow police officers he adds so much to their humorous bickering, and I have particular affection for his impressed reaction to Dixon's comebacks, while also finding a real warmth and charm in his affection for them, that makes sense of why the townspeople love him so much. His performance builds up to some truly powerful, often silent moments as we watch Willoughby struggle with his love for his family and his desire not to see them suffer, and his sudden exit from the film is particularly powerful. Harrelson gives a fantastic performance here, where he manages to make scenes with his somewhat underwhelming onscreen wife Abbie Cornish rather affecting, and develops the status and depth of his small town sheriff so incredibly well in his short screentime - although the character comes into play once again later on.

2. Willem Dafoe as Bobby in The Florida Project

I think it's testament to an actor's incredible talent how he can play Bobby Peru from Wild at Heart so brilliantly, and here play this very, very different Bobby with such aplomb. How can I describe Dafoe's Bobby? He's the manager of the Florida motel where young protagonist Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) live, and the shining ray of positivity and warmth in The Florida Project, easily the most lovable and likable character out of this lot. As the sort of surrogate father figure to the kids in the apartment complex, he's simply delightful, whether it is him playing along with their silly games, and every one of his faces of lighthearted exasperation adds so much to the film. There are also the more serious scenes like his confrontation with an unpleasant, predatory figure lurking around the motel. Dafoe is particularly amazing in this scene as he brings such an incisiveness to Bobby that's quite crowd-pleasing in a way without feeling inappropriate, as he shows the innate goodness of the man manifests itself in always doing the right thing to the best of his abilities. He manages to make a simple scene of him turning the central power back on seem like a gladiator winning a fight in the arena, as Dafoe brings such a streak of lovable, entertaining goodwill as the compassionate 'king' of the motel. He even gets a scene all to himself to show off his more overt comedic chops, (improvised on the day) where he escorts a flock of fowls away from the motel that's just comic gold.

Dafoe though, does not use his character's positivity as an excuse to make his character simplistic. He brings the right sort of complexity to his character in the scenes where he interacts with his estranged son as he suggests a more troubled past for Bobby, that implies why his kindness and generosity might be some sort of way to make up for the past. He's fantastic too, in showing his troubled dynamic with his tenants Moonee and Hailee, and is particularly great in his scenes with Bria Vinaite where he shows the struggle between showing her compassion and helping her, and knowing that she is a terrible mother. I know some take issue with how the film concludes his character's arc, but I think it's brilliant personally, as it only humanizes Bobby without taking away from his endearing kindness. Dafoe gives a sensational performance as the epitome of tough kindness without ever descending into sentimentality or caricature, and it's definitely one of my favourite performances of his.

1. Sam Rockwell as Officer Jason Dixon in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 

Rockwell's Dixon is for lack of a better word, an idiot, and I wouldn't say this is an element of the character that really changes throughout the film, at least not in the usual sense. One of the biggest debates surrounding Three Billboards is Dixon's character, and the extent to which the audience can accept his arc of 'redemption' and 'change' throughout the narrative. I understand completely if one finds issue with the writing or performance of the character, but for me the character entirely works for the purposes of the narrative. For me however, this performance and character is not one of any drastic change or development, but rather a character who in many ways stays the same, but reflects on himself, and begins to direct himself towards a change and development in his outlook on life.

As he was in his previous collaboration with Martin McDonagh, Rockwell is effortlessly entertaining as the deadbeat loser cop who more often than not acts before he thinks. The thickness of his accent and the slur he does to suggest the not-too-bright nature of Dixon might take some getting used to, but it's absolutely perfect for the character, particularly in the scenes where he's sparring with Caleb Landry Jones' Red Welby as the two engage in a battle of witlessness. Rockwell is hilarious as this dumbass who spends more time reading comic books than actually doing police work, who acts like a tough hardened cop at the bar but who also has a midnight curfew. He does well though, to also allude to the more troubling side of the character, where his manchild tendencies often result in him threatening people with violence, and whose every movement seems to suggest a dark past haunting him from within. An aspect of the character that has received scrutiny is how his racism is brushed over, I don't think it is, the film acknowledges he's a bigot - hilariously dealt with in the scene he tries to accuse Mildred of using racist terminology - and that he might have tortured people on account of their race, but I don't think it ever tries to justify it. It's just a part of his character that's quite despicable, but which the town itself sort of brushes over due to them respecting the police department and Sheriff Willoughby.

In the first half of the film, Rockwell has plenty of screentime but is not actually the primary focus, with the main scope on the dynamic between Mildred and Willougby. Rockwell to his credit remains an engaging presence, and his scenes with both McDormand and Harrelson are consistently great, from his attempts at intimidating Mildred to remove the billboards, to his ill-informed attempts to defend his beloved boss' honour. Where Rockwell really begins to shine though is

SPOILERS

When Willoughby commits suicide. Rockwell depicts the grief and anger in Dixon in a truly stunning fashion as Dixon goes on a rampage of violence, beautifully directed by McDonagh to be sure, but it's his incredible almost silent depiction of his character's messed up mentality where he can only cope with his grief through violence. This would seem to suggest his character only taking a turn for the worse, but the film doesn't quite go in that direction. What happens next with Dixon is daring, as he almost becomes co-lead to Mildred/McDormand's story, and whether or not you buy into it is essential to either loving or hating the film. For me personally I bought it completely. Dixon faces the repercussions of his actions, which leads to the best scene of the film, and perhaps the most moving scene I've seen all year, where Dixon finally decides to do the right thing. I'll not say more, even with the spoiler tag I feel like words can only do so much in conveying how incredible the scenes involving Rockwell are in the second half of the film. There's forgiveness, there's pain, there's anguish, there's a sort of victory and crushing defeat, and above all a portrayal of a man who realizes what a horrible human being he's been, and seeks some form of not necessarily redemption, but a way to make things work for the better, however slightly. I don't think you even need to sympathize with the character to feel invested in the journey his character takes. I absolutely loved Rockwell's hilarious, heartbreaking and brilliant performance that for me, is easily his career-best.

In contrast to previous years, I'll be continuing on with covering the Oscar nominees, just to give me more time to watch more 2017 films before making my final big lists of the 'Best Of 2017', including the Best Supporting Actor category. If you've all got any recommendations for performances I might highlight in my post for 'Best Supporting Actor 2017', list them out below whether I've seen them or not - and see if they can crack my top 10!!