Reel and Roll Awards: Best Actor/Actress 2018

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Actor 2018 - Top 10

10. Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born

A career-best performance from Cooper here, as you really feel him pour all his soul and passion into his performance as country singer Jackson Maine. The commitment to this passion project of his really pays off from the mannerisms and deep voice he uses to embody this particular man, and his absolutely captivating portrayal of the man's deteriorating state from his alcoholism. He goes further with some great chemistry with not just Lady Gaga, but also Sam Elliott, and creates a depressing journey to the character with just the right sparks in hope in between, and every 'big' scene he has to show the up and down trajectory is great, particularly his devastating final scenes.

9. Lakeith Stanfield, Sorry to Bother You

On rewatch, Stanfield's performance has really stuck with me as one of best 'anchoring' performances of the year. As no matter how utterly bizarre and weird the film gets in its use of allegory, he pulls you right back in whenever it gets too disorientating for its own good with his terrific straight man turn as Cassius Green. Known most often for his quirkier characters, he gives such a strong depiction of an everyman given the taste of the high life with his 'white voice', and creates a real emotional core to his journey to pull you in and out of sympathy for him, while also being just a really funny deadpan presence to boot.

8. John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers 

Really interesting performance as he's technically playing into his usual type but as a very different sort of character than he usually plays. As he has to balance his usual endearing schmuck charm and joviality with one half of a pair of infamous hitman brothers. Reilly makes this odd combination work incredibly well, and is particularly entertaining whenever he's embracing the 'fun' of the character, and makes for a surprisingly believable badass. What really makes the performance work is the poignancy he infuses into Eli's desire to retire from their current lifestyle, as he creates such a sense of strong empathy and a sense of regret. Excellent work from a great actor in what was quite the banner year for him, besides Holmes and Watson I suppose. 

7. Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate

Forget that Dafoe is about 30 years too old to play Van Gogh at any point of his life. Like Basquiat and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel has found a brilliant performance to anchor his portrayal of an artist, and in Dafoe finds an astonishing take on a real-life figure who's been portrayed onscreen before, but never in quite this way. Dafoe is tremendous in showing the passion that fills up the soul of Van Gogh through his depiction of the creative process of painting and his descriptions of it, while also finding a real tragedy in his frustrations at being unappreciated and dismissed by his contemporaries. He's also great in showing the mental torment and exhaustion of the character and how this distances him from others, and combines the two sides brilliantly in scenes like his 'confession' to cutting off his ear. An amazing performance I hope (against all odds) wins the Oscar.

6. Yoo Ah-in, Burning

To discuss this performance in-depth is to go into spoiler territory, because part of the brilliance of Yoo's performance here is how he gradually pieces together a very unsettling portrayal of a seemingly simple man with 'hidden' depths. Yoo puts such an interesting spin on the earnest 'hero' who watches his unrequited love fall into the hands of a twisted sociopath (so he sees it), and in turn goes down an increasingly dark road of his own. His work is within such a reserved frame of physical state and mind and all the more remarkable in the amount of emotion he quietly springs upon you in key moments, with some particularly outstanding in the third act as he goes about acting as the sleuth for the pseudo-mystery at the heart of the film, where it is not so much about the revelations themselves as it is about the repercussions on the characters.

5. Ben Foster, Leave No Trace

As traumatised war veteran Will, the perennially underrated Foster gives another powerful, pitch-perfect performance, once again playing a solider/former soldier which he's done many times before, but not quite in this way. Foster is incredible in portraying the traumatised, irrational state of the man who always seems ill at ease around people, yet so at one and comforted by nature, but also his daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie). Him and McKenzie find a powerful connection with one another that really is the film. On his own, Foster as mentioned gives such a realistic and vivid portrayal of PTSD, with a particular standout sequence being his silent, incredible moving reactions to a psychological test, and throughout the film even when his character does some questionable things, never loses sympathy for his plight, and adds so much complexity to this father who is torn by his love for his daughter and his inability to assimilate into society.

4. Jakob Cedergren, The Guilty

Cedergren gives a fantastic performance as Asger, a police officer demoted to desk duty at a call centre, and makes the one-setting, real-time thriller surrounding a desperate emergency call. His performance is in the same way as Tom Hardy in Locke, a one-man show that's truly one of a kind,  as he shows us so much about his character just through his various phone conversations with others, while creating such a vividly realise sense of tension and emotional potency through each of his exchanges with the situation at hand. He creates such a powerful characterisation of such a grounded character and makes the film work entirely with his devoted, powerful performance, and his final revelation of self to the caller in particular is just a throughly outstanding moment.

3. Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Hawke gives a career-best turn as a Reverend Toller, stricken with the spiritual and environmental corruption of the modern world and how he, himself a man of God with demons of his own, must grapple with it. Hawke's performance delves into the depths of a deeply troubled soul who's rotting from within from the enormity of what he's experienced and is experiencing, carrying not only his own burdens but the burdens of other people's tragedies on his shoulders, and struggling to do his best to do good in a world that seems to want anything but. He grounds even the more abstract and overt ideas of the film with his moving performance, and goes further in granting such a haunting visceral quality to his struggle to either conform with the church, or conform with the new brand of morality slowly growing within him. Hawke very much delivers in the usual expected way, but with a little something extra that makes this a particularly great leading turn from the great actor.

Runner-up: Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased

One of the 'quietest' lead performances I've seen this year, in that I never feel like either he or director Joel Edgerton is trying to go for a big Oscar scene. Hedges is remarkable in showing the journey of Jared, both through his relationships with his family, and the people at the gay conversion camp, and finds such a unique form of power in each of these. In that even when he's not saying anything, or not even overtly reacting, he carries such a weight in each of his interactions to change according to how comfortable or uncomfortable he feels, the complexity of his attitudes towards his own sexuality, and his love but frustration for his family. I particularly love his reactions after the horrific experience with a college roommate where he shows such a mess of emotions, and his final few scenes where he shows a young man finding the resolve to break free, but also the scared young boy terrified at his mistreatment. 

WINNER: Ryan Gosling, First Man 

The response to Gosling's performance in First Man as Neil Armstrong has unfortunately been somewhat muted in terms of critical and audience response, and what seemed like a surefire Oscar nomination has unfortunately been left hanging around the periphery of awards season. Which is a shame, really, because frankly I think he's never been better, even amidst his outstanding recent hot streak of La La Land, The Nice Guys, Blade Runner 2049 and now, this. His portrayal of a seemingly cold, methodical and outwardly emotionless individual works incredibly well for the scenes where Armstrong is on the job, where he gives the character this drive, showing someone who almost deliberately mutes his emotions to maximise efficiency and success, yet finds also a strong devotion and camaraderie with his fellow astronauts to find an underlying warmth and sincere connection nevertheless - and the breaks in his stoicism when he reacts to the deaths of his comrades makes the impact hit a lot harder.

Gosling merges this brilliantly with his depiction of Armstrong's family life where he displays in certain scenes such an honest warmth with his wife and children, yet with a certain reserve that distances him, particularly great in the scene where he has to 'notify' his children about how he might not come back from the Apollo 11 mission, which he handles in such a 'professional' manner akin to a press conference yet suggesting the inner maelstrom within. The best part of his performance is, however, is recurring arc throughout the film that deals with the great tragedy of his life. It pays off brilliantly in the end, and I have to give so much credit to Gosling for bringing the emotion so beautifully in his final few scenes where he actually says close to nothing, yet his performance says so much at the same time, making it perhaps my favourite of 2018.

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Actress 2018 - Top 10

10. Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy, Thoroughbreds

Both actresses give phenomenal performances as essentially two dissimilar yet in some way similar 'themes' in Cooke's unfeeling psychopath teenager and Taylor-Joy's full of feeling yet in her own gradual way psychotic teenager. They play so well off one another with Cooke's Amanda and her controlled distanced sociopathy bouncing off of the unravelling psyche of Taylor Joy's Lily. While the film hasn't quite stuck with me as much as I might've liked these are a pair of terrific lead performances that perfectly fit the tone of the film.

9. Carey Mulligan, Wildlife 

As a film on the whole I thought this was a decent, if nothing overly special, directorial debut by Paul Dano, a fine domestic drama but nothing worth particular notice outside of Carey Mulligan, who unfortunately yet again was shut out of the Oscar race for a very deserving performance. As 60s housewife Jeanette, Mulligan gives a tremendous portrayal of a character whose endearing qualities and faults are all cohered into one mess of an individual, who seemingly contradicts herself at every other turn yet whose motives are entirely sincere. Honestly I think the film could've entirely faltered with a lesser performance in the role, but she gives a fully realized, four-dimensional performance that is up there with her performances in An Education and Far From the Madding Crowd.

8. Lady Gaga, A Star is Born

Though there are the tiniest hints of inexperience in the role which Cooper does a good job of covering up for, this is for the most part a great star turn by Gaga, very much evoking those Cher-like comparisons in her use of her star wattage onscreen. Gaga has as aforementioned, scintillating chemistry with Cooper, and alongside this makes her the realisation of Ally's ambitions and dreams rather affecting and powerful, particularly in her performance of 'Shallow', and even though her ascension to fame is somewhat secondary to Jackson Maine's story, continues to deliver an effective portrayal of this arc, and whenever she's in 'focus' she delivers, whether it's a musical number or an argument with Maine, and her final scene is just downright amazing.

7. Charlize Theron, Tully 

Theron delivers another great performance, as has become the norm whenever she's given a lead role, as perennially stressed out mother Marlo. Though I don't like drawing to much attention to aspects like this generally, her physical commitment to the role in gaining weight and embracing the constantly tired nature of the character makes for a particularly lived-in performance, and she also makes for a particularly warm and endearing presence in scenes which necessitate that without compromising the more sombre aspects of the character. It's never a very showy performance, nor does it need to be, as Theron delivers so brilliantly as anything the screenplay needs her to be, and makes for a rather likeable, dynamic presence utterly grounded in realism.

6. Toni Collette, Hereditary 

I have a great many problems with the film itself, which is particularly bothersome since there are just as many elements I'd consider masterful. Chief among them is Collette's incredible performance as Annie Graham. She gives such a striking portrayal of mental illness and grief without making it feel exploitative, really helping to set the film's unique spin on the horror genre from the outset, and delivering both in the rawness of the emotions but also the decay that sets in from the two 'tragedies' that occur. The burden of what happens at it seeps and warps the family from within is brought to life incredibly by Collette's performance, as she brings both such impactful reactions to the horrors that begin to occur around her, and creates quite the terrifying effect with her own brand of horror that results from her own mental breakdown, which again she manages to make not exploitative. It's incredible how she manages to make all of this work, and that's not even to mention the depth she manages to convey in her relationships with her onscreen family, particularly Alex Wolff as her onscreen son, in which they share (alongside Gabriel Byrne) one of the best-acted scenes of 2018. Hate having to leave her out of my top 5.

5, 4, 3. Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz, The Favourite 

These three ladies are exceptional to the extent that I had a very, very hard time separating them all in the rankings. Weisz might be my personal favourite out of the trio, as sort of the balancing act between the other two performances as she plays the biting, incisive wit of Sarah Churchill with such aplomb, driving her insults with such force that is both rather awe-inspiring but more importantly, absolutely hilarious, and I'd go into more detail but that would frankly ruin the fun if you haven't seen the film yet. Her interactions with Stone's Abigail as the 'rival' for the Queen's attentions are incredibly well done as she plays the scenes with such a range of emotions and attitudes depending on the circumstances that make for some of the best scenes of the year, while with Colman she grants such an honest warmth, but also a sense of manipulation and cunning. Stone, on the other hand, is as expected completely on point in the comic department, with her prat falling and slapstick energy in particular notable, and pulls off a great British accent to boot. She goes further than that in delivering entirely on a particularly tricky character arc, and amplifies that with some fantastic anti-chemistry with Weisz, and a different sort of connection with Colman, and I particularly love every scene where she subtly tries to curry favour with the Queen through seemingly innocuous remarks. Then we have Colman as the Queen who is as batshit entertaining as ever in her portrayal of Anne which reminded me quite a bit of Miranda Richardson in Blackadder only with an even more prominent streak of pathetic weakness, and delivering in such a compelling fashion that madness of the character, though never in an overly 'obvious' way. As fun as she is in the BIG moments of the character, though, I have a particular fondness for her smaller, quieter moments, and one of her scenes where she's discussing the meaning behind her pet rabbits is an absolutely devastating scene. Three pitch-perfect performances for the price of one great film.

Runner-Up: Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Last time McCarthy was nominated for an Oscar, it was for her broad comedic supporting turn in Bridesmaids, which was in itself definitely an inspired nomination, and over the next few years she would continue to essentially ply her trade in a series of comedy films of mixed results, some very good like Spy, some not so good. This performance is something of a revelation, not of her talents so to speak which have always been considerable and evident, but of how she could use them to play a character so against her usual grain, it's an achievement in itself. McCarthy's Lee Israel is a piece of work, a difficult, abrasive and altogether unpleasant figure whose only joy is in her cat and the misfortunes which befall others. She takes what could've been an altogether too cruel and unpleasant character into such a vividly realised bag of contradictions, where her insufferable nature elicits its own sort of sympathy the audience can cling to even when her actions continue to be pretty nasty and, soon enough, fraudulent. I've spoken previously about her chemistry with Richard E. Grant, well it's here in spades and she uses that to again create such humanity in the character, though still retaining that edge of the mean and miserable soul, yet also creating a certain tenderness within her that is hidden by the rough exterior. It's a performance that can be hilarious when it needs to be but also utterly miserable or heartbreaking, often within the same scene, as McCarthy delivers one of the most complex roles of 2018 with such aplomb.

WINNER: Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace 

It was a tough choice between my top two, and I'm tempted to grant a tie, however McKenzie here gives an incredible breakout turn that is entirely worthy of the Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone comparisons. McKenzie joins the ranks of Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit, Jacob Tremblay in Room, and Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild as these great yet unassuming portraits of unique coming-of-age stories. I think these child actor performances in general are rather underrated to begin with, the category misplacements in their campaigns are often quite telling, as even Wallis' lead nomination was often criticised by many as being just a 'director's job', which is just a dumb criticism anyway. 

Anyway, McKenzie delivers an absolutely lived-in portrayal of young Tom and her most unique sort of upbringing. Where her onscreen father Foster is a maelstrom of emotions funnelled within a repressed exterior that is only compatible with nature, McKenzie gives a different sort of turn as a figure who was raised entirely and brought up in affinity with that very nature. The ease with which she interacts with nature and provides such a soothing comfort to her father is remarkable, as well as the burgeoning curiosity with the outside world. This makes the effect of her work when Tom is finally placed in the 'real world' and must adapt. McKenzie's performance is incredible in that she shows it is never an easy journey, both her discomfort at her new surroundings but also her fascination with them, and the clash between her love for her troubled father but also her frustrations at him holding them back from properly 'adapting'. This all coalesces into a powerful exploration of a young girl's journey into a woman, a heartfelt depiction of maturation, but also a heartrending portrayal of needing to let go.