Reel and Roll Awards: Best Leading Performances 2019

WARNING: 
Most of the clips here are spoiler-heavy (except for those which I couldn't find the clips I'd want to show in which case I've put interviews/featurettes) Only watch if you've seen the film and are looking to re-live these wonderful performances! 

Top: Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Bottom: Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose

Well first up we have two insanely charismatic stars in the making delivering absolutely wonderful musical turns: Taron Egerton playing the one and only Elton John in Rocketman and Jessie Buckley playing the titular Wild Rose-Lynn Harlan.  It must be said that both simply light up the screen every moment they're on.

Egerton just throws himself into Elton wonderfully, capturing the essence of the man, going all in for it with any of John's personal flaws and journey to recovery, and most importantly is a breathtaking showman every step of the way delivering each musical number, with his powerful delivery of 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' and the new rendition of 'I'm Still Standing' being particularly striking.

The same goes Buckley who is a rambunctious infectious delight in each musical number, milking that wonderful Glaswegian accent she uses for all its worth and delivering on every banging country song, but what's most remarkable is her bringing all the faults of Rose-Lynn to life so vividly, creating a truly multi-dimensional character through her star turn here. Her portrayal is that of a loving but flawed, idealistic but also foolish dreamer, and ultimately just such a compelling character you love following all the way through. She not only carries the film, she is in essence the film and the reason it works the way it does. It's a shame she never quite got enough traction to make a splash on the awards scene, and that Egerton's campaign missed out in the final stretch, but both give superlative turns that will hopefully get them more acclaim, and increasingly juicy roles in the future.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
Daniel Craig, Knives Out

Now here we have three actors who're just here to have a good time if we're discussing things at a very basic level.

It has to be said Christian Bale in Ford v Ferrari and Daniel Craig in Knives Out are having a blast, more so than I've seen them in quite some time, absolutely digging into the Brummie accent and deep fried Southern accent they use respectively with such gusto, as the larger than life race car driver Ken Miles and pseudo-Poirot Benoit Blanc. Both are so much fun to watch every step of the way as they drive and cuss, investigate and ruminate, and Bale manages to make Miles a surprisingly endearing and loveable character and Craig in addition to providing the laughs and delights makes his final 'expose' monologue genuinely thrilling.

Now Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood also delivers on that front as its a welcome return to energetic Leo mood after the sombreness of The Revenant. On re-watch, while I had all the more reservations with certain portions of the film, DiCaprio's standout comic work stood out all the more for me, playing Rick Dalton the hapless fading star with all his insecurities in a hilarious fashion, particularly in that trailer breakdown sequence, and is just as incredible in making Rick a genuinely likeable, for all his faults, chap with such great chemistry with Brad Pitt and Julia Butters, and his scenes as Bounty Law's suspicious. sheriff, a raving Nazi flamethrower killer, and above all 'best acting I've ever seen' as a malevolent sexy Hamlet villain.

Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit; Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Taylor Russell, Waves; Noah Jupe, Honey Boy 

Now I'm always just a sucker for child/young adult POVs in films which I think gives directors, and for that matter actors, an additional challenge to really bring you into that very particular perspective, and when it pays off it pays off marvellously. Well here's an enviable quartet of great performances this year by some young and very, very talented actors.

Now a 4-time Oscar nominee at the age of 25, Saoirse Ronan gives a marvellous turn as Jo March in Little Women with a portrayal that is equal parts a wonderful anchor to the film, and is not just an amazing performance for someone of her age but just an amazing performance, period. Her and Greta Gerwig are clearly the next undeniable pairing as she flourishes so well with the energetic, dynamic and earnest energy of the film and hitting the comedic and dramatic beats equally well, with special mention to how well she can go from goofy bookworm to snarky deadpan depending on the needs of the scene, absolutely delivering on the conflict between her desire for independence and desire for love, and honestly has such great chemistry with literally every cast member, particularly the other sisters. She never simplifies any of these relationships, nor that with Chalamet's Laurie, and creates a complex dynamic with each family member and acquaintance that amplifies the already great material and co-stars, and showing that she's truly in my opinion the best actress working today.

Another marvellous balancing act of tones can be found in Jojo Rabbit with Roman Griffin Davis as the titular character. It's hard to believe that this is Davis' acting debut as ten year old Johannes Betzler, young German in the later stages of WWII. It would have been easy for Davis' performance to get overshadowed by the likes of imaginary Hitler and wacky idiotic Nazis, but he gives such an assured portrayal of the effect of the jingoistic propaganda on his rude and stuck up antics, yet still somehow quite charming and endearing chap, and most importantly is consistently hilarious in each and every interaction. As the film progresses and gets darker he changes with the tone so brilliantly, culminating in the most heartbreaking scene of the year which is all about his amazing portrayal, and creates the transition of his character so vividly while never losing sight of his character as a young child.

Now Taylor Russell in Waves and Noah Jupe in Honey Boy give performances that are not as honed in upon by the nature of their respective films, but both give astonishing turns all the same. Russell carrying the second half of Waves, which I will admit I do have a few reservations about but which ended up hitting me in the emotional sweet spot all the same. In the first half she's really strong anyway, and her portrayal of recovery from grief and acceptance of the tragedy of the first half is amazing, her scene with Sterling K. Brown is one of the best acted scenes of the year, period, by both actors. And Jupe is a revelation as essentially young Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy, playing the child actor side of the performance incredibly well, nailing each and every emotionally complex interaction with his onscreen father LaBeouf (who as I've mentioned before is great), and gives a consistently on point performance at every point in showing the painful experiences that wear on the young boy.

Kelvin Harrison Jr., Waves and Luce
Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell; Matthias Schoenaerts, The Mustang 

These three performances are all about watching as the gears kick into motion and you watch the inner life of the character in action.

In the case of Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Luce and Waves, and Paul Walter Hauser in Richard Jewell the gradual implosion is what make their performances click. Harrison Jr. gives quite the banner year of performances for his two terrific performances, both as star students and athletes who get thrown into rather troubling situations. With Luce he gives a complex, clockwork mystery of a charismatic, ambiguously manipulative figure thrown against the more intimate side that unravels as the film digs deeper into the core of the racial pressures thrust upon him, while in Waves he gives a more emotionally potent portrayal of a kid going through all manner of nightmarish scenarios as his dreams are crushed, giving a harrowing portrayal of the result of a series of terrible decisions. It doesn't matter that he's only really featured in the first half of the film as he leaves a lingering impression on you long after.Walter Hauser as the titular hero turned victim of press vilification gives another ticking time bomb performance as he firstly plays into his usual oafish self, though more endearing this time around, and depicts the overwhelming rise to fame and the crushing descent into becoming demonised by the press so vividly, maintaining a consistency in his Jewell's earnest desire to help matters that makes the implosion of righteous indignation all the more satisfying to watch.

Matthias Schoenaerts in The Mustang on the other hand gives a performance of defusion. Schoenaerts is as expected by now, terrific, at first giving very much in his usual wheelhouse of quiet brutish prisoner, yet what I loved and what I initially overlooked about the performance is how much nuance he finds in his character's transformation. It's so interesting to watch his character become more tamed down and opened up through his interactions with the horses he takes care of and reveals the character's vulnerabilities beautifully, and his breakdown sequences are not only extremely powerful but so well earned. 

Robert De Niro, The Irishman; Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Awkwafina, The Farewell; Ana De Armas, Knives Out 

Now here's a quartet of particularly quiet, understated and observant turns that 2019 gifted us.

It would be remiss to not acknowledge that although I have some qualms about this year's Oscar nominations, it's great that Antonio Banderas' quietly emotional performance as essentially director Pedro Almodovar in Pain and Glory was nominated. It's one of the quietest performances ever nominated for an Academy Award, up there with Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and I'm glad it was recognised. In that Banderas, in general such a lively, charismatic and larger than life figure, here disappears into the quiet, retiring and rather internalised sort that 'Salvador Mallo' is. He's strong throughout and is downright brilliant in the scenes where he reconnects with a past lover, where his restrained approach honestly made them hit with even more emotion than if he'd gone more overt.

He was rightfully awarded, unfortunately the same cannot be said for Robert De Niro in The Irishman and Awkwafina in The Farewell, the former despite being in a Best Picture nominee and one the Academy clearly loved, the latter despite winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress (Musical or Comedy). De Niro gives a true return to form after a series of increasingly awful films and roles, and though it takes a little while to get adjusted to the various ages of Frank Sheeran, soon enough he makes himself right at home with Scorsese's style. Though his role is in many ways more understated and less showy than his co-stars Pacino and Pesci, he plays off of each of them so well while making his almost passive, workmanlike character stand out with that De Niro screen presence, and then is legitimately amazing in the final act of the film in Sheeran's most elderly infirm state. Meanwhile, Awkwafina gives a complete 180 from her entertaining Crazy Rich Asians performance as Billi, who acts as the film's quiet wavering pendulum between West and East as she observes the 'lie' being told to her grandmother about her cancer diagnosis. Her performance is so quietly reflected of the changes and complexities within this predicament and dilemma and she really brings you into the experience every step of the way, and her 'big' scene of breaking down over her childhood is well earned and most importantly, splendidly performed.

Lastly, Ana de Armas in Knives Out is absolutely wonderful in a role which would in most films be a stick in the mud, luckily Rian Johnson makes sure that she's an essential cog to the film's success as essentially the protagonist, and an active participant and observer to the mystery at hand. She delivers entirely in the dramatic stakes, with so much of the burden of that side of the film on her shoulders, and beyond that also manages to get some laughs in which is pretty amazing given the nature of her character.

Lupita Nyong'o, Us
Florence Pugh, Midsommar; Samara Weaving, Ready or Not

It has to be said that this was a great year for the well-worn trope of the 'final girl standing' horror trope - Lupita Nyong'o in Us giving equal parts a vividly terrified and terrifying performance that pushes through the film's faults to deliver an astonishing dual performance, and Samara Weaving in Ready or Not and Florence Pugh in Midsommar granting such visceral, on point portrayals of young ladies finding themselves in, suffice to say, rather precarious relationships that lead to some truly gruesome sequences.

All three actresses are completely on point the whole time in delivering on the nerve-wracking fear and pains they go through. Pugh's unforgettable scream at the opening haunting revelation for college student Dani that simply escalates across the film in such an unassuming way, leading to that final unforgettable reaction shot. Weaving selling the hell out of every wound, crash and burn newlywed Grace has to endure on her tumultuous wedding night, and getting some surprising laughs in the process as she creates a convincing transition into essentially the action hero of the piece.

And of course, Nyong'o so mesmerising in both sides of her performance. Obviously protagonist Adelaide's complete and utter horror-struck phases as she takes in and endures all manner of creepy doppelgängers assaulting her family, but also as her own doppelgänger 'Red' which is simply an amazing creation by Nyong'o, creating an unforgettable horror monster with that raspy voice, those haunting eyes but also just how haunted, pained and emotionally unhinged 'Red' is that grants so much depth than perhaps the film even expected. It's just very entertaining and lively work that also manages to grant so much depth to the horror genre, and while I do have reservations with Us Nyong'o undoubtedly gives a phenomenal performance as both the hunter and the haunted.

Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale; Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Aaron Paul, El Camino; George MacKay, 1917

And meanwhile if you want to be kept on edge, these following four performances keep you with their performances the whole time in taking their characters through the wringer, and creating an unsettling, anxious, constantly tense atmosphere as you follow them through every second of their absolutely riveting performances.

You've got Aaron Paul returning to Jesse Pinkman in El Camino to continue his character's arc from the series. Now I am still of the belief that the way Jesse's arc ended in the original series was perfect but nevertheless, El Camino was a great epilogue for the character. Whether it's playing through the early season 1 and 2 phases of Jesse, or the more haunted Jesse of the later seasons he's terrific, and earns the moments of levity and badassery along the way in the main meat of his work showing a man who's gone through hell and back, and it's really quite amazing how well he creates each phase of Jesse into a stellar conclusion.

Meanwhile, you've got Aisling Franciosi in The Nightingale giving an atypical revenge tale an atypical revenge protagonist. Like Paul's Pinkman, Franciosi's Clare goes through horrible, torturous treatment by some rather nasty sorts. Her performance is one that starts with relative simplicity in portraying her character as very much a jaded and flawed prisoner who's lived a harsh life which all then collapses as the nastiest and most repulsive means of revenge are exacted against her and her family. She never makes the subsequent journey into an avenging angel easy, showing the difficulty with which she goes through each action and makes it all the more powerful and brutal with each sequence as we see someone who's gone through hell become more and more jaded to it.

Where both the aforementioned characters were victims of others' perpetration, Adam Sandler's Howard in Uncut Gems very much creates his own problems as he goes along. This performance does something very special which the great Mark Kermode brought up, which is you don't need to like or even sympathise with this character to become invested in the film. He is a horrible person, and so compelling in many ways both because, and despite that. Howard is another Safdie brothers fuckup, a huckster jeweller who lives life on the edge, sleazily gambling and losing and gambling with others' welfare. Yet you can't wait to see how he'll mess up next and get out of the sticky situation. He makes pawning jewellery so invigorating to watch in just the cadence and rhythm with which Howard uses any means to get what he wants. His typical dorky Sandler-isms are used to darkly comedic effect particularly against Idina Menzel, showing a different side to his comedic talents. Him essentially 'selling' his life philosophy to Kevin Garnett is a truly mesmerising scene, as is him rooting for an NBA game which is quite something. His chemistry with Julia Fox is great, while also showing that no one can quite do a breakdown scene like Adam Sandler does when under the right direction.

Meanwhile on an almost opposite spectrum of characters comes George MacKay's Schofield in 1917 carrying the film's continuous shot premise on his shoulders through the horrors of WWI. Where Howard is a richly drawn character with a whole lot of mess going on in his personal life, Schofield is a pretty minimalist character in many regards with a thinly outlined backstory not overly dwelt upon by the film, lacking typical 'tropes' of a war film protagonist. This might seem I'm being critical, but I'm not. As in MacKay gives an utterly realistic portrayal of a young man snatched right out of WWI, giving an unfussy and utterly captivating portrayal of an everyman going through the horrors of war. MacKay is on point every second of his performance and is essential to keeping the various paces and varying intensities of the film moving. The film never stops to let him show off yet he manages to give one of the most affecting arcs in 2019 as almost silently, and so much said in his eyes, we see a hardened cynical man go through the horrors of war, break down again and again and yet keep moving. It's work that the more I think about, the more I love, and that 'Sixteen Hundred Men' scene, while a highlight for Sam Mendes, Roger Deakins and Thomas Newman, is also a masterclass in acting by MacKay as he silently shows a broken man so powerfully finding the will to make one last push. 

Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, The LighthouseAdèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Sticking one on an island is always good fuel for a narrative: see Robinson Crusoe, Cast Away. Stick two of 'em and what'll happen? Well all bets are off. You could get the nightmarish Gothic pairing of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse or the eloquent, restrained romance blossoming from Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Both pairings are dynamite pairings yet in such different ways, as Dafoe and Pattinson create such terse animosity that brings them together and tears them apart in isolation - the crusty old lighthouse keeper Wake and mysterious drifter newbie Winslow -, while Haenel and Merlant as aristocrat Heloise and painter Marianne slowly create a bond from their initial divergence and wariness of one another in this tale of a fateful art commission. 

What really makes both pairs of performances work is how well they work in alignment with one another, but in such different ways. Celine Sciamma's direction and screenplay gives Haenel and Merlant the perfect platform to create this quite unassuming passion that blossoms between them, as they move from being on such different wavelengths, to still being on different wavelengths but with a connective tissue between them that is for lack of a better word, electrifying. Merlant so quiet and gradual in making her repressed character's feelings felt and Haenel an absolute powerhouse in showing her character's defensive attitudes subside into something else altogether, and I love how both performances build up the romance in such an organic way that always feels earned and never feels boring, and with special note to Haenel's final scene which is one of the best endings of the year and one of the best acted sequences of the year. 

I've made no secret of my affection for The Lighthouse but for all my love for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, sound design, and really all the technical elements, the element that has stuck with me the most are the lead performances. They are magnificent showcases for each actor's talents as they're both so incredibly entertaining in the role yet also so layered, as they create a batshit crazy dynamic that just escalates over the course of the film into two performances that are as complimentary of one another as they are standouts on their own. Dafoe has never been better, pure perfection from that roguish, gruff growling West Country man of the sea accent, to the drunken decay and coarseness through every movement he makes, every fart he takes, and every biting remark he hurls to show Winslow as almost on a whole other level of being, but not a nice level of being, and Dafoe's screen presence is brilliantly used as a man who might be bonkers or might be completely sane, but is undeniably a powerful presence of being...unless you insult his cooking. What takes it up a notch is how it plays off Pattinson's bonkers, unwieldy (and brilliantly so) so performance where his wavering New England accent, the uncertain and haphazard way he moves his limbs, goes about his duties, performs heinous crimes against aviation and spits out some of the most memorable gems of insults, becoming just as terrifying in defying the avian gods with a good walloping as he is hilarious in lusting over a steak in more ways than one. Which incidentally is part of the best acted scene of the year (which I've enclosed of course) where Winslow insults Wake's lobster. Wake's genuine sincere sadness at this insult to Winslow's disdainful belligerence, matched by Wake hurling Promethean insults right back at him in a mesmerisingly delivered monologue, and the way the two bounce off one another in this scene encapsulates everything that's great about their every scene: hilarious, ferocious, oddly endearing, strangely moving, terrifying, endlessly mesmerising in this chaotic, marvellously frenzied relationship.

August Diehl and Valerie Pächner, A Hidden Life
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, Marriage Story 

Now I should note that with regards to portrayals of marriage in 2019, Only You features two wonderful performances from Josh O'Connor and Laia Costa as a couple trying to conceive, and I would have reviewed them both here if I hadn't only watched the film so recently and hadn't enough time, and I unfortunately (still kicking myself for missing on it) missed my opportunity to watch Ordinary Love back in December due to a busy schedule, which by all accounts features excellent work by both Leslie Manville and Liam Neeson. Anyway, I digress. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as Charlie and Nicole in Marriage Story and August Diehl and Valerie Pächner as Franz and Franziska in A Hidden Life give two powerful depictions of adversity conflicting with marriage. The former in Noah Baumbach's semi-autobiographical depiction of the dissolution of a marriage that threatens to tear their lives apart in the subsequent battle for custody of their son, Henry. The latter in the real life story of Franz Jägerstätter who as an Austrian conscientious objector was executed for refusing to take the Hitler oath.Both films are emotionally draining experiences, and a comparison actually can be made by their use of letters as a way of conveying the emotional complexities of both relationships, where the opening of Marriage Story conveys so well through the letters 'What I Love About Nicole' and 'What I Love About Charlie' to suggest the longstanding relationship between the two and A Hidden Life in particular using letters exchanged and convey so much contrast between the characters' inner turmoil and their love for one another. On re-watch both films resonated all the harder knowing the direction their respective narratives will take. 

For Driver and Johansson above all, a naturalistic depiction of a very realistic, long standing relationship that envelops and collapses on itself from essentially, a lack of communication on Nicole's behalf and a blend of ignorance and selfishness on Charlie's end. Now saying that is simplifying matters because one of the film's strengths is that it never pins the blame of the divorce on either side, with Johansson giving a very honest portrayal of her character's warmer and more quieter moments where she's trying to straighten things out, to her more bitter, angry moments at past regrets that she brings so much sincerity to with every moment, as does Driver who matches her with his excellent portrayal of Charlie being completely at loss and struggling to deal with the fallout, coupled with his stubborn belligerence at the requests made of him in the divorce proceedings, of which I particularly love his stress and anger when it comes to the prospect of having to make compromises when advised by his first lawyer (Alan Alda). I particularly love their depiction of the attempts at reconciliation throughout where they show such genuine warmth with one another that makes when it spirals into arguments all the more frustrating and genuine, whether its the 'serving papers' scene or whenever they come into conflict over spending time with Henry. It's hard to describe really what makes their performances click as much as they do, but both actors convey wonderfully the awkwardness, shame and in their big confrontation scene the outburst of emotions and frustrations in the spur of the moment where both are so powerful in their mutual breakdown, where the messiness of the divorce proceedings manifest themselves into a brilliantly acted sequence where both characters unleash on one another and Johansson and Driver give such a terrific display of unrestrained anger, hate and then shame. Both stand out on their own too in particular, Johansson in her breakdown to her lawyer (Laura Dern) and Driver when finally reading Nicole's 'letter' about him which are both absolutely heartbreaking scenes to watch.

Meanwhile, Diehl and Pächner have a different challenge altogether in the style of the film and their performances. In that they capture a very otherworldly sort of romance yetdo an amazing job in suggesting between Franz and Franziska an almost unspoken passion built upon years of love and hard work put into the relationship, and even in the voiceovers corresponding between one another are incredible bits of acting that build on this. The film resonates most when honing in on their powerful love for one another, with every glance and every touch, the way I'm describing it may sound cheesy but the way Diehl and Pächner depict is is anything but. Both actors are amazing both in showing the central conflict come between them, the rest of the world, and within themselves. Pächner is amazing in showing the strained yet unquestioned frustrations at her husband's actions, never making her love for her spouse an easy journey and showing the struggle in dealing with the animosity of fellow villagers who decry her husband as a traitor, and transitions it into an acceptance and resilience that's so powerful. She depicts so well the difficult position she is in, juxtaposing her almost ethereal emotional purity with her character's awful predicament that makes it even more powerful through her minimalist yet inspiring performance that will tear your heart part. Meanwhile Diehl has arguably the more limited role in some regards in that his character never seems to lose his resilience against submitting to Hitler, but he depicts that resilience so well, and makes the external turmoil his character goes through utterly heartbreaking as we see a man who's trying to do the right thing amidst it all. His character doesn't change, but part of the brilliance of that is he reflects so well the anguish and fear in doing so, and the scene where he breaks down and confesses that  he wants to  he cannot do something he sees as not 'right' even if it means is life, even if he wants to, because it's in his nature, an amazing scene that shows that Franz is not a godly martyr but a man trying to make sense of a terrible world. Both pairs of actors give astonishing performances and I really hate to have to not have all four in my leading lineups.

I struggled for the longest time in deciding who to leave out of my top 5 between Driver and Diehl, and honestly both deserve to, and in many ways I can see why one would put Diehl over Driver, Driver over Diehl, and in the end my reasoning for leaving Diehl came down to honestly his more limited role within the scope of the film as both performances really impacted me hard emotionally. I honestly prefer either of them just the same, and it only made things harder that Davis' performance was just as wonderful on re-watch and MacKay shot up the rankings after re-watch, and frankly any one of my numbers 2 to 6 are interchangeably even though my top spot is unquestioned. Maybe some point in the future I'll expand my nominations lineup because 5 is simply not enough for particularly strong years like this, and I should note that Actress was not easy at all either as I hated leaving Taylor Russell and Awkwafina out of the top 5! Although again, my winner was in the end a fairly easy choice.

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Actor 2019

1. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse
2. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems 
3. George MacKay, 1917
4. Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit 
5. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
6. August Diehl, A Hidden Life
7. Robert De Niro, The Irishman
8. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
9. Matthias Schoenaerts, The Mustang
10. Taron Egerton, Rocketman
11. Aaron Paul, El Camino 
12. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
13. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Waves 
14. Bartosz Bielenia, Corpus Christi 
15. Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari 
16. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes 
17. Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell 
18. Josh O'Connor, Ordinary Love 
19. Daniel Craig, Knives Out 
20. Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
21. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Luce 
22. Matthew Rhys, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood  
23. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes 
24. Dean Charles-Chapman, 1917 
25. Jack Lowden, Fighting with My Family 
26. Daniel Kaluuya, Queen & Slim
27. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
28. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name 
29. Zac Efron, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile 
30. Sam Rockwell, Richard Jewell  
31. Shia LaBeouf, The Peanut Butter Falcon 
32. Zac Gottsagen, The Peanut Butter Falcon
33. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
34. Eddie Redmayne, The Aeronauts 
35. Tom Hanks, Toy Story 4 
36. Matt Damon, Ford v Ferrari 
37. Adam Driver, The Dead Don't Die 
38. Edward Norton, Motherless Brooklyn  
39. Jacob Tremblay, Good Boys
40. Brad Pitt, Ad Astra 
41. Adam Driver, The Report 
42. Mena Massoud, Aladdin
43. Zachary Levi, Shazam! 
44. Jimmie Fails, The Last Black Man in San Francisco 
45. Timothée Chalamet, The King
46. Lucas Hedges, Honey Boy 
47. Michael B. Jordan, Just Mercy 
48. Brady Noon, Good Boys 
49. Keith L. Williams, Good Boys
50. Bill Murray, The Dead Don't Die 
51. Dwayne Johnson, Hobbs & Shaw 
52. Jason Statham, Hobbs & Shaw 
53. Dev Patel, Hotel Mumbai 
54. Randall Park, Always Be My Maybe 
55. Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Far From Home 
56. Oscar Isaac, Triple Frontier 
57. Himesh Patel, Yesterday 
58. Jay Baruchel, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 
59. Asher Angel, Shazam!
60. James McAvoy, Glass
61. Ryan Reynolds, Detective Pikachu 
62. Justice Smith, Detective Pikachu  
63. Ben Affleck, Triple Frontier
64. Chadwick Boseman, 21 Bridges 
65. Tom Burke, The Souvenir 
66. Samuel L. Jackson, Glass 
67. Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 3
68. Matthew McConaughey, Serenity
69. Alexander England, Little Monsters 
70. Donald Glover, The Lion King
71. Bruce Willis, Glass 
72. Toby Sebastian, Trading Paint 
73. John Travolta, Trading Paint 
74. Devon Sawa, The Fanatic 
75. John Travolta, The Fanatic 

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Actress 2019

1. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women 
2. Valerie Pächner, A Hidden Life 
3. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4. Lupita Nyong'o, Us  
5. Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose
6. Taylor Russell, Waves 
7. Awkwafina, The Farewell 
8. Adèle Haenel, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 
9. Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale 
10. Ana de Armas, Knives Out 
11. Samara Weaving, Ready or Not 
12. Florence Pugh, Midsommar 
13. Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 
14. Laia Costa, Only You 
15. Sienna Miller, American Woman 
16. Felicity Jones,  The Aeronauts 
17. Constance Wu, Hustlers 
18. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet 
19. Renée Zellweger, Judy 
20. Kaitlyn Dever, Booksmart
21. Florence Pugh, Fighting With My Family 
22. Elizabeth Debicki, Vita and Virginia 
23. Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Beanpole
24. Vasilisa Perelygina, Beanpole 
25. Rose Byrne, I Am Mother 
26. Lupita Nyong'o, Little Monsters 
27. Honor Swinton-Byrne, The Souvenir 
28. Naomi Watts, Luce
29. Daisy Ridley, The Rise of Skywalker 
30. Jessica Rothe, Happy Death Day 2U 
31. Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart 
32. Charlize Theron, Bombshell
33. Octavia Spencer, Ma  
34. Ali Wong, Always Be My Maybe 
35. Clara Rugaard, I Am Mother
36. Brie Larson, Captain Marvel
37. Lily Collins, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile 
38. Mame Bineta Sane, Atlantics 
39. Francesca Hayward, Cats 
40. Gemma Arterton, Vita and Virginia 
41. Anne Hathaway, Serenity 
42. Sasha Luss, Anna 
43. Rosa Salazar, Alita: Battle Angel 
44. Sophie Turner, Dark Phoenix 

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Cinematography 2019

The Lighthouse, cinematography by Jarin Blaschke 

Waves, cinematography by Drew Daniels 

1917, cinematography by Sam Mendes

Portrait of a Lady on Fire, cinematography by Claire Mathon 

Little Women, cinematography by York Le Saux 

Parasite, cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo

Monos, cinematography by Jasper Wolf 

Uncut Gems, cinematography by Darius Khondji

The Last Black Man in San Francisco, cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra 

A Hidden Life, cinematography by Jörg Widmer

Reel and Roll Awards for Best Cinematography 2019

1. 1917
2. The Lighthouse 
3. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
4. Parasite
5. A Hidden Life 
6. Monos
7. The Last Black Man in San Francisco 
8. Uncut Gems 
9. Little Women 
10. Waves  

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Editing 2019

Well this category was easily a no-brainer in terms of my number 1 for the year. Honestly, this video does a better job than I ever could in describing why exactly the combination of pacing, montage, shifts, rhythm etc. makes Parasite such a one-of-a-kind experience. And yes, Belt of Faith is a GOAT editing scene.

In many other years though, it would be a very easy choice for me to pick The Irishman. I couldn't find a video of the 'car explosion' scene which is just brilliant editing on every front, but this is another great example of classic Thelma Schoonmaker in The Irishman . The edits are often outlandish, stylish, and very obvious but they're brilliant and fitting all the same.

I'll try and see if I can track down videos for the other films on the list at some point but just as a run-through: The Lighthouse and Little Women are mesmerising works in this regard firstly by the cutting back and forth in dialogue, the montage work, and just the brilliant rhythm both create, the former so brooding and the latter the back and forth narrative structure with that pulsating rhythm. Uncut Gems is all about turning everything up a notch in intensity, anxiety and tension and it's just remarkable work in every regard on that front. 1917's work is so invisible that it was ignored by the Academy, well I for one think the recognition must go to making each shot seep into the next seamlessly even though the cinematography is a massive boon there. Apollo 11 is a film that's all about the editing and collating of footage and excels in that regard, El Camino is cut like a strong Breaking Bad episode so no surprises there, Knives Out maintains a beautiful rhythm throughout its murder mystery and in particular has a lot of nifty tricks particularly in the police questioning scenes, and lastly Avengers: Endgame is not overly showy work but gets the job done in crafting another rapid-fire, well made and well paced Marvel film.

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Editing 2019

1. Parasite
2. Uncut Gems 
3. The Irishman
4. The Lighthouse 
5. Little Women 
6. 1917
7. Apollo 11  
8. El Camino
9. Monos 
10. Knives Out  

Reel and Roll Awards: Best Supporting Performances/Ensemble 2019

Top: Tilda Swinton, The Dead Don't Die
Bottom: Bill Hader, It Chapter Two

Okay, so here's two 'horror' films I, to varying degrees, wasn't quite enamoured of. One which was a horror comedy that didn't quite hit me in the way I'd expected considering it's Jim Jarmusch, but one element that did work was Tilda Swinton in The Dead Don't Die who gives a performance I felt was essentially, 'do everything and anything you wanna do'. Samurai sword, thick Scottish accent, ludicrous zombie shennanigans, it's just Swinton having so much fun and I loved every moment she was onscreen as she delivers, as Swinton has fairly consisntely done over the past few years. Bill Hader in It Chapter Two is an interesting case in that I hated the film, but I still went along with his performance every step of the way. Hader is very funny here throughout when playing the comic relief especially when he gets to riff and play off of James Ransone's Eddie, but as we've seen from his brilliant work on HBO show Barry he can deliver in haunting, crippling fear like the best of them. Not a great role, in a terrible film, but he does an excellent job with it.

Julia Fox, Uncut Gems; Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Julia Butters, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit

Now here's a couple of performances came out of nowhere, with newcomers Julia Fox in Uncut Gems and Julia Butters in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood stealing scenes in a most unexpected way. Fox playing what's usually the most grating role of the 'shallow hot young mistress' and giving it such unexpected depth that made me care about her and Adam Sandler's on-screen relationship while creating just the right amount of fun ambiguity to her character's intentions, while Butters is golden in every scene she shares with Leo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton as a wise beyond her years child actress giving him pep talk, motivation, and avoiding self pity. It's just a great minor character brought to life wonderfully.

Anyone who's seen Hostiles and Leave No Trace will know that The Last Black Man in San Francisco's Jonathan Majors and Jojo Rabbit's Thomasin McKenzie are remarkable talents to watch out for. Well hopefully these films will push them even further up the radar, with Majors' spellbinding portrayal of outspoken dynamic writer Mont a highlight of the film, his monologue in the third act being a beautiful bit of acting, while McKenzie handles the tricky role of young Jewish girl Elsa converting the titular young Hitler fanatic into understanding human nature and letting go of hate in such a unique and compelling way, as she strikes just the right balance between the cheekiness and mischief in messing around with Jojo's worldview with the utter sincerity of a young adult also learning things herself.

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood; Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Sam Rockwell and Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

It's not often one gets to talk about Hitler and Mr Rogers in the same sentence, but I'll give it a shot here: Tom Hanks giving his spin on Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood and Taika Waititi as an imaginary Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit. One possibly the nicest man in American pop culture history played by possibly the nicest man in Hollywood, and one a Polynesian Jew's take on what is probably the film's most divisive element. In that he makes Hitler through direction, writing and his own performance into a ridiculous hypeman who consumes unicorn, has hissy fits that no one but Jojo can hear, espouses hate with a juvenile tone fitting to a young boy's imagination. Hanks meanwhile is just an absolute delight in the role that he was perhaps born to play. He more evokes than tries to impersonate Fred Rogers and the result is warn and earnest depiction of Mister Rogers as essentially a guardian angel to the narrative. Whether playing the 'television host' Mister Rogers in offering that warmth and grace introducing us into the narrative, the beloved personable public figure everyone loves, and the private figure with which he captures the frustrations that just make Mister Rogers all the more human and remarkabl.

Meanwhile, on the greyer scale of things you have Jennifer Lopez hustling clients as veteran stripper Ramona Vega in Hustlers, and Sam Rockwell as a one-eyed Nazi captain in Jojo Rabbit. Both roles are tricky ones which could've easily gone wrong in less assured hands, and thankfully both are handled incredibly well. Lopez managing to find the exact right balance between this sly, manipulative leader of a crime scheme while also carrying that wonderful warmth of essentially a motherly figure to the other strippers, which sounds like it could come across really corny or false but she plays into it so well. Rockwell meanwhile is just an absolute delight every step of the way initially as he plays the captain less as a fool and more of just a very exasperated and offbeat fellow who tries his best to offer Jojo some advice on how to get by in life, and when the film takes a turn his performance moves into some surprising territories that I did not expect for the character.

Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Endgame
Scarlett Johansson, Avengers: Endgame; Robert Forster, El Camino

It was time to say goodbye this year to some beloved characters in the MCU, and truly a goodbye for one of the great character actors of our time. Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson (well actually she'll be back but chronologically she gone) gave fitting swansongs to their respective characters in Avengers: Endgame. All three are rock solid as ever in their reprisals, and even though on re-watch I might not be as passionate as I previously was I do think they all give some of their best work in the MCU. Downey Jr. in giving us one last taste of that Tony Stark charisma, tempered by him being broken down by Thanos and the underlying guilt that eats away at him throughout the film even if I do think his best scenes are at the beginning and end. Johansson, depicting so well that heartbreak that weighs on the character within the character's usual stoicism. I have to say though on re-watch that my favourite performance from the film is easily Evans as he brings Captain America and more importantly, Steve Rogers to such a fitting finale, with that same consistency of goodness and earnest drive but with the added burden of going into the past despite trying to 'move on', and every one of the third act scenes I love do involve his performance heavily.

Meanwhile, it was with a heavy heart that the cinematic world bid farewell to Robert Forster's one-of-a-kind ability, reprising the role of Ed Galbraith in El Camino. Forster in the original Breaking Bad series was one of its highlights in the last few episodes in playing essentially the worldliest of men, tuning into his unique ability to convey so much with the subtlest of glances and deliveries. He brings everything that was great about his guest performance on Breaking Bad to here and gives a wonderful farewell performance that perhaps hits all the harder knowing he passed the day the film was released (and also - if you haven't seen Jackie Brown yet you must).

Sterling K. Brown, Waves; Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell; Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy

It was also quite the year for (grand)parents, good, bad, and everything in between. On one hand you have oh look here, Johansson once again, here giving one of the most luminous performances of the year in Jojo Rabbit as loving mother Rosie. Now her performance is probably the one element of the film that even the disparagers and those who dislike it overall love, and for good reason because it is just an incredibly loveable performance. The character just exemplifies everything their is to admire about compassion and love in humanity and she generates this warmth so incredibly well without ever seeming false, and made the frustrations or when her character broke out of that mould feel honest and true to her portrayal. A phenomenal performance in just about every regard as the pinnacle of kindness, that honestly shows that maybe Johansson's been missing all these years has been the opportunity to funnel warmth since she has such an abundance of it here. Shia LaBeouf gives one of the most intriguing, in conception, performances of the year, playing his own father essentially in Honey Boy. Now the film is in some ways an interesting curiosity and LaBeouf is its biggest selling point, the film as a whole being a work of cathartic release he penned while in rehab to deal with his past demons. Well he embodies those demons wonderfully in his performance as James Lort, the fictional counterpart of his real-life dad, who quite frankly is a deadbeat, period, but not an altogether unsympathetic one. LaBeouf is great at playing up the dad's constantly manic, aggressive edge in his interactions with everyone, especially his son, and then exposing the vulnerabilities of the character as this hollow facade is torn apart by the tumultuous central relationship.

In between you have two other performances which in my opinion embody the very heart and soul of their respective films: firstly, Sterling K. Brown in Waves. Brown, an actor I've long been a fan of, finally gets a film role that's worthy of his talents, as the domineering father of the Williams family Ronald. He actually doesn't have a great deal of screen time overall, rather he gets bits and pieces across the two halves of the film, but what he does within that screentime is astonishing. He brings this viscerally quite intimidating figure and then gradually tears him down and heals the wounds over the course of the film, and his big scene with Taylor Russell is just an amazing depiction of an emotional breakdown, expression of love and acknowledgement of mistakes. Meanwhile,  Zhao Shuzhen as Nai Nai in The Farewell gives perhaps the most heartrending performance of the year in my books. Through a character who's essentially living through everyone else's lies - she's dying from cancer but doesn't know it - she delivers a performance of such remarkable honesty. It must be said that she is rather hilarious and charming as loving endearing granny with blunt zingers and mends it beautifully with critical and perhaps sometimes judgmental side of the granny, her scenes with her daughter-in-law (Diana Lin) are particularly reflective of this quality to her where you can see how she might be otherwise perceived. Then she is just absolutely powerful in such an unassuming way in her interactions with her grandchildren, and each and every scene she has with Awkwafina brings out the film's emotional undercurrent so well, and makes them all the more powerful than if the film had gone for the more conventional route of dealing with the imminence of death and grief. It's a brilliantly complex performance, too subdued perhaps for the Academy, through such a seemingly simple approach of being this loving grandma seen through different perspectives.

Timothée Chalamet and Florence Pugh, Little Women

Okay, I've always loved the novel Little Women but I won't lie I've never found Laurie or Amy to be that. interesting as characters. Well here's Greta Gerwig to upend all that. Florence Pugh and Timothée Chalamet in Little Women bring new life to these classic characters that infuses the film with such new, dynamic energy. It must be mentioned first that the main point of contention with regards to Pugh's performance where she plays both 12-year old and 19-year old Amy March, is a highlight of the film in my opinion, as she is just as convincing as a bratty vain littlest lady of them all, as she is as the slightly more mature Amy. She makes both ages of the character cohere into one fully fleshed character so well, and honestly one of the greatest strengths of this adaptation is finding a way to get insight into what makes Amy the way she is. The way her pragmatism and cynicism with a streak of confidence is built up by her experiences as the young exuberant cheery child are so well done, as you get such a moving sense of her character's initial petulance maturing into how she ends up, and it has to be said Pugh nails all of this, finding such a power in Amy's transformation, and I loved whenever she popped up to cause some mischief or make sense of Amy's nature. I could go on all day about how much attention to detail she puts into the role but beyond that she is absolutely hilarious in the role, and is just as good at humorous adorable crying here as she was at haunting spine-chilling crying in Midsommar.

Her frequent scene partner in Chalamet is also greatly benefited by the adaptation, as I've always found Laurie to be a bit of an inappropriate soppy kid and well, here he is kind of that, but Gerwig and Chalamet's approach here honestly led me to appreciate the character like never before. He's winning at every turn in firstly utilising that immeasurable one-of-a-kind charm he has into a role where it suits it perfectly, as he makes Laurie so loveable from frame one that like the Marches you immediately accept him as part of their little family. I loved that he essentially plays the role as this mess of emotions, sometimes in a positive way but sometimes in a way which is truly a bit much, in his interactions with the Marches, and makes the scenes where it gets the better of him all the more powerful as you see him wrestling with these emotions, particularly in that rejection scene which is so well done by both him and Ronan. What really makes both performances click even further is how well they work together, the eventual romance unlike some previous adaptations feels entirely earns in how these two characters so organically grow through the narrative and the performances bringing them to that point with such assurance.

Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, The Irishman

What more can be said about Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa and Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino in The Irishman that has yet to be said? Well, let me pile onto the awards season conversation once more by saying how I wish either of these two gentlemen were getting their second Oscar over Brad Pitt, who while solid in his performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood does not even come close to touching the greatness of either of these magnificent performances. These are iconic performances in more ways than one, the first time Pacino's ever collaborate with Martin Scorsese, and Pesci's first live-action film role in over a decade and his reunion with Scorsese after nearly 25 years. Individually they both give some of their finest work ever. They deliver in expected quantities, but also unexpected ones. Pacino tuning into his bombastic showmanship abilities in perhaps the best example of it outside of Dog Day Afternoon where he absolutely nails the overwhelming charisma, the unique almost melodious manner of speaking as the union boss with the larger than life personality, rousing the crowds with speeches and showboating, while also delivering completely on the venom and anger when things don't go Hoffa's way. And Pesci is just absolutely captivating and intimidating as the infamous mob boss, keeping you on the edge of your toes, yet in such a different way than usual, with a quiet incisive persuasion without raising his voice once. He can convey so much just through the slightest of touches that can deliver kindness and generosity as he can give an order for your death. Meanwhile, while Pacino is an absolute rapturous delight at his loudest, it's also one of his warmest and surprisingly loveable performances ever. His friendship with De Niro's Frank Sheeran is particularly worth mentioning as it just feels so organic, lived-in and most importantly forms the emotional core of the film for me, while Pesci too is undeniably great in showing the family man and loving brother in arms to Frank too. They both give incredible performances that end up being surprisingly heartbreaking despite the nature of the characters, with particular mention to Pacino's moving depiction of the stubbornness of Hoffa overwhelming him. It would be also amiss that this is also the first time Pacino and Pesci ever share the screen together, which is only one scene, but boy is that an amazing scene. Exemplifying the strengths of the film in one sequence that is so nostalgic, captivating, touching, frustrating all in one as you watch the floundering union boss cling onto false ideals and the calculating yet not heartless mob boss trying his best to save him from drowning.

Before we get onto my personal choice for Best Ensemble of the year, hlet's talk about some of the other strong films in this regard. The disintegrated nature of much of the MCU ensemble allowed for Avengers: Endgame to allow its cast to flourish all the more with the usual suspects as well as some surprising delights and excellent cameos. While I thought Knives Out did have some underused or underwhelming components to its ensemble, on the whole it's a pretty solid group of actors having a great time. 1917 is very much hones in on its protagonists for the most part but it's group of cameo appearances are all very solid in their respective roles, with a particular shout out to Richard Madden and Andrew Scott. The Farewell and Waves are two films were the central performances are the ones which definitely stand out the most, but the casts on the whole are also just terrific as a collective whole, likewise for The Irishman where beyond the three central roles everyone else's performances are a bit more limited, but all add to the rich tapestry of the film, in particular the brilliant Stephen Graham as psychotic Tony Pro. Uncut Gems has a magnificent ensemble where every bit down to the most throwaway yet brilliant cameos and just the casual bystanders, and shout out to particularly strong turns by Keith Williams Richards, Idina Menzel, Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield and especially Eric Bogosian. Jojo Rabbit and Little Women I've discussed the excellence of individually great supporting turns, but both films have some absolute gems besides the MAIN supporting performances. The former with some lovely side characters that add so much humour to the proceedings, with Archie Yates as the delightful little best mate to Jojo Yorkie as a particular highlight, and delightful turns from both younger and older cast members alike throughout the ensemble in the latter, with a particular notice going to Laura Dern for warming me heart with her Marmee March and Chris Cooper ripping it out with his heartbreaking performance as Mr Laurence.

Finally, allow me to get onto the Ensemble of the year in Parasite. Finally, allow me to get onto the Ensemble of the year in Parasite. If you haven't seen the film yet, skip to the end for my rankings for Best Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Ensemble.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Top: Song Kang-Ho and Park So-dam
Bottom: Choi Woo-shik, Jang Hye-jin

Here comes A Tale of Two (or More) Families. Well I obviously have to first and foremost mention the brilliant collective work of the Kim family, played by Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik,  Park So-dam, and Jang Hye-jin. Casting and perfecting the chemistry for a family ensemble is always a tricky task and each and every one of the actors here deliver in creating a fascinating contrast to something I'll get onto in a bit, in that despite their impoverished circumstances they create such an honest warmth and humour to their interactions, from the outset Choi's earnest and naivety as the son Ki-woo clicking so well off of his Song's doofus yet also endearing father Ki-taek, the stark contrast to the cynicism of Jang as the blunt and to the point mother Chung-sook, and Park being such a delightful snarky presence as the daughter Ki-jeong. Each and every scene with them all together is a delight as they create such a convincing family unit as they set up their tricksy little infiltration mission of the Park family, with Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jong as the patriarch Dong-ik and trophy wife Yeon-kyo respectively. 

Top: Lee Sung-kyun and Cho Yeo-jong
Bottom: Lee Jeong-eun, Park Myung-hoon

Lee and Cho are brilliant in essentially creating a contrast to the dynamic with the Parks as they are operating on such entirely different wavelengths, Lee the cool-headed yet also rather charismatic if distant busy dad, putting that voice that seems it was designed to convey wealth to such great use, and Cho giving a performance I unfairly dismissed the first time round as being just 'funny' as she adds so much to every scene she's in with her downright hilarious reactions as the dimwitted housewife who can make the hapless washing of dishes, observations on artwork, and some of the most cringeworthy role-play I've seen on film all comic gems. I particularly love every reaction she has when confronted by 'disasters' that befall the family, each look of fear so brilliantly portrayed, and particular affection for her attempts to assert authority over the household. Meanwhile in the Park household also contains secrets in the form of Lee Jeong-eun and Park Myung-hoon as the housekeeper Moon-gwang and her husband in hiding Gun-se. Now honestly I'm probably not going to discuss that much about their performances because you really have to see the film in order to appreciate it, I know I put a spoiler alert but just in case you've read this far by accident, go back. Both actors do so well in delivering on the change of tone, with Lee Jeong-eun moving so well from stuffy loyal housekeeper and Park Myung-hoon from offbeat sickly weirdo to quite frankly the two most sympathetic characters in the film, in many ways.

Anyway, back to the Kim family who are the connective tissue throughout the film who gradually diverge along their own paths with regards to the scheme they pull on the Park household, and the brilliance of Parasite is how each performance takes these different paths while still meshing so well with one another. Choi and Park So-dam playing the trickster routines brilliantly, the former with such a sincere and almost adorable energy to how much enthusiasm he puts into playing the part and the latter so rude, incisive, and almost lazy yet altogether convincing in her persuasive powers as they almost perform a 'good cop bad cop' routine as common entrance and art tutors respectively. They bring the comic energies to their performances so well as well as ending up being rather affecting in a strange way as it all begins to go awry. Jang perhaps getting the more limited role but continuing to be rather compelling in showing her character's no bullshit attitude towards attaining the position and a painful awareness that the life they are leading is not to last. And lastly Song, who I'll admit upon first viewing I thought was impressive but was not quite sure what to make of his character's transformation, but the multiple times I've re-watched the film now I've picked up more and more brilliance from his performance here as the character who while still pulling off the charade feels the most unease and overt guilt regarding their trickery,  and the most pained by the wealth status and patronising attitudes of the Parks. Song was born to play this role and he's marvellous every step of the way in depicting the growing nihilism and madness of the character, yet never turning the character into a caricature or one-note bitterness, and I have to bring particular mention to how heartbreaking he and Choi in particular make the film's finale resonate.

And so, here are my list of supporting performances - and as always, all just my own silly opinion so feel free to disagree :) - and also my top 10 for Ensemble. I should note there are so many performances I hate to leave out of my top 5, like Hanks, Choi, and Park especially.

* denotes the Oscar nominees, just for reference

Supporting Actor 

1. Al Pacino, The Irishman* 
2. Joe Pesci, The Irishman*
3. Timothée Chalamet, Little Women
4. Song Kang-ho, Parasite
5. Sterling K. Brown, Waves 
6. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood*
7. Choi Woo-shik, Parasite 
8. Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy 
9. Sam Rockwell, Jojo Rabbit 
10. Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco 
11. Udo Kier, Bacurau 
12. Baykali Ganambarr, The Nightingale
13. Chris Evans, Avengers: Endgame
14. Lee Sun-kyun, Parasite 
15. Robert Downey Jr., Avengers: Endgame 
16. Bill Hader, It Chapter Two
17. Park Myung-hoon, Parasite 
18. Robert Forster, El Camino 
19. Stephen Graham, The Irishman 
20. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit 
21. Chris Cooper, Little Women 
22. Eric Bogosian, Uncut Gems 
23. Paul Rudd, Avengers: Endgame 
24. Winston Duke, Us 
25. Jesse Plemons, El Camino
26. Jeremy Renner, Avengers: Endgame 
27. Thomas Haden Church, The Peanut Butter Falcon 
28. Mike Moh, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
29. James Ransone, It Chapter Two 
30. Willem Dafoe, Motherless Brooklyn 
31. Chris Evans, Knives Out  
32. Alan Alda, Marriage Story 
33. Archie Yates, Jojo Rabbit 
34. Richard Madden, 1917
35. Chris Hemsworth, Avengers: Endgame 
36. Ben Mendelsohn, Captain Marvel 
37. Keith Williams Richards, Uncut Gems 
38. Kevin Garnett, Uncut Gems 
39. Don Johnson, Knives Out 
40. Andrew Scott, 1917
41. Jiang Yongbo, The Farewell 
42. Michael Shannon, Knives Out 
43. Will Smith, Aladdin 
44. Benedict Cumberbatch, 1917
45. Bruce Dern, The Mustang
46. Jamie Bell, Rocketman 
47. Rob Morgan, Just Mercy 
48. Bradley Cooper, Avengers: Endgame 
49. James McAvoy, It Chapter Two 
50. Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy 
51. Mark Strong, 1917
52. Vince Vaughan, Fighting with My Family 
53. Lucas Hedges, Waves 
54. Jack Dylan Grazer, Shazam! 
55. Wesley Snipes, Dolemite Is My Name 
56. Tim Blake Nelson, Just Mercy 
57. Stephen Merchant, Jojo Rabbit 
58. Nicholas Hammond, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
59. Lakeith Stanfield, Uncut Gems 
60. Keanu Reeves, Toy Story 4
61. Ed Skrein, Alita: Battle Angel 
62. Sean Harris, The King
63. Bokeem Woodbine, Queen & Slim
64. Christoph Waltz, Alita: Battle Angel 
65. Lakeith Stanfield, Knives Out
66. Josh Brolin, Avengers: Endgame 
67. Silver Pereira, Bacurau 
68. Samuel L. Jackson, Captain Marvel 
69. John Lithgow, Bombshell
70. John Slattery, Avengers: Endgame 
71. Mark Ruffalo, Avengers: Endgame  
72. Tom Waits, The Dead Don't Die 
73. Christopher Plummer, Knives Out 
74. Adam Brody, Ready or Not 
75. Keegan-Michael Key, Toy Story 4
76. Jordan Peele, Toy Story 4
77. Tzi Ma, The Farewell
78. Evan Alex, Us 
79. Henry Czerny, Ready or Not   
80. Robert De Niro, Joker 
81. Domenick Lombardozzi, The Irishman 
82. Charles Baker, El Camino
83. Ray Liotta, Marriage Story 
84. Ray Romano, The Irishman 
85. Adam Driver, The Rise of Skywalker 
86. Keanu Reeves, Always Be My Maybe
87. Timothy Olyphant, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
88. Joel Fry, Yesterday 
89. Moises Arias, Monos 
90. Alberto Etxeandia, Pain and Glory 
91. Harvey Keitel, The Irishman 
92. Thomas Aquino, Bacurau 
93. Michael K. Williams, Motherless Brooklyn 
94. Al Pacino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
95. Henry Hunter Hall, Harriet 
96. Jason Mitchell, The Mustang 
97. Vilhelm Blomgren, Midsommar 
98. Robert Pattinson, The King 
99. Damon Herriman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
100. Brian Bradley, Luce
101. Leonardo Sbaraglia, Pain and Glory 
102. Richard Madden, Rocketman
103. Gary Basaraba, The Irishman
104. Ray McKinnon, Ford v Ferrari 
105. Frank Oz, Knives Out 
106. Tim Roth, Luce
107. Alfie Allen, Jojo Rabbit 
108. Tracy Letts, Little Women 
109. Sam Claflin, The Nightingale 
110. Damon Herriman, The Nightingale 
111. Deiby Rueda, Monos 
112. Jay Ryan, It Chapter Two 
113. Pedro Pascal, Triple Frontier 
114. Don Cheadle, Avengers: Endgame
115. Anupam Kher, Hotel Mumbai 
116. Joel Edgerton, The King
117. Tom Courtenay, The Aeronauts 
118. Bryan Cranston, El Camino
119. Ben Mendelsohn, The King 
120. Matt L. Jones, El Camino 
121. Tim Allen, Toy Story 4
122. Norbert Leo Butz, Luce
123. Chris Cooper, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood 
124. Noah Jupe, Ford v Ferrari 
125. Nick Frost, Fighting with My Family 
126. Jon Favreau, Spider-Man: Far From Home 
127. Harry Greenwood, The Nightingale 
128. Tracy Letts, Ford v Ferrari 
129. Byron Bowers, Honey Boy   
130. Ken Watanabe, Godzilla: King of the Monsters
131. Omar Dorsey, Harriet 
132. Judd Hirsch, Uncut Gems 
133. Keegan Michael-Key, Dolemite Is My Name 
134. Mike Epps, Dolemite Is My Name
135. Craig Robinson, Dolemite Is My Name 
136. Titus Burgess, Dolemite Is My Name 
137. Colin Firth, 1917
138. Steve Buscemi, The Dead Don't Die 
139. Lance Reddick, John Wick: Chapter 3
140. Ian McShane, John Wick: Chapter 3
141. Isaiah Mustafa, It Chapter Two
142. Josh Lucas, Ford v Ferrari 
143. Brett Cullen, Joker 
144. Robert Carlyle, Yesterday 
145. Scott MacArthur, El Camino 
146. Scott Shepherd, El Camino
147. Tony Hale, Toy Story 4
148. Jon Bernthal, Ford v Ferrari 
149. Jake Gyllenhaal, Spider-Man: Far From Home 
150. Mark Strong, Shazam!  
151. Jake Gyllenhaal, Velvet Buzzsaw 
152. Danny DeVito, Dumbo 
153. Danny Glover, The Dead Don't Die
154. Caleb Landry Jones, The Dead Don't Die 
155. Damian Lewis, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
156. Louis Garrel, Little Women 
157. Charlie Shotwell, The Nightingale 
158. John Kani, The Lion King
159. Tom Holland, Avengers: Endgame
160. Bruce Dern, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
161. Himesh Patel, The Aeronauts 
162. Ted Levine, The Report
163. Danny Glover, The Last Black Man in San Francisco 
164. Dwayne Johnson, Fighting with My Family 
165. Bruce Dern, The Peanut Butter Falcon 
166. Anthony Mackie, Avengers: Endgame  
167. Rob Morgan, The Last Black Man in San Francisco 
168. Jon Hamm, The Report
169. Sebastian Manascalco, The Irishman 
170. James Norton, Little Women 
171. Austin Butler, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
172. Stephan James, 21 Bridges
173. Taylor Kitsch, 21 Bridges 
174. O'Shea Jackson Jr., Just Mercy 
175. Aaron Paul, American Woman
176. Clarke Peters, Harriet 
177. Malcolm McDowell, Bombshell
178. Tim Heidecker, Us 
179. Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Lion King
180. Anthony Daniels, The Rise of Skywalker 
181. Leslie Odom Jr., Harriet 
182. Bobby Cannavale, The Irishman 
183. Bruce Willis, Motherless Brooklyn
184. Nicholas Hoult, Dark Phoenix 
185. Tim Blake Nelson, The Report
186. Corey Stoll, The Report
187. Armie Hammer, Hotel Mumbai 
188. Thardelly Lima, Bacurau 
189. Bobby Cannavale, Motherless Brooklyn 
190. William Jackson Harper, Midsommar 
191. Jason Isaacs, Hotel Mumbai 
192. Idris Elba, Hobbs & Shaw 
193. Rob Delaney, Bombshell
194. John Boyega, The Rise of Skywalker 
195. Kyle Chandler, Godzilla: King of the Monsters 
196. Bob Odenkirk, Little Women 
197. Peter Ferdinando, Vita and Virginia
198. Mark O'Brien, Ready or Not 
199. Emile Hirsch, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
200. Will Sasso, American Woman 
201. Billy Dee Williams, The Rise of Skywalker 
202. Jaeden Martell, Knives Out 
203. Kurt Russell, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
204. Colin Farrell, Dumbo
205. James McAvoy, Dark Phoenix 
206. Richard E. Grant, The Rise of Skywalker 
207. F. Murray Abraham, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 
208. James Earl Jones, The Lion King
209. J.K. Simmons, 21 Bridges 
210. Bill Skarsgard, It Chapter Two 
211. Rufus Sewell, Judy
212. Navid Negaban, Aladdin 
213. Tye Sheridan, Dark Phoenix 
214. Oscar Isaac, The Rise of Skywalker 
215. Jon Hamm, Richard Jewell 
216. Laurie Davidson, Cats 
217. Michael Fassbender, Dark Phoenix 
218. Jacob Batalon, Spider-Man: Far From Home
219. Will Poulter, Midsommar 
220. Billy Eichner, The Lion King
221. Cillian Murphy, Anna 
222. Idris Elba, Cats 
223. Donald Sutherland, Ad Astra 
224. Seth Rogen, The Lion King
225. Samuel L. Jackson, Spider-Man: Far From Home
226. Keith David, 21 Bridges 
227. Billy Magnussen, Velvet Buzzsaw 
228. Mahershala Ali, Alita: Battle Angel
229. Jackie Earle Haley, Alita: Battle Angel 
230. Mark Dacascos, John Wick: Chapter 3
231. Bill Nighy, Detective Pikachu 
232. Finn Wittrock, Judy
233. Rupert Penry-Jones, Vita and Virginia 
234. Mark Duplass, Bombshell
235. Garret Hedlund, Triple Frontier 
236. Charlie Hunnam, Triple Frontier
237. Jude Law, Captain Marvel 
238. John Malkovich, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile 
239. Michael Keaton, Dumbo 
240. Tommy Lee Jones, Ad Astra 
241. Joe Alwyn, Harriet 
242. Wallace Shawn, Marriage Story
243. John Oliver, The Lion King
244. Luke Evans, Anna 
245. Josh Gad, Little Monsters 
246. Ian McDiarmid, The Rise of Skywalker 
247. Teach Grant, It Chapter Two 
248. Alec Baldwin, Motherless Brooklyn 
249. Luke Evans, Ma 
250. Ed Sheeran, Yesterday 
251. Domhnall Gleeson, The Rise of Skywalker 
252. Jason Derulo, Cats 
253. Jack Reynor, Midsommar 
254. Dante Brown, Ma 
255. Corey Fogelmanis, Ma 
256. Giannia Paolo, Ma 
257. Robbie Fairchild, Cats 
258. Alexander Petrov, Anna 
259. Dominic Monaghan, The Rise of Skywalker 
260. Michael Madsen, Trading Paint 
261. Noah Segan, Knives Out 
262. Ian McKellen, Cats 
263. Said Taghmaoui, John Wick: Chapter 3
264. Marwan Kenzari, Aladdin 
265. Rafe Spall, Just Mercy 
266. Keean Johnson, Alita: Battle Angel
267. James Corden, Cats 

Supporting Actress 

1. Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell 
2. Florence Pugh, Little Women*
3. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit*
4. Cho Yeo-jong, Parasite
5. Park So-dam, Parasite 
6. Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit 
7. Lee Jung-eun, Parasite 
8. Julia Fox, Uncut Gems 
9. Jang Hye-jin, Parasite 
10. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
11. Scarlett Johansson, Avengers: Endgame 
12. Tilda Swinton, The Dead Don't Die 
13. Julia Butters, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
14. Octavia Spencer, Luce
15. Julie Walters, Wild Rose 
16. Diana Lin, The Farewell 
17. Laura Dern, Little Women 
18. Idina Menzel, Uncut Gems 
19. Sonia Braga, Bacurau 
20. Renée Elise Goldsberry, Waves 
21. Nicole Kidman, Bombshell
22. Naomi Scott, Aladdin
23. Julianne Nicholson, Monos 
24. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dolemite Is My Name
25. Eliza Scanlen, Little Women 
26. Karen Gillan, Avengers: Endgame   
27. Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
28. Annie Potts, Toy Story 4
29. Emma Watson, Little Women 
30. Jamie Lee Curtis, Knives Out 
31. Laura Dern, Marriage Story*
32. Sophie Okendo, Wild Rose 
33. Meryl Streep, Little Women 
34. Vanessa Kirby, Hobbs & Shaw 
35. Laura Castrillon, Monos 
36. Lashana Lynch, Captain Marvel 
37. Dakota Johnson, The Peanut Butter Falcon 
38. Toni Collette, Knives Out 
39. Sofia Bueneventura, Monos 
40. Rebel Wilson, Jojo Rabbit 
41. Alexa Demie, Waves 
42. Shahadi Wright Joseph, Us
43. Rene Russo, Avengers: Endgame 
44. Elizabeth Moss, Us 
45. Jessica Chastain, It Chapter Two 
46. Marsha Stephanie Blake, Luce
47. Jayne Houdyshell, Little Women 
48. Dakota Fanning, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
49. Lu Hong, The Farewell 
50. Lena Headey, Fighting with My Family
51. Christina Hendricks, Toy Story 4 
52. Billie Lourd, Booksmart
53. Caitriona Balfe, Ford v Ferrari 
54. Andrea Bang, Luce
55. Molly Gordon, Booksmart 
56. Jung Ji-so, Parasite
57. Kathrine Narducci, The Irishman 
58. Nicky Guadagni, Ready or Not 
59. Lili Reinhart, Hustlers 
60. Claire Duburq, 1917
61. Andie McDowell, Ready or Not 
62. Kate McKinnon, Bombshell
63. Keke Palmer, Hustlers 
64. Helen Mirren, Anna
65. Katherine Langford, Knives Out 
66. Jennifer Connelly, Alita: Battle Angel 
67. Nasim Pedrad, Aladdin
68. Zendaya, Spider-Man: Far From Home  
69. Florence Kasumba, The Lion King
70. Nazanin Boniadi, Hotel Mumbai
71. Grace Fulton, Shazam!  
72. Tilda Swinton, Avengers: Endgame 
73. Susan Kelechi Watson, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood 
74. Chloe Sevingy, The Dead Don't Die 
75. Christina Hendricks, American Woman
76. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell*
77. Jennifer Hudson, Cats 
78. Brie Larson, Just Mercy 
79. Gwyneth Paltrow, Avengers: Endgame
80. Brie Larson, Avengers: Endgame 
81. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
82. Gideon Adlon, The Mustang 
83. Tichina Arnold, The Last Black Man in San Francisco
84. Molly Gordon, Good Boys 
85. Anna Paquin, The Irishman 
86. Julieta Serrano, Pain and Glory 
87. Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Hotel Mumbai 
88. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Motherless Brooklyn 
89. Barbara Colen, Bacurau 
90. Vanessa Belle Calloway, Harriet 
91. Tilda Swinton, The Souvenir 
92. Laura San Giacomo, Honey Boy 
93. Vivian Bang, Always Be My Maybe 
94. Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla: King of the Monsters 
95. Toni Collette, Velvet Buzzsaw 
96. Lily Rose-Depp, The King 
97. Penélope Cruz, Pain and Glory 
98. Zoe Saldana, Avengers: Endgame
99. Taylor Swift, Cats 
100. Margot Robbie, Bombshell*
101. Jessie Buckley, Judy 
102. Lily James, Yesterday 
103. Amy Madigan, American Woman 
104. Zazie Beetz, Joker 
105. Kathryn Newton, Detective Pikachu 
106. Allison Janney, Bombshell
107. Ruth Negga, Ad Astra 
108. FKA Twigs, Honey Boy 
109. Diana Silvers, Ma 
110. Connie Britton, Bombshell
111. Joan Cusack, Toy Story 4
112. Rene Russo, Velvet Buzzsaw 
113. Tessa Thompson, Avengers: Endgame 
114. Natalia Dyer, Velvet Buzzsaw 
115. Eva Green, Dumbo 
116. Cobie Smulders, Spider-Man: Far From Home 
117. Naomie Ackie, The Rise of Skywalker 
118. Zawe Ashton, Velvet Buzzsaw 
119. Alfre Woodard, The Lion King
120. Helen Mirren, Hobbs & Shaw 
121. Connie Britton, The Mustang 
122. Annette Bening, Captain Marvel 
123. Sally Hawkins, Godzilla: King of the Monsters
124. Shania Twain, Trading Paint 
125. Isabelle Rossellini, Vita and Virginia 
126. Hilary Swank, I Am Mother 
127. Janelle Monae, Harriet 
128. Keri Russell, The Rise of Skywalker 
129. Halle Berry, John Wick: Chapter 3 
130. Kaya Scodelario, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile 
131. Vera Farmiga, Godzilla: King of the Monsters 
132. Sienna Miller, 21 Bridges
133. Beyonce, The Lion King
134. Julia Stiles, Hustlers 
135. McKaley Miller, Ma 
136. Lizzo, Hustlers
137. Frances Conroy, Joker 
138. Cardi B, Hustlers 
139. Annette Bening, The Report 
140. Leslie Mann, Motherless Brooklyn 
141. Eiza Gonzalez, Hobbs & Shaw 
142. Juliette Lewis, Ma 
143. Selena Gomez, The Dead Don't Die 
144. Zoe Bell, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
145. Bryce Dallas Howard, Rocketman 
146. Jessica Chastain, Dark Phoenix 
147. Missi Pyle, Ma 
148. Sarah Paulson, Glass 
149. Judi Dench, Cats 
150. Jennifer Lawrence, Dark Phoenix 
151. Jennifer Nettles, Harriet 
152. Martha Kelly, Marriage Story 
153. Kate McKinnon, Yesterday 
154. Olivia Wilde, Richard Jewell 
155. Merritt Weaver, Marriage Story 
156. Julie Hagerty, Marriage Story 
157. Rebel Wilson, Cats 

Best Ensemble

1. Parasite 
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Little Women 
4. The Farewell 
5. The Irishman
6. Uncut Gems
7. 1917
8. Waves 
9. Avengers: Endgame
10. Knives Out