Friday, 24 January 2020

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 

6 comments:

  1. Excellent analysis Calvin! I’m glad to read that you have re-evaluated Cho’s performance in Parasite. Over the past few weeks I’ve been watching many Korean movies starring her and they were pretty bad to be honest. I really hope she can get a lot of opportunities both in Korea and internationally thanks to the Parasite success.
    I’ve also rewatched Waves the other day and it worked a lot better for me this time, i still have a few issues with the screenplay but i definitely enjoyed Shults direction more; Harrison, Russell and Brown are 5s for me.

    As for my lineups, they aren’t very different from yours;

    for Best Supporting Actor:

    1. Joe Pesci - The Irishman

    2. Al Pacino - The Irishman
    
3. Song Kang-oh - Parasite

    4. 
Sterling K. Brown - Waves  

    5. Choi Woo-shik - Parasite
    
6. Tom Hanks - A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood 
    7. Udo Kier - Bacurau

    8. Jonathan Majors - The Last Black Man is San Francisco
    
9. Timothée Chalamet - Little Women 
    10. Shia LaBeouf - Honey Boy

    for Beat Supporting Actress:
    1. Cho Yeo-jeong - Parasite

    2. Zhao Shunzen - The Farewell
    
3. Park So-dam - Parasite
    
4. Florence Pugh - Little Women
    
5. Thomasin McKenzie - Jojo Rabbit

    6. Sonia Braga - Bacurau

    7. Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit
    8. Lee Jung-eun - Parasite
    9. Jang Hye-jin - Parasite

    10. Julianne Nicholson - Monos




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our top 5’s are practically identical! I need to get to Bacurau (which I know is online, I just need to get to it). I feel like I definitely need to re-watch Monos, I liked Nicholson a lot but I feel like a re-watch could definitely help her.

      Delete
    2. And I’m not surprised. For ever Parasite or Handmaiden there’s always going to be loads of trash on the market haha

      Delete
  2. Good rankings, Calvin.

    Obviously, I'm not NEARLY as big on Chalamet as you, therefor I don't think he'd make into my supporting actor ballot, though he's still quite good in his role.

    I can, however, share in your praise for Pacino, Pesci, Pugh and the Endgame trio....and I should also note, I really, REALLY want to see "Jojo Rabbit" as soon as I can...I can't believe its taking me this long.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "1. Al Pacino, The Irishman"

    *Nods approvingly*

    ReplyDelete
  4. My top 10 best Supporting Actress:
    10º Julia Fox (Uncut Gems)
    9º Sonia Braga (Bacurau)
    8º Lee Jung-eun (Parasite)
    7º Imogen Poots (The Art of Self Defense)
    6º Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit)
    5º Park So-dam (Parasite)
    4º Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)
    3º Cho Yeo-Jong (Parasite)
    2º Florence Pugh (Little Women)
    1º Zhao Shuzhen (The Farewell)

    My top 10 best Supporting Actor:
    10º Lee Sun-kyun (Parasite)
    9º Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers: Endgame)
    8º Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit)
    7º Udo Kier (Bacurau
)
    6º 
Sterling K. Brown (Waves)
    5º Choi Woo-shik (Parasite)
    4º Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood)
    3º Song Kang-oh (Parasite
)
    2º Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
    1º Al Pacino (The Irishman)

    My top 10 best Ensemble:
    10º Marriage Story
    9º Knives Out
    8º Pain and Glory
    7º The Farewell
    6º Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    5º Little Women
    4º Jojo Rabbit
    3º Avengers: Endgame
    2º Parasite
    1º The Irishman

    ReplyDelete