Honourable Mentions and Personal Ranking: Best Actor 2016

Honourable Mentions:


Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, The Nice Guys

From one onscreen duo to another, The Nice Guys is a film that's kind of diminished in my memory. The film is never even close to being as good as Shane Black's debut directorial effort with a similar basic structure, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but one thing it does come close is in its two leading men's chemistry. Gosling's goofy and adorable private eye Holland March is just a terrific ball of manic energy, his perfect physical comedy so endearing and funny, and I have a particular soft spot for the scenes where he makes snide remarks to 'Chet' the pretentious projectionist, or his attempted flirtations with a woman holding him at gunpoint. Crowe, on the other hand, is just such a wonderful big gruff bearlike fella whose quite cuddly whenever he's not being a brute, and is actually rather poignant in the scenes where he reveals something more to the man beneath the tough exterior. Both actors have such splendid chemistry with one another, and make the film work through their excellent chemistry and spot-on comedic timing.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Demolition

My opinion on this incredibly disordered film has only diminished over time, but Gyllenhaal's performance still sticks with me. Davis Mitchell is a problematic character we're meant to feel empathy towards even though he's quite frankly, a complete ass. Unlike another Jake G. character from this year, he does manage to make this figure a rather compelling one in a not very compelling film, presenting a vivid portrait of a complete mess of a man dealing with his grief by destroying his life around him. It's hindered by the film, but Jake is pretty great within the confines of the film, and somehow managed to make me emotionally invested in Davis's character arc despite the best efforts of the film.

Adam Driver, Paterson

I've come to the conclusion that Adam Driver is the next Jeff Goldblum. Everything the man does is fascinating; even before I really knew who he was, in minor roles in Inside Llewyn Davis and Lincoln, he captured my attention with that distinctive deep voice and deadpan delivery that could convey so much with minimalism. Last year he was a fantastic villain in The Force Awakens, and it's fascinating to see how he transitioned from the emotionally destructive Kylo Ren to the quirky scientist in Midnight Special, the conflicted priest in Silence, and his rather amazing turn as Paterson from Paterson, a bus driver who writes poetry. There's just something about this performance that's so magnetic, despite the fact that nothing dramatic happens to Paterson, and no real conflict emerges in his life, it's all so low-key yet undeniably compelling. It's just the way he says certain words like 'go Nashville' or 'Blue Tip', the way he can convey the poetic process even when completely silent, how he can be so hilarious just by a silent facial expression, or a decidedly one-sided conversation with his dog Marvin. It's kind of a brilliant performance overall.

Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano, Swiss Army Man

Certainly a bizzare film that's not for everyone, I took to it completely bar the slightly muddled ending, and even that's carried rather well by Dano. For a film that has the central conceit of a talking corpse who propels himself through water through farts, Dano's performance surprisingly grounds it through his very vivid and realistic portrayal of Hank, a stranded shipwreck survivor whose emotional desperation and depression finds solace in the form of Manny, Radcliffe's utterly zany and bizzare living corpse. Dano is great, but Radcliffe is downright amazing in the complete oddness of the whole thing, his accent, the way his eyes flit around, his physical movements, all so perfectly corpse-like. It's like watching Daniel Day-Lewis's My Left Foot performance in an offbeat indie film, it's quite something. The best thing about the film is the surprisingly moving chemistry the two share, it's all rather hilarious of course as Hank struggles to teach Manny the ways of life - the scene where they discuss masturbation is particularly memorable and funny - but also absolutely poignant as we watch Manny's gradual optimism diminish through the more about the world he learns. Though the film's conclusion is flawed, both Dano and Radcliffe manage to make it work by their terrific dynamic which makes their strange friendship so emotionally resonant.




Song Kang-ho, The Age of Shadows

I've still yet to see The Handmaiden (comes out in early March around these parts), but based on this alone, South Korea's done well for itself this year. It has a few pacing flaws and heavy exposition which hurts it a bit, but overall this is a rather taut thriller with some excellently directed scenes, a strong emotional core, and elements which coalesce the thrills and chills together rather well, in its depiction of the Korean resistance movement against the Japanese. Gong Yoo, as the secondary lead, a key resistance figure whose determination and conviction is unparalleled, is rather excellent as well, but the highlight of the film from an acting standpoint is Song Kang-ho, playing Lee Jung-chool, the dispassionate police chief working as an underling for the Japanese who comes to sympathise and eventually work for the resistance. Song is brilliant at showing how Lee so deftly plays both sides while putting on a front to the Japanese as something of a dullard, and amplifying the tension in each thrilling action and interrogation sequence through his work. He's equally great at showing the gradual transition of Lee into a man with true passion and emotional investment in the resistance, and makes the ending far more powerful than it might've been in lesser hands.

Chris Pine, Hell or High Water



A truly pared-down and minimalist performance that's quite excellent, and with time I've come to appreciate it as much as his co-lead. Pine, known best for his straightforward, solid leading man turns in stuff like Star Trek or his zany supporting turns in his Joe Carnahan collaborations, is a revelation as the quiet, understated, and darned impressive as the grungy, divorced father who robs banks for what he sees as the greater good. He has great chemistry with Ben Foster as his onscreen brother, and his final scene with Jeff Bridges is absolutely brilliant stuff.
Sunny Pawar, Lion

Dev Patel is great, but Sunny Pawar is equally deserving of acclaim for his rather terrific first-half portrayal of Saroo, pre-Brierley, as a lone child lost in India. Pawar is amazing in a very simple, reactionary role to some difficult circumstances. He says very little, yet is terrific in conveying the fear and trauma of his time alone, and is wonderful in showing how the love from his adoptive parents helps ease him out of this state. Without him, the film just wouldn't have worked.
Don Cheadle, Miles Ahead

I'll admit my love for this performance has somewhat diminished over time, and I do think that his career-best is still Hotel Rwanda, but Cheadle's performance as Miles Davis is still a strong, assured bit of work transformative work by the actor. He completely inhibits the renowned jazz musician, and even if his own direction and the screenplay occasionally take him into strange and not always effective territory, he disappears into the role brilliantly, is appropriately charismatic, funny and quite heartbreaking, and brings a unique spin to biographical depictions of a troubled musician.
Anton Yelchin, Green Room

Yelchin sadly passed away last year, a promising young actor who was fantastic in the likes of Alpha Dog. He's rather excellent her as a very to-the-point sort of character, a bassist for a punk rock band who becomes embroiled in a fight against some murderous Neo-Nazis. The film is thrilling and well-made, and Yelchin is rather terrific as our lead through the story as he shows the gradual mental deterioration of the young man blossoming into a sort of bravery and heroic conviction to stay alive. It's very straightforward but hear-pounding work that amplifies the film's intensity and dark humour so well.
Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople

A truly delightful performance in the surprise comedy hit of the year. So much that's great about his performance must be discussed with Sam Neill's as the two are such a delightful duo. Their chemistry between Dennison's ridiculous gangsta routine and Neill's deadpan reactions are consistently golden throughout the whole film. Dennison, on his own, is just absolutely adorable as the juvenile delinquent who's really as bad as he's made out to be by child services, as he makes a troublemaker likeable, and even quite moving, by showing where he's coming from. As I've mentioned, he's hilarious whether he's spouting out ridiculous haikus, unwittingly making inappropriate comments about 'playing' with his Uncle, 'Shit Just Got Real', or his silent reactions too are brilliant.
Robert Downey Jr., Captain America: Civil War

Downey Jr. gives a great performance as Tony Stark who is now no longer the carefree playboy of days gone by (though he does have a brief reprise of that version of him in an ingeniously crafted 'flashback' scene). The sardonic side of him is now no logner a natural part of his character but a means of self-defense and denial of his own guilt and complicity in the disaster and damage the actions of The Avengers have inadvertently caused. Downey Jr.'s portrayal of the perennially haunted state of the man is heartbreaking as even for one who's on Captain America's side through thick and thin (i.e. me), I completely understood and sympathised, and even agreed on certain counts, with some of the points made on the Sokovia Accords. I found Downey Jr. invested so much into the emotional devestation of his character at certain moments and revelations while also developing Stark's personal arc towards the end, and makes me really, really hyped for Infinity War.

Personal Nominees:

5. Joel Edgerton, Loving

Watching this performance, I immediately thought of Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain; and going online afterwards, found many agreed with me on this front. It's a similarly close to the chest, mannered but utterly natural, underplayed performance, performed beautifully by two hulking Aussie actors with a remarkable knack for transforming into their characters. Edgerton's an actor I've always been impressed by, and has turned out to be a fine director as well, but what he does in Loving as Richard Loving, the other half to Ruth Negga's terrific portrayal of Mildred Loving, is something else altogether.


Edgerton's performance as the quiet, retiring Richard is quite transformative, as aforementioned, but also extremely unfussy. Edgerton never tries to draw attention to himself onscreen, fitting for a man who preferred to stay quiet on the fringes of society, and talking only with close friends and family, but nevertheless there's something awfully magnetic about Richard. He never raises his voice, and always a bit shy even in his scenes with his wife, but this is all so fitting to a man who loves his wife in the most simple fashion possible, with the purest sort of affection. Edgerton is amazing in the early scenes where he pledges to build a home and marry Mildred, these scenes are handled in a low-key fashion, miles away from the scenes in Hacksaw Ridge and La La Land, yet had perhaps an even greater impact for me. In fact, this might be my favorite romance of the year because they just feel so right with one another with very little words, and even when their characterizations diverge - for example, while Negga portrays Mildred as more open and accommodating to the press and offers words of wisdom and compassion, Edgerton portrays Richard as being shy and uncomfortable in the spotlight - they feel so perfect for one another.


When the authorities come in to cause trouble for their marriage, Edgerton's reactions to this blow to his life and dreams are outstanding. Again, he does not say much, but you can feel the complete and utter devastation to his life here.  Just through the most minimalist of actions and his eyes, Edgerton shows how much distress he feels in his body and soul as the courts attempt to tear him away from his wife and homeland. When he utters that he and Mildred 'won't bother anyone' if the courts let them go away, it's heartbreaking in its resignation of a man who just wants to live a simple and quiet life away from the harsh madness of the world. When he learns that their case has been won in their favour, all Edgerton needs is a small smile to make our hearts flow with joy. The film ends with a quote from the real-life Mildred about her deceased husband: 'I miss him.' It affected me very much because I truly did grow to love the Lovings, and Edgerton's powerful internalized work is essential to this.

4. Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge (await my soon-to-come article, 'Year of the Garfield')

3. Denzel Washington, Fences (http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/ranking-oscar-nominees-best-actor-2017.html)

2. Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea (http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/ranking-oscar-nominees-best-actor-2017.html)

1. Andrew Garfield, Silence (await my soon-to-come article, 'Year of the Garfield')

1. Andrew Garfield, Silence
2. Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
3. Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea 
4. Denzel Washington, Fences
5. Joel Edgerton, Loving
6. Daniel Radcliffe, Swiss Army Man
7. Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
8. Song Kang-ho, The Age of Shadows
9. Adam Driver, Paterson
10. Ryan Gosling, La La Land
11. Don Cheadle, Miles Ahead
12. Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
13. Paul Dano, Swiss Army Man
14. Chris Pine, Hell or High Water
15. Julian Dennison, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
16. Robert Downey Jr., Captain America: Civil War
17. Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys
18. Russell Crowe, The Nice Guys
19. Dev Patel, Lion
20. Jake Gyllenhaal, Demolition
21. Sunny Pawar, Lion
22. Anton Yelchin, Green Room
23. Matthias Schonaerts, Disorder
24. Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool
25. Chris Evans, Captain America: Civil War
26. Lewis McDougall, A Monster Calls
27. Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange
28. Tom Hanks, Sully
29. Gong Yoo, The Age of Shadows
30. Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
31. Taron Egerton, Eddie the Eagle
32. Dwayne Johnson, Moana
33. Peter Simonischek, Toni Erdmann
34. Gong Yoo, Train to Busan
35. Ralph Fiennes, A Bigger Splash
36. Ralph Ineson, The VVitch
37. Jonah Hill, War Dogs
38. Miles Teller, Bleed for This
39. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Snowden
40. Josh Brolin, Hail, Caesar!
41. Eddie Redmayne, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
42. Denzel Washington, The Magnificent Seven
43. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Sing Street
44. Mark Rylance, The BFG
45. Kevin Spacey, Elvis & Nixon
46. Michael Shannon, Elvis & Nixon
47. Ben Affleck, Batman v.s. Superman
48. George Clooney, Money Monster
49. Keegan Michael-Key, Keanu
50. Jordan Peele, Keanu
51. Tom Hiddleston, High Rise
52. Sam Claflin, Me Before You
53. Diego Luna, Rogue One
54. Mark Wahlberg, Deepwater Horizon
55. Chris Pine, Star Trek Beyond
56. Casey Affleck, The Finest Hours
57. Blake Jenner, Everbody Wants Some!!
58. Colin Firth, Genius
59. Michael Shannon, Midnight Special
60. Lucas Jade Zumann, 20th Century Women
61. Will Smith, Suicide Squad
62. Richard Madden, Bastille Day
63. Matt Damon, Jason Bourne
64. Ewan McGregor, Our Kind of Traitor
65. Tom Hiddleston, I Saw the Light
66. Miles Teller, War Dogs
67. Idris Elba, Bastille Day
68. Mark Strong, Grimsby
69. Chris Pine, The Finest Hours
70. Jeff Goldblum, Independence Day: Resurgence
71. Alexander Skarsgård, The Legend of Tarzan
72. Neel Sethi, The Jungle Book
73. Aaron Eckhart, London Has Fallen
74. Jaeden Lieberher, Midnight Special
75. Brad Pitt, Allied
76. Chris Pratt, Passengers
77. Matthias Schoenaerts, A Bigger Splash
78. Travis Fimmel, Warcraft
79. Sacha Baron Cohen, Grimsby
80. Joel Edgerton, Jane Got a Gun
81. Gerard Butler, London Has Fallen
82. Henry Cavill, Batman v.s. Superman
83. Jake Gyllenhaal, Nocturnal Animals
84. Liam Hemsworth, Independence Day: Resurgence
85. Jude Law, Genius

Ranking Oscar Nominees/Personal Ranking: Best Adapted Screenplay

Perhaps the most unfairly snubbed film of 2016, although
its gotten its fair share of love from critics and audiences

Oscar Nominees:

5. Fences

If this was an award for the best source material, Fences would probably rank much higher since the original play is really quite a strong one. I rank it low because August Wilson essentially adapted his own play to the screen without much change in between. Which makes for a good, but not great, adaptation of a play.

4. Arrival

The screenplay to Arrival is both one of its strongest and weakest elements. Strongest, in that its establishing of the central character's plight and her relationship with the aliens, and her past and future, is brilliant. Weakest in that almost everything else is painfully paper-thin. This is still a brilliant script in parts, but the thinness of its side characters, the 'bigger' plot, etc. all make certain aspects ring a bit hollow.

3. Lion

Though Arrival might hit the higher heights, Lion definitely has the more consistent screenplay. It works its way through two very distinct time periods wonderfully, fleshes out its central character and his relationship with his family beautifully, and there's great standout scenes like Sue's 'ghosts' monologue.

2. Hidden Figures

Excellent old-fashioned screenplay that reminded me a bit of Bridge of Spies' s screenplay last year. It hits the old fashioned sweet spot well, gives its comedic characters and scenes some swell humorous beats and one-liners, its inspirational scenes that right amount of crowd-pleasing quality, its large cast of characters are all fairly well fleshed-out, and that 'there is no bathroom for me' scene is downright inspired.

1. Moonlight

Magnificent screenplay. It takes on a rather small subject (quite literally at the start) and transforms it into a symphony in three acts without ever losing the intimacy of its humble beginnings. Jenkins has something he wants to say with his screenplay, but he never hamfistedly spells it out. Moonlight's success hinges upon faith in both the audience and its characters, entrusting us not to make snap judgements about their caricature surfaces, and gradually unraveling the depth to these multidimensional figures. The film works effectively as it does because of how, starting anew and 'refreshing' with each segment, we learn a little bit more about Chiron. We feel him gain a little and lose a little of something, and the gaps in time never make anything feel vague, the inherent power of the script fills them in beautifully. Anything off-screen feels as vividly realized as anything onscreen. All elements of the script combine into a truly resonant conclusion that feels completely earnt by the script. 




Personal Nominees:

5. Captain America: Civil War

Underrated aspect of the film, in fact in retrospect I consider it to be the most valuable aspect of the film. Marvel movies always follow a specific formula - besides arguably, Guardians of the Galaxy - in terms of universe-establishing, quips, and character developments. Civil War does well within the formula, introducing the new characters of Zemo, Black Panther and especially Spider-Man in a fashion that feels unforced and in a way that adds to the storyline; having a fresh, wry and never tiresome sense of humour, but I feel it goes beyond the standard Marvel film in taking what was established beforehand and taking it to another level. I felt the Iron Man/Captain America dynamic, Black Panther's and Zemo's roads to revenge, and perhaps best of all the poignant friendship between Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, all feel so well sketched by the film, and the central conflict between the Accords and Captain America's belief that 'the safest hands are still our own' are very well drawn.

4. A Monster Calls

A beautiful screenplay, that's heartbreaking and moving to be sure, but also manages to find so much nuance and complexity within the margins. The central driving emotional force of the mother-son relationship is incredibly powerful, and paralleled brilliantly by the discourses between the young boy and the titular monster tree, which are laced with bits of humour and tension to make the ending all the more profound. The script also details the child's relationship to his cold grandmother, and distant father, and makes them bittersweet and affecting without ever compromising the realism of the relationships.

Runner-Up:  Silence

A great screenplay in terms of capturing the spirit of the source material, as it never shies away from the tricky blend of humour and tragedy present in the novel. It cuts absolutely nothing out that's essential to the novel's power, and I love how it presents the second half as essentially an extended debate that fits the original novel, which frequently presents long arguments between characters that centre on the central themes of religion. In addition, it brings so much weight to the narration by Rodrigues in adding in just the right amount from the novel's narrative voice, and adds a rather daring touch to the film's conclusion that could've not worked, but ends up working incredibly well.

Joint WINNER: Moonlight/Hunt for the Wilderpeople

I hated having to choose between these two screenplays, and I didn't even have to 'settle' for a tie, I loved having to not need to make a choice between these two scripts. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is simply one of the funniest, most hilarious screenplays of the 21st Century, but it's not just that. It's so breezy and fun in its one-liners, ranging from big scenes like Ricky's poor description of his time with his uncle in the bush ('he made me do stuff'), the most inept preacher ever since...ever, to little asides like the apathetic police officer remarking 'he's giving that pig a piggyback!' and Uncle Hec's (Sam Neill) deadpan deliveries of 'shit just got real'. The humour in the film always feels like stuff people would say in real life, well aside from the over-the-top child welfare officer, but even that makes sense because of how the script portrays her. It makes its comedic sequences so memorable and naturalistic. In addition, however, it's also quite the powerful screenplay. It makes the early relationship between the troubled youth and foster aunt, the later one between troubled youth and a quirky father and daughter he meets, the various quirky characters they encounter, and above all the heartwarming and poignant central relationship between Ricky Baker and Uncle Hec, something quite marvellous.

1. Moonlight (the most powerful script of the year, but it's not just that)
1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (the funniest script of the year, but it's not just that)
3. Silence
4. A Monster Calls
5. Captain America: Civil War 
6. Loving
7. Hidden Figures
8. Hacksaw Ridge
9. Lion
10. Arrival

Personal Ranking: Best Supporting Actress 2016

Janelle Monáe really delivers in her two supporting debut roles this year. Which did I prefer?

Honourable Mentions:

The 20th Century Women (Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning)

Fanning and Gerwig are both very good and absolutely infectious as Julie and Abbie, the two friends of Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) his mother (Annette Bening) recruits to help mentor him through 1970s America and his tumultuous teenage years. Fanning does a fresh take on the 'more experienced best friend' character and deftly steps between being unbearable and sympathetic, and has some great deadpan comedic scenes. Gerwig is heartbreaking in showing Abbie's hidden demons, but incredibly heartwarming in showing her passion in teaching Jamie about a vast array of topics she thinks will prove useful to him becoming a better person.

Kate McKinnon, Ghostbusters

I'll admit the film, in retrospect, is a bad film, poorly directed, poorly written, and the less said about the villain, the use of special effects and the cameos, the better. It's funny that the film was torn apart by people saying the casting of women would be the film's downfall, since half of the central quartet essentially save it from being a complete disaster. I found Kirsten Wiig a bit bland and Melissa McCarthy a bit forgettable, but Leslie Jones is quite funny in a poorly written part, and McKinnon, as Jillian the bizzare engineer, gets the most spontaneous comedic bits (no doubt largely improvised by herself) and is easily the highlight of the film. I wish a better film had been constructed around her.

Alison Sudol, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Like McKinnon, Sudol's a real scene-stealer in Fantastic Beasts. although she's also in a much better film, and has Dan Fogler's, the endearing, bumbling Muggle (sorry, I refuse to use 'No-Maj') baker to play off and complement her delightful work. Sudol's Queenie Goldstein is essentially a combination of witch and 1920s flapper, it's an inspired combination and she reminded me a bit of a 1990s Miranda Richardson with her cheery grin, adorable innocence, a sweet sort of stupidity that never feels in poor taste, and makes her sweet litle romance with Jacob quite affecting by the film's end.

Zoey Deutch, Everybody Wants Some

My memory of the film has somewhat diminished, so I'm in need of a re-watch, but Deutch gives a pretty delightful performance as Beverly. It's a simple role really, but Deutch handles Richard Linklater's dialogue better than anyone besides Glen Powell, has sparkling chemistry with Blake Jenner, and makes her little segment in the film quite memorable.

Rachel House, Hunt for the Wilderpeople

House gives one of the downright funniest performances of 2016 as the overzealous child welfare officer Paula. Everything she does is so over-the-top and ridiculous and House makes it work so well, adding another hilarious element to the film. Her abrasive showoff with Ricky about the Terminator, her absolutely brutal verbal takedown of the police officers on Ricky's case, her hilarious appearance on a television talk show comparing Ricky to being a 'spanner in the works', her repeated invocation of 'no child left behind', even when she's just silently teaching people how to break necks swiftly, makes this an incredibly comedic performance I could bump up even higher in the future.

The Neon Demon girls (Abbey Lee, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote)

This trio of vacuousness is one I hope work with Refn in the future since they all have such a wonderful grasp of his style. Malone, as probably the most 'human' of the lot, is a devilishly saucy delight as Ruby, the makeup artist with a thing for Jesse (Elle Fanning), and makes some of the more unpalatable elements of the film still work in her favour. Her breakdown to her character's final actions is particularly good. Lee gives probably the most stylized performance in the film, the supermodel who feels threatened by Jesse's entrance into the modelling world. She's actually quite heartbreaking in the scene where she shows an utter loss of faith in herself after losing out on a job to Jesse, and she also manages to make her transition into a bloodthirsty cannibal work particularly well, as she showed in Mad Max: Fury Road last year, she's definitely got presence. Heathcote has the least to do out of the three, but she gives such a memorably hollow, incisive performance, with everything she says feeling so false, and helps make the divisive ending of the film work somewhat.

Angourie Rice, The Nice Guys

Another film I barely remember anything about, she's nevertheless a fine and endearing presence as the wannabe detective daughter of Ryan Gosling's Holland March, making her sometimes convoluted and long-winded lines work, even though the highlight of the film is easily the two leading men.

Janelle Monáe, Moonlight 

She really is panning out to be quite the great actress, and I can't wait to see more of her work in general. This is her smaller of her two roles this year, but Monáe still makes a very big impression in a watertight ensemble as Juan's (Mahershala Ali) girlfriend Teresa. Her onscreen presence is just something very special in itself, she's a warm and supportive, and low-key funny presence in Chiron's life, and she's also part of the best acted scene in the film (the breakfast scene), helping to amplify Ali's incredible work in that scene with her honest reactions. 

Lucy Boynton, Sing Street

A very interesting performance that takes on the usual 'aloof grungy girl' vibe before peeling it away to reveal the insecurities underneath. Boyton's Raphina is a very well-written character so far as these sorts of characters go, and I found her performance effective in exploring the facade of her 'cold' exterior and her growing affection for Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo).

Imogen Poots, Green Room

Hate to leave her off my nominees. Out of my early first-half-of-2016 picks for the acting categories, Poots stuck in for the longest till I watched Hidden Figures last week. Anyway, Poots gives a rather marvellous performance as a grungy witness to the central murder that kicks things off. I love how she plays Amber as essentially someone being forced to give a fuck (pardon my french) for something, alluding to the rough life of her character brilliantly and how she's become accustomed to it alongside her fear of the terrifying situation she's in. She completely dominates her scenes when required as she gradually asserts a mad, energetic approach to her survival and develops a great chemistry with Anton Yelchin's Pat.

Personal Ranking: (see http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/ranking-oscar-nominees-best-supporting.html for my thoughts on Harris, Kidman and Davis.)

5. Janelle Monáe, Hidden Figures

Monáe is terrific here as the scene-stealer of the film, Mary Jackson, a computer at the segregated West Area Computing division who becomes NASA's first female engineer. Monáe stands out in the film beyond just having a great set of costumes and her spunky attitude, which is really unique and one of a kind. In that her sassiness and delivery of lines like 'I have the right to see the fine in every colour', her witty retorts to the bigoted police officer, and her energetic encouragement of her best friends in their various pursuits, are all so entertaining to watch. Then in her quieter scenes where she's dealing with her dream to become an engineer against all odds, and the disappointments along the way, I found her incredibly moving, particularly in her 'Oscar' scene where she asks the judge to grant her permission to attend classes at a white high school. I found she made a huge impression even in the somewhat limited narrative capacity we are given for her character. It's a truly entertaining performance but also moving and very nuanced in its own way. 

4. Naomie Harris, Moonlight 

3. Felicity Jones, A Monster Calls

It's funny that she's sandwiched between Harris and Kidman on my list, because where Harris presents the worst possible type of mother and Kidman the absolute best type of mother, Jones' portrayal of Lizzie, the ailing mother of Conor (Lewis MacDougall), is somewhere in between but also beyond the limits of those maternal figures. A Monster Calls is in many ways the film I think I wanted The BFG to be, in its depiction of a troubled child who finds a strange sort of mentor in a giant talking figure, Liam Neeson's titular monster tree. Jones depicts an absent mother figure, but not in the way you'd expect, in that she's absent against her own will, her terminal illness getting the better of her physically, and Jones is remarkable in depicting her physical breakdown in such a heartbreaking fashion. Alongside the deterioration of her health though, Jones finds something very special in the character's inner strength that never dissipates even in her final moments. She's very good in establishing her character's history with her ex-husband (Toby Kebbell) and her mother (Sigourney Weaver), suggesting a sort of distant love for both of them, and brings something truly special to her moments with MacDougall, as she dispenses maternal warmth and wisdom but in such a unique fashion. Her speech to Conor about 'breaking things' is absolutely devestating, and her final scene and reaction in the film hit me extremely hard. A great performance, and one I wish had gotten some awards traction alongside the underrated and financially under-performing film.

2. Nicole Kidman, Lion

1. Viola Davis, Fences

1. Viola Davis, Fences 
2. Nicole Kidman, Lion
3. Felicity Jones, A Monster Calls
4. Naomie Harris, Moonlight 
5. Janelle Monáe, Hidden Figures
6. Imogen Poots, Green Room
7. Abbey Lee, The Neon Demon
8. Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women
9. Jena Malone, The Neon Demon 
10. Rachel House, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
11. Elle Fanning, 20th Century Women
12. Alison Sudol, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
13. Bella Heathcote, The Neon Demon
14. Lucy Boynton, Sing Street
15. Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures 
16. Kate McKinnon, Ghostbusters
17. Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
18. Janelle Monáe, Moonlight
19. Angourie Rice, The Nice Guys
20. Zoey Deutch, Everybody Wants Some!!
21. Kirsten Dunst, Midnight Special 
22. Golshifteh Farahani, Paterson
23. Kim Su-an, Train to Busan 
24. Tilda Swinton, Doctor Strange
25. Haley Lu Richardson, The Edge of Seventeen
26. Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
27. Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: Civil War
28. Tilda Swinton, Hail, Caesar!
29. Teresa Palmer, Hacksaw Ridge
30. Rachel House, Moana
31. Elizabeth Olsen, Captain America: Civil War
32. Anna Faris, Keanu
33. Viola Davis, Suicide Squad
34. Kyra Sedgwick, The Edge of Seventeen
35. Sigourney Weaver, A Monster Calls
36. Leslie Jones, Ghostbusters
37. Kate Dickie, The VVitch
38. Gal Gadot, Batman v.s. Superman
39. Riley Keough, American Honey
40. Jung Yu-Mi, Train to Busan
41. Chloë Sevigny, Love & Friendship
42. Alia Shawkat, Green Room
43. Phoebe Fox, Eye in the Sky
44. Diane Kruger, Disorder
45. Shree Crooks, Captain Fantastic
46. Rima Te Wiata, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
47. Gina Rodriguez, Deepwater Horizon
48. Nana Komatsu, Silence
49. Emma Thompson, Bridget Jones's Baby
50. Samantha Isler, Captain Fantastic
51. Vespyr Cash, Captain Fantastic
52. Brianna Hildebrand, Deadpool
53. Yaya DaCosta, The Nice Guys
54. Kathryn Hahn, Captain Fantastic
55. Anne Consigny, Elle
56. Naomie Harris, Our Kind of Traitor
57. Leslie Uggams, Deadpool
58. Sofia Boutella, Star Trek Beyond
59. Emma Greenwell, Love & Friendship
60. Sarah Solemani, Bridget Jones's Baby
61. Rooney Mara, Lion
62. Sophie Turner, X-Men: Apocalypse
63. Kirsten Dusnt, Hidden Figures
64. Rachel Griffiths, Hacksaw Ridge
65. Rachel McAdams, Doctor Strange 
66. Lois Smith, The Nice Guys
67. Greta Gerwig, Jackie
68. Scarlett Johansson, Hail, Caesar!
69. Ahn So-hee, Train to Busan
70. Morfydd Clark, Love & Friendship
71. Chasten Harmon, Paterson
72. Gabourey Sidibe, Grimsby
73. Judith Magre, Elle
74. Margot Robbie, The Legend of Tarzan
75. Gemma Jones, Bridget Jones's Baby
76. Morena Baccarin, Deadpool
77. Iris Berben, Eddie the Eagle
78. Zoe Salanda, Star Trek Beyond
79. Rebel Wilson, Grimsby
80. Isla Fisher, Grimsby
81. Tiffany Haddish, Keanu
82. Lupita Nyong'o, The Jungle Book
83. Emayatzy Corinealdi, Miles Ahead
84. Angela Bassett, London Has Fallen
85. Han Ji-min, The Age of Shadows
86. Charlotte Le Bon, Bastille Day
87. Jenn Murray, Love & Friendship
88. Samantha Morton, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
89. Jenna Coleman, Me Before You
90. Scarlett Johansson, The Jungle Book
91. Alexandra Shipp, X-Men: Apocalypse
92. Sienna Miller, High Rise
93. Paula Patton, Warcraft
94. Janet McTeer, Me Before You
95. Holliday Grangier, The Finest Hours
96. Jemma Regrave, Love & Friendship
97. Alicia von Rittberg, Our Kind of Traitor
98. Diane Lane, Batman v.s. Superman
99. Lucy Russell, Toni Erdmann
100. Kate Hudson, Deepwater Horizon
101. Ingrid Bisu, Toni Erdmann
102. Laura Linney, Genius
103. Elizabeth Moss, High Rise
104. Elizabeth Olsen, I Saw the Light
105. Hayley Bennett, The Magnificent Seven
106. Laura Linney, Sully
107. Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Foster Jenkins
108. Sela Ward, Independence Day: Resurgence
109. Rebecca Hall, The BFG
110. Anna Baryshnikov, Manchester by the Sea
111. Maika Monroe, Independence Day: Resurgence
112. Gretchen Mol, Manchester by the Sea
113. Naomi Watts, Demolition
114. Holly Hunter, Batman v.s. Superman
115. Ana de Armas, War Dogs
116. Radha Mitchell, London Has Fallen
117. Rose Byrne, X-Men: Apocalypse
118. Penelope Cruz, Grimsby
119. Angelababy, Independence Day: Resurgence
120. Kara Hayward, Manchester by the Sea
121. Olivia Munn, X-Men: Apocalypse
122. Kate Winslet, Triple 9 
123. Karen Fukuhara, Suicide Squad
124. Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men: Apocalypse
125. Melissa Leo, London Has Fallen
126. Amy Adams, Batman v.s. Superman
127. Julia Stiles, Jason Bourne
128. Nicole Kidman, Genius
129. Cara Delevingne, Suicide Squad
130. Kim Basinger, The Nice Guys
131. Laura Linney, Nocturnal Animals

Amy Adams in 'Arrival' + Personal Ranking: Best Actress 2016

When I first saw Arrival couple of months ago, these were a few of my initial thoughts. Let's see how they stand now:

(from http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/top-10-space-themed-films-outside-of.html)

The script and the daring directions it takes, is sitting really, really well with me now. 

The 'daring' nature of the film still resonates with me strongly. The script, on the other hand, has somewhat diminished in my regard after re-watch, but oddly enough made me appreciate a certain something about the film all the more.

As is Amy Adams' lead performance; in fact, she might be among my favourite female leads of the decade now. I also think she'll get in for the Oscars.

Nah, I thought she was awful, should've campaigned for Nocturnal Animals to be honest for 'most series of enforced reactions shots of 2016 without any substance, drawing unncessary parallels, if Jake Gyllenhaal takes a shower then Amy Adams should take a shower too, also never criticize an aspiring novelist's book because you have to be careful with these things, you can't just throw it away, 'I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED IT' screams Tony internalizing my memories as in retrospect I reach out the the screen and attempt a pause, oh pause I cannot, I'm trapped, you have to be careful with these things Amy, we all eventually turn into our mothers - MARTHA (oops wrong bad Amy Adams film of 2016) - from Prologue to 'How I Realize I Hated Nocturnal Animals' by Calvin Law

The more I think about it, the more I think the film's best comparison is actually, funnily enough, a film I don't care all that much for: American Beauty, and another film I really like, Life of Pi.   

Umm...maybe? I don't know why I made this comparison. I'll see if I can integrate it into my review.


There's an aspect of the film I have a slight reservation with, but to discuss it would be spoiler-y, so I'll wait until more people have seen it.

Yeah, might as well get onto my review. Anyway, after re-watching Arrival, my overall feelings towards it remain the same, even if my feelings about certain aspects have changed. I've noticed that though the epic scope of the film's extraterrestrial contact plot is perhaps more resonant than ever, minor details deterred it from becoming a perfect film, notably in some of its simplistic side characters, rushed decisions by characters, and a few, very few, odd choices in terms of storytelling devices, like that Jeremy Renner voiceover and some of the cutaway scenes to the faceless soldiers and their responses to the situation. Now these are nitpicks, and I only mention them because it ties into my appreciation for Amy Adam's superb leading performance.

(Now my friends, you have three options: 1, continue reading if you've seen both Westworld and Arrival. 2, continue reading, but skip/don't highlight and read the red bold section below, if you've seen Arrival but not Westworld. 3, don't read on if you haven't seen Arrival).


Amy Adams' work in Arrival bears a lot of resemblance to another performance this year, Jeffrey Wright's technically duplicitous, but unwittingly so, turn in Westworld. Adams, similarly, has to base her whole performance around a twist, but make it subtle and not character-defining, and also the fact the screenplay itself dwells more on the grander implications of her 'ability' means that she has to do most of the heavy lifting for the personal, more intimate side of it, as well as fitting the twist into the grand scheme of the story. Like Wright, Adams' performance is filled with twists, and the most important aspect to the performance is that these twists are hinted at throughout with the proper amount of ambiguity. 

Amy Adams has had quite an interesting 2016. After a two-year hiatus after a very good performance in a rather mundane biopic, Big Eyes, I first saw her in Batman v.s. Superman, a terrible film, and while she wasn't overly bad in it, her Lois Lane just felt like such an awkward character placed in an awkward position in an awkwardly made film (that bathtub scene...). The I saw her in Nocturnal Animals, an even worse film (though the optimist in me tried to think the better of it on first watch, it really is an awful wreck), where she actually comes out best of the whole cast upon re-watch with her best attempts to salvage a terrible screenplay and direction ('So Amy, in this scene, you're going to be aghast, with an expression of 'Oh my god'...don't ask why, just do it, I need the reaction shot Amy, by the way what do you think of this perfume ad, lol jk it's a murder scene'). Then came Arrival. I must admit, despite eagerly going to see it with a friend, I wasn't expecting too much from Adams herself. I thought I'd be in for an experience of the technical wonder and grandeur of Denis Villeneuve and some thought-provoking sci-fi. Well I got all that too, but Adams, pulling the rug under me, gives a rather spellbinding performance that's so hauntingly complex, I don't quite know where to start - it doesn't really have a 'chronological' progression, so to speak, nor is there a way to 'sum it up' in terms of its brilliance since it's such enigmatic but naturalistic, rather unshowy work that's unfussy, unmannered, but when it and the film all concluded my friend Alexei and I just sat there, astounded, wowed, blown apart by the magnitude of the film's and performance's power.

Like Kate in Sicario and Loki in Prisoners, Villeneuve's last two excellent directorial efforts, Arrival has at its centre a sort of 'everyman' protagonist thrust into rather strange and unsettling circumstances by her own drive and determination, all the while revealing a deeper edge to the character. Linguist Louise Banks is presented to us as a woman with a troubled past (but that's not all there is to her), which we are given insight to in the beginning of the film. Then aliens arrive, and in classic governmental fashion a group of Army Colonels, led by Forest Whitaker's Colonel Weber, come to fetch Louise to help in deciphering the aliens' language. Adams' work in these early scenes, on a cursory glance, is more than solid, she's convincingly 'grieved' in the 'past' scenes, a convincing university lecturer, seems very intelligent, very passionate about linguistics, and with an intense interest in the extraterrestrial life forms who have come for unknown reasons to Earth.

Of course, bearing the eventual twist in mind, all these aspects of the performance are strengthened so much more. I was wondering when I should begin discussing the twist, I might as well start here: Louise's 'past' is actually her 'future'. (SPOILER) Her ailing daughter's slow and painful death is in the 'future', thus Adams' first big challenge is to make her character somewhat unsettled, and possibly troubled as you'd expect, but also allow you to interpret it as confusion, which it really is. I thought a particularly strong moment of this is at the military base when she's asked about her marital status. Her reaction could be read as: 'I'm not married', 'I'm not married anymore', 'I'd rather not say', 'Why are you asking me this?', 'Pardon?' These seem like minor things, but they really aren't, they're absolutely essential to the film working as well as it does.

Louise meets Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), physcist also enlisted to help in communicating with the aliens, and here's one regard where I thought Adams really lifted the script's weaknesses. (SPOILER) The two end up being married in the future, and I thought that while Renner did his very best, the script doesn't really allow him to develop much in the way of genuine chemistry with Adams. He's very likeable though. Adams, though, carries this part of the film with aplomb, because she quietly suggests a growing affection for Ian, but not enough to give the game away, but again not too subtly that it grows completely ignored.

The film doesn't waste too much time in getting us to meet the aliens. These scenes are masterclasses in editing, cinematography and sound, and of course Villeneuve's direction, but also Adams' performance. We watch as the lifetime linguist gets the opportunity to study the language of extraterrestrial species. It's beuaitfully handled in Adams' hands as we watch her realistic, compelling process of learning how to communicate to them not only with her linguistic abilities, but also by developing a genuine trust and bond with the aliens, who she and Ian nickname 'Abbott' and 'Costello'. The film's examination of how through various circular symbols and vocabulary, humans and aliens begin to develop communication, could've been boring, but Adams' passionate portrayal of Louise's learning process makes it very fascinating.

The grander scheme of the films focuses a lot on bureaucacy and government, and how their military fears of the aliens as invaders conflicts with the scientists' desire to understand what the aliens are here for, and what message they are trying to convey. Adams again is brilliant in showing how the government's stubbornness wears down on her character, as the strain and effort of having to prove her theories again and again, and the race against time for her deciphering of the aliens' message, is very effecting. In one crucial scene where U.S. soldiers, worried for the safety of their families and hearing news about imminent war with the aliens, plant explosives on the spaceship, Adams is so attuned to the film that, even though the scene is rushed and underdeveloped, you feel the impact of her desperate communication with Abbott and begging him to giver her a message, any message, that could help salvage her mission to help both the aliens and Earth.

The circular symbols the aliens show are eventually revealed to be related to the circular concept of time. (SPOILERS) The scene where all is revealed to Louise is brilliantly handled. Through the course of the film Louise experiences visions of her daughter. These are happy scenes, very endearing scenes of a mother's simple love for her child, nothing more, nothing less. Adams is, in classic Adams fashion, so luminous, and her reactions after waking from these visions are again so masterfully ambiguous, part sadness, part confusion. They are, as aforementioned, revealed to be 'flashforwards'. The aliens, through contact with Louise, have given her the ability to not only decipher their language, but also see into the future. The scene where she experiences the full range of emotions that envelop her upon this revelation is incredible, as you feel the whole weight of humanity's fate fall upon her shoulders. Soon, too, comes another scene, in the 'future', where Adams finds herself with her daughter, well aware that her daughter will soon die. Adams is utterly heartbreaking in this scene in showing the intense pain at knowing that suffering for them both is inevitable, but also intense love for her daughter.

The finale of Arrival is a rather understated one, involving Adams speaking Mandarin (which she handles admirably well), 'travelling' into the future (in a sense), and directly confronting government authority. It could've been anti-climactic, and the script's simplification of the government backdrop to the situation could've rung false, but Adams entirely delivers in her one-man mission. (SPOILERS) The ending of the film is utterly beautiful but also soul-destroying. We see Louise, contemplating all she's learnt and knowing all that will come will bring joy, but also grief, to her. Her final 'yes' is so simple, and that's all that's required. The music - Max Richter's spellbinding 'The Swimmer' -, the editing, is all fabulous, but it's her final expressions that bring the character of Louise Banks full circle. Arrival might not necessarily be a film about faith and religion in the same way as like, Silence was. But it is a powerful perspective into martyrdom, and sacrifice, and Adam's performance provides an intriguing and intensely poignant look into the life of a woman who becomes omniscient but alas, not omnipotent. A fantastic performance, and though the Academy did right in a lot of stuff this year, it's a shame they didn't come round to this career-best work by Amy Adams that, as I'm writing about this...might be tied with Rooney Mara in Carol as my favourite female lead performance of the decade.
















After the main event, let's talk a little about some of my honourable mentions for Best Actress:

Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship

The film itself has somewhat slipped out of my memory, but Beckinsale's Lady Susan really is a career-best from an actress who has rarely impressed me, a delightful comedic creation that's one of the purely funniest performances of the year. Beckinsale handles Jane Austen's dialogue impeccably, handles the subtle venom and incisiveness of her character brilliantly, with just the touch of ambiguous love, and makes her unpredictable, calculating mindset quite compelling to watch. Wish it could've stayed in my top 5, but alas, the year is too strong.

Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen

Another performance I hate to leave out of my top 5, Steinfeld handles a (much better than I'd expected) variation on the 'wry, knowing teenager' role that's been done to death, in a surprisingly good film that's not just another teen movie. High school senior Nadine is a bit abrasive and a bit annoying, very annoying actually in certain parts, and it's to Steinfeld's credit that she holds our attention all the way through. She's funny, she's sad, she's both at certain points, raising the film above the potential problems of its insight into high school caricatures, and manages to make the film's conclusion affecting without being didactic.

Marion Cotillard,  Allied

I should note that the more I think about it, the more I really enjoyed this film. It's not great, far from Zemeckis' best, and it has a very bland male lead, but I find Cotillard's depiction of a (potential) (enigma), but also the allure and seductiveness of the femme fatale (possibly), and the loving housewife and mother, and the badass war hero, all cohered perfectly into a rather grand performance. Despite the awful trailers which essentially spoiled the whole film's plot for me, I found that Cotillard's performance was profoundly affecting and extremely entertaining, and made the ending possibly more moving than I'd have expected.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 10 Cloverfield Lane

The film has all but faded from my memory now, and the more I think about it, it really was a mess, a fun mess that presents a scattershot of genres and tones for you to pick out. It's a muddled but enjoyable thriller, and Winstead is a rather terrific lead, giving a realistic, passionate and very to-the-point reactionary performance to the insanity around her. Plaudits for the film's acting seem to be going to John Goodman, but I actually found Winstead was the one who stole the show.

Sasha Lane, American Honey

Another film I liked when watching it, it has a lot of inspired moments, beautiful cinematography, a uniformly strong ensemble, but ultimately lacked that extra 'oomph' that gives me a lasting impression of it. Lane's lead performance as the suitably named Star (hopefully she'll be a rising one in years to come) carries Andrea Arnold's vision of an All-American road trip very well, even if not everything she and her troupe of merry salesmen does feels too substantial. It's a wavering film in terms of focus and far too overlong, but I found Lane compelling throughout in showing her character's subtle, gradual maturation.

Elle Fanning, The Neon Demon

I'm in two minds about this performance. On one hand, Fanning is almost a prop at certain points to the film's overall vision, and I'll admit that a lot of the memorable quality of her 'fish out of the water' model comes from her visual presentation. But Jesse is still a fully-fleshed character in her own right, and Fanning gives a very remarkable, stylized portrayal of this timid young woman coming into her own in the fashion world in such a harrowing, gruesome fashion. I'm a defender of the film, it's by no means perfect, but I found it thoroughly engaging throughout and Fanning contributes greatly to it.

1. Amy Adams, Arrival
2. Emma Stone, La La Land
3. Isabelle Huppert, Elle
4. Natalie Portman, Jackie
5. Ruth Negga, Loving
6. Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship
7. Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
8. Marion Cotillard, Allied
9. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Sasha Lane, American Honey
11. Elle Fanning, The Neon Demon
12. Anya Taylor-Joy, The VVitch
13. Felicity Jones, Rogue One
14. Helen Mirren, Eye in the Sky
15. Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
16. Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann
17. Renée Zellweger, Bridget Jones's Baby
18. Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad
19. Amy Adams, Nocturnal Animals
20. Katherine Waterston, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
21. Alicia Vikander, Jason Bourne
22. Julia Roberts, Money Monster
23. Ruby Barnhill, The BFG
24. Melissa McCarthy, Ghostbusters
25. Kirsten Wiig, Ghostbusters
26. Natalie Portman, Jane Got a Gun
27. Emilia Clarke, Me Before You

Ask for my thoughts on any of these if you wish!!

Personal Rankings: Best Supporting Actor 2016

Moonlight was my favourite ensemble of the year, but which actor takes my overall for Best Supporting Actor? 

Honourable Mentions (in no particular order):

Alden Ehrenreich, Hail, Caesar!

Ehrenreich gives a star making turn as the most adorable 50s movie star imaginable. Hobie Doyle, unlike most of the flock of Hollywood personalities in this lighthearted but thoroughly enjoyable Coen Brothers film, is without any hint of malice or deceit in his body. All he wants to do is make good movies, and Ehrenreich is both hilarious and heartwarming as he shows this Western singing cowboy as he tried his hand at stuff upper lip drama, takes a fellow actor on a lovely date, and investigates a Hollywood Communist conspiracy.

Chadwick Boseman, Captain America: Civil

In a particularly strong ensemble for a Marvel film, Boseman's first venture as Black Panther/T'Challa has stayed with me the most. He depicts his character's dignified but assertive nature beautifully, and handled his swift arc from vengeance to dignified acceptance of fate with such gravitas and style. I cant

Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes, and André Holland, Moonlight

I should note that the kid actors playing young Chiron and Kevin (Alex Hibbert and Jaden Piner), and Jharrell Jerome who plays teenaged Kevin, are really good too. I'll probably specifically cover these guys in a future review of the whole film (and I almost might move Sanders and Rhodes to lead with a re-watch), but Sanders and Rhodes are incredibly strong in building up Chiron through the years, particularly Rhodes, with such different styles but in a way that seems cohesive, while Holland's supportive supporting role is so modestly, tenderly handled when it could have been so overblown. Moonlight has my favourite overall ensemble of the year, and it's credit to these chaps who make the central relationship between Chiron and Kevin something so uniquely profound.

George Mackay, Captain Fantastic

I'm overjoyed for Viggo Mortensen's nomination. But I wish that Mr Mackay, playing Mortensen' s oldest son, would have gotten some awards traction too for his measured and rather heartfelt work as a loyal but inquisitive oldest son in the central family, playing incredibly well off Viggo Mortensen's excellent lead performance as Bo, who feels the weight of the world he's missed out on press upon him. Mackay is rapidly becoming one of my favourite young actors, he was amazing in 11.22.63 and the stage version of The Caretaker and also was so good in Pride. He's come a long way, and I expect big things in the future with this brilliant performance that circles between comedy and drama seamlessly, and I feel many have definitely underrated the impact he makes within the role.

Hugo Weaving, Hacksaw Ridge

He's not quite the highlight of the film from an acting standpoint, and I certainly could've gone for a lot more of Tom Doss, but Weaving's depiction of a war-torn, broken-down alcoholic veteran is a tremendous performance that feels so lived-in and naturalistic. He fits in perfectly to Mel Gibson's very specific sort of time period and feel, giving his Tom Doss the necessary explosive qualities of violence and vehemence, but also an underlying tenderness and love for his family that seeps through the cracks. You never feel the 'acting' behind his performance, and his final scene feels emotionally well-earnt because of that. A tremendous performance.

Jack Reynor, Sing Street

This is a film that got royally screwed over in the awards season. I can sort of understand why it was looked over for many awards since it's so...small-scale, and so feel-good, that I could easily see awards organizations dismissing it as 'too light' for their tastes. Even at the Golden Globes, where it was nominated for Best Comedy/Musical, they missed out on awarding its best aspect (more on that at a later point). Anyway, Reynor is one of the highlights of Sing Street with his entertaining but also very poignant depiction of the stoner older brother of our protagonist Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) who everyone sees as a deadbeat, but proves to be the only positive mentor Conor has. Reynor gives a terrific portrayal of brotherly love, laced with humour, grace, a passion for music that really wins you over, and makes the film's ending really work.

Damian Lewis and Stellan Skarsgård, Our Kind of Traitor

A lesser John le Carré adaptation, perhaps, but still a very compelling one, primarily due to once again its portrayal of the seedy and duplicitous world of spies and moles. Lewis is terrific as the incisive and no-nonsense MI6 handler Hector, delivering each of his (technically expositionary) lines with delicious aplomb and making his stiff-laced government official so mesmerizing to watch within these limits. Then in the brief moments where he shows an added humanity to his character, and what the mission really means to him, he's devestating. More overtly emotional is Skarsgård, who gives a career-best turn as a Russian gangster with a heart, but a genuine heart, he never shies away from the violent nature of the man or his criminal background, but somehow makes it cohere perfectly with the loving father and kindhearted friend to those who are loyal to him. It's kind of like Mahershala Ali's performance in that sense, a tremendous bit of work, given a less excellent film to work with, but still a great performance.

Tanadobu Asano, Issey Ogata, and Liam Neeson, Silence

Silence has quite the ensemble, in fact I might have been too soon to call Moonlight the best ensemble of 2016. When I first watched the film, I fell in love with it, and I still love it now, more so even after reading the tremendous source material, writing more about it, and discussing it with my tutor (who interviewed Scorsese for 2 hours earlier on this month). I'll discuss other aspects of the film in the future, but from the acting standpoint I was impressed first time round already, but my focus was primarily on one performance I felt completely dominated the film. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the ensemble to Silence was every bit as essential to the emotional response I had to the film.

Ogata was actually in my lineup before, lying down in bed one night, I started to think more about Silence. Not that I think he's anything less than great, still. His Inquisitor is a darkly comical but also rather terrifying figure who perfectly embodies the strict, no-nonsense attitude of the Japanese authorities to Christianity. One scene where he sways between outright condemnation of Garfield's Rodrigues to light jesting and dirty humour, and back again, is exceptional.

Asano gives a different brand of biting cruelty to his Interpreter in his interrogations of Rodrigues, but also so eloquently brings to life the virtues of Buddhism, and in no way makes his character a straw man. It's a fascinating performance that fulfills the role of tormenter, and goes further beyond just that.

As for Neeson, I feel I underrated him the first time I saw the film. His role is a short one, but a memorable one, as his Father Ferreria is in the flashbacks scenes such a haunting depiction of suffering for faith, and his 'present' portrayal of the man content with Japanese life, but with the lingering doubts over his apostasy being the right choice, so subtly rendered, and the dynamic he strikes up with former disciple Rodrigues is truly special. These are three great performances, not the best supporting performances in the film, but great ones nevertheless.

Calvin Law's Nominees for Best Supporting Actor 2016:

5. Ben Foster, Hell or High Water

Well I talked about Bridges being great and Chris Pine being no slouch, but my favourite performance in the impressive dramatic showcase that is Hell or High Water is Ben Foster, whose performance deceptively plays both into, and against, his usual 'type'. Foster has had an interesting 2016. He played forgettable supporting parts in Warcraft and The Finest Hours, making an impression as usual because he's Ben Foster, and was set up to be the main villain in Inferno only to apparently be killed off in the opening sequence (I haven't seen the film, nor do I have any intention of doing so). It would've been another waste of a year of this talented actor's career if not for the fact he had a plum (supporting, I say, even though some contend it's lead) role as the trigger-happy, foulmouthed redneck Tanner half of the Howard brothers.

Tanner seems very much in vein of the usual Ben Foster scene-stealers in films like 3:10 to Yuma and Alpha Dog, the unhinged, vulgar fellow who's always in your face, always looking to pick a fight - though I'd argue there's a lot more nuance to this 'scene-stealing' quality of his roles. Anyway, in this aspect of the character he's great as per usual. You can't take your eyes off Tanner whenever he's conducting a heist, chatting shit to assholes at the gas station, seducing a hotel receptionist, and perhaps most memorably, getting right in the face of a Native American he's annoyed while gambling and discussing what 'Comanche' means. Everything Tanner does in these scenes is very sleazy and reprehensible, but Foster makes it so dynamic to watch, and somehow charming. You know Tanner's a bit of a loose cannon and dangerous fellow, but you also probably wouldn't mind being his friend, or at the very least on his side.

That's not all there is to Tanner, though. Tanner has only just recently been released from jail, for killing his and Toby's (Chris Pine) abusive alcoholic father, and their mother died while he was in jail. Foster and Pine both suggest the intense depths of pain their pasts have given them, with the former's abrasive and volatile nature combating his past demons,while the latter more quietly broods over what made them into the men they are. Which brings me to the best part of both men's performance, and the brilliance behind Foster's performance, is that though both are redneck criminals, they're also passionate, loving men. Toby is passionate for his son, his family, and their economic welfare. Tanner's love is a little more simple, but also a little more complex. Tanner's a man with much less in the world than Toby, in terms of affections, relations. It's never directly stated, but he's a man living each day like it's his last, and Foster fuses this fearless attitude with an underlying self-hatred of a man who doesn't have much to live for besides his little brother. And here's where the excellence of his portrayal really coheres together. Tanner's brotherly love, above all, defines him, and is the driving force behind all he does. It makes his off-kilter and violent behavior have a surprising poignancy behind it, and his final scenes, where he sacrifices himself for a better life for his brother, incredibly powerful. Foster gives a great performance as a madcap criminal, but underlies it with the heart and soul of a loving brother, and makes Tanner Howard a truly mesmerizing and heartbreaking contradiction of a man, a recurring theme through many of my Supporting Actor lineup this year.  


4. Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

3. Sam Neill, Hunt for the Wilderpeople 

I'd call this the hidden gem of 2016, but it has gotten quite a bit of love among both audiences and critics, as one of the biggest indie hits of the year by the one and only Taika Watiti, who directs, writes and also delivers a hilarious cameo. The film follows the odd couple dynamic of Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), juvenile delinquent and pop culture aficionado, and Uncle Hec (Neill), the curmudgeonly and unwilling foster father to Ricky, and the hijinks they get up to when forced to flee into the New Zealand bush after a series of unforunate events.

Watiti's direction is brilliant, as is Dennison and the marvelous screenplay, but my MVP of the film is probably Neill. Now Neill could be argued as co-lead here and I wouldn't question it, however the long stretches he disappears for, and the almost constant POV from Ricky's perspective means I consider Hec a supporting character. Anyway, onto the performance itself. He doesn't mince words, doesn't say many of them actually, and very much keeps to himself initially. Neill suggests the history of this man far more comfortable in the bush hunting, than interacting with anyone besides his wife (Rima Ti Wiata). It's done in a physical manner that's very compelling, you just feel like this is a man who knows his way round nature instinctively, and also his intense cynicism and reserve. In many ways it felt like a spiritual successor of sorts to his work in Jurassic Park, and like that film Neill is the king of suggesting a lot in facial expressions alone. Yet even in these initial stages, he shows hints of a lighter side, foreshadowing the arc to come; in his scenes with Wiata, you get a sense of a man who's not always this grumpy and has his moments of levity. When tragedy strikes, Neill is heartbreaking in showing the little happiness in the man's life dissipate completely as he feels utterly lost, and at loss what to do with the young boy now in his charge. He depicts a man who dies a little inside, and doesn't know anything he can do to handle his situation. As Ricky runs away to avoid being taken back by child services, Hec chases after him, and the rest is history.

The chemistry between Neill and Dennison really is the whole film, and it is flawless. Dennison is a masterful comedic force, spitting out unforgettable quips and hilarious observations like a seasoned vet, but Neill amplifies them all the more by his downright hilarious facial reactions of shock, disgust, incredulousness; his intense physical depiction of a man who would really like nothing better than to give the young lad a good disciplining; and his brilliant delivery of lines like 'shit just got real' that's so genuinely badass and funny at the same time. But he also finds space to give weight to the weightier moments. Neill is wonderful in exuding the comfort of the man in his element in nature, and quietly moving in the scenes where he reveals his dark past and how he was in a rut before his wife rescued him. Most impressive of all is the gradual love he finds for Ricky. It feels completely earnt as Neill finds this growing affection within his gruff exterior, and makes his concluding statement on the character extremely funny and moving, especially with that final haiku. Neill gives a spectacular performance of equal parts deadpan hilarity and heartfelt, understated sincerity, that should've gotten more attention than it did in awards circles.

Runner-Up: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

WINNER: Yôsuke Kubozuka, Silence

Interesting story about how this came round to being my winner. As aforementioned, when I first watched Silence I found Ogata to be the standout of the supporting cast. He's terrific, and has a few standalone scenes to really get to show off his stuff, but I actually found upon further contemplation that the actor who made the biggest impression on me in the whole cast, was Kubozuka's portrayal of the Judas figure of the piece, Kichijiro. When I watched the film, I was thoroughly impressed by him, but felt that because most of his scenes are shared with Andrew Garfield's magnificent performance, it was more that he was feeding off the intrinsic power of those scenes. But the more I think about what he did in the role, the more I realize that this is a truly special sort of performance.

We first meet Kichijiro as the two Portugese Jesuits, Rodrigues and Garrupe (Garfield and Adam Driver) are introduced to him in Macau as a prospective guide for them through Japan. Kubozuka's creation of Kichijiro is rather magnificent as he plays him as a complete and utter shell of a man. He reeks of alcoholism from every pore which he conveys through his physical performance, very much in the Toshiro Mifune vein of using every aspect of his body to convey this particular sort of decadence. He is a man utterly defeated, even though why and how is a mystery, Kubozuka gives a very particular insight into a defeated man. And when Fathers Garrupe and Rodrigues offer him the opportunity to return to his home country, his eyes light up ever so slightly with the excitement of his return, as he offers to guide them to the hidden 'Kirishitans' in Nagasaki. Yet when pressed as to whether he's a Christian or not, the fear with which he denies it, and says 'Kirishitan die. They die in Nagasaki', is so viscreal and unnervingly real; you immediately want to know more about this enigmatic fellow.

Kichijiro is to put it bluntly, quite the pathetic fellow, and the interesting thing to note about this performance is that like Ogata, it's actually meant to be semi-comedic in nature. The cowardly nature of Kichijiro, with that servile grin, weak posture, and subservient disposition, is described in the novel as both intriguing and amusing Rodrigues, and this is brought to Kubozuka's performance as he does not shy away from how unrelentingly pathetic Kichijiro is, and somehow manages to make it both grimly unappealing, and darkly comedic, especially in terms of some of the character's actions later on.

Kubozuka brings a certain ambiguity to his performance, and we're never quite sure when, if ever, he'll turn on the Jesuits. Even when it's revealed that he is a figure to be trusted (for the timebeing) when he brings the priests to the hidden Japanese Christians, the cowardice and weak-willed nature of Kubozuka means that we never quite know when he'll do a heel-faced turn. In time, we learn more about his past, that Kichijiro is a Christian, but denies it because of a traumatic incident in the past: Kichijiro’s family was held hostage after being declared Christians, and he steps on a fumie (a pictorial representation of Jesus) to avoid death, while the rest of his family are burnt at the stake. The flashback is a scene of brilliance for Martin Scorsese in terms of restraint and style - it's almost entirely silent, and the horror in the moment of execution is found more in implication than viscreal violence, which causes it to be absolutely harrowing. And Kubozuka is wordlessly brilliant in this scene. You see the pain as he steps on the fumie to preserve his life, and the shame and anguish in the aftermath. When he begs Rodrigues to take his confession, stating that 'whatever I do, wherever I go, I see the fire and smell the flesh. The one thing more terrible to me than their dying is my shame', you feel the intensity of his suffering just through his words, and his confession of sin is altogether heartbreaking.

This motif of the fumie repeated later on when the villagers are required to send four hostages to the local samurai magistrate under suspicion of concealed Christianity. Kichijiro, unwillingly, is one of these men, and the pain he feels at having to once again betray his beliefs is briefly depicted, but oh so powerful. He disappears from view for awhile, reappearing once again when Rodrigues is at his lowest. Kubozuka is rather hilarious in a way in showing how eager the foolish incompetent Kichijiro tries to help Rodrigues, cooking for him, providing shelter, giving him salted fish to eat which only makes Rodrigues thirstier, oh wait that was intentional, yes there's a craftiness behind Kichijiro's help of Rodrigues, but the way Kubozuka depicts these scenes makes you want to feel sympathetic, makes you want to believe in him. His haunted invocations to Rodrigues about how there is no place in Japan for a weak man of faith like him, and how he is forced to lie, hide, and betray to survive, makes us feel pity for him in the same way Rodrigues pities this poor soul, even though we all know that he will inevitably betray him.

The scene where Rodrigues is betrayed and captured by the Japanese is a masterclass by Garfield (more on that at some point), but Kubozuka is also very strong in once again showing the vain pleading of Kubozuka for forgiveness, that he couldn't help it, it was in his nature. I actually thought at this point that screenwriters Jay Cocks and Scorsese would have excised Kichijiro from the plot afterwards to streamline it, and boy am I glad they stuck to the novel, since what they do with his character is nothing short of exceptional. Kubozuka makes a welcome return, though perhaps not so welcome for Rodrigues, still smarting from the constant betrayal of this Judas figure. I've read reviews which criticize the repetitive nature of his character, I disagree because firstly that's the point of the character, and secondly I think Kubozuka finds a remarkable variation in that 'reptition' of the character's repeated seeking for salvation and forgiveness. Kichijiro was a broken man at the start, becoming gradually more broken down as the film goes along, and when he makes a self-imposed visit to Rodrigues in his jail cell, he is utterly and completely shattered. Even though the repetition of his confession of his sins to Rodrigues might have rung false in the wrong hands, in Kubozuka's anguished delivery it feels completely genuine, and you really feel the strain and self-loathing of a man who wishes to stay true to his faith, but is too cowardly to act upon it. When he bemoans how 'unfair' it is that he was born in a time of religious persecution, when he could've lived as a good Christian in another time and age, it is a magnificently delivered line:

Do you understand what I’ve been saying? Yes, Padre, I denied. I’m an apostate. Years ago. I could have died a good Kirishitan. There was no persecution. Why was I born now? This is so unfair...I’m sorry...

You don't believe he can right his wrongs as he promises, or redeem his cowardly nature, but nevertheless you feel for him so strongly. Kubozuka, far from paintingi Kichijiro as a simplistic betrayer or a symapthetic figure, makes him a combination two sides, a walking contradiction who is entirely genuine in his beliefs, but swayed around by his inherently weak nature. Which brings us to his final scene.

SPOILERS

In this scene, Rodrigues has apostasized, a powerful set of scenes I'll get onto in the future. Kichijiro now works for Rodrigues as a servant, and though the last scene they share is brief, it is one of the most, if not the most, powerful scene in the film. There's an odd sense of friendship between the two men that feels completely earnt despite most of their shared screentime involving one's betrayal of the other. The kinship between Rodrigues and Kichijiro, brought to life so vividly by both actors, is so oddly comforting in wake of the general brooding mood. Then, as Kubozuka once again begs for Rodrigues and God's salvation, the two actors work in perfect tandem to show the utterly shattered state of both men's souls. The weight of this Judas figure as he relays all the sufferings from his betrayals of others are delivered through Kubozuka's delivery and face, as he shows a man no stronger than the weak wreck we were presented with, but somehow a more devout one, a pathetic man who has become fully aware of his pathetic nature, and whose acknowedgement of that and somehow strengthens his faith in our eyes.

Kubozuka, till the very end, never compromises the weaknesses of the character, never shies away from the ugly nature of his cowardice, but makes his character's devotion against his inherent hypocrisies, and struggles against his self-serving betrayals, so powerful a depiction of faith being tested, failing, and trying to find its way in the world. He makes what happens to his character in the end so very affecting, and this is certainly a performance I underestimated the first time I saw it. Like Nicholas Hoult in Mad Max: Fury Road last year, it's a deceptively 'simple' performance that's only grown on me with time, and I think if I re-watch the film it'll only grow higher in my esteem.

Feel free to ask for my thoughts on the rest of the supporting actors here! :) Here's my full ranking for the year (subject to change of course, but my top 5 is pretty secure)

1. Yōsuke Kubozuka, Silence
2. Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
3. Sam Neill, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
4. Ben Foster, Hell or High Water 
5. Ashton Sanders, Moonlight
6. Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
7. George MacKay, Captain Fantastic
8. Trevante Rhodes, Moonlight
9. Issey Ogata, Silence
10. Stellan Skarsgård, Our Kind of Traitor
11. Liam Neeson, Silence
12. Alden Ehrenreich, Hail, Caesar!
13. André Holland, Moonlight
14. Damian Lewis, Our Kind of Traitor
15. Hugo Weaving, Hacksaw Ridge
16. Tadanobu Asano, Silence
17. Chadwick Boseman, Captain America: Civil War
18. Jack Reynor, Sing Street
19. Glen Powell, Everybody Wants Some!!
20. Jharrel Jerome, Moonlight
21. Dan Fogler, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
22. Alex Hibbert, Moonlight
23. Woody Harrelson, The Edge of Seventeen
24. Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
25. Luke Bracey, Hacksaw Ridge
26. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals
27. Shinya Tsukamoto, Silence
28. Macon Blair, Green Room
29. Billy Crudup, Jackie
30. Daniel Brühl, Captain America: Civil War
31. Alan Rickman, Eye in the Sky
32. Hayden Szeto, The Edge of Seventeen
33. Aaron Paul, Eye in the Sky
34. Shia LaBoeuf, American Honey
35. Gil Birmingham, Hell or High Water
36. Donnie Yen, Rogue One
37. Tom Bennett, Love & Friendship
38. John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane
39. Evan Peters, X Men: Apocalypse
40. Sam Worthington, Hacksaw Ridge
41. Aaron Eckhart, Bleed for This
42. Sebastian Stan, Captain America: Civil War
43. George Clooney, Hail, Caesar!
44. Peter Sarsgaard, Jackie
45. Patrick Stewart, Green Room
46. Ciaran Hinds, Bleed for This
47. Ethan Hawke, The Magnificent Seven
48. Byung-Hun Lee, The Magnificent Seven
49. Hugh Jackman, Eddie the Eagle
50. Adam Driver, Silence 
51. John Hurt, Jackie
52. Jiang Wen, Rogue One
53. Joel Edgerton, Midnight Special
54. Luke Evans, High Rise
55. Alan Tudyk, Rogue One
56. Mykelti Williamson, Fences
57. Frank Langella, Captain Fantastic
58. Ewan McGregor, Miles Ahead
59. Anthony Mackie, Captain America: Civil War
60. Vince Vaughan, Hacksaw Ridge
61. Ralph Fiennes, Hail, Caesar!
62. Tom Holland, Captain America: Civil War
63. Barkhad Abdi, Eye in the Sky
64. Jovan Adepo, Fences 
65. Michael Fassbender, X-Men: Apocalypse
66. Kurt Russell, Deepwater Horizon
67. Blake Jenner, The Edge of Seventeen
68. Stephen Henderson, Fences
69. John Gallagher Jr., 10 Cloverfield Lane
70. Riz Ahmed, Rogue One
71. Temple Baker, Everybody Wants Some!!
72. James McAvoy, X-Men: Apocalypse
73. Barry Shabaka Henley, Paterson
74. Bill Murray, The Jungle Book
75. T.J. Miller, Deadpool
76. Mads Mikkelsen, Rogue One
77. Jeremy Renner, Captain America: Civil War
78. Adam Driver, Midnight Special
79. Jaden Piner, Moonlight
80. Toby Kebbell, A Monster Calls
81. Paul Rudd, Captain America: Civil War
82. Channing Tatum, Hail, Caesar!
83. Patrick Decile, Moonlight 
84. Jai Courtney, Suicide Squad
85. Chris Cooper, Demolition
86. Kai Lennox, Green Room
87. Jay Hernandez, Suicide Squad
88. Wyatt Russell, Everbody Wants Some!!
89. Callum Turner, Green Room
90. Austin Amelio, Everybody Wants Some!!
91. Ma Dong-seok, Train to Busan
92. Simon Pegg, Star Trek Beyond
93. Tye Sheridan, X-Men: Apocalypse
94. Mads Mikkelsen, Doctor Strange
95. Alessandro Nivola, The Neon Demon
96. Joe Cole, Green Room
97. Christopher Walken,  The Jungle Book
98. Eric Edlestein, Green Room
99. Charlie Shotwell, Captain Fantastic
100. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Triple 9
101. Colin Hanks, Elvis & Nixon
102. Nicholas Hamilton, Captain Fantastic
103. Yoshi Oida, Silence 
104. Will Forte, Keanu
105. Harvey Scrimshaw, The VVitch
106. Brent Werzner, Green Room
107. Ben Mendelsohn, Rogue One
108. Stefan Kapičić, Deadpool
109. Choi Woo-shik, Train to Busan
110. Mark Weber, Green Room
111. Justin Edwards, Love & Friendship
112. Rhys Darby, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
113. J. Quinton Johnson, Everybody Wants Some!!
114. Benedict Wong, Doctor Strange
115. Karan Soni, Deadpool
116. Masatoshi Nagose, Paterson
117. Kodi Smitt-McPhee, X-Men: Apocalypse
118. Russell Hornsby, Fences
119. Idris Elba, The Jungle Book
120. Juston Street, Everbody Wants Some!!
121. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Doctor Strange
122. Taika Watiti, Hunt fot the Wilderpeople
123. Tyler Hoechlin, Everybody Wants Some!!
124. Colin Firth, Bridget Jones's Baby
125. Ben Kingsley, The Jungle Book
126. Oscar Kightley, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
127. Paul Bettany, Captain America: Civil War
128. Colin Farrell, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
129. Jeremy Renner, Arrival
130. Kim Eui-sung, Train to Busan
131. Samuel L. Jackson, The Legend of Tarzan
132. Ben Carolan, Sing Street
133. Cohen Holloway, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
134. Tanner Kalina, Everybody Wants Some!!
135. Troy Kingi, Hunt for the Wilderpeople
136. Max Casella, Jackie
137. Will Brittain, Everybody Wants Some!!
138. Woody Harrelson, Triple 9
139. Jared Harris, Allied 
140. Richard E. Grant, Jackie
141. Xavier Samuel, Love & Friendship
142. Forest Whitaker, Arrival
143. Mark McKenna, Sing Street
144. Casey Affleck, Triple 9
145. Jack O'Connell, Money Monster
146. Matt Bomer, The Nice Guys
147. Guy Pearce, Genius
148. Darrell Britt-Gibson, Keanu
149. Jason Mitchell, Keanu
150. Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Keanu
151. August Diehl, Allied
152. Forest Vickery, Everybody Wants Some!!
153. Keanu Reeves, The Neon Demon
154. David Wenham, Lion
155. Beau Knapp, The Nice Guys
156. Method Man, Keanu
157. Kyle Chandler, Manchester by the Sea
158. Steve Zahn, Captain Fantastic
159. Richard Pryos, Hacksaw Ridge
160. Ben Foster, The Finest Hours
161. Simon McBurney, Allied
162. Chris Pratt, The Magnificent Seven
163. Michael Gambon, Hail, Caesar!
164. Anthony Mackie, Triple 9
165. Karl Urban, Star Trek Beyond
166. James Fleet, Love & Friendship
167. Ryan Guzman, Everybody Wants Some!!
168. Karl Glusman, Nocturnal Animals
169. Jermaine Clement, The BFG
170. Ben Foster, Warcraft
171. Zachary Quinto, Star Trek Beyond
172. Jeremy Irons, Batman v.s. Superman
173. Don Cheadle, Captain America: Civil War
174. Aidan Gillen, Sing Street
175. Toby Kebbell, Warcraft
176. Nick Kroll, Loving
177. Laurence Fishburne, Batman v.s. Superman
178. Ed Skrein, Deadpool
179. Evan Peters, Elvis & Nixon
180. Bradley Cooper, War Dogs
181. Bill Pullman, Independence Day: Resurgence
182. Anton Yelchin, Star Trek Beyond
183. Nicholas Hoult, X-Men: Apocalypse
184. Aaron Eckhart, Sully
185. Johnny Knoxville, Elvis & Nixon
186. William Jackson Harper, Paterson
187. Khalid Abdalla, Our Kind of Traitor
188. DeObia Oparei, Independence Day: Resurgence
189. Michael Shannon, Loving
190. C.J. Wilson, Manchester by the Sea
191. Dominic Cooper, Warcraft
192. Riz Ahmed, Jason Bourne
193. Michael K. Williams, Triple 9
194. Rizwan Manji, Paterson
195. Iain Glen, Eye in the Sky
196. Alex Pettyfer, Elvis & Nixon
197. Alec Utgoff, Our Kind of Traitor
198. Daniel Wu, Warcraft
199. Dylan O'Brien, Deepwater Horizon
200. Christopher Lambert, Hail, Caesar!
201. Scott McNairy, Batman v.s. Superman
202. Jonah Hill, Hail, Caesar!
203. Jeremy Northam, Eye in the Sky
204. Robert Kazinsky, Warcraft
205. Norman Reedus, Triple 9
206. Rafe Spall, The BFG
207. John Cho, Star Trek Beyond
208. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, The Magnificent Seven
209. John Carroll Lynch, Jackie
210. Vincent Cassell, Jason Bourne
211. Ike Barinholtz, Suicide Squad
212. Dominic West, Money Monster
213. Clifton Collins Jr., Triple 9
214. Brent Spiner, Independence Day: Resurgence
215. Matthew Broderick, Manchester by the Sea
216. Christoph Waltz, The Legend of Tarzan
217. Charles Dance, Me Before You
218. Dominic West, Genius
219. Jeremy Northam, Our Kind of Traitor
220. Karl Glusman, The Neon Demon
221. Brendan Coyle, Me Before You
222. Ben Schnetzer, Warcraft
223. Forest Whitaker, Rogue One
224. Jeremy Irons, High Rise
225. Idris Elba, Star Trek Beyond
226. Patrick Dempsey, Bridget Jones's Baby
227. Velibor Topic, Our Kind of Traitor
228. Keith Stanfield, Miles Ahead
229. William Hurt, Captain America: Civil War
230. Keith David, The Nice Guys
231. Jim Broadbent, Bridget Jones's Baby
232. Sam Shepard, Midnight Special
233. Michael Stuhlbarg, Miles Ahead
234. Mark Gatiss, Our Kind of Traitor
235. Ewan McGregor, Jane Got a Gun
236. Josh Helman, X-Men: Apocalypse
237. Morgan Freeman, London Has Fallen
238. Tommy Lee Jones, Jason Bourne
239. Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
240. Oscar Isaac, X-Men: Apocalypse
241. Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins
242. Noah Emmerich, Jane Got a Gun
243. Aaron Paul, Triple 9
244. Armie Hammer, Nocturnal Animals
245. William Fichtner, Independence Day: Resurgence
246. John Malkovich, Deepwater Horizon
247. Martin Sensmeier, The Magnificent Seven
248. Robert Forster, London Has Fallen
249. Michael Stuhlbarg, Arrival
250. Christopher Walken, Eddie the Eagle
251. Don Wycherly, Sing Street
252. Jose Garcia, Bastille Day
253. Vincent D'Onofrio, The Magnificent Seven
254. Judah Lewis, Demolition
255. C.J. Lewis, Demolition
256. Jessie Usher, Independence Day: Resurgence
257. Peter Sarsgaard, The Magnificent Seven
258. Ben Hardy, X-Men: Apocalypse
259. Jesse Eisenberg, Batman v.s. Superman 
260. Joel Kinnaman, Suicide Squad
261. Jared Leto, Suicide Squad