296. The Dark Knight Rises

296. (02 Dec) The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christopher Nolan) 39



The most tolerable of Christopher Nolan's Batman films, The Dark Knight Rises at least has an iota of levity. For the most part, it trudges along in the self-serious fashion of the first two films, but Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle offers a faint glimpse of the franchise that might have been. She's a buoyant, even silly presence — cracking wise and kicking at things with outrageous heels when she could clearly tone it down. But therein lies the fun in a superhero movie, as Bane is every bit as unpleasant a presence as Heath Ledger's Joker was.

Setting up preposterous plot that never feels properly established or developed, Bane is relentlessly irritating. With the exception of the action sequences centering around him, he's another joyless mouthpiece for Nolan to make Batman as gloomy as possible. The ensemble is bloated, to be sure, but no one sucks the life out of the film as readily as Bane.

The opening scene on an airplane, the football field collapse, and Batman's flying machine make this a worthy Oscar contender for Best Visual Effects. The sound work is also impressive. It took sloppily written transitions and clichés too clunky to ignore (a ticking time bomb, a busload of orphans) to keep this out of the Best Picture race, and I'm so grateful for it.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2008: Results

5. Eddie Marsan in Happy-Go-Lucky- Marsan a good supporting performance through the film, and even helps Hawkins's performance come alive more in their scenes through the extreme differences of their characters.

4. Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight- I would not quite put his performance quite up there with Ledger and Oldman, but on his own he creates his character's journey effectively and gives a strong performance throughout the film.

3. Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading- This is a great performance from Pitt, and  it could not be a better comedic portrayal of an idiot.

2. Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight- Oldman gives a moving performance creating Commissioner Gordon into a fully fledged three dimensional character.

1. Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges- Good Predictions Lezlie and Michael Patison, feel free to name a year and a performance. Fiennes easily wins this year, and I must say I really did consider giving him the overall. I love every aspect of this performance every one of his scenes are amazing as he is both an imposing villain but as well an always hilarious character.

Overall Rank:

1. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
2. Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges
3. Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight
4. Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
5. Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading
6. Josh Brolin in Milk
7. Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight
8. Jason Butler Harner in Changeling 
9. Eddie Marsan in Happy-Go-Lucky
10. Liev Schrieber in Defiance 
11. Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder
12. John Malkovich in Burn After Reading
13. Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
14. Ralph Fiennes in The Duchess 
15. Richard Jenkins in Burn After Reading
16. Liam Cunningham in Hunger
17. Giancarlo Giannini in Quantum of Solace
18. Viggo Mortensen in Appaloosa
19. Bill Irwin in Rachel Getting Married
20. J.K. Simmons in Burn After Reading 
21. Kevin Bacon in Frost/Nixon
22. Anil Kapoor in Slumdog Millionaire
23. Jeff Bridges in Iron Man 
24. Matthew McConaughey in Tropic Thunder
25. Mark Strong in Body of Lies
26. Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road
27. Jordan Prentice in In Bruges
28. Michael Caine in The Dark Knight
29. Nick Nolte in Tropic Thunder
30. Morgan Freeman in The Dark Knight 
31. Chin Han in The Dark Knight
32. Ralph Fiennes in The Reader
33. Jeffrey Wright in Quantum of Solace
34. Russell Crowe in Body of Lies
35. Haaz Sleiman in The Visitor
36. Brian Geraghty in The Hurt Locker
37. Eric Roberts in The Dark Knight 
38. William Hurt in The Incredible Hulk
39. Mathieu Amalric in Quantum of Solace
40. Jack Black in Tropic Thunder
41. Jay Baruchel in Tropic Thunder
42. Jamie Bell in Defiance
43. David Harbour in Revolutionary Road 
44. Danny Mcbride in Tropic Thunder
45. James Franco in Milk
46. Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk
47. Sam Rockwell in Frost/Nixon
48. John Malkovich in Changeling
49. Oliver Platt in Frost/Nixon
50. Jeremy Irons in Appaloosa  
51. Greg Kinnear in Ghost Town
52. Terrence Howard in Iron Man
53. Jeffrey Donovan in Changeling
54. Brandon T. Jackson in Tropic Thunder
55. Emile Hirsch in Milk
56. Ray Winstone in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
57. Bee Vang in Gran Torino
58. Chris Messina in Vicky Christina Barcelona
59. John Hurt in  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (How dare this movie cause a bad John Hurt performance)
60. Diego Luna in Milk
61. Shia Laboeuf in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I should note I only listed supporting performances that I at least remembered in some way.

Next Year: 1985 Supporting

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2008: Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight

Gary Oldman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Lieutenant and later commissioner James Gordon in The Dark Knight.

Commissioner Gordon has been portrayed in live action before by Neil Hamilton in the 60's Batman series and film, and later by Pat Hingle in Tim Burton's Batman and its sequels. In both of these versions Gordon is portrayed as a completely incompetent moron who might probably forget to breath at times. One of the many things that I liked about the new films is that Gordon was finally allowed to be a far more complex and competent character, and it was probably made all the better by having the great Gary Oldman take on the role.

I should note I like his performance as the character in Batman Begins and he set him up well there, but here in this film is really where we get the meat of the character. Oldman sits as the most understated performance in this film, although it might not be saying a lot when your acting against a man in an armored suit and a cape,  a deranged clown, and a man with half of his face fried off, but really this is a very subtle performance by Oldman. Frankly Oldman is very very important to the film and his take on the character really helps amplify and in a way allow some of the other performances in the film.

Oldman takes a very down to earth approach in his role, and in a way is able to ground the film by doing so. His Gordon is very different as he presents a far more intelligent man, in which Oldman creates an honest depiction of what would be a man in his situation. Oldman never overplays a moment as Gordon moves through the film, and is effective at fulfilling the role of both the confidant of Batman, but as well a man who must do his own job that can be quite problematic at times.

As the confidant Oldman is excellent by quietly portraying the appropriate intelligence in his role, but Oldman does this especially well in that he brings it about realistically. He shows Gordon to be a smart man always trying to do his very best in his job as a police officer, but properly Oldman conveys the stress that really limits Gordon in a way. Oldman has the right degree of a passion that does bring about within Gordon that pushes him forward to take the risks he does, but the weight of the decisions is always made quite clear by Oldman's performance. 

A very important part of his character is that Gordon has to work within the confines of the police to try to take on the mob and eventually the Joker as well, which also involves working with not necessarily the most honest of individuals in his police department. When defending himself Oldman again does not try to portray Gordon as this perfect man but rather is far more realistic and blunt in his performance. Oldman subtly shows that Gordon does has cares, and very real frustrations over his unfortunate concessions he must take, but at the same time Oldman is very forceful in that Gordon takes no time to defend what he does at least for a long while.

Oldman stands firm in his place in the film as the man who feels everything happening around, every victory, and every loss. These are of course throughout the film and Oldman is pushed through the film at a rapid rate as he is a supporting character, yet he is always very effective in putting a very human reaction on the events during the film. Oldman never is given a long time yet he gives the moments the power they deserve, and really they build his own character as a person. Even though his family is not used very much, through Oldman genuine performance of Gordon as a person it really does not matter in the for the emotional impact in the end.

Although this is the least flashy of the main performance I must say it sticks me with just as well as even Heath Ledger's tremendous performance. The is very much helped by Oldman excellent depiction of the guilt at the end of the film that really gains weight on re-watches. Again Oldman is not given a lot of time but he is able to convey in these small moments the stress and pain he feels for the results that have been partially related to his actions. This all leads to the very last scene of the film where Oldman is absolutely amazing. He succeeds in entirely using everything he established with the rest of his performance to make the final moments very powerful. 

Oldman is absolutely heartbreaking in his final moments as he so well realizes the sadness and horror in his pleading at the end. Oldman brings the pains of Gordon into these moments magnificently. These pleads are not that of a two dimensional stock character, that in the wrong hands even this Gordon could have possibly been. In fact even in a fairly descent performance that served the role and no more, would not have had the incredible impact that Oldman's performance does because he really does make Gordon into a three dimensional person. This is a great performance by Gary Oldman that might not get recognition due to its understated nature but certainly deserves it.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2008

And The Nominees Were Not:

Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight

Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight

Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges

Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading

Eddie Marsan in Happy Go Lucky

202. Jesus

202. (14 Sep) Jesus (1999, Roger Young) 45



I know he's the son of God and everything, but could Jesus really have an American accent when he was raised by Prussian Armin Mueller-Stahl and English Jacqueline Bisset? Distracting accents immediately set the tone for one of the oddest tales of the Christ. What makes this compelling though is the portrayal of a very human Jesus. While most bold adaptations make use of Christ's volatile behavior in the scripture, this takes a far more light-hearted approach. Still, considering how dramatic the gospels are, there's no need to manufacture romantic drama or daddy issues for Christ. As peculiar is how no nuance is afforded to Judas or Pontius Pilate, who are shown only as uncomplicated villains. This ends on a whimper since the crucifixion and resurrection are just blips in this three-hour epic.

The best performance by far is Gary Oldman's Pontius Pilate. Jeremy Sisto's Jesus and Debra Messing's Mary Magdalene are amusingly bad.

Alternate Best Actor 1992: Results

5. Tim Robbins in The Player- Robbins gives a good performance in a somewhat limited role effectively bringing along with him through the great satire that is the Player.

4. Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula- A mixed bag from Oldman here with his somewhat uninteresting although adequate scenes as the younger looking Dracula, but he has as well extremely entertaining moments as the older looking Dracula.

3. Harvey Keitel in Reservoir Dogs- Keitel gives a good performance here portraying both the professionalism as well as the humanity within his career criminal.

2. Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross- Lemmon is amazing in the role he is always believable as the salesman past his prime, and completely heartbreaking in his realization of this tragic character.

1. Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant- A difficult year to choose both the winner between Kietel and Lemmon and Eastwood. All three are amazing in their roles, but I will have to settle for one and at the moment Keitel is my choice. Kietel gives an incredible performance here as the titular dirty cop. Keitel portrays him in an effective down to earth fashion showing there is nothing special about this man, leading to an powerful ending where the Lieutenant must face his flaws.

Overall Rank:

1. Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant
2. Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross
3. Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven
4. Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol 
5. Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin
6. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in Hardboiled
7. Chow Yun-Fat in Hardboiled
8. Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny
9. Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs
10. Harvey Keitel in Reservoir Dogs
11. Gary Sinise in Of Mice and Men 
12. Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula
13. Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans
14. Stephen Rea in The Crying Game
15. Tim Robbins in The Player
16. Anthony Hopkins in Howard's End
17. Denzel Washington in Malcolm X
18. Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman
19. Harrison Ford in Patriot Games
20. John Malkovich in Of Mice and Men
21. Mike Myers in Wayne's World
22. Charles Grodin in Beethoven 
23. Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men
24. Chris O'Donnell in Scent of a Woman
25. Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct 
26. Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2 
27. Tom Cruise in Far and Away
28. Billy Crystal in Mr. Saturday Night

Next Year: 1984

Alternate Best Actor 1992: Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula

Gary Oldman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is certainly a film of style over substance in its wildly over the top depiction of the story of the undead vampire but it is also quite an entertaining film probably because of that reason.

Although one could argue that this film is not being intentionally over the top I would say that would be incorrect when referring to Francis Ford Coppola's direction since for example the circle wipe after Dracula's maniacal laugh was obviously no accident and shows that his style was very purposeful. There is more of problem I suppose by the variations in the performances. There is the insanely dull Keanu Reeves, the mostly ineffective Winona Ryder, the I suppose adequate enough Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, and Billy Campbell who still might not know the film they are in quite enough to be all that interesting, but than there is Gary Oldman who knows how to have fun with the material.

Gary Oldman certainly is not the first actor to portray Dracula but he is probably the actor to portray him in the most variations of form of the monster. Oldman really has a different fashion in which he portrays every version. When he is in any of the monster forms Oldman is all only about intensity in his eyes and his voice. There is not a great deal to play with in these scenes as he is covered in head to toe with the various monsters such as the grotesque bat, and the werewolf, but Oldman does his very best given the limitations of the role in these scenes. He is an appropriately threatening villain in these moments, and certainly does not falter here.

Oldman's best scenes though come early in the film as Dracula first appears welcoming his guest Johnathan Harker (Reeves) who is making a real estate business deal for him. Oldman here is especially entertaining as he portrays every inch of the strangeness that is the old man version of Dracula with his bizarre hairstyle and flowing robes. Oldman is best described as deliciously evil in these scenes and Oldman portrays it like he is going to out Dracula every other Dracula. This is especially noticeable when he says the lines best known from Bela Lugosi's portrayal such as "I never drink wine". Oldman seems to put extra emphasis here, but to the point it is enjoyable just by how he says them with so much delight.

Every movement he makes in this early scenes are quite broad from the way he slinks about around Reeves to the way he furiously licks the blood off Harker's razor after he has accidentally cut himself. They are brilliantly over the top though in Oldman's depiction. He furiously devoted to the role but does have a great degree of fun in the roles while avoiding being a threatening and horrible presence as well. Here the villainy is what Oldman emphasizes and he does it with jovial aplomb. His final devilish laugh moment pretty much sums up these scenes for Oldman in which he pushes forward the evil of Dracula to the forefront of his portrayal effectively by just having so much fun with it.

I must say this is not the case of a performance that gets better and better though. His best scenes are when he has his grandmother haircut. When he becomes the younger looking Dracula his performance just does not have the same entertainment to be had which is a shame. This is not to say these scenes are bad though his style just changes greatly, and actually it makes sense enough for him to do this. In his Transylvania scenes it basically is just Dracula at his technical worst just being evil because that he is, in England though he changes a bit in his motivation since he must find his past love apparently reincarnated into Johnathan Harker's fiancee Mina (Winona Ryder).

The love last forever portion of the film I must say is not the particularly interesting part of the film. One major problem is that Ryder and Oldman do not share any chemistry in their scenes, and their love frankly just does not come through in either a subtle fashion and particularly not in a larger than life fashion. Due to this reason these scenes fall flat. I will give Oldman credit for trying his best to make the Count or bit more human in these scenes. When he is trying to woo Mina as a seemingly normal man Oldman tries to put on some charm but unfortuantely he comes off as more of some European gigolo than a man trying to find the love of his life.

I must say really I am a bit torn on this performance, as there is the young half, and the old half, the monsters really do not factor in much. Also his old and young self seem to be in the film almost equally as he vanishes for a great long periods in the third act of the film. Oldman has passion in the youthful scenes to make something meaningful out of them but that never comes to mean very much. On the other hand he is extremely entertaining as the old Dracula and creates very memorable villain in those scenes. This really is a mixed bag which makes sense for the role of the man with so many different forms. I would say though this is most certainly a good performance since his best scenes are amazing and his lesser scenes are still entirely fine.

Alternate Best Actor 1992

And the Nominees Were Not:

Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant 

Harvey Keitel in Reservoir Dogs

Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross

Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula

Tim Robbins in The Player

Winner Breakdown: Best Actor

Oscar Predictions

Best Actor
- Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
- George Clooney (The Descendants)
-Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
- Gary Oldman (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
- Brad Pitt (Moneyball)

And here we are, with another big showdown. This time, Jean Dujardin vs George Clooney. Jean Dujardin is a star over in France, having worked with Artist director Michel Hazanavicius many times. But this year is his "American" debut (really worldwide). He stars as the silent film star being left behind while talking pictures are on the rise, and he truly gives the most charming performance of this year. He has such an expressive face, which is so essential to silent films. He is extraordinarily charming, but also gives a very moving performance, in the latter half of the film, dealing with his fall from fame, and loss of fortune. The second to last scene (spoiler: the potential suicide scene) is really amazing. Spoiler: the scene with the gun in his mouth is just so perfect, and so well done. End spoiler. On the other hand we have George Clooney. George has been around for sometime, has 3 (now 4) Acting Nominations, 2 writing nominations and a directing nomination. He won for his first acting nomination, Supporting Actor in Syriana back in 2006. This year's The Descendants brings a much subtler piece for Clooney. He plays a clueless father who needs to look after and get to know his children after their mother is in a coma and will be taken off life support, but also discovers his wife was cheating on him. Clooney was quite brilliant in this role too. It was a much subtler role than Dujardin's was, but he played it so well. We have comedic moments where he shines (when Matt King confronts his wife's lover), and emotional moments where he is his best (saying goodbye to his wife). And I'd say George and Jean are pretty neck in neck. George won the Critics Choice, The Golden Globe (Drama), National Board of Review, while Jean won the BAFTA, The Cannes Best Actor, Golden Globe (Comedy), and the SAG. Dujardin has recently been picking up steam, having won 2 awards in a row (BAFTA and SAG). But either of them could really win it. I'm going to predict Jean Dujardin for the win right now. He's a big newcomer, and isn't likely to return to the Oscar race next year, while Clooney might. Clooney already has 1 statute, and very few Frenchman have won this award. Dujardin's role was also in the Artist, which is the frontrunner, giving him an edge over Clooney. So Dujardin it is. And really, I'm happy either either winning. They both had great performances, and both deserve awards. I'm happy either way!

Will Win: Jean Dujardin
Could Win: George Clooney
Dark Horse: Brad Pitt
Who I Want to Win: George Clooney/Jean Dujardin

033. Kung Fu Panda 2

033. (28 Jan) Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011, Jennifer Yuh) 28



The first Kung Fu Panda looked cheap and ugly, so it's irritating that this is more of the same. The gags here are outright awful; there's not a genuinely funny joke in the film's runtime. The voice cast is among the most underwhelming in animation's history.

The plot unfolds terribly. Action sequences become anticlimactic because of the poorness with which their handled. The characters are at the top of a collapsing tower, for instance, and somehow manage to easily slide off a building's roof below after falling more than a dozen stories. That's stupid, but what's far more objection is how the film's final moments set up another sequel.

Best Actor 2011: Results

5. George Clooney in The Descendants- Clooney as usual for him fails to find conviction in his performance. He has a strange lack of consistency and has some very bad moments that are suppose to be his money scenes.

4. Brad Pitt in Moneyball- Brad Pitt gives a fine leading performance here that is effectively charming and entertaining.

3. Demian Bichir in A Better Life- Demain Bichir gives a heartfelt and incredibly moving performance that only ever relies on bringing out genuine emotions in every moment of his film.

2. Jean Dujardin in The Artist- Jean Dujardin gives simply a wonderful performance that is a unique achievement to behold. He never fails to entertain as well as create a powerful portrait despair as well it is truly great work.

1. Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy- Gary Oldman has the greatest of challenges with his almost emotionless part, yet he makes a compelling and very convincing characterization. His performance improves for me each time I have watched it. A very difficult decision to be sure and I certainly thought between these top two for quite a while. Both give superb performances, and again I have no real reason for picking Oldman over Dujardin, I think they are equally good in their challenging roles, but I am forced to pick one.

Deserving Performances
Ryan Gosling in Drive
Brendan Gleeson in The Guard

Best Actor 2011: Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Gary Oldman received his first Oscar nomination for portraying George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Tinker Tailor Soldier is an effective thriller about the search for a Soviet double agent at the very top of the British intelligence agency.

Until just a few days ago Gary Oldman was often regarded as one of the most notable actors never nominated for an Oscar. The interesting part is Oldman who became notable early in his career for rather broad performances in films received a nomination finally for the most restrained performance of his career. I suppose the academy wanted him to calm down or something. It is also interesting that the many times broad Oldman not only gives his most restrained and understated performance, but also I would say the most understated performance ever nominated in the category. Yes even more understated than Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies, or Richard Farnsworth in the Straight Story.

It must be a great achievement of sorts for Oldman to have been recognized for such a restrained performances, since the academy often prefers louder performances with at least one scene. It is also notable that Oldman I believe is only the second actor to be nominated for portraying a spy role, the first being Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, also based on a John Le Carre novel, which also features George Smiley but in a supporting role. Burton portrayed a spy who was basically far past the end of his rope, Oldman on the other hand portrays Smiley who some how has been a spy so long that he is content enough with spy life that it does not seem to effect him really in any way.

Oldman has quite a challenge actually than to find a way to make Smiley a compelling character, but still as the character should be. Smiley is a key player one of the most intelligent men yet he almost seems to come off as a non entity. He is suppose to be a man you don't notice in a room, yet he still has an undeniable presence. Smiley is suppose to be a man who actively tries not to be emotional and in order to not show any possible weaknesses to his enemies. Oldman does succeed in producing the professional side of Smiley perfectly. In every scene with a group Oldman is noticeable, but never in a way that only the audience would notice him. In every scene with he is listening Oldman never shows Smiley to simply be listening rather his eyes are always piercing into them showing his constant analysis, and examination to find the truth.

It is always a very difficult trick to make an character interesting whose whole point is that they are not suppose to in anyway emotional, but it is one that Oldman succeeds with. Oldman allows us to see that George is putting on a bit of an act at all times, an act he has been practicing for a long time, and is exceedingly good at but still an act in the end. Oldman is a master of the act with his distant body language as Smiley. As I said his eyes are always piercing and manipulating, but just the way he walks, and sits even suggests a man of great intelligence and ability. Oldman as Smiley is always seeming to say yes I know more than you, as well yes I am going to get exactly what I want from you. Oldman never portrays this as just a pompousness but a genuine skill in Smiley.

Oldman's key scenes though are his short moments where Smiley's emotions do seep through on occasion as well as a few moments where he lets his guard down. Most of these are only for a single moment that last only a second or two but each are brilliantly used by Oldman to more thoroughly reflect his character. My personal favorite of these brief moments is when he visits the now deceased control's (John Hurt), the former head of British Intelligence, apartment where he finds who control believed could be the double agent. When Smiley sees himself as one of the potentials Oldman reaction is a small but just about perfect indication that Smiley's heart is almost broken to learn that Control did not fully trust him.

Every time there is a break in the defenses of Smiley Oldman's portrays these absolutely perfectly to subtly show there is a great deal of emotional sadness in Smiley surrounding his wife in particular, but it is something he only ever lets onto in short outbursts, if they can even be described as that. Oldman is pitch perfect in these portrayal because they are always fast and quick but still clear indicators of Smiley's true feelings on the matter. Oldman shows them not to be Smiley purposefully letting down his defenses but rather a clear sharp emotional response that not even his experience in the matter of hiding emotions can completely hide.

His best scene though comes in a single scene where he actually lets down his defenses completely, which is when he tells about his meeting with the Soviet mastermind Karla to his confidant Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch). Oldman is terrific in this scene as Smiley changes his body language to no longer being firm and structured for interrogation and analysis and instead becomes just like any man for this moment. There is not flashback in this scene yet Oldman brings us into Smiley's early past, and shows us a glimpse of not only a once more emotional man but also Oldman presents to us what made Smiley change the way he did. He shows a more emotional man, and easier one to relate in this scene, but one less able to be successful in his line of work.

The role of Smiley is a challenging one in that playing a non entity is quite a difficult one, since he is not a simple man, but he portrays himself as a completely non emotional one. Oldman finds just the right dynamic with Smiley though. He always shows Smiley to be the expert spy, and his long history, but inserts moments of more direct emotions without fault to have far greater impact actually than if Smiley was constantly emotional. Gary Oldman finds the right path for Smiley throughout the avoid what could have been the potential limits of the part. Although I will admit this very understated and restrained performance might not be for everyone, I absolutely loved it.

Best Actor 2011

And the Nominees Are:

Brad Pitt in Moneyball

Jean Dujardin in The Artist

George Clooney in The Descendants

Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 

Demian Bichir in A Better Life

I break my scheduled reviews of supporting 95 to return once again to Best Actor. I actually did not except to do this yet, and would have held off since I thought Michael Fassbender was going to be nominated, and I have not seen Shame, but now I have seen all of these performances.

Supporting will wait because I have yet to see Extremely Loud, or My Week with Marilyn, but I do think I will probably write a deserving performance for Albert Brooks.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Written by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan

Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Starring Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones and Mark Strong

George Smiley: We are not so different, you and I. We've both spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another.

The words, “Trust no one,” are the first that are said in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, the debut English-language film from Swedish director, Tomas Alfredson (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN). Their effect is felt immediately as we are introduced to a barrage of seemingly shady characters through a series of non-sequential moments, conversations and clues to an investigation we know nothing about yet. The style is distinct, different and definitely daring and the entire ensemble, led by the excellent Gary Oldman, is exceptional, making this John le Carré adaptation a mature and accomplished spy film. Subsequent entries in the genre will have much to live up to and subsequent viewings of the film will surely reveal much more to the mystery.

429. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy

429. (10 Oct) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011, Tomas Alfredson)* 31



When Oscar bait falls, it falls hard. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is absolutely incoherent and joyless. There's not a spark of humor or wit. It rushes through an abundance of nonsensical plot without ever stringing threads together. The script is about as awful as adaptation gets. These writers think that overcomplicated structure can make up for bad plotting and makes your film "smart." Yikes.

Gary Oldman's Oscar buzz is absolutely hilarious. He doesn't do a single thing in the entire film, maybe saying a total of one hundred words in the film's runtime. If he got a Best Actor nomination, it would be among the most hilarious on record. His face hardly moves and he's aged terribly. There's nothing to fuss over.

Colin Firth is tolerable in a supporting role, but the film is so choppily edited that none of the performers can come off well. While I sincerely doubt Alfredson's ability to direct after seeing his mediocre Let the Right One In, amateurish editing and fundamentally awful scripting surely put this on the wrong track from the start.

Focus Features better gear up to spend millions of dollars on this Oscar campaign if they want to see so much as a nomination for Costume Design or Art Direction. Even that is a major stretch for the nothingness this deserves.

UPDATED September 1 Oscar predictions

It's about that time again.  In the weeks since my initial, first of the year predictions, not all that much has changed but a few hits and misses have been identified.  In particular, Tate Taylor's racial drama The Help was helped by decent reviews and a surprisingly stellar box office.  Given the Academy's "feel good" nature of late, this is the first certified Best Picture nominee of the year, and with it the one-two performances of Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer (however, the category whereabouts of Miss Davis has yet to be identified, but many are speculating Lead, though this type of role typically lands a win in Supporting).

Others interesting notes, Roman Polanski's Carnage, George Clooney's political drama The Ides of March, and David Cronenberg's S&M-laced A Dangerous Method have made an interesting splash at the Venice Film Festival, but none have registered quite the level of enthusiasm granted towards Black Swan last year.  In the meantime, I've personally begun to turn more speculative towards Clint Eastwood's too-good-to-be-true J. Edgar.  Clint hasn't been hitting on all cylinders since he made a surprise splash into the 2006 Best Picture race with Letters from Iwo Jima.  That is one I'll wait for the payoff to predict.  Techs coming soon.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

*The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help

The Ides of March
*J. Edgar

Midnight in Paris

*My Week with Marilyn

Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy
War Horse
(* indicates those I'm predicting only in an overflow capacity)

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Hazanavicius, The Artist
David Cronenberg, A Dangerous Method

Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Steven Spielberg, War Horse
(Eastwood out, Allen in)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

George Clooney, The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Michael Fassbender, A Dangerous Method

Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
(Unchanged)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis, The Help

Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
(Felicity Jones out, David in)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn

Albert Brooks, Drive

Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Christoph Waltz, Carnage
(Seymour Hoffman out, Waltz in)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Zoe Caldwell, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Vanessa Redgrave, Coriolanus
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Marisa Tomei, The Ides of March

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
(Tomei out, Spencer in; Redgrave new projected winner)

Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

A few month ago, I formulated a small, crazy theory that, should Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy be good and released, that Gary Oldman would handedly be the man to beat this year in Best Actor at the Oscars.  Then the buzz waned slightly, people like Michael Fassbender, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, and Leonardo DiCaprio became popular names when predicting, and by and large, Oldman was left off most pre-season predictions.

But I'm still banking on him. A veteran actor who's never been nominated and is beyond overdue and looks utterly remarkable in the trailer...what more could you ask for? I love me a good well-written espionage thriller with a Cold War backdrop. Also featuring a stellar supporting cast of Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch. How do you think it looks? Trailer below.

RED RIDING HOOD

Written by David Johnson

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandes, Max Irons, Gary Oldman

and Julie Christie

The Wolf: You're afraid of me.

Valerie: I'm not afraid. I simply have no interest in talking nonsense.

Filmed in British Columbia, RED RIDING HOOD opens on stunning aerial shots gliding through grand mountains, surrounded by thousands of fir trees, pristine lakes and feathery cloud formations. The shots distinctly reminded me of another supernatural “thriller” shot in the same location and, not coincidentally, by the same director. The director in question is Catherine Hardwicke and RED RIDING HOOD is her first film since she initiated the TWILIGHT series. The opening gave me reason for concern; I had no interest in reliving that tedious vampire series after all. Unfortunately, Hardwicke had other plans.

By the time we are introduced to little red, Miss “What big eyes you have?” herself, Amanda Seyfried, it is pretty clear that this attempt to recount the classic folk tale about a little girl in a red cape and the big, bad wolf waiting to devour her in the forest, is going to amount to nothing more than adolescent angst disguised as epic filmmaking. Seyfried’s mountain town is being terrorized by a werewolf but more importantly, Seyfried is being pawned off in marriage to one guy (Max Irons) while her heart belongs to another (Shiloh Fernandez). The sets, cinematography and score do their best to fill in the terribly thin premise but it isn’t enough to make us forget that Hardwicke has just made another other worldly love triangle tailored to a very specific demographic.

Pandering to a teenage audience is what ultimately takes all of the bite out of RED RIDING HOOD. By trying very hard to recapture that same desperate love at all costs tone the TWILIGHT series relies so heavily on, Hardwicke undermines the intensity of the more horrific story elements she has at her disposal. Seyfried is torn and to make matters worse, one of her suitors might actually be the wolf. Fortunately for her, loving the beast is fully acceptable behaviour for young girls these days. At least in the movies, it is.