Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2011: Results

5. John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene- Hawkes combines effortlessly a charming and threatening personality in his portrayal of a cult leader.

4. Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method- Mortensen gives a strong performance as Sigmund Freud succeeding well in creating the charismatic and persuasive personality of the man.

3. Bryan Cranston in Drive- Cranston even with his limited screen time creates both an enthusiastic as well as tragic presence in his film.

2. Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life- Pitt gives an astonishing performance and fully realizes his character despite limitations created by the direction of the film.

1. Mart Strong in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy- Strong wins this year for me, even with Brooks who on re-watch I still love, and give a 5, but he is no longer my favorite of the year. That goes to Strong even though it is close very close among the top three. Strong is my favorite though who gives an absolutely masterful performance, there is not a wasted moment or even a single facial gesture in his portrayal.

Overall Rank:

1. Mark Strong in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2. Albert Brooks in Drive
3. Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life
4. Bryan Cranston in Drive
5. Tom Hardy in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 
6. Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method
7. John Hurt in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 
8. John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene
9. Don Cheadle in The Guard
10. Benedict Cumberbatch in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
11. Ben Kingsley in Hugo
12. Colin Firth in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
13. Kenneth Branagh in My Week With Marilyn
14. Max Von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 
15. Corey Stoll in Midnight in Paris
16. Toby Jones in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
17. Christopher Plummer in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
18. David Dencik in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
19. Alan Rickman in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II
20. Liam Cunningham in The Guard
21. Kevin Bacon in X-Men First Class
22. James Cromwell in The Artist
23. Mark Strong in The Guard
24. Paul Giamatti in The Ides of March
25. Stellan Skarsgard in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
26. Ron Perlman in Drive 
27. Laurence Fishburne in Contagion 
28. Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Ides of March
29. Robert Forster in The Descendants
30. Oscar Isaac in Drive
31. Chris Cooper in The Muppets
32. Matt Damon in Contagion 
33. Christopher Plummer in Beginners
34. Matthew Lewis in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II
35. Ciaran Hinds in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
36. Jeffrey Wright in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
37. George Clooney in Ides of March
38. Yorick van Wageningen in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
39. Nick Nolte in Warrior
40. David Wilmot in The Guard 
41. Sacha Baron Cohen in Hugo
42. Vincent Cassel in A Dangerous Method
43. Tom Hiddleston in War Horse 
44. Sean Penn in The Tree of Life
45. Matthew Lillard in The Descendants 
46. Jonah Hill in Moneyball
47. Jude Law in Contagion
48. Tom Hiddleston in Midnight in Paris
49. Philip Seymour Hoffman in Moneyball
50. John Goodman in The Artist
51. Beau Bridges in The Descendants
52. Ralph Fiennes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II
53. Toby Jones in Captain America
54. Josh Lucas in J. Edgar
55. Michael Sheen in Midnight in Paris
56. Tom Hanks in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
57. Tommy Lee Jones in Captain American
58. Nicholas Hoult in X-Men First Class
59. Armie Hammer in J. Edgar 
60. Dominic Cooper in Captain America
61. Hugo Weaving in Captain America
62. Hugh Dancy in Martha Marcy May Marlene
63. Peter Mullan in War Horse
64. David Thewlis in War Horse
65. Jim Broadbent in The Iron Lady
66. James Badge Dale in Shame
67. Joaquín Cosio in A Better Life
68. Niels Arestrup in War Horse
69. Nick Krause in The Descendants 
70. Goran Visnjic in Beginners 
71. Matt Milne in War Horse 

Next Year: 1947 Supporting (I might do this year differently) 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2011: John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene

John Hawkes did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Patrick in Martha Marcy May Marlene.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is fairly effective psychological drama, even it is very much weakened by its ending. It is bolstered by its great lead performance by Elizabeth Olsen as a trouble young woman who has recently escaped from a cult that lives in a secluded area.

John Hawkes is Patrick who is the leader of the cult "family" who takes Martha (Olsen) in. Patrick's first action with Martha is to rename her Marcy May, his next is to rape her as a way to welcome her to the fold. It should be said that Hawkes really is at a constant in this film, Partick never changes, and this actually is what probably helps him be a force in the film even when he is not onscreen. This is also certainly helped by Hawkes assured performance as Partick.

Hawkes is excellent because he finds just the right tone with his character that variates with just the right degrees. Hawkes most importantly is extremely charismatic in the role of Patrick, and there is never a question to the way he sways others so easily in the film. He has a quiet sway that there is something Hawkes brings that makes Patrick's personality and actually makes it entirely believable that he is so easily able to make someone change their name by simply saying that is the way they see them.

What is important though is that Hawkes within the charisma though certainly is never a warmth filled presence. He great in bringing to life the undercurrent of darkness in Patrick, and that Patrick's intent for his "family" certainly is not something positive. Whenever he abuses them there is no hesitation in Hawkes's portrayal showing that Patrick is only controlling these people for his own ends, and his charm is merely a trick to pull them in.

Hawkes comes in and out of the film, and we never truly learn all there is to Patrick. We only ever see him through the view of Martha, and we never learn we here comes from or how he ever did start this cult who he is the leader. Hawkes uses this mystery well to create Patrick into a fascinating character, and is convincing no matter how far Patrick goes. One scene in particular when Patrick tries to say a murder was fine, is chillingly portrayed by Hawkes because he has so much conviction that he clearly conveys the fact that Patrick honestly believes his insanity.

Patrick really is sparingly used in the film, and his character does not have a conclusion scene. He stays an enigma to the end. Hawkes absolutely does make the most of his creation of Patrick, and his achievements are quite enormous actually in portraying this cult leader. I did really want more of his performance, but really there is not a single bad thing I can say about his performance which is quite striking. Hawkes really can take a great deal of the credit and succeeds in being able to create the overwhelming dread and paranoia that builds in the film due to his characterization of Patrick.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2011

And the Nominees Were Not:

Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method

Bryan Cranston in Drive

Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life

Mark Strong in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene

254. The Sessions

254. (27 Oct) The Sessions (2012, Ben Lewin)* 69



John Hawkes and Helen Hunt offer two of the performances of the year with The Sessions, a film that captures the power and poignancy of intimacy better than just about any other. Their scenes together are funny, poignant and astoundingly moving. Both excel even when they're not sharing screentime, but they work so well together it's transportive and career-defining.

The film itself is powerful throughout. Ben Lewin's script is clever enough, but it's in moments like where he visually explores the ecstasy of an orgasm that it's clear he's a director first. There are issues with the peripheral characters here, who are mostly stock or comic relief. They make Hawkes and Hunt's scenes together even easier to relish.

THE SESSIONS

THE SESSIONS
Written and Directed by Ben Lewin
Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy

Mark O’Brien: I’m definitely a believer but I believe in a god with a sense of humour, a wicked sense of humoour, one that created me in his own image.

Perhaps I’m just not as open as I like to think I am, or perhaps I should consider myself fortunate that I have not yet required such services, but up until seeing THE SESSIONS, I had no real idea that sexual surrogacy existed, let alone what it was. Now, I know that sexual surrogates, more often than not, women, are therapists with backgrounds in sexuality who assist their patients with sexual obstacles, by listening to them, communicating clearly with them and, as it turns out, demonstrating their lessons physically with their patients. In that sense, it’s like therapy with a happy ending, I guess. In reality though, it is so much more than that, as is proven by the true story of Mark O’Brien.

O’Brien (played on screen in a fiercely fearless portayal by John Hawkes) was a poet and at 38 years old, he had yet to experience one of the most inspirational activities God ever gave us, sex. It’s not that the perfect moment never presented itself for O’Brien but rather he had some seemingly insurmountable obstacles to get past in order to get anywhere under the sheets. First of all, his sheets aren’t even on a bed; they are inside an iron lung, where O’Brien spends the majority of his time. At the age of 6, he contracted polio, went on to lose most of his muscular functions and cannot spend more than three hours outside the iron lung. He grew into a well-adjusted adult male and even went on to earn a university degree despite only being able to type using a stick gripped between his teeth to hit keys. Sexual intimacy has always eluded him though and, after falling for one of his attendants, he decides he should be prepared in case that fateful moment should ever arise again.

O’Brien chronicled his sexual awakening in an article that was published at the time and has now formed the basis for THE SESSIONS screenplay, written by Ben Lewin. Lewin also directs, which is the film’s only real weakness. While Lewin coaches incredible performances out of his leads, including Helen Hunt as the surrogate herself and William H. Macy, as O’Brien’s confidant (and parish priest), his visual style is a little static for my taste. There is a lot of talking in THE SESSIONS, which, is necessary considering the action from the lead is rather limited, but at times this stunts the film somewhat. Fortunately though, what is being discussed is simply fascinating and the emotional impact of what is taking place is subtly slipped in amidst these brave performances. In a world where sex has become so transactional on so many levels, it is reassuring to see that feeling can still play a part even when money is deliberately exchanging hands.

005. Contagion

005. (02 Jan) Contagion (2011, Steven Soderbergh) 53



Clinical for the most part, Contagion occasionally lets itself turn mawkish for no good reason. Marion Cotillard's subplot where she's held captive until a vaccine is delivered the compound she's at is especially dumb. The film occasionally allows itself a naivete despite seeming otherwise hard-edged. Jude Law is the standout here. Gwyneth Paltrow would've been if she hadn't ingested that guano.

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Written and Directed by Sean Durkin

Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and John Hawkes

Martha: Do you ever have that feeling where you can’t tell if something’s a memory or if it’s something you dreamed?

Instantly uncomfortable, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, is unlike any experience I’ve had at the movies. It is at times both eerily quiet and dishearteningly noisy; it is painfully present but yet also lost in a haze of what is real and what is imagined. It inspires great sympathy and even greater anxiety. Its tension is palpable and its style is distinct and effective. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE is a truly accomplished piece of filmmaking from writer-director, Sean Durkin, a first time feature filmmaker. With that in mind, it is just plain shocking across the board.

As skillful as Durkin proves to be, he has help, led by a star-making turn from lead actress, Elizabeth Olsen. Olsen, who incidentally is the younger sibling of Mary-Kate and Ashley (and I’m sure never tires of seeing that repeated in print), is incredible as Martha. We meet her when she is Marcy May, her name changed when she entered a seemingly loving commune. Her new family turns out to be an abusive cult, led by recent Oscar nominee, John Hawkes (WINTER’S BONE), but the warmth they show her is still enough for her to leave behind the family she had always known. Olsen carries so much depth in her composure, her face and general demeanor are cold and lifeless. Still, there is fight inside her that breaks through the surface from time to time, hoping to make its presence more permanent. Olsen makes Martha’s struggle so grave, you feel as though she could slip away from everything at any moment, never to return. She is simply captivating and I could barely breathe as I watched her push back from hell.

Durkin takes this towering performance and drops it in the middle of a world of bewilderment, bouncing back and forth in time and place between Marcy May’s time with her adopted “family” and Martha’s attempt to reintegrate into society with her sister (Sarah Paulson) and her husband (Hugh Dancy). At times, many of them in fact, she cannot distinguish between the two experiences and subsequently, neither can we. Her transition is never simple and both situations place rules on her that she struggles against, leaving it open for debate as to which scenario provides her with real love, if any. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE is as disturbing as you would expect from what I’ve described but it is also just as revelatory.

TIFF Review: MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Written and Directed by Sean Durkin

Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy and John Hawkes

Martha: Do you ever have that feeling where you can’t tell if something’s a memory or if it’s something you dreamed?

 Instantly uncomfortable, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, is unlike any experience I’ve had at the movies. It is at times both eerily quiet and dishearteningly noisy; it is painfully present but yet also lost in a haze of what is real and what is imagined. It inspires great sympathy and even greater anxiety. Its tension is palpable and its style is distinct and effective. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE is a truly accomplished piece of filmmaking from writer-director, Sean Durkin, a first time feature filmmaker. With that in mind, it is just plain shocking across the board.

As skillful as Durkin proves to be, he has help, led by a star-making turn from lead actress, Elizabeth Olsen. Olsen, who incidentally is the younger sibling of Mary-Kate and Ashley (and I’m sure never tires of seeing that repeated in print), is incredible as Martha. We meet her when she is Marcy May, her name changed when she entered a seemingly loving commune. Her new family turns out to be an abusive cult, led by recent Oscar nominee, John Hawkes (WINTER’S BONE), but the warmth they show her is still enough for her to leave behind the family she had always known. Olsen carries so much depth in her composure, her face and general demeanor are cold and lifeless. Still, there is fight inside her that breaks through the surface from time to time, hoping to make its presence more permanent. Olsen makes Martha’s struggle so grave, you feel as though she could slip away from everything at any moment, never to return. She is simply captivating and I could barely breathe as I watched her push back from hell.

Durkin takes this towering performance and drops it in the middle of a world of bewilderment, bouncing back and forth in time and place between Marcy May’s time with her adopted “family” and Martha’s attempt to reintegrate into society with her sister (Sarah Paulson) and her husband (Hugh Dancy). At times, many of them in fact, she cannot distinguish between the two experiences and subsequently, neither can we. Her transition is never simple and both situations place rules on her that she struggles against, leaving it open for debate as to which scenario provides her with real love, if any. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE is as disturbing as you would expect from what I’ve described but it is also just as revelatory.

Oscars, Oscars, Oscars, ACK!

This is my attempt to sound as not pretentious as possible.  Not to claim that I'm in any position to criticize the Oscars, or to criticize those who criticize the Oscar, because I'm not sure anyone is.  When we judge the Oscars, praise or bash winners, I feel people sometimes forget just what the Oscars are: a bunch of people who vote with their hearts not their head.  And you want to know the trick?--that's perfectly okay.

I don't think the Oscars voters think like critics, and they really shouldn't.  Critically praised films have their own way of lasting in the ether, especially if they're fortunate enough to lose the Oscar for Best Picture (more on that later).  The voters cast their ballots with their heart, what movie they love the most.  This year it was The King's Speech, not my favorite film of the year but a fine win nevertheless.  Is it up to the caliber of The Social Network?   Well that's everyone's personal opinion.  The general bash-loving consensus wills us to believe that The Social Network is better, but apparently it wasn't.

I don't want to suggest that I consider the AMPAS the Alpha and Omega in film praise, but more often than not their "rights" outweigh their "wrongs."  You have to view the Oscars and the award season objectively--devoid of bias or personal opinion.  The King's Speech, much like Dances with Wolves, Shakespeare in Love, and Driving Miss Daisy of past, it was their favorite movie, not merely the one everyone told them should be their favorite.  As often as the AMPAS is criticized for their group-think mentality, their against-the-grain voting speaks otherwise.  The English Patient may seem like a soft lob, but really it was the movie they liked better.  They're average movie voters, not pedestal placers.  They like what they like, they don't need to vote with the crowd or be forced into a place in history.

Julie Harris nominated for Best Actress
 for Member of the Wedding

I just find it hard to bash the Oscars for their supposed missteps.  What the Oscars are...are an encapsulation of cinema that year.  Sure the winners are remembered in the collective, but film buffs DVR movies that were merely nominated for Cinematography or Score.  It's because of the Oscars that movies like The Goddess, Member of the Wedding, Sunset Blvd., and The Jagged Edge are still viewed today.  To me, whatever film or actor wins is a nice bonus, but I look at the nomination slate as a whole.  Only four actors walk away with Oscars, but sixteen other performances will be remembered one way or another...and that's what matters to me.  That's why I get excited for John Hawkes in Winter's Bone, who didn't have a chance of winning in 2010, but will hopefully serve a pleasant surprise in twenty years to a film buff like myself scouring for nominated performances.

The biggest misconception when judging whether or not a film "should" have won Best Picture--or other categories--is to judge it by what it beat out.  Such reasons is why Oliver! is receives heavy sighs because 2001: A Space Odyssey  didn't win (or receive a nomination) or the groans Ordinary People elicits only because it bested Raging Bull.  In hindsight, it's very easy to say what was best or better, but Oscars are voted upon in the moment, and for what works in the then and now.  Judge a win solely on the quality of the win, not on what film didn't win that year instead.  

So basically, they matter, I just feel that people hold them in too critical of a light.  They're just people who vote for what they like and people they like.

Check in soon for my series Get Over It, where I go to bat for historically-bashed Oscar wins of all shape and size, from The Last Emperor to Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets.