(the second in a series—see intro post for details)
Maybe I should subtitle this: “The Canonization of Heath Ledger.”
It’s not quite fair. If he were alive, I think he’d still be nominated. I think he’d still probably win. He gave one of the most objectively mind-blowing, history-of-cinema-altering, entirely revelatory performances ever delivered, and did so in a big-budget popcorn summer blockbuster action movie. Though let’s not forget he has one more shot at the second-ever posthumously-awarded acting Oscar: in Terry Gilliam’s Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which I’ve been waiting years for and am super-excited about.
But let’s examine the rest of the field, just for kicks. Because this year all the strongest performances seem to have been delivered in supporting roles.
I haven’t seen Milk yet. Which is a pity, because I’ve been trying to watch it since late October and life just kept rescheduling. But by all accountings—including Sean Penn’s—Brolin, who is amazing in just about anything, delivered the strongest acting in that movie. He was excellent in No Country for Old Men, and really should have been at least nominated for American Gangster given last year’s relatively weak field in the Best Supporting Actor category. I think he has the best shot at winning of the living nominees.
Tropic Thunder was scads of fun, and Robert Downey Jr. is becoming more and more someone to watch. But, as a side-effect of this, he’s got some very exciting work in the pipeline. I really and truly thought the preview for The Soloist was a parody trailer when I saw it in front of Thunder because I had been warned there would be fake trailers and because it looks like such raw Oscar-bait; and he’s reinventing Sherlock Holmes with Guy Ritchie in some mind-bending canon-shattering ways. The brutal understanding of the Academy that his Tropic Thunder character displayed may have stepped on some toes. And to bring an Oscar-nominated performance to an even fluffier popcorn picture is impressive. But the fact that he was nominated in this role still strikes me as something of a head scratcher. This is Downey Jr.’s second nomination and certainly won’t be his last. He’ll have a golden boy within the next five years, but not this one.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman is quickly becoming the male Dame Judi. As in, “It’s Oscar season, time to honor Judi Dench!” He’s truly the character actor’s character actor. Yet so serious! And it’s odd how his career has taken that trajectory, because there was a time when I’d consistently confuse him with John C. Reilly: they always played the same type of role and were sort of the heavyset Paxton/Pullman—and, like the Bills, even starred in a movie together (Boogie Nights). Yet about five years ago they shot off on these completely different paths, and now Reilly is schlocking it up with Tim&Eric, Will Ferrell, and Jack Black while Hoffman is a perennial Oscar darling. Back on topic, I don’t think the Academy is in the mood for a bleak period piece like Doubt this year. And Hoffman’s Capote win (another bleak picture) is too fresh in their minds.
I jumped order by putting Heath Ledger up top, so now we’re down to Michael Shannon’s turn in Revolutionary Road. I’m really staggeringly disappointed that this film did so poorly in the acting categories. I mean, DiCaprio was wooden bluster, but setting him aside the acting was utterly superb across the board. My favorite supporting performance was David Harbour’s Shep Campbell, but Shannon did a very theatrical, over-the-top job: very self-consciously For Your Consideration. Sometimes, though, far too much is simply not enough.
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