NOVEMBER 17, 2015
The field for this year’s race for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar appears to be wide open at this point, with contenders that range from Oscar veterans to a 9 year-old boy. Let’s focus on ten actors who have the best shot of making the Final Five.
PAUL DANO (“Love & Mercy”)
No fault of Dano’s, but this is a slight bit of category fraud, since he equally shares the role of Brian Wilson with John Cusack (who is being submitted as a lead to give both actors a better chance), and Dano’s part as young Brian seems to me to be even a bit bigger. Maybe it isn’t, and it’s just that his accomplished performance that makes it seem larger. Dano’s Brian is in the early days of the Beach Boys, and in arguably the best sequence in the film, he demonstrates the quirky creative process by which this genius put together the legendary album “Pet Sounds,” and Dano is a ball of innovative energy. In a career of first-rate supporting performances, particularly in “There Will Be Blood,” this is perhaps Dano’s best.
BENICIO DEL TORO (“Sicario”)
Del Toro already has one Oscar under his belt for this category (the similarly-themed “Traffic” in 2001) and contends here as a man of mystery in Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed examination the state of the drug wars. Del Toro plays Alejandro, who is first presented as an attorney (which nobody buys — he’s Benicio Del Toro, for God’s sakes). As one might suspect, he is indeed the “sicario” (or “hitman”) designed to provide the muscle of the mission, but when his real motivation is finally revealed (and Del Toro takes care to reveal it very slowly), the character widens up to become an indelible memory. “Sicario’s” tough take on the drug wars may not exactly be to the Academy’s sensibilities, but they shouldn’t ignore this smashing performance.
ROBERT DE NIRO (“Joy”)
De Niro delivered his best work in years in David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” which brought the veteran actor his first Oscar nomination in decades. This is a sight-unseen prediction, but there’s huge speculation about Russell’s latest Christmas release, “Joy,” and based on what we see of De Niro’s father role in the “Joy” trailer, the film gives him a lot of promising material with which to work. When in comedies, De Niro can often go over the top (witness the later “Focker” pictures), but Russell kept him grounded and focused in “Silver Linings” to great effect, and there’s no reason to believe that lighting won’t strike twice.
IDRIS ELBA (“Beasts of No Nation”)
Elba is the great unknown of the race — not Elba himself who is fast rising into full-fledged movie stardom, but it’s the intriguing question as to whether his film, Netflix’s “Beast of No Nation,” was a hit or a flop. Anxious to qualify for Oscars and get highly visible film reviews, Netflix booked it into 31 theaters across the country the same day it was made available to Netflix subscribers. Reviews were excellent, particularly for Elba (currently 90% favorable on Rotten Tomatoes), but box-office was dismal. Not all was lost, however, because at the end of the first week, Netflix announced that more than 3 million people had already streamed the film. How many are Academy voters is impossible to say, but any voter who sees “Beasts” won’t be able to take their eyes off of Elba’s charismatic Commandant. Just how many voters there are though is the question.
TOM HARDY (“The Revenant”)
“The Revenant” is one of the final unseen (by most) Oscar contenders of the year, but the frontier adventure directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu remains one of the most highly anticipated. Last year, Iñárritu won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for “Birdman” and guided his cast to 3 acting nominations. The prospect of Leonardo DiCaprio going toe-to-toe with Tom Hardy sparked interest in movie fans all over the world, but the film’s trailer highlighted mostly DiCaprio’s work, leaving fans wondering about the Oscar prospects of Hardy, who has never been nominated (though richly deserving of one last year for the brilliant “Locke.”) Until screenings start, the performance remains a question mark, but given Hardy’s track record along with Iñárritu’s skill directing actors, he stays on the list for now.
MICHAEL KEATON (“Spotlight”)
Nominated just last year for “Birdman,” Keaton is thought by many Oscar watchers to have come this close from taking the Best Actor crown from Eddie Redmayne. Keaton played the Oscar promotion game well, meeting and charming lots of voters whose memories may still be fresh with good will. In a tight race, that could tip the balance Keaton’s way. He’s back this year for Tom McCarthy’s “Spotlight” (which I will review later this week) as Walter “Robby” Robinson, leader of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigative team of reporters that exposed the child molestation scandal in the Boston Archdiosese in 2001. Keaton delivers a subtle, detailed performance that has echoes of Jason Robards’ Ben Bradlee in “All the President’s Men,” a performance that also won an Oscar. A Top 5 candidate for sure.
MARK RUFFALO (“Spotlight”)
Keaton’s co-star Mark Ruffalo also played the Oscar promotion circuit last year, in Ruffalo’s case for “Foxcatcher,” so he knows how the game is played. As reporter Michael Rezendes, Ruffalo’s approach is the polar opposite of Keaton’s laid-back leader — his Rezendes is like a pit-bull, who, once he gets his teeth around a subject’s ankles, won’t let go until he gets the story he wants. The role is a perfect fit for Ruffalo and gives him several Oscar-baity scenes which will grab any voter’s attention. Despite his co-star’s presence in the race, the performances are strong enough for both men to get in.
MARK RYLANCE (“Bridge of Spies”)
Despite being one of the most acclaimed stage actors of his generation with 3 Tony Awards already on his mantle, Rylance nonetheless may be considered a newcomer by many Academy voters. That will change once they see “Bridge of Spies,” and see it they undoubtedly will — it’s Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Academy favorites both — but it’s likely that they’ll walk away remembering Rylance most. His performance as Soviet spy Rudolf Abel seems tailor-made for Rylance’s style — building a character with small, meticulous gestures until the final impression is unforgettable. (Anyone who saw Rylance’s Emmy-nominated work in PBS’ “Wolf Hall” mini-series this spring will know what I mean.) Rylance is a major threat in this category.
JACOB TREMBLAY (“Room”)
Make no mistake about it. 9 year-old Jacob Tremblay is a serious contender for the Oscar. This is not some cute kid who manages to pull off an induced crying scene — this is a real performance. In the first half of “Room,” he has to bond with Brie Larson, who plays his mom Joy, and both actors make you believe that this really is a mother and son who have shared the experience of being confined to a single room for the last 5 years. But it is in the film’s second half that Tremblay really shines. He must convince us that Jack has never seen the sky (except through Room’s skylight) or a real tree (he’s only seen one on TV). In one key scene, Tremblay (who has doubtless negotiated stairs all his life) must make us believe that Jack has never seen stairs and has no idea what to do. And he does it brilliantly. He could really mix things up in this category.
STANLEY TUCCI (“Spotlight”)
The third “Spotlight” actor who has a chance to contend is veteran character actor Tucci, who has a habit of stealing movies, and this one is no exception. As an ensemble, the entire cast of the film has asked to be considered in the supporting categories, and while it can be argued that Keaton and Ruffalo are ensemble leads, Tucci’s is a true supporting performance, with just a handful of scenes. He plays attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who, as an Armenian in Irish-Catholic Boston, has always felt out of place, and Tucci shows us the drive to prove himself that motivates Garabedian. He also has one of the biggest story arcs in the film — he is introduced as a man with no time to bother talking to reporters, only to wind up providing The Boston Globe with the key that cracks open the case. If “Spotlight” really hits with the Academy, Tucci may well ride that wave to his second Oscar nomination.
The precursor critics’ awards that will begin in a few weeks will, of course, help to winnow the field, but at this point, the supporting actor contest has the makings of a truly exciting race.
