Actor - in a supporting role

So - every year I delude myself into thinking - I am going to watch all the Oscar nominated movies before the Oscars. That never happens. I usually peter out. I also tell myself every year I am going to go to an AMC showcase, because they show all the movies in giant marathons, and that appeals to me greatly. I love slothing around.

This year, I think it might happen...I might make it. It's only because I sort of lucked out and saw three of the nominees already -- I'm so close, only like 12 more movies to go. Also I think this year will be a little easier because Hollywood seems to think only 8 movies came out last year...so the actual list of movies I have to watch to see all the actor categories and best picture titles is the most do-able it's been in a long time. In my opinion.

Also - it's been stupid easy for Gabe to find torrents of all of them. Which is even more awesome because I don't have to wear real pants! SCORE! All of them do say, "For Awards Consideration" across the top every once and a while, but it makes me feel like that makes my reviews more legitimate. I am reviewing them for the awards, even if I don't actually have a vote. You're welcome!

In fact, at this point, I have seen enough of the movies to accurately weigh in on the best supporting actor category! Let's do this!!

Barkhad Abdi - was creepy as hell. He scared the poop out of me, and being from Minnesota - means he is the hometown favorite. However, I feel like his nomination is a little like, "Wow - a nobody (outside the industry) can actually act!" He's not going to win, and while he was creepy, his performance was a little uneven, and did come across as someone who has not acted before. While good, his performance was not the best of the year in my opinion.

Oh Bradley Cooper. You're adorable, but I have no idea why you were nominated. I really did not enjoy much of anything about American Hustle. I'll get to that when I review the Best Picture category, and I'll admit I am totally biased because of my disgust at all things from the 70's, but he really was not doing anything in this movie that impressed me. I almost feel like he keeps getting nominated because he's pretty, and it's "what the young kids these days want." His performance was very Bradley Cooper. At no point was I able to stop thinking, "Hey look, Bradley Cooper with a perm" which I have feeling is not what good performances are supposed to make you think.

I know for most of my friends Michael Fassbender will be Magneto, but for me - he'll always be Rochester from Jane Eyre. That was my first real exposure to him. He's all grit and manly awesome typically, and this role he was more uber-machismo, but in a totally disturbing way, and he scared me more than a Somali Pirate in his turn in 12 Years a Slave. He made my skin crawl. I felt my shoulders tense whenever he was in a scene. He epitomized everything you would expect from an unhinged alcoholic slave owner in the 1850's. He would get my vote for best supporting actor, but may get beat out by someone further down this list...

I like Jonah Hill. Skinny, or fat - there is something likeable about him even when he's a totally crude teenager in SuperBad, or in this case a degenerate Wall Street stock broker. Many of the shining moments from Wolf of Wall Street came from scenes between Hill and DiCaprio. They had wonderful chemistry. I really like him, and like that he has now been nominated twice for an Oscar, he is a serious talent. I just don't think this is his year.






Jared Leto is someone I spent a lot of time thinking was dreamy when I was a teenager. I still think he's pretty, and in the Dallas Buyers club his pretty works to his advantage in playing trans character Rayon. He's also one of those actors who I wondered, "Hey whatever happened to him?" In looking back at his IMDB page, he hasn't gone away - he just hasn't been very front and center. I feel like this was a really smart role for him to take, and he played it beautifully. He was lovely and tough, just as I imagine any trans woman would have to be in order to survive. It's dumb but I often judge movies and performances as being good if they make me cry. In this case, Leto meets that criteria as he moved me to tears a couple times during the movie.



I have two stand-outs in my mind for this category. Fassbender and Leto. Of all the nominees these two made me feel something in a visceral way, and right or wrong that is how I judge movies and performances. I think that's the mark of good acting. Taking me to a place and a time, where I believe the story you are telling me, and that you are fully embodying that character. On that criteria either Fassbender or Leto would be an awesome choice and I would be happy with either winning the Oscar. But if I can only pick one - I think the Oscar should go to Leto.