Which actor this year is wearing the mask that deserves a standing ovation at the Oscars?
This year’s race for the Best Actors is biopic-heavy with portrayals of Stephen Hawking, Alan Turing, Chris Kyle and John Du Pont, but I hope none of these fine actors playing these characters win.
Here’s a closer look at the nominees and why I think that the odd man out here should ideally win this contest.
Michael Keaton (Birdman):
In a fair world, he should win. Because he’s playing a version of himself and very often, it’s most difficult to act like a variant of yourself. The mask that you are supposed to be wearing is your own. Keaton used to be Tim Burton’s Batman before he started fading away from public memory and Riggan Thomas in Inarritu’s Birdman is dangerously closer to his real self. And it’s certainly not a single note character. It’s three characters rolled into one. Riggan Thomas — the Broadway actor on stage who has a graph of his own from mediocrity to self actualisation, the father and washed up Hollywood actor who wants validation from his daughter, critics and society who finally finds acceptance and the alter-ego, the inner voice of mediocrity that wants him to go back and wear the superhero mask and gross billions. As a man torn between his passion for art, need for validation and frustration of being a has-been superstar, Michael Keaton is by far the most complex, layered and nuanced performance this year. It is going to be a huge snub and upset, if the Academy ignores this powerhouse performance.
Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything):
He’s playing the much-admired Stephen Hawking and he won the Best Actor at the Screen Actor’s Guild. Plus, he’s confined to a wheelchair for most part of the film and acts with just his face. Which would have been a great thing except that it is also the easiest for any trained actor. You sit in a chair, have fun with facial contortions and get to show off your range — from restraint to histrionics because the camera is likely to linger on your face through close-ups for most part of the film. It’s the perfect showcase. Also, the Academy does like to give the prize to actors playing inspiring real-life heroes, especially to celebrate triumph overcoming disability. Redmayne has, no doubt, turned in a superlative performance and I wouldn’t have had a problem with him winning any other year. But this year, Keaton deserves it more for pulling off an infinitely more difficult role.
Benedict Cumberbatch (Imitation Game):
I love Cumberbatch and he’s fantastic as Alan Turing. He lends the film so much heart, wit, humour and passion playing a socially awkward inventor with quirks. Cumberbatch is insanely talented, blessed with charm and terrific screen presence but then, he’s also mostly playing every character as himself… like a Morgan Freeman or a Shah Rukh Khan or a Naseeruddin Shah. These are internal interpretations of characters — be it Holmes or Turing — Cumberbatch has been channelling his own physicality and trademark body language into these roles so much that you can tell how a Cumberbatch would play a role by just reading the script. You would know where he would pause, when he would smile and how exactly he would deliver the punchline. It’s a great imitation and a well-deserved nomination but I hope he doesn’t win this game (But I would still cheer!)
Bradley Cooper (American Sniper):
With the amount of controversy surrounding the blatant endorsement of America’s military might and right to be in foreign territory, this biopic on sniper Chris Kyle has the least chance to win, even if it’s Bradley Cooper’s third nomination. As it is, it’s very difficult for pretty boys to break that image, even if they put on weight, go de-glam and play deeply conflicted grey characters. And Bradley Cooper has come a long way from his rom com days and this is a heavy-duty role directed by a heavyweight director and it’s a pretty flawless, restrained performance. But this nomination is as good as it gets for Cooper. It would be nothing short of a miracle if he wins.
Steve Carell (Foxcatcher):
Clearly, the weakest of the nominees and one that’s got attention more for gimmick than talent. Don’t get me wrong, Steve Carell is one of the finest comic actors on the planet and he can make the dead-est of lines come alive with sheer timing. Even if he played John Du Pont without that fake nose, it would have been a superb performance. At least, we could have seen that performance. In Foxcatcher , he’s wearing a prosthetic mask that is given the responsibility of doing most of the acting. It doesn’t help that the film takes itself way too seriously and barring that shocking climax, some credible performances and understated moments, there’s very little in the film that makes him seem like the Best Actor even within this ensemble, let alone the category. Also, Carell comes with the baggage of his image. Throughout the film, we are half expecting to pull off his fake nose, do a voice impression as a serious dude and laugh at his own joke. You cannot un-see the Michael Scott in Carell.
Hope it’s the Shiner’s day
Would be great if Ethan Hawke or Edward Norton wins but J.K. Simmons is likely to claim it. A look at the Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Male nominees.
Robert Duvall (The Judge):
The film was a damp squib and weak movies rarely enable actors to win the top prize. This seems like the annual consolatory token senior citizen appreciation addition to an otherwise strong list. The veteran has done better roles. We can fairly be sure he won’t win.
Ethan Hawke (Boyhood):
Poor Hawke always gets ignored by the Academy and in Boyhood , he’s a solid spine to the film as the filmmaker’s voice in a film that spans over a decade. I would cheer if he wins because it wouldn’t be acknowledgement for just Boyhood but everything he’s done with Linklater. Because when you watch Boyhood, Before Sunrise, BeforeSunset and Before Midnight back to back, it’s the story of a boy who becomes his father.
Edward Norton (Birdman):
We knew he would get a nomination from the very first scene. His Mike Shiner is absolutely brilliant as the foil to Keaton’s Riggan. Playing a character who doesn’t need any validation, I’m convinced he wouldn’t really care if he wins or not. A flawlessly delivered flawed paradoxical character — real on stage, pretending off it. If I had to pick between Hawke and Norton, I would give it to Norton. Because this is exactly what a Supporting Actor does. Complements the Lead.
Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher):
What a range Ruffalo has. From playing an angsty music producer whose life is in a shambles in Begin Again to a fully content family man in Foxcatcher , Ruffalo makes every character so likeable, even if he’s the new Hulk. He gives the role so much heart, that he makes the ending all the more disturbing… But then, let’s remember this role barely challenged him.
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash):
There are very few actors who command screen presence and demand your attention like J.K. Simmons. And in Whiplash , he’s the dictatorial driving force, spitting out lines like only he can with sound and fury matched by the sound of drums. He’s the favourite and the frontrunner… but I hope he doesn’t win because it’s easy for him. And he already got rewarded for it at the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.
