Best Leading Actress 2014: Marion Cotillard - Two Days, One Night

Many people ask me, why I don't like European or indie films. The answer is very simple. They are too life-like. Why do people watch films, or go to the theatre? So that they can escape reality and watch the other people's problems and enjoy watching it. So what is the purpose in making films, in which we witness the storyline so real and the performance so realistic, that it really seems as if we were watching reality shows? I see that many people worship that, but I only get bored by it. That's why I usually avoid European and indie film, because most of them (I'm saying most, because definitely not all of them) are just too naturalistic.
Unfortunately, Two Day, One Night is exactly that kind of film. Authentic and extremely boring. This one is even so unbearable, that I had moments, when I thought I need to stop watching immediately and never continue again.
Marion Cotillard plays a young woman, who had some psychical issues and therefore she was forced to not go to work. Now she's feeling better and wants to start working again, but she found out the situation is not that easy. It's either her working again, or her colleagues don't get the money bonus. So she takes an utterly exciting trip all around the neighbourhood and tries to explain all of her co-workers, how much she really needs the job.
Cotillard is a great actress. Since her Oscar win for La Vie en Rose she has been snubbed many times. It's a pity she got nominated exactly for this performance, since it's far from her best work since 2007 and it's even further from her most interesting work.
I know, her peformance is technically flawless. And that's it. That is all I can write about this performance, because there is nothing more to it. She copied the real life and now we can see it. The thing is, we don't want to see it. I know it's not her fault and in terms of acting, there can really be no complaint said. But...you know...when I think of this performance, the first word that comes to my mind is not 'perfect', but 'boring'. And that is definitely wrong.
No, I wouldn't nominate this performance, not even by an accident. I think we have Harvey to blame here, because she gave a better (and more interesting performance) in The Immigrant, whose campaign was unaccountably low. In that film she not only gave a better performance, but she even played a better character. This is a strange thing that happens often at the Oscars. An actor has two great performances in one year and he gets nominated for the worse one (e,g. Sean Penn in 2003). But what can we do?
The chances of winning: In fact they are higher than I'd appreciate. She's probably the third. But it would not look good in history, if she won her second Oscar for this particular performance... 

Worst Supporting Actor 2003

6. Al Pacino - Gigli   
As I said, Pacino really is not deserving of a nomination here. His one scene seems to be the only really good and even funny scene of the entire film. I think he is only deserving of a nomination because he agreed to play in this film and that is probably the reason he was nominated. But the performance is not deserving at all.

5. Anthony Anderson - Kangaroo Jack
There is really nothing wrong about this performance. It is a very solid comedic exhibition that is embarrassing and silly sometimes, but it logically comes with a crazy comedy. Of course he was overacting and things like that, but even when it's silly, you don't feel bad for him. Very fine and likable performance...

4. Christopher Walken - Gigli
One scene that is not bad, nor good. Though he portrayed very well how tired of his work the cop he played is, the side effect of this fact was the dullness of his performance. But still, I wouldn't nominate him here...

3. Sylvester Stallone - Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Though he was obviously enjoying playing this part (or these parts), he was very overacting and embarrassing. I must give him some credit for being a funny sometimes, but it wasn't in the moments he wanted to. The other thing is that he really can't handle playing various characters.

2. Alec Baldwin - The Cat in the hat
Overacting, silly and not funny performance. There is not even an effort from Baldwin to give some depth into this character. He is self-conscious and unreasonable in playing this role and he doesn't have any chemistry with his co-actors. And it's only his guilt.

1. Christopher Walken - Kangaroo Jack
Bad and very dull performance. As a mob boss he should induce some respect, but he doesn't. I can't understand the reasons of my feeling, but I just think that Walken struggled while playing this part. As if he took the role only because of the money.

Note: The Razzie Awards sometimes nominate one actor for more performances and then let him win for both (which is very stupid, because rarely both of them really deserve to win, or are equally bad). But to follow the rules I give my win to Walken for both of the performances. His performance in Kangaroo Jack is really the worst of the nominees and the other one is just in a terrible film. Maybe if he won, he would rebound and stop taking parts in such bad films. Therefore he'd be deserving for both of them...

My Nominees:
1. Christopher Walken - Kangaroo Jack
2. Alec Baldwin - The Cat in the hat
3. Sylvester Stallone - Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
4. Michael Shannon - Kangaroo Jack
5. Robert Vito - Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over

Worst Supporting Actor 2003: Al Pacino - Gigli

First of all, a little confession of mine. I have never seen Gigli. Ergo, I have never seen it full. I've heard so many bad things about it that I just didn't have enough courage to actually watch it. So I just made myself sure that Pacino and Walken only play in one scene and I watched just their parts. Therefore my review(s) might not be good enough, because I haven't seen the performance in the context of the film, but in this case I don't think it will rule the objectivity.
Al Pacino is a living legend and undoubtably a great actor. I really didn't believe that his performance in Gigli will be bad, because I didn't believe he could ever be bad. Luckily, his reputation wasn't destroyed in my eyes after watching his really supporting performance as a mob boss in Gigli. From the first second we can see Pacino is really enjoying playing this character. Sometimes an actor needs to just chill out and take a role that isn't a challenge for him and that isn't very difficult to play.
And Pacino used this opportunity. I mean, he had nothing to lose. Of course he couldn't get an Oscar nomination for such role, but his performance really has nothing to do on the list of the five worst supporting performances of the year.
And back to the performance. The fact is that he is happy to be there and play this character. On the other hand, he is overacting many time, which is obvious. If an actor has a lots of fun playing the character, very probably will he be overacting. But his character didn't need to be acted with the best character acting.
Pacino loved to be on the screen in this role. And we really like watching him. That's all that matters...

Next Year: Worst Supporting Actor 2003

Don't worry. I'll finish best supporting actor 1998 soon. Right now I just had a crazy idea that I simply had to carry out. What if I reviewed the acting nominees for Razzie Awards, instead of Academy Awards? So right now I'm going to review the nominnes for the worst supporting actor 2003 and then I'll rank them (the first is the worst performance and the last is the best performance).
At the beginning I chose the year that will hopefully be easy to do. And who knows? Maybe I (and you) will like it so much, that I'll get stuck with this idea for the future of this blog. So here are the first nominees for my experiment:

Al Pacino - Gigli
Alec Baldwin - The Cat in the Hat
Anthony Anderson - Kangaroo Jack
Christopher Walken - Gigli and Kangaroo Jack
Sylvester Stallone - Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over

So write your predictions for my pick, or ranking in comments. You may also write your ranking of these performances. And you may write even your opinion about this idea of mine... 

Musical Project: Best Supporting Actor 1972

5. Eddie Albert - The Heartbreak Kid
Right now, when I'm writing this brief conclusion of Albert's performance I can hardly remember a thing from it. He was fine and his only purpose in The Heartbreak Kid was to hate the leading character and in this he was succeeded very well. But he didn't have many things to do here...

4. James Caan - The Godfather
He portrayed the anger in some of his scenes very well, but in other moments he was a bit unrealistic. And though his character was supposed to be likable, I didn't care about his fortune, at all. On the other hand it's obvious from his performance that the character of Sonny really cares about and loves his family. But he didn't amuse me anyhow this time...

3. Robert Duvall - The Godfather

I remember I didn't like him very much the first time, but this time I really liked him. He knows where his place is, but he doesn't forget to create a complex and likable character. The calmness of his character is perfect and chilling. It's very subtle and yet still very powerful performance given by Duvall...

2. Al Pacino - The Godfather

I've given Pacino a win for his portrayal of Michael Corleone in the second part and he is almost as powerful here, as he was in that. At the beginning of the film he is just an innocent boy and the only spotless member of the Corleone family, but he changes throughout the film. This change is so slow and non-violent, that it is very very natural. Very good performance...

1. Joel Grey - Cabaret

Though it's not the best character for the film, it's good enough for this musical. Grey gives a great amount of energy into his part and he's just adorable as the Master of Ceremonies. He sings perfectly, he dances extremely well and I can't imagine a single person that would not like his performance. As I said in my review, the could be the prototype of a good musical performance...

Musical Project: Best Supporting Actor 1972: Al Pacino - The Godfather

Al Pacino is one of the few actors that have been nominated for an Academy Awards twice for playing the same character. In The Godfather he plays Michael Corleone that he repeated in The Godfather: Part II, which I gave him a win for.
The fact that I gave him a win for, means I liked his performance in the second part. Did I like him in the first part? I'm going to say very soon, but what needs to be said is the fact that though he plays the same character in the film, he portrays it very differently than in the second film. The reason of that is the change of his character. From a 'normal' innocent person he becomes a typical mafioso.
At the beginning of the film he plays some kind of a black sheep of the family. He is the only member of it that didn't do anything illegal. I really liked Pacino's scenes at the beginning of the film. Especially the ones at the wedding. He really wonderfully shows the innocence of his character.
Then later, after his father is stricken, he has to take the responsibility for the family and the change of his character is perfectly showed by Pacino. I really like to think of (and compare) his first and his last scene. It's an incredible difference, and yet it's still the same character, deep down.
He has got great moments, of course, but there are also a few scenes he has nothing to play in. He just is there and though I can imagine that moment been played more memorably. But there are just few of them and I can easily forgive him.
Here is the moment I should point out the best scene of him, but I can't decide from the two of them. The first is in the hospital, where he finds out that his father is not guarded and how he solves this situation. Pacino greatly portrays the nervosity that he feels, but he has to hide it. The same emotion he has to do in the second scene, which is the one in the restaurant (if you've seen the film, you know which one I'm talking about and if you haven't, shame on you).
The chances of winning an Oscar: I think he was the second along with Duvall...

Next Year: Musical Project: Best Supporting Actor 1972

The Nominees:
Al Pacino - The Godfather
Eddie Albert - The Heartbreak Kid
James Caan - The Godfather
Joel Grey - Cabaret
Robert Duvall - The Godfather

What do you think about this lineup? Who will I pick? What will be me ranking? What is your ranking? Write in comments...