Best Supporting Actor 2012

5. Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook
De Niro has got a fine character in a very good film, but he fails to bring anything into it. There's nothing he did with this character. It's hard for me to even say something about it, for I've seen the film six days ago, and yet I don't remember anything about him. He wanted to play it realisticly, but he was boring and forgettable, instead. I'm sad, because he took place some better supporting performance...

4. Alan Arkin - Argo
Yes, he was there just to be there. His character doesn't have a big purpose, but who cares. He was very nice and likable in all of his scenes, but the truth is he never tried to do something with his role, so that he would be just a little bit memorable. It's also true that he didn't have enough space to shine, but didn't bring much effort to it, either. Another forgettable performance between this year's nominees, but this one was at least funny...

3. Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Right now I can't think of anyone, who'd handle this role better than Jones did. It's written as another of the thousands of supporting players that are in Lincoln, it means it's written forgettably. Jones makes this character interesting and pleasure to watch. Though his last scene is destroying his character, he never allows to fully do it and handles it very gently. That's probably what De Niro and Arkin should do with their characters...

2. Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Playing Lancaster Dodd, the master of scientologic church, Philip Seymour Hoffman should be charming and authoritative. We all knew he can handle that. But his character also should be full of doubts. Why is he doing all this? He's a normal husband, which loves his family and friends, but why is he doing all of this? Does he really believes in everything he says and does? Should we believe in that? These are the questions his performance makes us ask, but we never get a satisfactory answer...

1. Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Django Unchained is one of the best films of 2012 and Waltz's performance is one of the best performances of the year. He obviously enjoys playing this character and if an actor enjoys playing his character, so do we enjoy watching his performance. He is funny, charming and adorable. He can be a worthy adversary to the co-stars of the film and the naive simplicity his character handles all of the problems and the way he portrayed it, gives him bonus points...

My Nominees:
1. Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
2. Javier Bardem - Skyfall
3. Dwight Henry - Beasts of the Southern Wild
4. Matthew McConaughey - Magic Mike
5. Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actor 2012: Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Django Unchained is one of the best films released the previous year. It's extremely funny and entertaining and in my opinion it's the best Tarantino's film (from what I've seen from him). There probably isn't a single boring scene, which I wouldn't enjoy. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, the bounty hunter. It is the matter of many discussions, if Waltz is leading or supporting here. I don't usually care about this, especially not if the leading performance is to be in the supporting category.
The first time we see his character is in the first scene after the opening subtitles and it stays there almost till the end. Therefore I'd say it's rather co-leading performance, than supporting, but it doesn't absolutely matter.
From this first scene we know Waltz is going to rule the film. He's really funny and entertaining in this scene (and throughout the entire film) and it's obvious he greatly enjoys playing this character. Waltz adorably shows the wonderful simplicity King handles all the problems, which is almost bound to naivety.
As I said, he really is the King of the film. This fact is changing after an hour of the film, when Leonardo DiCaprio appears in the film. It's not Waltz's fault, his character is just shifted in the shadow of DiCaprio's character. And the fact that DiCaprio is playing as greatly and passionately, as Waltz, just singles that out. But it's not a big deal, because Waltz plays wonderfully every moment he has. This 'overshadowing' ends in the last half an hour of his performance.
Many people compare this performance with Waltz's creation in Inglourious basterds. He handles both of them really excellently, but here he plays a positive character. And if I had to choose, I would probably go for his affirmative side, for it fits Waltz a little more, that we can sympathize with him.
It's almost impossible to choose his best scene, because he is perfect in every second on the screen. No way I could say just one...
The chances of winning an Oscar: They are quite solid, actually. It's either him, or Jones I think. Right now I think it's going to be him (yes, I changed my mind), because I think Harvey it really going to root for him...

Next Year: Best Supporting Actor 2012

The Nominees:
Alan Arkin - Argo
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln (predicted winner)

So, please, comment. Who was snubbed? How would your nominees look like? Who would you like to win? Who do you think I'll let win? And how do you think I'll rate these performances?