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It's time for the release of the Oscar Nominated Films

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

First Thoughts on Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominations

The following five actors have been Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor this year. They are:
Kenneth Branagh, Jonah Hill, Nick Nolte, Christopher Plummer, Max Van Sydow. Kenneth Branagh portrayed Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn. Based on actual events during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl, Branagh portrays Olivier as a frustrated director dealing with Marilyn Monroe's erratic behavior. He shows his conflicting emotions - his recognition of her natural acting ability but her disregard for arriving on time and other behavior he considers unprofessional.  Well done, old boy, but he won't receive an Oscar this time. Jonah Hill portrays Peter Brand, a character loosely based on Paul DePodesta. Brand is a recent college graduate who helps Billy Beane (Pitt) make hiring decisions based on computer based statistics. Hill is well known for his work in comedic movies like SuperBad and Knocked Up. I'm rooting for Hill, the lovable assistant. I don't think he will win but am happy he was nominated. Nick Nolte plays Paddy Conlan, an alcoholic former boxer in Warrior. He is estranged from his two sons but reconnects when he becomes a trainer for one of his sons. When his two sons reach the finals in a mixed arts tournament, Conlan is needed and rebuffed. I've always like Nolte and he really did a great job in showing his regrets about his past behavior caused by his alcholism. He has a chance of winning. Christopher Plummer is a dying widowed father who admits he is gay and embraces his new, and long denied, lifestyle. While I was watching Beginners, there were several scenes which I thought would earn him an Oscar nomination and a probable win. Max Von Sydow is the estranged and mute grandfather of Oskar in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Von Sydow rents a room from Oskar's grandmother and eventually meets Oskar. He accompanies Oskar on his Saturday's trips through the five boroughs. Oskar, a bright boy, realizes the renter is, in fact, his grandfather. Von Sydow, without speaking a word, expressed so many emotions, including grief. If Plummer doesn't take home the Oscar, Von Sydow will.

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