Film Bitch Awards - Best Actor (and more)
Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 10:23AM by Nathaniel R
Though all of us have our differences of opinion with Oscar, but sometimes the stars align and we get an Oscar lineup we adore. I'm quite fond of Oscar's Best Actor list this year (have you voted today?) to the extent that my own ballot is 80% similar. That happens about once a decade (the last time was 2016). The one difference is my inclusion of Franz Rogowski, one of Europe's greatest actors, for the Austrian prison drama Great Freedom. It was an Oscar finalist last Oscar season in Best International Feature but wasn't nominated and then got a small US theatrical release in 2022. So while the film is now "old" (haha) it's been impossible to shake for over a year now. Thanks in large part to Rogowski's work. He outdoes himself with this portrait of a man so implacably committed to his own desires that you begin to wonder where the prison walls truly are. In short: he sells that alarming challenge of an ending.
Click on over to the awards to see the reasoning behind the rest of the ballot and the list of finalists and semi-finalists which includes a lot of performance that Oscar would not have deigned to look twice at. It was a strong year for rising actors but Oscar generally likes their contenders already famous and well into their leading man years.
As a bonus, the "Best Actor in a Limited Role or Cameo" is also posted for your pleasure or scorn depending on your feelings for these performances. This time there's an actual Oscar nominee present since Judd Hirsch took a spot in Supporting Actor with the Academy. Love that for him as he packs such a punch in his two scenes. The other honorees are Tyler Merritt, David Lynch, Louis-do de Lencquesaing, and Julian Glover.
Reader Comments (13)
Exceptional taste!
Keoghan's character is Dominic. Colm is Brendan Gleeson.
Farrell is too hot and too clean for a shepherd in Inisherin. I wouldn't nominate him. Not a fan of Butler and Fraser either.
One of my choices in limited role is Norman Briski for "Argentina, 1985". Endearing in just two scenes.
Except for Tandy in 89, I think that career wins are fine and that Bill Nighy should win for the piano bar scene.
I have seen almost all the acting nominees bar Women Talking and Bill Nighy's Living so my Best Actor ballot is not complete.
My own five Mescal is my winner Sandler,Farrell,Fraser,Butler are the next 4 with Nighy maybe spoiling and honourable mentions to McCormack,Labelle,Cruise,Jackman,Tatum,Pitt and Pope.
Tyler Merritt was so good I sort of wanted a reunion scene but knew that wasn't going to happen but Gabrielle Union Wow and the Mo'Nique comparisons are way off.
Apologies if you already discussed this, but I'm curious how you feel about Glesson in Banshees? I see he's not on either shortlist. Is it that you consider him lead and he just didn't make the cut? Or just didnt like his performance (whether lead or supporting) that much?
Excellent addition. Across everything 2022 I've seen, Rogowski and Farrell stand head and shoulders above the other leading men.
Love these choices! I don't share the same Butler love but it's hard to argue with this 12. Especially enjoy the Rogowski blurb. How close was Mehdi Bajestani to making the cut?
What Jack Lowden does in Benediction is nothing short of a miracle. Best of the year for me.
I haven't seen Great Freedom yet, but I go by each country of origin's release date, so I guess it would be considered 2021 then, right?
And I didn't nominate Butler, though he was good and he's the only good thing in that horrible film.
As for the runner ups:
Gabriel Labelle is also the best out of the entire cast and one of the few things I enjoyed about this movie. I don't think he's nomination worthy, but I would definitely put him in best young actor or breakout performance or any of those.
Did not care for Fraser, and The Whale is just...awful.
Dickinson was fine in Triangle.
My own nominees:
Eden Dambrine, Close
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jack Lowden, Benediction
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
with Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) and Park Hae-il (Decision to Leave) being runner ups.
As for Limited: Julian Glover is a great choice. And Lynch was a funny, silly cameo.
Hirsch was also good.
Was not impressed Merritt in The Inspection, and that movie as a whole is...problematic.
Dafoe is great in Northman.
But, every single frame where Tobey Maguire appears in Babylon should be burned.
Sad Man -- i would probably go by country of origin release date if i didn't run a site and have to do these things on schedule. But access is so varied to international cinema that it wouldn't be right to eliminate any film i couldn't get to in its origin year if it screened for US audiences later.
Vanessa - Mehdi Bajestani was right outside. I felt bad for leaving him out.
Paul Dano should have competed here. If Michelle Williams went lead, Paul should have as well. It wasn’t a very competitive year and he probably would’ve been able to get in.