“Hello, I am Aiden, and I’m an Academy Awards following nut-case… (hi, Aiden).”
No, for real, though… I am a nut-case when it comes to the Academy Awards. When Marion Cotillard proved victorious at the beginning of 2008 for her work as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, a film I scrambled to see at the Seattle International Film Festival in June of 2007, and would eventually catch four more times in the cinema upon it’s release, immediately own on DVD, and actively campaign anywhere I could to see Ms Cotillard end up the victor (which was ruled out as impossible next to Julie Christie, and the fact that it was a performance in a foreign language film) — I was holding a friend’s hand as tightly as I possibly could, and I cried when she walked up to the stage. No, really, I have a problem. One of my biggest party-tricks for my friends is to have them name any year between 1927 and 2010, and I can tell them something that either was nominated or won an Oscar from the top of my head. I’ve been called a walking encyclopedia, a database of Oscar junk, and a crazy. I. love. award. season. for. films. Shamelessly.
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| Lesley Manville in Mike Leigh’s “Another Year”. |
With that being said, this post is meant to mourn two favorites of mine this season who have, so far, received next to little acknowledgment, and their one-time very high chances of receiving Oscar nominations, is starting to turn into fluff before my very, sorry, not-wet-yet eyes. Though, I will be the first to admit, one of the performances I have yet to see — so upon viewing, this could easily change. The one I have seen is that of the luminous, two time (overtly deserving) Oscar winner, Dianne Wiest – who gives a simple, saucy, very natural and sweet portrayal of super-sad (equally brilliant, but likely to be nominated) Nicole Kidman’s mum in John Cameron Mitchell’s latest flick, Rabbit Hole (look out for my review very soon for the flick as a whole). The one I have not seen is Lesley Manville, who portrays Mary in the Mike Leigh’s new drama, Another Year, which has not received a Seattle screening yet (that I know of).
Now — on the topic of Lesley Manville… you may wonder why the heck I would be so adamant about her receiving any acclaim or awards if I haven’t seen the film… and, I tell you what, you’re probably right to wonder this. I wonder it myself. But, it’s as simple as not being able to contain my excitement for another reportedly brilliant portrayal by a leading actress in a Mike Leigh film. His track record with actors astounds me to no possible end… and so far, any anticipated performance I’ve had of his has yet to disappoint… if anything, my high anticipation wasn’t high enough, as I’m always blown away. What he has managed to squeeze out of Alison Steadman and Jane Horrocks (1991’s Life is Sweet), Brenda Blethyn… oh, especially Brenda Blethyn… and Marianne Jean Baptiste (in 1996’s Secrets and Lies), Imelda Staunton (2004’s Vera Drake) and Sally Hawkins (2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky) leaves me breathless and yearning as an actor to work under such fascinating conditions he creates… the organic nature that goes into his workshop rehearsal process, the idea of complete and total improvisation… secrets about characters popping up mid-production… and the layers of emotion! The sob sequences! The biting humor! And oh, those bittersweet shots, often accompanied by a glass of white wine, or cup of tea in hand. He pulls work out of his actors unlike any working director out there, in my humble opinion, that speaks honest volumes and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. From the look of it, Lesley Manville is no different… from the sound of it, she delivers in abundance, a profound sadness in Mary that so many individuals out there can relate to and hold onto as exactly what lovers of acting expect and dream of in a performance. My anticipation to see and love her work here is still on 100%, though her latest award track record shows little to no acknowledgment. Many have written in disdain that this has to do with screener copies of the film being distributed to voters – and also her shaky category placement being up in the air, as she is being campaigned in the leading category, when many have wondered if she would fair better in the supporting, as she is borderline in the film itself. It’s still not impossible for her to receive an Oscar nomination in the slightest bit, as one may recall Laura Linney’s nominated work in The Savages receiving next to no precursors (the Golden Globes, the BAFTA, SAG nomination…) before finding herself amongst Marion Cotillard, Julie Christie, Ellen Page, and Cate Blanchett. But, in the meantime, I’ll mourn her less-that-ecstatic state of being, and cling mercifully to the hope that something divine and radical will occur.
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| Dianne Wiest in John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole” |
Now, onto Dianne Wiest… one obvious comparison to Lesley Manville that leaves me satisfied is that, unlike Ms Manville, Ms Wiest – as stated earlier – has two Oscars to her name already. She won both for work in Woody Allen films, Hannah and Her Sisters, where she portrayed Holly, a drug-addicted, struggling and confused artist living in New York City, and then there was her divinely wicked work as Helen St. Clair in Bullets over Broadway, where her infamous delivery of the lines ‘Don’t speak!’ still rings laughter from the many who see the film for a first time. Hell… she also received a nomination between her two wins for her wonderful work in “Parenthood”! The Academy loved this woman at one point in time, and she stands as the only living actress to have received two Oscars in the supporting category – if she wins a third, she’ll have set a record (the only other actress to have won twice is the bawdy, brilliant Shelley Winters). Onto her work in Rabbit Hole… I knew after the screening I caught on Tuesday that the Academy probably wouldn’t go for it. There, up front and out in the painful, painful open. But! I will claim that there is still a tiny shred of hope laying in the fact alone that she is, after all, Dianne Wiest, and this is the first film since her win in Bullets over Broadway to have received Oscar consideration to the magnitude Rabbit Hole is right now (primarily, that being Nicole Kidman). In this film, she plays Nat, a woman with three adult children – one daughter who is on the trashy, but fun side; another who lost her son 8 months earlier and is stuck in a sort of limbo regarding properly grieving; and a son who died of a drug overdose, and whose death she figures should bring her daughter (Nicole Kidman) and her closer together, as they share similar grief, but the daughter resents the comparison of an accidental death to one that could have been prevented if it weren’t for the junkie aspect. What Dianne Wiest does with her work here is create the fundamentally essential supporting role to Nicole Kidman’s towering force of focus. She adds humor to the most demanding, painful scenes, and properly conveys, without milking or under-doing it, the bitter memories drug up from having such a paralleled experience to her daughter. In one scene, Nicole Kidman breaks for a moment and quietly begs for some words of wisdom, despite two previous icky moments shared between them that left Dianne Wiest feeling less that balanced with her emotions. Dianne Wiest takes pauses between her answers, her eyes glittering, but with an expressive if almost motionless face… and when she speaks, it’s a soothing, thought out answer, meant to comfort, but digging into her own pocket of experience yet again. She is tentative, but precise, and in a simple four or five lines, brings across meaning and clarity that can only be described as masterful.
I salute these two women for their work, now, and prior (I didn’t even begin to go into Lesley Manville’s previous work with Mike Leigh, which can only be described as versatile and genius), and while this may not be their shining year to be recognized by the Academy (or, third year for Dianne Wiest), their work does stand on its own. I’ll let you decide, of course, for yourself if you would agree. But, from where I stand, these two are golden.
With good fortune, I’ll be keeping on track and writing more about the award season as it unfolds. For those who want a quick version, here goes: The Social Network is the one to beat for Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. Best Actor is a bit of a toss up with Colin Firth leading for The King’s Speech, with Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network close to, and trailing behind is James Franco in 127 Hours. Best Actress has been a bit of a whirlwind with awards going to Natalie Portman in Black Swan all over the place, and veteran Annette Bening in The Kids are All Right, Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, and even Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine somewhere in the mix… but, as of now, it looks like Natalie Portman is the one to beat. Best Supporting Actor will probably go to Christian Bale in The Fighter, and Best Supporting Actress is a cluster-f of names, with Jackie Weaver in Animal Kingdom leading the parade, Melissa Leo in The Fighter somewhere at second, and the likes of Amy Adams in The Fighter, Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit, Helena Bonham Carter in The King’s Speech, and Mila Kunis in Black Swan.
It’s my favorite time of year!
– Aiden Karamanyan
