2009 Calvin Awards: Best Actor
February 12, 2009
BoxOfficeProphets.com
It was a close race, but in the end our Calvin Award for Best Actor goes to Frank Langella for his portrayal of Richard Nixon in the political thriller Frost/Nixon. Although he did not receive the most first place votes (that honor goes to our runner-up), the groundswell of support for Langella was so universal that he was able to just push through for a win. And this is in fact a bravura performance that sees the veteran actor be completely absorbed into the character of Richard Nixon. No, he really doesn't look like Nixon, and it's true he might not even sound much like the embattled President. Nonetheless, when Langella is onscreen, you truly believe that he is Richard Nixon. Despite the fact that you know he is despicable in a number of ways, you can understand how people were drawn to him.
Just missing out on the win is comeback kid Mickey Rourke, who was heartbreaking in his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler. For my money, Rourke has been rock solid for the past several years, turning in excellent supporting work in films like Spun (2002) and Sin City (2005). He's at the top of his game in The Wrestler, though, channeling guys like "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Lex Luger and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. It's easy to imagine him as having once been idolized, as we can picture Rourke in more youthful times when his looks were everything. We can just as easily accept that he's seen his best days pass him by, and we understand why even to the detriment of his health, this character might find it impossible to leave the sport that has served him so well.
Our top ten continues to mostly mirror the Academy Award nominees with our third place selection, as Sean Penn owns the role of Harvey Milk and turns it into something truly special. We're not used to seeing Penn vulnerable or soft, and while Milk is both of these, he's also a force to be reckoned with. The best thing that you can say about both Penn's performance and the movie are that you leave feeling compelled to know more about Harvey Milk. Penn makes the character interesting.
Fourth place is where we diverge from the Oscar trending (sort of), as we found Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in Iron Man to be so fine that it deserves a place amongst the top actors of the year. There might be no person better suited for the role of Tony Stark, industrialist, inventor, millionaire and occasional crime fighter. With Downey in the role, he imbues the character with the perfect amount of snark, smarts and even humanity. For my part, I think it says a lot that I find the Tony Stark of the comic world to be a fairly dislikable character, but that I love Downey's Tony Stark and am totally drawn to him.
Finishing out the top five is yet another of this year's Academy Award nominees, Richard Jenkins. The Visitor is a quiet movie, but one that is full of impact. Most of this is due to Jenkins' portrayal of Walter Vale, a professor who goes to New York for a conference to find a couple in his apartment who don't belong there. Rather than toss them out, he becomes involved in their lives - and the relationships that ensue become quite special. Throughout the movie, Vale is a thoroughly likable soul, but the viewer always has the sense that there is an undeniable sadness and loneliness surrounding him. It's wonderful to see a longtime character actor like Jenkins finally get his due.
Sixth place goes to the yin to Langella's yang in Frost/Nixon. We've been impressed by Michael Sheen before - most especially for his portrayal of Prime Minister Tony Blair in The Queen. He continues to display versatility and adaptability in Frost/Nixon, as he slides into the skin of playboy entertainer David Frost with ease. More importantly, he really holds his own against Langella, who could easily have run away with the movie in a scenery chewing way.
Our next two positions are held by actors from the same movie. In Bruge's Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are both remarkable in the film, playing hit men who have been sent to the historic city in Belgium to lay low for a bit. Gleeson is the older, experienced bloke who delights in the sights of the city, while Farrell is the newbie n the business, complaining all the way about his displeasure at being forced to hide out in such a crappy location. Both men have a distinct humor about them, but when things get more serious, they're up to the task as well. Gleeson has been impressive in a number of movies, but it's nice to see Farrell doing something more complex than a paycheck flick.
Closing out our top ten are actors who have mostly seen their props come in the Supporting Actor category, but we felt their roles were so crucial in their individual movies that Best Actor seemed more appropriate. Dev Patel is our ninth place finisher, and it is thanks to his perspective that Slumdog Millionaire succeeds so mightily. We see a world-weary young man who has been through so much in his time that the only thing that can truly make him spring to life is the possibility of love. And in our final spot, Philip Seymour Hoffman is amazing as always as Father Flynn, a man accused of something horrific. The ambiguity required to pull off this role is significant, and it is to Hoffman's credit that we're never entirely sure what the truth is about his character. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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