It is perhaps worth noting that Christopher Nolan’s films have garnered various nominations in the past, but only one acting nomination which indeed led to a posthumous win for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. This year, we have three performers from a Nolan film up for awards. As mentioned, Emily Blunt is an unlikely winner, but in both Lead Actor and Supporting Actor, wins for Oppenheimer look pretty certain. As mentioned previously, there are four Rs up for Supporting Actor – Mark Ruffalo, Ryan Gosling, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey, Jr, as well as Sterling K. Brown. All of these performances impressed me, from Brown’s rounded and believable dandy figure in American Fiction to De Niro’s ostensibly kindly old man in whom lurks an irrepressible monster in Killers of the Flower Moon. Ruffalo and Gosling are both a hoot in, respectively, Poor Things and Barbie, gleefully embracing roles that, for Ruffalo, is something of a departure whereas Ken seems like the role Gosling was almost designed for. However, their effort, methinks, will be eclipsed by that there RDJ. Downey is a Hollywood staple, having been previously nominated for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder, and his role in Oppenheimer has clearly demonstrated to the Academy that there is life after Iron Man. Following his BAFTA and SAG wins, I am confident that we will soon be referring to Academy Award Winner Robert Downey, Jr.
Alongside Downey we have the often unassuming yet always engaging and now positively radioactive Cillian Murphy. From 28 Days Later… to Breakfast on Pluto to his ongoing collaboration with Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk), Murphy is never less than compelling, and with Oppenheimer he portrays guilt, genius, drive, commitment and uncertainty, no mean feat considering he is on camera for almost the entire film. Like Murphy, American Fiction’s Jeffrey Wright is a long-standing supporting actor now in a leading role that has earned him a nomination, and were I an AMPAS member I would likely vote for him. Colman Domingo in Rustin delivers a vibrant and energising performance, while Bradley Cooper in Maestro balances the whimsy with the passion. Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers makes a curmudgeon loveable without ever slipping into cliche or excessive sentimentality. He is likely the strongest rival to Murphy, making it a two-horse race between the two of them. Come Oscar night though, I suspect Mr Murphy will add to his awards collection with a golden man holding a sword.
Vincent's Views 