Top Ten Best Performances of 2020

10. Julia Garner as Jane in The Assistant - The Assistant is not an exciting movie.  In fact, not much explicably happens as we follow Garner's put upon assistant throughout a day in her life working for a Harvey Weinstein-esque producer in New York City.  Still, her performance is so taut and controlled, it steadies the movie into becoming compulsively watchable, especially when it's unsettling nature creeps up on you. 

09. Mia Goth as Harriet Smith in Emma. - I've seen Mia Goth in a few different projects now, and she always seems to play someone who is a little strange or a little weird.  I honestly wasn't expecting this kind of performance from her - so pure and innocent, and full of joy.  She inhabits the naivety, childlike wonder and hopeless romanticism of Harriet so perfectly. 

08. Ben Affleck as Jack in The Way Back - As an alcoholic construction worker reeling from a phenomenal personal loss, Affleck is utter, heartbreaking perfection as the messed up Jack.  It's a performance that is so engrossing and so simply outstanding, that it often elevates the story, which is sort of formulaic, but with Affleck at the center, is never boring. 

07. Eliza Scanlen as Milla in Babyteeth - As far as I'm concerned, Scanlen is going to be a huge star.  How someone can go from playing evil Amma in Sharp Objects to sweet Beth in Little Women is beyond me, but now add in this layered and powerful performance as a dying teenager falling in love for the first time, and you are left with someone whose future is very bright.  I read a review where they referred to the movie as "delicate, but never precious" and I think that is an apt description of Scanlen's powerful performance as well.  

06. Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma in Emma. - Taylor-Joy has always seemed like she is of another time or place, so transferring her back to the time of Jane Austen seems like a perfect decision... and it is.  Though we've seen it before, this version of Emma seems absolutely modern, and Taylor-Joy is perfect as the haughty, tunnel vision matchmaker.  She is funny and clever and you just can't take your eyes off of her. 

05. Hayley Bennett as Hunter in Swallow - In a movie that feels like a spiritual successor to Rosemary's Baby, Bennett slays as Hunter, a newly married woman who starts eating inedible things.  Swallow may not sound like a good movie, but it happens to be an unsettling slow burn of a film, with Bennett further making a case for herself as one of the most exciting working actresses today.  

04. Elisabeth Moss as Cecelia in The Invisible Man - **Sigh**  Maybe one day Elisabeth Moss will find a movie that is as good as she is.  Because right now, her talent far outweighs any movie project she has ever been involved with.  She has a knack for choosing great TV roles on great TV shows (Mad Men, Top of the Lake, Handmaid's Tale), but the movies she has been in are below par.  However, she is always great in them, and that is the case here as well.  I found The Invisible Man to be merely average, but Moss is stunning, as usual.  If you want evidence, you only need to watch the first 10 minutes where she wordlessly escapes from an abusive relationship in the dead of night.  She is terrified but determined and resilient.  It's utter perfection.  

03. George MacKay as Ned Kelly in True History of the Kelly Gang - Remember when Marcia Gay Harden invented acting in The Mist?  Watching MacKay carry this movie on his back and act circles around everyone and be simultaneously sensitive and violent, brooding and emotive is sort of like that.  

02. Sidney Flanigan as Autumn in Never Rarely Sometimes Always - This is a movie and a performance that I keep coming back to.  I just can't get either out of my head.  As a 17 year old from rural Pennsylvania with an unwanted pregnancy, this slow and subtle movie follows Flanigan as she travels to New York City to get an abortion.  Her performance is so powerful, made even more so by how small it is.  There are no big emotional outbursts, no yelling, no screaming, no "meaty" actor scenes.  In fact, the most powerful scene is when Autumn has to answer a questionnaire administered by a clerk at the clinic.  The camera never leaves her face as she is asked progressively more excruciatingly intimate questions that she has to answer with either "never," "rarely," "sometimes," or "always."  It's one of the quietest scenes of the year, and one of the most unforgettable. 

01. Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon as Alison, Gabe and Blair in Black Bear - All the passive aggression and aggressive aggression, the bizarre love triangle argumentative spirit, the subtle sexiness, the manipulation and, just, general mind fuckery.  This trio gets all the mind blown, fire emojis.  

Best Supporting Actor and Actress 2019

Supporting Actor

05. Tracy Letts in Ford v Ferrari - It should come as no surprise that I think Tracy Letts is a national treasure, not only as a playwright, but also as an actor. After his layered, heart-warming performance as Lady Bird's dad two years ago, he should (FINALLY) be on everyone's radar. Ford v Ferrari tries to get by on the movie star charisma of Christian Bale and Matt Damon, and it mostly does, but Letts - as Henry Ford II - steals every scene that he is in. His crowning moment is the range of emotion he portrays in a single scene - being driven in a race car for the first time. It's a masterclass in acting and a pleasure to watch.

04. Timothee Chalamet in Little Women - Thank goodness we were blessed with a Little Women retelling when Timothee Chalamet is the perfect age to portray romantic leading man Laurie, because he is effortlessly perfect for the role of lovesick boy and charming, drunken, womanizing (as much as you can be those things in a family movie) young romantic suitor. With his delicate beauty, and endless talent, he mesmerizes as Laurie, and makes it look easy. The entire movie is cast so well, but Chalamet is utterly perfect for this role. He has one great, big scene, that is impressive, but it's the little moments - the under the breath comments, the flirtations - that really make this character.

03. Jonathan Majors in The Last Black Man in San Francisco - As a sensitive artist, Majors breaks out in a big way in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, one of the most underrated, must-see movies of the year. He's quiet and watchful for the majority of the movie, but has a truly impressive, big scene near the end, which will change the way you look at him and the movie. Keep your eye on him, because he's going to be huge.

02. Song kang-ho in Parasite - The entire ensemble of Korean thriller Parasite is truly impressive, but it's Song kang-ho who steals the movie in a big way. As a down on his luck father, fighting to make a buck to help his family, he saunters on to every frame like he's Korea's answer to Daniel Day-Lewis. By the time you get to THAT TURNING POINT and that AMAZING ENDING, you won't be able to stop thinking about him or his performance.

01. Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Let's call 2019, the year I finally started loving Brad Pitt. And Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - and his killer tough, cool guy performance - is one of the many reasons. Is anyone more effortlessly cool than Brad Pitt in this movie? He's a stunt man and personal driver to a movie star who gets mixed up with the Manson family, all while kicking ass. And did I mention the "fixing the roof shirtless scene"? Because, Jesus, he's beautiful.


Supporting Actress

05. Juliette Binoche in High Life - I'm not sure I can recommend High Life as a movie. Sure, it's got a really great twist ending, but it's also slow and long and not exactly fun to watch. But if you are looking for the ballsiest, gutsiest, most daring, out there performance of the year - look no further than Juliette Binoche, who absolutely kills it as a controversial scientist. She is remarkable to watch.

04. Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers - I wanted to watch Hustlers mostly to see if Lopez is as good as everyone on Twitter says she is... and she is. From doing sexy strip dances to Fiona Apple songs, to playing mama bear to a bunch of wayward strippers, to seducing and destroying the lives of men - she drips and oozes with unabashed movie star magnetism and sex appeal. I firmly believe no one else in all of Hollywood could have played Ramona, the stripper with NO heart of gold, better than Lopez.

03. Elisabeth Moss in Us - The first time we see Elisabeth Moss in Us, she is little more than a cliche - spoiled rich wife and mother who has a subtle disdain for her husband and spoiled brat twins. The next time we see Elisabeth Moss in Us, she is an absolute force to reckon with. I think Moss is one of the most gifted and exciting actresses to watch right now. From stealing the entirety of Mad Men away from Jon Hamm, to her next level work on Handmaid's Tale, she has been the queen of television of the 2000's. Hopefully, soon she will be a movie star, too.

02. Florence Pugh in Little Women - Justice for Amy! In every other adaptation of Little Women, Amy has been portrayed as a one dimensional brat, spoiled and unlikable. But with this retelling, we finally get a layered portrait of Amy - a complicated girl living in a complicated time, struggling with sibling rivalry and trying to marry rich to save her poor family. Pugh makes Amy tough, and yes, a little snotty, but she brings such a vivacity to her performance, that you see the tender and loving side too. Being a woman - and a sister - is complicated, not just black or white - likable or unlikable - and Pugh knocks it out of the park.

01. Laura Dern in Marriage Story - Laura Dern took a little time away from being the only good thing about season two of Big Little Lies to give a bat out of hell performance in Marriage Story. As a savage, killer divorce attorney she manages to be kind and killer, polite and deadly, sweet and savage all while wearing killer heels. If she didn't have your vote for Best Supporting Actress before the trial scene, that will seal the deal. Dern is a national treasure and kills it in every moment of this movie.

Best Supporting Actor - 2018

05. Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther - I've said it once and I'll say it again: a superhero movie is only as good as its super villain. Black Panther is easily the best Marvel entry outside of the Captain America trilogy and one very big reason is Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, the absolute best villain Marvel has ever given us (second possibly only to Heath Ledger's the Joker in terms of superhero movies in general). Killmonger is the best kind of villain because he is completely justified in his actions, and he's really only a villain because he is pitted against Black Panther himself in his desire to open the Wakanda borders and use their advanced technology to help all the people. This doesn't seem like a particularly villainous idea. Perhaps this is why Killmonger is so profoundly tragic and Jordan's portrayal is so layered and textured that you can't help but be a little on his side.

04. Timothee Chalamet in Beautiful Boy - Last year, Timothee Chalamet gave one of the best performances of the year as the lovesick teenage protagonist of Call Me By Your Name. This year, he shows why he is one of the most exciting young actors out there with a compelling performance as a meth addict in Beautiful Boy. He gets a showcase for his considerable talents in scenes where he's doing everything from begging for money to stealing from his father, to suffering through withdrawal to living in the ecstasy of the high. The movie isn't necessarily great but the fact that you can't keep your eyes off Chalamet elevates the material.

03. Sam Elliott in A Star is Born - There is a particular moment in A Star is Born that is so emotionally devastating, it's hard to hold back tears. It's not the scene you are probably thinking of. Instead, it's almost a throwaway moment. It's a tiny moment without words. It's just a few seconds. A single shot of Elliott reversing out of a driveway after dropping off his brother Jackson (Bradley Cooper) and having a small sweet moment. The camera focuses on his face as he reverses his truck, and the sadness and pain in his eyes is so heartrendingly raw, that it cuts through your soul. That one moment is the moment I can't stop thinking about.

02. Josh Hamilton in Eighth Grade - Josh Hamilton's performance in Eighth Grade is the kind of performance many people are likely to forget. It's not showy or over the top. It's not big or flashy. His performance is warm and comforting, like a soft blanket and a mug of cocoa on a winter's night. He stars as a well-meaning father, navigating the difficult life of dealing with a teenage girl (and even the awkward, self conscious teenage girls are kind of a nightmare, let's be honest). His performance reminds me of the very best kind of performances - those that feel like real life.

01. Alex Wolfe in Hereditary - Toni Colette seems to be getting all the love for her performance in Hereditary (and deservedly so), but Alex Wolfe goes toe to toe and beat for beat with her. His performance as a carefree teenage boy who sinks slowly and maniacally into a morbid fever dream is so compelling, it's hard to argue there is a better supporting performance this year. His slow descent into darkness is the anchor of the film. While his mother (Colette) may or may not be out of her mind, he is the heart and soul of the film, the one character who you truly care about. And bonus points for his expression during the long take after that car crash. He's incredible.

Best Supporting Actor 2017

05. Benny Safdie in Good Time - Sure, he may not say many words in the course of the movie, and he may only be heavily featured in the beginning and end, but Safdie still makes a hell of an impression on this film. In a sense, he sets the tone for the entire thing. As the mentally handicapped brother of the bank robbing main character, he is essentially the heart and soul of the whole thing. Without him somehow making the audience care about him, then none of the movie works.

04. Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Typically when you think 'Star Wars movie,' you don't necessarily think 'good acting' (and in the case of the prequels, you think the exact opposite of that), but Driver is easily the best thing about The Last Jedi (just like he was consistently the best thing about the super-uneven Girls). With Kylo Ren, Driver creates a complex villain, and while you are not sure you can ever trust a word he says, you want to believe everything that comes out of his mouth. He is compelling and sometimes ruthless, but maybe he can still be saved, maybe there is a lost heroic boy in there somewhere. Driver's performance is so good that it really elevated the material and all the acting around him.

03. Mark Rylance in Dunkirk - I know, I know. Dunkirk is a great, big, exciting spectacle of sight and sound. It's epic and it's larger than life and it's riveting and it's everything a great blockbuster can be. And while the entire cast is wholly impressive (Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy), it's Rylance's sweet and heroic boat captain who makes the biggest impact. He isn't a general or a fighter pilot or a soldier, he is just a man, trying to save his family and make a difference, however small, and his presence certainly makes a difference on this movie, finding a way to humanize the whole great big spectacle of it all.

02. Tracy Letts in Lady Bird - Sometimes a performance doesn't have to be big or showy to be special, and Letts' sweet father in Lady Bird is proof of that. While Lady Bird and her mother fight and scream and fight some more, Letts is quietly holding it all together. He creates a character that ultimately is the kind of father I wish I had - someone who stands by you no matter what, supports all your crazy ideas and even when his son interviews for the same job as him, offers a smile and a good luck hug instead of any anger or bitterness. It's a performance that will probably fall by the way side thanks to the kick ass ladies in this movie, but it's important none the less.

01. Will Poulter in Detroit - It's been six or seven months since I saw Detroit, but no performance this year has stuck with me the way Will Poulter's racist cop has. His performance is so riveting, so staggeringly explosive, so evil and ferocious and frightening, I find it difficult to believe that I am the only one talking about it at this point in the year. This performance may be hard to watch at times, it's timely depiction of racism in America may hit way too close to home, showing how very little has changed in our country over the last 50 or 60 years, but this performance is next level. It pulls no punches and it is unrelenting. It's simply unforgettable.

Best Supporting Actor - 2016

Honorable Mention - Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins

05. Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water - Bridges could probably play a grumpy Texas ranger in his sleep, but that doesn't actually make his performance of a grumpy Texas ranger any less impressive. He is the witty heart of the first half of the movie and the emotional backbone of the second half.

04. Michael Shannon in Nocturnal Animals - There is something about great performances as Texas rangers going around this year, because Shannon knocks it out of the park as the morally questionable detective investigating a kidnapping in this bizarre, wonderful film.

03. Ben Foster in Hell or High Water - I have loved Foster's scene stealing work for as long as I can remember. I still vividly remember his eerie work as a Renfield-esque character in 30 Days of Night. But Hell or High Water, as an ex-con bank robbing troublemaker, might be his best work yet.

02. Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Nocturnal Animals - While everyone on the internet couldn't stop buzzing about Shannon, I couldn't stop buzzing about Taylor-Johnson, whose performance as a kidnapping, murdering mad man is like a live wire, so tense and so explosive, it elevates every moment he is on film.

01. Ralph Fiennes in A Bigger Splash - I didn't LOVE this movie (I did like it though), but I still think Fiennes work as the ex lover of a rock star is the best performance I saw in all of 2016. From his subtle manipulations to his bravura lip syncing performance, he steals every scene and elevates this movie from MEH to MUST WATCH.

Best Supporting Actor 2015

05. Steve Carrell in The Big Short - Proving his Oscar nomination for Foxcatcher was no fluke, Carrell kills as the seemingly only person with a soul on all of Wall Street. A nuanced performance where the anger bubbling on the surface perfectly masks the sorrow hiding beneath it all.

04. Paul Dano in Love and Mercy - Everyone knows what Brian Wilson sounded and looked like in the mid 60s and Dano, who did his own singing, is remarkable, not only nailing the sound and look, but also perfectly capturing the musical genius slowly losing his mind.

03. Sylvester Stallone in Creed - I never really thought of Stallone as a good actor, but he is the heart and soul of this really great movie. Sure, it's great to see him embodying a beloved character again, but his performance is more than the result of nostalgia. He is the most emotionally relevant part of the film, and his performance will likely break your heart.

02. Christian Bale in The Big Short - In a movie filled with great performances, Bale is the best of the best. As the socially awkward genius, Bale is nearly unrecognizable. And it isn't because he looks different, it's because he becomes someone else so completely, you forget you are looking at a movie star.

01. Tom Hardy in The Revenant - Don't get me wrong, The Revenant is totally Leo's movie, but Hardy threatens to steal every scene he is in with those feral eyes and steely persona. Hardy is the most dangerous actor working today, and that's never been more evident than here, where he nails this malicious, conniving role.

Best Supporting Actor 2014

05. Ethan Hawke in Boyhood - For making us all remember that he IS a good actor, if it only takes Linklater movies to remind us. For perfectly portraying a wayward kid turned family man. For the father / son camping scene.

04. James Gandolfini in The Drop - For playing a tough guy the way only he could, with subtle layers and complexities. For knocking it out of the park with a final fitting performance. For accepting his fate in the car at the end.

03. Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher - For being the heart and soul of the film. For being kind and likeable,  sweet and endearing in a subtle lived in portrayal. For the scenes of brotherly love.

02. J.K. Simmons in Whiplash - For making me forget all about the sweet dad from Juno. For giving a tense, powerhouse performance as an enigmatic and menacing music instructor. For throwing cymbals at people's heads. For the "dragging or rushing" scene.

01. Edward Norton for Birdman - For sending up his own image as a difficult method actor by playing... a difficult method actor. For the brilliant complexities in his scene stealing work. For being fierce, funny,  complicated, charming and electric. For being sorely missed when he disappears three quarters of the way through. For the fist fight in his underwear.

Best Supporting Actor 2013

For Best Supporting Actor, I have the exact opposite problem that I had for Best Supporting Actress. For Actress, I thought there were not very many options and I was not happy with my final list at all. For Actor, there are way too many options and I could make an entirely different Top Five list and still be completely satisfied with my choices. Let's call it an honorable mention: Barkhad Abdi for his soulful villain in Captain Phillips, Sam Rockwell for his hilarious father figure in The Way Way Back, Casey Affleck for his angry and broken soldier in Out of the Furnace, Woody Harrelson as a violent meth head in Out of the Furnace, and Kyle Chandler as a scene stealing dead beat dad in The Spectacular Now. Pretty impressive list, right? However, those are the also rans. They've got nothing on these guys:

05. Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street - Every once in a while, a movie comes along with a role that is perfect for a certain actor. This year, that movie / role / actor is Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street. This role seems tailor made for his strong points. If anyone saw Moneyball a few years ago, they know Hill is more than just some funny sidekick. He's got serious acting chops. And his role in The Wolf of Wall Street perfectly combines his darker side with zingy one liners. To say Hill nearly steals the show with his manic, wild right hand man role is an understatement. He's superb in the role, right down to the crazy accent, wild clothes and questionable teeth.

04. Ben Mendelsohn in The Place Beyond the Pines - Ben Mendelsohn is probably my favorite actor that is unknown by just about everyone in the general public. I fell for his volatile psychopath in Animal Kingdom (a really great Australian movie that everyone should Netflix immediately) and never looked back. As a mentor to a young bank robber, Mendelsohn gives a truly great, intense performance. I remember after seeing this movie, way back in March, I tweeted (@wonderfulscar) "Is it too early to start the Oscar campaign for Ben Mendelsohn in The Place Beyond the Pines?" Unfortunately that's not going to happen, but, at the very least, I can honor his scene stealing, manic work on my blog.

03. Bradley Cooper in American Hustle - In a movie starring Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Jeremy Renner, Robert DeNiro and Jennifer Lawrence, I never in a million years thought I would walk away thinking Bradley Cooper was best in show. But that's where we are when it comes to American Hustle. I never took Cooper seriously as an actor until last year's The Silver Linings Playbook. Maybe working with director David O. Russell is good for him. It seems he does his best work for that particular director. And in this film, he's easily the MVP for me. He plays Richie, a ladder climbing FBI agent who maybe wants to be a part of the con a little more than he admits. His character is easily the most complex and Cooper pulls it off effortlessly. He even pulls off that ridiculous hair.

02. Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club - Here are a few things I have learned about Jared Leto in the last few months: He seemingly hasn't aged a day since his starring role on My So-Called Life way back when. He is prettier, skinnier and has better hair than me. Also, he's a crazy great actor, starring as an AIDS infected, transvestite junkie in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto becomes this character to the point where, if you didn't know who the actor was going into the movie, you would swear it was a woman, or an actual transgender actor. He is nearly recognizable and becomes the heart and soul of this movie, which tends towards the gritty and dark. In a few months, he'll probably be adding "Academy Award Winner" to the front of his name.

01. Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave - I've always thought it would be a cool thing to get to vote for the Academy Awards. (That's probably why I decided on the top five format this year - this is like my own personal ballot.) But I wouldn't want to be the person that has to decide between Leto and Fassbender for Best Supporting Actor. Both are in a league of their own this year. But, for me, I give the slight edge to Fassbender as the violent, hateful, angry, probably bi-polar plantation owner in 12 Years a Slave. He's a hateful character - a slave owner who treats his wife like dirt, attempts to murder at will, rapes the woman he really loves. But, somehow, beneath it all, his character also has a certain charm. Fassbender's performance is like a live wire. It is explosive and intense. He truly makes the movie better when he's in a scene. In my opinion, not only did he give the best performance by a supporting actor this year, he also gave the best performance. Period.

Friday Top Five: Best of the Year (So Far...)

I honestly can't even tell you where summer went. It seems like it just started and yet it's just about September. Which is bad because I hate all things winter related, but good because now it's time to get into the good movies. Summer was mostly disappointing as far as movies go. Still, there are a few movies and performances that really stuck with me through summer and, really, the first eight months of the year. In January of every year, I make top ten lists of my favorite movies and acting performances of the year, but often a few performances from the earlier parts of the year fall off the radar by then. So, this week's top five is really FIVE top fives - my favorites in each category, so far.

Best Film
01. The Place Beyond the Pines
02. Blue Jasmine
03. Fruitvale Station
04. Mud
05. You're Next

Best Actor
01. Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station
02. Ryan Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines
03. Jude Law in Side Effects
04. Tye Sheridan in Mud
05. Brad Pitt in World War Z

Best Actress
01. Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine
02. Mia Wasikowska in Stoker
03. Jane Levy in Evil Dead
04. Rooney Mara in Side Effects
05. Sharni Vinson in You're Next

Best Supporting Actor
01. Ben Mendelsohn in The Place Beyond the Pines
02. Sam Rockwell in The Way Way Back
03. Sharlto Copley in Elysium
04. Matthew Goode in Stoker
05. Matthew McConaughey in Mud

Best Supporting Actress
01. Emma Watson in The Bling Ring
02. Melonie Diaz in Fruitvale Station
03. Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine
04. Nicole Kidman in Stoker
05. Leslie Mann in The Bling Ring

This weekend sucks for movies so unless the boyfriend agrees to take me to see the One Direction movie, I won't be seeing anything. (And I'm really only half joking about that last sentence). But, I leave you with this question: How many award worthy performances in a row can Matthew McConaughey give?? By my count, we are up to four now with possibly / probably two more on the way.

Best of 2012: Best Supporting Actress & Actor

Best Supporting Actress
10. Kelly Reilly in Flight - For making the cliche junkie with a heart of gold feel more raw and lived in than anyone else in a very long time.
09. Charlize Theron in Snow White and the Huntsman - For being the fairest and bitchiest queen of all.
08. Susan Sarandon in Arbitrage - For being the devoted wife, until she decides to blackmail her lying, cheating husband.
07. Jacki Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook - For being the devoted wife and mother... no, for real.
06. Judi Dench in Skyfall - For proving that M is the only Bond girl that matters.
05. Sally Field in Lincoln - For the scene in which she gives it to Tommy Lee Jones real good.
04. Emily Blunt in Looper - For being equally terrified of and devoted to her son.
03. Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables - For that killer, heart breaking rendition of I Dreamed a Dream.
02. Amy Adams in The Master - For taking the least showy role and quietly stealing the show from the boys.
01. Samantha Barks in Les Miserables - For being the girl everyone can relate to, and singing On My Own in the rain, and actually being able to sing, and actually showing true, real emotion. And finally, for being the best thing about a terrible movie.

Best Supporting Actor
10. Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike - For being completely fearless and having a blast in his most fun role of a stellar year for him.
09. Samuel L. Jackson in Django Unchained - For being an even nastier villain than the main villain.
08. John Goodman in Flight - For being the worst influence of all time.
07. Nate Parker in Arbitrage - For coming out of nowhere and being absolutely electrifying.
06. Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower - For taking what could have been a cliched gay teenager role and turning it into something so special.
05. Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln - For putting his money where his mouth is (and being the only amusing thing in a boring movie).
04. Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained - For playing his first villain so perfectly, walking the fine line between hilarious and terrifying.
03. Robert DeNiro in Silver Linings Playbook - For giving us all one more great DeNiro performance (see you can still be a great actor and make a comedy!).
02. Ewan McGregor in The Impossible - For being such a natural talent that it's almost like watching someone really live through this stuff, and for THAT SCENE, that one scene which will tear your heart out.
01. Jason Clarke in Zero Dark Thirty - For giving the single best performance of this year regardless of gender or lead/supporting classifications. For giving a ferocious, sexy, vulnerable, mysterious performance that just left me wanting so much more.

Wednesday - Lead Actress & Actor!

Top Ten List - Best Supporting Actor 2011

10. Michael Fassbender for Jane Eyre - Maybe it's my huge crush on Fassbender or maybe it's his really huge year, but he smolders in a boring period piece like Jane Eyre. He manages to make the rough and unlikeable (at least I always disliked him) Mr. Rochester sexy and mysterious.

09. Jonah Hill for Moneyball - Everyone knows Jonah Hill is funny. But the guy can actually act! Thanks, probably, to Aaron Sorkin's fantastic script, Hill brings the character of a dorky math whiz who uses his skills to assess baseball players to life on the screen.

08. Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Ides of March - Hoffman has also had a great year, also stealing his few scenes in Moneyball, but in The Ides of March, he is sneaky and manipulative and loyal and just plain fantastic.

07. Kenneth Branagh for My Week With Marilyn - Sure, this movie belongs to Michelle Williams and her fantastic portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, but there is room to talk about Branagh, too. He plays Sir Laurence Olivier perfectly - mean, surly, ridiculously talented, in love with and jealous of Monroe.

06. Stellan Skarsgard for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Elegantly creepy, Skarsgard was the perfect choice to play the seemingly nice member of the despicable Vanger family, Martin. In his big scene near the end, he manages to be terrifying and funny and classy and intelligent and disgusting, all at the same time.

05. Patton Oswalt for Young Adult - Yes, Patton Oswalt can act and he creates one of the best oddball chemistries ever with Charlize Theron. He's a handicapped former bullied kid who grows up to be a guy who makes moonshine and loves action figures. He is disgusted by Theron's character, but also worships her. It's a great performance to watch.

04. Ben Kingsley for Hugo - Kingsley has been one of the greatest actors of his generation for years. But, after years and years in film, Hugo may just be his finest performance ever. As a toy maker and former revolutionary director, Kingsley is fierce and sentimental and just amazing.

03. Albert Brooks for Drive - Brooks is devastatingly scary in one of the best movies of the year. As a mobster type, he terrifies in a controlled way, which is really the most terrifying way to scare people after all.

02. Corey Stoll for Midnight in Paris - My personal favorite performance of the year, Stoll steals the entire movie away from more well known actors. His Ernest Hemingway is absolutely and undeniably hilarious. It's a shame he wasn't nominated as part of the ensemble at the SAG Awards, but here's hoping he goes method and shows up in character, drunk and yelling, "WHO WANTS TO FIGHT??"

01. Christopher Plummer for Beginners - Plummer is exhilarating as a man in his 80s who finally comes out of the closet, only to find out he's dying, and manages to inspire his son to start over because he won't let a little thing like death slow him down from finally being happy and finding true love and starting movie clubs and having parties and being just plain amazing.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actor 2010

10. Kieran Culkin in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Despite being very uneven, there were parts of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World I liked very much. The thing I liked most about it was Culkin as Scott's gay best friend Wallace. Kieran has always been my favorite Culkin, and I think he's a terribly underrated actor. He was spot on in this film with his dry humor and perfect comedic timing.

09. Chris Cooper in The Town - In only one scene, Cooper manages to almost steal the entire movie away from a bunch of younger dudes. These younger guys are trying to act tough and be tough but Cooper IS tough. He makes you believe that he is a hardened criminal, stuck in jail like a lion in a cage at the zoo. So raw and so, so good.

08. Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right - I'll admit, I don't quite understand the fascination with this movie. I liked it, in a Lifetime movie sort of way. One complaint I don't have, however, is with the acting which is excellent all around. Ruffalo, who was also excellent in Shutter Island, is all free spirit, a man who has done his best to not get tied down, finally coming to terms with being an adult.

07. Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island - As a slightly menacing doctor, Kingsley plays into the general feeling of paranoia that is found in every little piece of this film. He walks this perfect line between being a trust-worthy, good doctor and being someone who might harm you, or even kill you, if given the opportunity. In a film with great acting, he shines.

06. Vincent Cassel in Black Swan - Cassel plays Thomas, the artistic director of a ballet company. Sure, he's a cad, putting the moves on Nina and Lilly and Beth and Lord knows who else. But he is also incredibly charming. And kind of frightening. He's intense and enigmatic. Cassel plays all the different facets of his character with such impressive ease.

05. Armie Hammer in The Social Network - I know there was a body double involved and also a whole lot of technical wizadry from David Fincher and his tech friends, but it's still pretty damn impressive that Hammer is playing TWO characters! He manages to make the Winklevoss twins completely seperate entities to the point where you swear they are being played by two different people. Plus, he gets one of the most fun lines in the whole movie.

04. Tom Hardy in Inception - Okay, so Inception was already an amazing movie. But then in walks Tom f-ing Hardy with that swagger and those lips and he all but steals the entire damn movie right away from so many bigger, more famous stars. He's hilarious and also charming. He is such a chameleon and here's to many more projects from Hardy in the future!

03. Jeremy Renner in The Town - Renner is electric as Jem, an explosive bank robber. He takes a character that could have been so one-note, so boring, so cliche and manages to turn him into someone you can't keep your eyes off of. Renner has been one of the best working actors for at least a decade. Thank Lord, someone else is finally noticing.

02. Andrew Garfield in The Social Network - Okay, so Garfield gets to deliver the absolute best line in the best script of the year. But, from the first frame, you can't take your eyes off Garfield and his mesmerizing performance of Eduardo Savrin, a young college co-ed who becomes a millionaire and then loses all of it. He also loses his best friend in the process. Since he's probably the only fully likeable character in the movie, his performance really burrows into your brain and you find yourself rooting for him through the entire film.

01. Christian Bale in The Fighter - So, if I was an actor I would probably quit the profession after seeing Christian Bale BECOME Dicky Ecklund in The Fighter. I haven't always been fond of Bale but I was completely blown away with him in this movie. I read an article about how when people who grew up with Dicky saw Christian on set, they thought it was really him. Then at the end of the film, they show a clip of the real Dicky and by God, he looks and moves and talks exactly like Christian in the movie. This is not only the best performance by a supporting actor, it's also the single best performance of the entire year.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actor 2009

10. Liev Schrieber in Taking Woodstock - Remember when I mentioned my Best Supporting Actor list was lacking at best? Well, here's the proof. Sure, Shrieber was a hoot as a 6'4"ish cross dressing security enforcer in Ang Lee's Woodstock opus. Best Supporting Actor though? Only in mediocre 2009.

09. Sam Worthington in Terminator Salvation - Then there's Worthington. I mean, he was great as half man / half machine Marcus Wright. Still, I'd argue that he's the lead. Worthington and Anton Yelchin's Kyle Reese are more stars of the film than Christian Bale's John Connor. Again, in a bad year for supporting men, Worthington makes my list. Bonus points for being SUPER hot.

08. Giovanni Ribisi in Avatar - I've liked Ribisi for so long that it's almost easy to forget how versitile he is. Whether playing truly creepy characters in movies like The Dead Girl and The Gift or playing Phoebe's dumb brother on Friends, Ribisi is always switching it up. In Avatar, he plays a slick and evil corporate type, ready to ruin a civilization in order to make a quick buck.

07. Jake Gyllenhaal in Brothers - Gyllenhaal's role isn't nearly as showy as co-star Tobey Maguire's. I keep wanting to say the fact that he plays a bad boy is playing against type but he has played a lot of rebellious teens and troubled young men. Still, Gyllenhaal is charming as hell and manages to keep up with the great acting ensemble of Maguire and Natalie Portman.

06. Alfred Molina in An Education - Sure, this movie belongs to Carey Mulligan and her star making performance. But Molina is damn fine too. At the beginning, he's a strict father who doesn't even allow his 16 year old daughter to play music too loudly. But then, he's getting seduced by a smooth talking man just as easily as his impressionable daughter.

05. Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes - Chalk it up to the chemistry with Robert Downey Jr. or the fine dialogue. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily a fan of Jude Law's but I did quite like him in Sherlock Holmes. He's Dr. Watson, Holmes' much more sensible partner who still manages to be plenty witty and charming in his own right.

04. Jackie Earle Haley in Watchmen - I hated the movie. In fact, I think the absolute one and only thing I liked about the movie was Jackie Earle Haley's performance as a morally righteous superhero. He's such a bad ass that he pities cell mates for being locked up in prison with him. I for one can't wait to see what he does with Freddy Krueger!

03. Paul Schneider in Bright Star - I've been a fan of Schneider's since the days of his collaborations with David Gordon Green. I'm glad he's finally found a role right for him. He is essentially the villain of the story, thinking Fanny Brawne a silly girl and trying to come between her love affair with John Keats. He plays the role with such heart that you're glad that when tragedy strikes, he becomes a source of strength.

02. Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker - Jeremy Renner may be getting most of the attention and, believe me, he deserves it. But, Mackie (who also played Tupac this year!) is just as deserving of praise. He's the level-headed, rational thinking soldier opposite Renner's reckless adrenaline junkie. A superb and subtle performance.

01. Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds - I can't think of another performance in recent memory that is so all over the place but so perfectly controlled. Waltz can make you laugh and then terrify you in the span of a few seconds. His Nazi is evil incarnate - suave, sophisticated, witty, clever, intelligent, and absolutely sadistic. His is the best kind of villain; someone you truly love to hate.

Tomorrow = Best Actress!

Top Ten List - Best Supporting Actor 2008

10. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Stop Loss - The first good performance of the year, Gordon-Levitt plays the role of a man dealing with being back from war the way he plays every role - with unbridled passion and talent. To say he's one of the best actors under thirty is an understatement.

09. Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight - Eckhart may not give the best performance in the film (more on that later) but he does play the only character with any sort of arc and he plays it extremely well. He starts off as a stand up man full of principle and morality and ends up as a hateful villain.

08. John Malkovich in Burn After Reading - One image from 2008 that I will never forget? John Malkovich coming off a boat dressed in a bath robe holding an axe. His disgraced CIA agent is hilariously on edge. One of the many reasons I celebrate Malkovichmas.

07. Josh Brolin in Milk - Slowly unraveling. He's a coiled ball of nerves. He may not be my favorite of the supporting men of Milk but he is responsible for the single best scene of the movie - a drunken encounter with Harvey at a party. Brolin just keeps getting better.

06. James Franco in Milk - Is anyone sweeter than Franco in Milk? I don't think so. He stands by his man through much of the film and even after they break up, he's still there in spirit. Kudos for saying the line "if I hear about politics one more time tonight I'm going to stab you with a fork" and still managing to sound adorable.

05. Emile Hirsch in Milk - At the beginning, he's a tough talking kid. A queen if there ever was one who just wants to party. Near the middle, he's responsible for one of the most moving scenes as his Cleve Jones describes the unspeakable hatred he saw in Europe. Hirsch is moving and powerful.

04. Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder - What could have easily become an offensive off-putting performance was elevated to something that everyone could laugh at thanks to great writing... and Downey's fantastic performance. He manages to be hysterically funny while still raising poignant thoughts about racism and even method acting.

03. Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road - I have been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio's for my entire life / his entire career. There's never been a time when I thought he was out done by any other actor - even when going head to head with Jack Nicholson in The Departed. Still, there is a particular scene in Revolutionary Road where DiCaprio and Shannon get in a rather heated argument. During this scene, I thought to myself, "Man, Shannon is acting circles around Leo!" Shannon is out of control in this movie - a continuous explosion that just shakes everything to its core.

02. Michael Pitt in Funny Games - Imagine a killer being the most polite, kind, cutest boy you ever saw? It's terrifying, right? Pitt plays the young killer of Funny Games so straight and sweet that it makes it the most terrifying thing you've ever seen. All at once, he's frightening, hilarious, kind, chilling and fiercly intelligent.

01. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight - Is there anything left to say about Ledger's outrageously perfect performance? I don't think there is. He really, really, really is as good as everyone says. Actually, he's probably better. With every viewing, his performance becomes more effective and more entrancing. The most perfect performance of the year. Hands down.

Tomorrow - Best Actress!