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.

The Town

A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a film called Gone Baby Gone. I remember see it and being very impressed with his directing skills. I may have even said something along the lines of, "He should quit acting and just direct." Listen - I'm the kinda gal that admits when she is wrong and, boy, was I wrong. Not about Affleck's directing. He's got skills. The Town is just as good, if not better, than Gone Baby Gone. I was wrong about his acting skills which, back then, I thought were non-existant. I was wrong. His performance in The Town (and that was one of the drawbacks for me before I saw the film. I not-so-secretly wished he had cast his brother Casey in the lead instead) is the best of his career and is extremely impressive.
The Town was filmed on location in Boston, more specifically Charlestown, which is the bank robbery capitol of the United States (according to the movie). Affleck plays Doug, the leader of a rag-tag team of townies who rob banks and armored cars. He and his pal Jem (the excellent, as always, Jeremy Renner) grew up together and now they even rob banks together. Doug used to be involved with Jem's sister Krista (Gossip Girl's Blake Lively who is very impressive playing the complete opposite of Serena van der Woodsen). In the intense opening segment, Doug, Jem and their two friends rob a bank in Cambridge. They decide to take bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) as a hostage and let her free after taking her for a little joy ride. Eventually, they discover she lives just blocks away so Doug decides to befriend her and make sure she doesn't know anything. Needless to say, they fall in love which only complicates things even more. Add in Jon Hamm as an FBI agent hot on their trail, Titus Welliver (!!!) as his partner, Pete Postlethwaite as a Charlestown florist/gangster and Chris Cooper as Doug's imprisoned dad and you've got a hell of a cast.
The performances are all top notch. As a director, Affleck has a way with actors and that's no surprise since he's spent the last decade or so as an actor. Renner probably gets top honors although it's really hard to say. His Jem is a hot-headed bad ass who pulls out a gun with the ease it takes the rest of us to breathe. Cooper makes a lasting impression with just one scene and Postlethwaite is truly intimidating despite his wiry frame. Lively plays against type as a white trash mother to a daughter named Shyne and she does it super well. But it's Affleck and his truly layered, complicated character who is most impressive. I honestly didn't believe he had the skills to create and portray a character with such emotional depth. His chemistry with Hall is sweet and honest. The script (co-written by Affleck) is so tight and exciting and well done and the directing is truly top notch. This is the second movie in a row for Affleck as a director that has been gritty, realistic, honest, exciting and excellent.
For me, 2010 has been a truly awful year for movies but The Town is one of the best.
Grade: B+

The Kingdom, Hotel Chevalier, The Condemned

The Kingdom - I was hooked from the opening - a watered down time table of terrorism since the 1930's all told in about 4 minutes. Excellent opening. I wish I could say the same about the entire movie. The Kingdom definitely has its moments of solid, good story telling and filmmaking. Unfortunately, it has its bad moments as well, including a horrible ending. The cast is pretty solid and led by Jamie Foxx who is usually hit or miss for me. This time he's a hit. His character is charming and cocky... two things I'm pretty sure Foxx are as well. So he plays it easily. He's joined by the always wonderful Chris Cooper and the adorable Jennifer Garner. Also starring one of my movie star boyfriends Jason Bateman (let's not even talk about his few final scenes on film... my heart almost couldn't stand it!). Anyway, they go to Saudi Arabia to avenge and investigate the death of a friend even though the government tells them not to go. They aren't met with wide open arms and at first they can do nothing but look at the crime scene - no investigation, no touching of evidence, nothing. Director Peter Berg goes way overboard with the hand-held cameras and quick edits to simulate hyper action. There were way too many close ups where eyeballs took up half the screen. It wants to be Syriana but it's too watered down to be Syriana. Plus, near the end it turns more into a video game than anything else. Even though I was totally invested in the movie from the start, it lost me at the end and left me with a sour feeling. It absolutely feels like an anti-terrorist video game where the government is sent in to kill as many terrorists as possible. Dodging bullets, avoiding rockets, shooting terrorists in the head, frantic gun shots in a hallway. It was a bit much. As a filmmaker Berg could have redeemed himself and his message but instead he took the low road. The movie ends with a nugget of advice being passed down from both the Americans and the Saudis: "Kill all of them." Wonderful message. Still, it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. Still, the first half was solid. Still, I love Jason Bateman who is always funny and reliable, no matter how much the material around him sucks.

Grade: C

Hotel Chevalier - There's really not much you can say about a 13 minute short film. You may or may not know that it is the prelude to The Darjeeling Limited. It was written and directed by Wes Anderson and it stars Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman. It's a really wonderful little short that serves to introduce us to one of the main characters of Darjeeling, Jack (Schwartzman), a rich broken hearted man living in a Paris hotel. He's soon joined in his room by his ex-girlfriend (Portman) and they come face to face with their pain and feelings for each other. Anderson says its necessary to see this to understand Darjeeling... I don't really understand why but you should still see it anyway. It's short and sweet and shot beautifully. It's got a great tone, a great soundtrack and great dialogue. There's little actually said but there are a lot of hints at what the story might actually be. It captures a particular feel the way any good short story/film does. It's all pure Anderson - dead pan, melancholy, hurtful. It's like a perfect snapshot of a relationship. Schwartzman's performance is stronger than Portman's but she's still great as well. Plus, she gets mostly nude. I'm sure, if nothing else, that will entice some people to see this short.

Grade: B+

The Condemned - Again, I've seen worse movies. The story follows a rich television producer who decides to branch out and use the internet to show his new endeavor: 10 death row inmates and killers put together on an island. They all must try to kill each other because only one can win... and that person will be set free. It's not a terribly bad idea for a movie actually. Or a reality show. I sort of, kind of feel like I would probably watch it. Anyway, the idea isn't terrible but the execution mostly is. If you are a fan of wrestling or action movies then you'll probably like this movie. It's got a lot of Steve Austin and a lot of fights and action sequences. The movie isn't trying to be Shakespeare or intellectual. The fight scenes are sometimes choppy and hard to see. The plot is predictable. Oh, plus Vinnie Jones is in it and I love him! He's really wonderful even in a movie like this which is mostly crap. It's mostly a waste of time and money. Now, on to the acting. What acting?! Steve Austin should stick to wrestling. Again, Vinnie Jones is the only really doing anything remotely resembling acting. The cinematography is lacking. The violence is extreme and repetitive. Plus the movie is two hours long and it feels like 4, at least.

Grade: D-