Noted Shakespearean thesp Kenneth Branagh was all-too-typically cast in the role of Sir Lawrence Olivier in My [movie of the] Week with Marilyn, but it's hard too criticize such a spot-on, if predictable choice. His comedic embodiment of theatrical pomposity and directorial exasperation are the breaths of vitality by which the film barely gasps along. Though he already has four unrewarded nominations behind him, he's still too young (at least compared to his aged competitors) to be considered the overdue vet in this category.
Bringing down the average age of the category is Jonah Hill, that familiar face in the comedies of Judd Apatow, who managed to earn a nod for taking it down a notch in the observational sports drama Moneyball. He does a decent job at playing an awkward newcomer to the daunting world of baseball politics with consistency and a close attention to the overall tone of the piece, which is precisely what was required of him. But the performance is too understated and down-to-earth to win many votes. They like either flashy or overdue in this category. Hill is neither.
Nick Nolte better fits that description, playing the archetypal fatherly trainer character in the underrated sports flick Warrior. Nolte certainly has the most sympathetic character going for him, making use of his weathered face to evoke decades of regret from a once neglectful father trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his sons. If more people were high on the film, and with younger competition, he'd be in much stronger position. The nomination is the reward in this case.
So far this season, Christopher Plummer has won all major precursors and given charming acceptance speeches along the way. His longstanding status as an icon of stage and screen will go a long way in securing what can ultimately be boiled down to a career achievement prize for him. The irony, however, is that this is actually an awards-worthy performance. none of his fellow nominees can match his masterful blend of joy and sorrow and warmth and humanity in the melancholy Beginners.
But as it is with Supporting Actress, there lies a "silent" lurker in the wings...
If there's a challenger to be found in the category, I think it's surprise nominee Max von Sydow. He plays a mute codger who befriends the precocious Thomas Horn in surprise Best Picture nominee Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Horn is the extremely loud one of this duo, doing enough chatting for the both of them, and maybe that's why von Sydow comes across so well in the film. Normally, I'd think it's too late for him to make a move on Plummer, but being in a Best Picture nominee is a favourable asset indeed, one which Plummer unfortunately does not have.
Will win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Runner-up: Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Should win: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Should've been nominated: Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life
