2012 Calvin Awards: Best Actor
By Reagen Sulewski
February 16, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com
That actor is Jean Dujardin, the star of The Artist, who won by a 30% margin over second place, and earned one full third of the first place votes, which is remarkable given the typical diversity of this group. In case you haven't heard by this point, he did this in a – get this! – silent film, robbing all the usual vocal skills that actors have used for the last 80 or so years on film. Although there's plenty of the silent film “acting” that we've come to associated with those old films, Dujardin portrays so much on film as a man whose world and way of life is crumbling around him. As that bitterness turns to barely concealed rage, Dujardin maintains his outward star persona as a way of holding on to the past. It's a crazy basket of emotions to be carrying around, but Dujardin never loses his way.
The runner-up spot goes to George Clooney in The Descendants, who should probably get a restraining order against us already. This is his eighth top ten finish in an acting category, and when combined with his directing and screenplay “nominations” in past years, brings him to 11 total. While Clooney often plays the big movie star role (it's easy to see him subbing into The Artist, for instance), this role has him far more low key as a husband dealing with tragedy and betrayal, and learning that his comfy life hasn't been what he thought it was. While he's portrayed the broken man before (Syriana, Michael Clayton), it's the more mundane that's destroyed him here, and that's what makes this performance all the more devastating.
A close third sees Clooney's usual partner in crime Brad Pitt from Moneyball as Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane. At first glance, there may not appear to be much going on with this performance, as Pitt's Beane isn't given to histrionics or big speeches. But as a man who's had so much fail him, he's turned inwards to nearly everything in his life, save his young daughter. The quiet determination he shows in every scene, in an attempt to prove to the world what he *knows* is right only hits you as the movie draws to a close, when he finally realizes how secondary that is to the rest of his life. What this quest has cost him shows up in stark contrast on Pitt's face, and it's truly a performance that must be taken as a whole.
If we're talking about reserved performances, we have to talk about our fourth place finisher, Ryan Gosling in Drive. In this '80s throwback action movie, Gosling throws back even further, to the days of extremely restrained action stars like Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood. He simply is, to speak in acting parlance, and his presence provides a unique tension through the whole film as he defies a traditional read. It's one of the more understated performances of the year and it made Drive like something we haven't seen in ages.
Although he had a role seen by far more people this year, it was Michael Fassbender's role in Shame that landed fifth place for us this year. As a man consumed by sexual addiction, Fassbender plays a man seemingly incapable of feeling pleasure and drowning in self-loathing. With a devastating depiction of a man closed off from society by his own choices, Fassbender gave us one of the most damaged and affecting performances of this year and maybe several more.
Sixth spot goes to Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50. He's quietly become one of the most compelling young actors out there right now, and this performance gave him the chance to mix his substantial dramatic chops with a darkly funny role. Diagnosed with cancer, Gordon-Levitt's character deals with all the repercussions of the disease, and how society isn't often prepared to deal with cancer patients as people, instead of broken machines. Gordon-Levitt handled the tricky range of emotions inherent in this role with aplomb.
Gary Oldman lands in seventh for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, playing an MI6 agent called back into service to hunt down a Soviet spy during the Cold War. A meek, outwardly unassuming man, Oldman's George Smiley harbors a reserve of strength and determination that's astonishing to see used. Oldman's always been one of those actors who you could look to to nail a part – and now he's finally getting the universal acknowledgment as one of our greatest actors.
He's tied with what might be his future equivalent, Tom Hardy, for his role in Warrior. As a pro mixed martial artist, Hardy gave us that range of toughness and vulnerability that's difficult to find in one package. I expect to see Hardy as a perennial contender here.
Ninth spot goes to Michael Shannon in Take Shelter, as a man who may be going slowly insane, or may be protecting his family from an impeding apocalypse. One or the other, you know? Shannon's always had a malevolence in his roles beneath his genial appearance, but here it really gets to take over the show, and it's an amazing sight to behold.
Some day, motion capture performances will get the acclaim they deserve, and Andy Serkis will be hailed as one of the geniuses of the modern age. Till then, he'll have to be satisfied with our votes for him in things like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, where he gets tenth place (and really, explain the difference between this performance and Jean Dujardin's, will you?).
Just missing out on our top ten list for this year were Dominic Cooper, playing an insane son of Saddam Hussein and a man hired to be his decoy in The Devil's Double, Daniel Radcliffe in the final Harry Potter movie, Owen Wilson's nostalgic writer in Midnight in Paris, Paul Giamatti in Win Win, Brendan Gleeson in The Guard and Ewan McGregor in Beginners.
The Calvins: An Introduction
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Album
Best Cast
Best Character
Best Director
Best Overlooked Film
Best Picture
Best Scene
Best Screenplay
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best TV Show
Best Use of Music
Best Videogame
Breakthrough Performance
Worst Performance
Worst Picture