Best Actor - Denzel Washington

Robert Zemeckis's Flight, his latest action film since Cast Away, follows the incredible journey of Whip Whitaker, a successful airline pilot that manages to save almost all of his passengers in a horrible plane accident. Immediately, Whitaker is praised as a hero all over the nation until an investigation about the accident reveals Whitaker's darkest secret: his addiction to alcohol. Slowly, the story begins to unravel as Whitaker struggles to cope with the poor relationship between his son, his addiction, and his battle to forgive himself, all in the midst of an investigation that could land him in prison. 

 

Robert Zemeckis' story is really wonderful, yet it is Washington's performance as the recovering alcoholic that steals the show. Washington is a true actor because he manages to portray all the different sides to his character; he refuses to simply demonstrate a certain part of his character, but embraces everything he can offer. For example, at the beginning of the film, the audience first glimpses at the kind of person Washington's character, Whitaker is, for he is shown drinking and taking cocaine. This leads the audience to believe that Whitaker may not be as flawless as perceived, yet in less than a hour, this very same man saves the lives of many helpless souls by reacting quickly in a horrible plane crash. This sudden change may have seen a bit awkward or unrealistic because it proves that an alcoholic semi-drug addict may still be able to operate as a commercial air pilot. However, Washington succeeds in weaving the two elements together so that the viewers understand that the hero may sometimes have flaws as well, and that such flaws are all right because they do not define a person, but rather, shape him to be better than before.

 

His performance is also one that should be greatly admired because he accomplishes to convince the audience that he is a good guy that is simply in a bad place, rather than a bad guy who, by some miracle, turns out to be engaging in something good. After it is revealed that Whitaker still had alcohol in his system as he commanded the plane, it is easy to turn against him because such a thing seems unforgivable for it puts innocent lives in grave danger. However, as the investigation surges on, the audience slowly begins to root for Washington because that is the kind of effect he has. As his story is revealed--his strained relationship with his teenage son, his "business" with his drug dealer, and a brief romance with a recovering heroin addict--the audience begins to experience sympathy towards him. Washington accomplishes in making his character seem flawed in the good way, so that the viewers connect with him, rather than judge him and cast him off as the villain in the story. Such a task is not easy because the actor never truly knows how the audience is going to react to a certain situation or the specific action of a character. Yet, Washington gambles with this and it pays off well.

Washington's performance should also be praised because it connects to the most emotional problems in daily life. For example, Whitaker is a struggling alcoholic and it is obvious that a part of him hates himself because he has fallen so low, yet cannot seem to rise above it. This sense of self-loathing is very personal because at one point, every one has felt this way, due to failure of some sort. Washington was aware of this and so he managed to convey this through his performance so that the audience could understand his character and his actions, rather than hate him for his wrongdoings. This did not justify his irresponsible behavior, but it did make it understandable which is the key to communicating with an audience.

Overall, I feel like Denzel Washington truly gave a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination because he really connected with his character to the point of making him relatable, even though many would argue that he was a villain disguised in the clothes of a good guy.

Silver Linings Playbook- Best Supporting Actress

David O. Russell's enticing film about an ordinary yet slightly dysfunctional family was unlike any other film I have ever watched. It was quite unexpected in several times but such a technique only added to the film because it showed the versatility the film possessed.

 

Yet, it was Jacki Weaver's performance as Dolores Solitano that truly captivated me. Although her character had a minor role in the overall development of the film, her performance was stunning because I felt that she truly portrayed her character well. Her character, the concerned and kind mother of Pat., is quite realistic because she captured the essence of her character. She acted like any other caring mother would, without trapping herself in the stereotypical box of ditzy women. Instead, she managed to convey a sense of realism by finding balance between being a mother and being a wife to the two Pats in her life. For example, in a scene in which Pat. and his father get into an argument resulting in a small fight after Pat. accidently hit his mother, Dolores immediately defends her son even after he caused her physical pain. In this part, Jacki Weaver's talent shined through because she was able to demonstrate the compassion of a mother while maintaining the secure role of a wife, but not becoming too overbearing. Jacki Weaver knew that her character had many different roles, such as wife and friend, yet the most important part of her life was that of a mother.
 

I also liked Weaver's performance because she did not seem to only focus on her character, but instead, discovered a way in which she was able to relate towards the other actors/characters in the film. For example, in the scene in which Senior Pat. and Dolores are arguing about Pat's condition and his medication, Dolores continuously tries to find some sort of middle ground between her husband and her son. During this intense scene, one could clearly see how Weaver managed to incorporate the emotions of the other characters because she thrived off of them by truly imagining what position the other characters were in.

Overall,  enjoyed Jacki Weaver's portrayal of Dolores Solitano because she truly embraced the character and related her to the others in the film. 

Silver Linings Playbook- Best Supporting Actor

David O. Russell's, Silver Linings Playbook, was a great and quirky film centered around the friendship between a desperate and struggling bipolar man, eager to win back his wife after her affair, and an unorthodox yet lovable young widow.

 

Although the story seemed silly at times, the actors were all very talented and played their parts to perfection. Robert De Niro, who plays Patrick Sr., the professional bookmaker father of the main character, did a wonderful job. I truly enjoyed De Niro's performance for I believe that he really made his character believable by demonstrating the multiple faces of his character.  

 

For example, in the film, the audience first glimpses De Niro's character through facts stated by the other characters in the story so that the viewers realize that he is a professional game gambler. So it would have been easy for De Niro to simply continue portraying his character as a gambler and nothing else, since his OCD constantly leads him to live a very superstitious life regarding his hometown football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. I believe that De Niro could have simply acted this part of this character's life because it was an important instrument in the character of Patrick Sr.'s considering his bookkeeping has become his source of income and financial dependence. However, De Niro, did not decide to simply do this, for he also managed to convey the more concerned fatherly figure of his character, which was not easy to do because in the film, the father is supposed to have indirectly neglected his younger son. By succeeding in showing all the sides to his character, De Niro was able to give a realistic sense of the character to the audience which was quite well considering the sometime silly plot-line.

 

De Niro also played his part well because he managed to realistically portray his character rather than exaggerating on certain aspects. Since he was suppose to be some sort of absent father, one would expect De Niro's character to be a bit distant from his son, yet not to the point of complete ignorance because it is clear that the father still loves his son very much. De Niro realized this so he made sure that in some scenes of the film, he showed enough emotion for it to be realistic, but not too much that it became a bit exaggerated, and therefore, fake. This sort of balance must be very difficult because it is the responsibility of the actor alone, to determine in which scenes emotions and vulnerability should be portrayed, and in which scenes to be more aloof and carefree. In my opinion, De Niro accomplished in finding the balance in the scale of emotion which only enhanced his performance.

 

Overall, I believe that De Niro's performance of the concerned and well-intended father of the main character in David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook, was very well. He gave a strong and secure performance and did not falter when trying to grasp the concept of reality mixed with cinema.