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Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2005: Ed Harris in A History of Violence

Ed Harris did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Carl Fogarty in A History of Violence.Ed Harris portrays the Philadelphia gangster who comes looking for diner owner Tom Stall who recently killed two men trying to rob his diner..

Best Supporting Actor 2011: Nick Nolte in Warrior

Nick Nolte received his third Oscar nomination for portraying Paddy Conlon in Warrior.Warrior details a winner take all mixed martial art tournament whose two main combatants are estranged brothers (Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton) fighting for their own difficult reasons.

Alternate Best Actor 2011

And the Nominees Were Not:Ryan Gosling in DriveRobert Wieckiewicz in In DarknessMichael Fassbender in ShameMichael Shannon in Take ShelterBrendan Gleeson in The Guard..

Showing posts with label J. Carrol Naish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J. Carrol Naish. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Best Supporting Actor 1945: Results

5. John Dall in The Corn is Green- Dall gives a dull boring performance that fits his rather dull film.
4. J. Carrol Naish in A Medal for Benny- Naish is the best part of his film, and does give some emotional weight to his performance, but it is still is not anything that special.
3. Robert Mitchum in The Story of G.I. Joe- Mitchum gives a good performance that creates an effective realistic portrait of a soldier leading his troops.
2. Michael Chekhov in Spellbound-Michael Chekhov does not have too many scenes at his disposal but he makes the most of all of them giving an effective scene stealing performance.
1. James Dunn in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- James Dunn easily gives the best supporting performance of the year. Dunn gives a wonderful emotionally powerful performance that perfectly finds both the charm and the tragedy of his character.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Best Supporting Actor 1945: J. Carrol Naish in A Medal for Benny

J. Carrol Naish received his second and final Oscar nomination for portraying Charley Martin in A Medal For Benny.

A Medal for Benny details a  boring love story between two people that seems basically pointless when the film suddenly changes to a satire on the idea of war time heroism as a former rouge Benny becomes a war hero leaving the town wishing to profit from the fame of the young man.

J. Carrol Naish portrays Charley a man of Mexican descent who is the father of the rouge and hero Benny. I must say that as with his performance in Sahara Naish actually does disappear into the role fairly well in that I did not recognize him instantly. He did not just seem like an actor doing an accent like the two romantic leads of the film did. He does manage to be a character rather just a bad actor attempting to portray a part, something that commonly is not the case when doing an accent.

As with Sahara Naish's accent for his character does not really avoid the stereotype of accent for said particular nationality or ethic group, but as with Sahara Naish has the right sort of conviction with his accent, and his character to make it work. Naish does not lose his accent ever or his manner as the poor rather meek man. It does not falter or flee, and he makes Charley a believable character. Also his accent seems absolutely genuine compared to the strained accents of some of his co-stars.

Although he still given a rather limited character he does have a bit more to do then in Sahara which he was barely in. In the first half of the film he is just a kindly, but poor man in the neighborhood who keeps losing money to constantly borrowing Joe. Naish just makes Charley into a nice old man that is very easy to empathize with. Even though Charley is not given much screentime early on Naish does make Charley the most likable character, even all he does it get told about his money troubles for most of his early scenes.

Naish though never turns Charley into a depressing sort of character though, as he shows an enthusiastic optimism, Naish succeeds in making Charley a fairly endearing character. Later in the film he is given a little more to do when he finds out his son Benny has become a hero posthumously. Naash is good in showing the pride and grief in Charley over the news of his son, and does bring some genuine emotion to these moments which otherwise are rather lacking.

Near the end of the film Naish almost seems to become the  main character as the town tries to use Charley as a means to bring interest into the small town in rather shameless ways. Naish's is good in these final few scenes as he shows the continuing sadness and pride in Charley, that forces Charley to finally stand up to the town pitiful attempts to make money off his son. He has a nice moving moment at the end showing exactly what he felt for his son, even though that relationship was less than it could have been since we never see Benny, and the whole aspect of Charley's character almost comes out of nowhere in the script.

This is a good performance by Naish though despite his extremely limited material at his disposal. Although I won't say it is a great accomplishment, he does manage to make Charley the most interesting part of the film, and the only character you really care about. Naish really never has a great moment in his performance, but he is fine throughout the film, even though given the times his character could have been basically just an accent nothing more, but Naish instead finds some genuine emotion in the part.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Best Supporting Actor 1945

And the Nominees Were:

Michael Chekhov in Spellbound

J. Carrol Naish in A Medal for Benny

James Dunn in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 

John Dall in The Corn is Green

Robert Mitchum in The Story of G.I. Joe

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Best Supporting Actor 1943: Results

5. Akim Tamiroff in For Whom the Bell Tolls- Tamiroff gives a far too simple approach as Pablo, and fails to bring the depth to part that could have easily been found.
4. Charles Bickford in The Song of Bernadette- Bickford is satisfactory enough as the priest who eventually comes around to helping Bernadette, particularly when he is doubting. His character never requires much though and frankly his more tender scenes seems a bit rough around the edges.
3. J. Carrol Naish in Sahara- Naish has an extremely limited role but manages to create a sympathetic portrait as well gives a passionate speech. Not much but he does a fine job.
2. Claude Rains in Casablanca- Rains gives an extremely flashy always trying to steal a scene no matter how he does it. Although he certainly is enjoyable to watch I just wish he was a little less obvious about the whole thing. 
1. Charles Coburn in The More the Merrier- Coburn easily wins this year for me who I think does what Rains tries to do without being so obvious. Coburn gives a great comedic performance. He is completely steals every single scene he is in and makes the most of every opportunity he has with his character.
Deserving Performances:
Dana Andrews in The Ox-Bow Incident

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Best Supporting Actor 1943: J. Carrol Naish in Sahara

J. Carrol Naish received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Giuseppe in Sahara.

Sahara details a small group of allied soldiers who attempt to hold up a large group of German soldiers.

Naish plays Giuseppe an Italian soldier held captive by the Allied Soldiers. Naish really has a very simple role and a very little screentime. He does an Italian accent that although clearly Italian it is not as over the top as it really could have been. Naish in his little time does give a sympathetic portrayal of Giuseppe showing just a man who desperately needs help. He mostly just stands around looking scared which Naish realistically portrays until he stands up for himself in a big anti Nazi speech at the end of his performance. It is well handled by Naish really putting the right passion and pride into the speech while keeping with the character still showing just an inner strength within Giuseppe. Although never amazing or substantial Naish gives a good performance technically but in a very very limited part.

Best Supporting Actor 1943

And the Nominees Were:

Claude Rains in Casablanca

Akim Tamiroff in For Whom the Bells Tolls

Charles Coburn in The More the Merrier

J. Carrol Naish in Sahara

Charles Bickford in The Song of Bernadette

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