The 2010 RyMickey Awards - Best Actor

The penultimate category...finally...this was kind of a chore this year.  I didn't keep track of various options nearly as well as in 2009...Anyway, some good choices here.  All eight choices are quite good and could have possibly taken the top spots in previous years.

Best Actor

Runners-up

#8 - Aaron Johnson - Nowhere Boy

"Aaron Johnson is pretty great as Lennon, showcasing both emotional vulnerability and the necessary rock star swagger needed to be an aspiring teen idol."

#7 - Ryan Reynolds - Buried

"Ryan Reynolds is responsible for the flick connecting on an emotional level with the audience.  As Paul Conroy, an American working as a contracted truck driver in Iraq, his character is just a normal guy trying to earn money to keep his family together...which makes it all the more upsetting to see an everyman wake up after an Iraqi ambush in a darkened coffin underground."

#6 - Jeff Bridges - True Grit

"Had Jeff Bridges not won Best Actor at the Oscars last year for Crazy Heart, I'd have to imagine his nomination this year for True Grit would have made him a strong contender in the race rather than just an also-ran.  I, for one, thought he was pretty fantastic in this flick.  The grumbly, mumbly voice he brings to the part of bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn is one of those character choices that an actor makes that may have worried film execs initially, but proves to be a nifty defining characteristic that becomes instantly memorable."

And the Top Five...

#5 - Joaquin Phoenix - I'm Still Here

When the truth was exposed that this wasn't a documentary, how can you not give credit to Joaquin Phoenix for believably crafting a completely different persona?  This mellow, seemingly quiet guy turned into an aspiring, coked-up, sex-crazed rapper and did it all rather effortlessly.

#4 - Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling brings a sly swagger to Blue Valentine that helps to create some amazing chemistry between his co-star Michelle Williams and himself.  Running the gamut from hopeless romantic to complacent (and, to a certain extent, boring) companion, Gosling proves that even former Mickey Mouse Club members are worthy of awards.

#3 - James Franco - 127 Hours

If I'm being honest, I think James Franco may have dropped down a spot in these rankings due to his terrible Oscar-hosting gig.  I realize that's maybe not fair, but these are my awards and there are no rules to follow.  That being said, Franco gives a helluva performance here, absolutely holding the audience's attention for close to 70 minutes as he takes center stage.

#2 - Aaron Eckhart - Rabbit Hole

Seeing a man cry onscreen is sometimes hard to watch.  I guess it's because as guys we're programmed to never wear our emotions on our sleeves, so when we see some guy lose it, it can be difficult to witness. What Aaron Eckhart's character goes through here is brutal and gut-wrenching...and while it can make you uncomfortable, you're well aware that you're watching something special.

#1 - Colin Firth - The King's Speech

You know, I hate to toe the Academy line seeing as how Mr. Firth's top-place berth makes me three for four in siding with the Oscars when it comes to my Acting awards, but sometimes you've got to admit that the Oscars just get things right.  And this year, for the most part, that was the case.  In a somewhat opposite way of the #2 actor above, Firth tries to hide his true emotions as best he can, but his feelings are always just below the surface, trying to sneak out.  A rather brilliant performance in a film that I wasn't expecting to enjoy nearly as much as I did.