The 2012 RyMickey Awards - Best Supporting Actor

As is the trend this year, I wasn't really blown away by any Supporting Actor nominations.  While I like everyone on this list, this list was screaming for a stand-out bravura performance and it didn't quite achieve that this year.  In fact, I think this category (despite eleven men listed below) is actually the most disappointing overall this year.

Once again, you'll notice only two Oscar nominees below with winner Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), Alan Arkin (Argo), and Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) not finding placement here, however, I found Waltz and Hoffman's performances to be more lead than supporting anyway.

Best Supporting Actor of 2012

Also in the running...
Jim Broadbent - Cloud Atlas
Rob Corddry - Butter

Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook

Honorable Mentions

#8 - Eddie Redmayne - Les Miserables

"...a standout in the ensemble who has a lovely voice and is also granted a Hathaway/Fantine-like moment at the film's conclusion with the song "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables..."

#7 - William H. Macy - The Sessions

"...[Macy] provides simple, yet thoughtful work as Mark's priest/friend..."

#6 - Michael Fassbender - Prometheus

"...Fassbender continues on with his excellent string of work with the robotic David.  Even  lacking the ability to show emotions, [he] still manages to draw your eye to him...thanks to the underlying (and sometimes not so underlying) menace his character exudes."

And the Top Five...

#5 - James Badge Dale - Flight

James Badge Dale is on screen in Flight for less than ten minutes.  Yet, as a cancer patient who stumbles across Whip who was recently injured in a plane crash and Nicole who recently overdosed (played by Denzel Washington and Kelly Reilly respectively) in a hospital stairwell, he's part of one of the most emotional moments of the film as the trio speaks openly about life, death, faith, love, and fear. We never even learn the name of this character, but his screen time is incredibly memorable.

#4 - Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Jones' role as conservative senator Thaddeus Stevens is understated, yet strong.  With his more "down home" qualities compared to the eloquence of Lincoln's speeches, it provides a nice counterpart for the film.

#3 - Matthew McConaughey - Magic Mike

In my review of Magic Mike, I said McConaughey was a strong presence, but I wasn't sold on his awards-worthiness.  The fact that he shows up here gives credence to my statement above that this category really failed to blow me away.  The fact of the matter is, comedic roles are a bit more difficult to garner any awards traction and while my awards fare a bit better than the Oscars, they still don't quite garner the respect they deserve.  McConaughey was a fun presence and in a weaker year, that's all that it takes to get a top five placement.

#2 - Javier Bardem - Skyfall

Javier Bardem doesn't make an appearance in Skyfall until about ninety minutes in, but when he pops up he reinvigorates the film.  He capitalizes on the humor that sometimes comes with an over-the-top Machiavellian supervillain and his Raoul Silva is dripping with slimy gusto.

#1 - Ewan McGregor - The Impossible

With The Impossible, Ewan McGregor gives the best performance I've seen from him.  Faced with the pain of being separated from his eldest son and his wife, there's a scene where McGregor breaks down that won him this top spot.  A fantastic performance that becomes even richer upon repeated viewings.

Previous RyMickey Award Winners

2011

2010

2009