The 2011 RyMickey Awards - Best Supporting Actor

Probably the least successful of the acting categories this year, I must admit that it was almost a struggle to come up with a top five.  Nothing screamed "awards worthy" for me this year.

Best Supporting Actor 2011

In the Running...

Nick Krause - The Descendants

Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Patton Oswalt - Young Adult

Honorable Mentions

#7 - John C. Reilly - Carnage

Featuring a talented quartet of stars, John C. Reilly manages to steal the show in Carnage.  By almost being the voice of the audience, you get the sense that Reilly's character understands the absurdity of his predicament and his humorous jabs at the rest of the cast ring true.

#6 - Alex Shaffer - Win Win

I came away from this little-seen arthouse flick most impressed by Alex Shaffer.  His role is the typical moody teenager, but he imbues his character with a sweetness and kindness that struck me as somewhat unique.  Especially impressive is the fact that this was his first film role.

And the Top Five...

#5 - Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn

I genuinely don't know much about Sir Laurence Olivier at all, so I can't say whether Kenneth Branagh is performing a spot-on imitation or not.  What I can say is that I found Branagh to be a hoot as the exacerbated director/star who has many a problem with his slightly more famous co-star Marilyn Monroe.

#4 - Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

A very nice performance that manages to be quite moving despite Max von Sydow not speaking a word throughout the film.  Able to express everything with the raise of an eyebrow or the shrug of a shoulder, von Sydow's friendship with the film's young protagonist was one of the oddest though most believable relationships depicted on film in 2011.

#3 - Ben Kingsley - Hugo

Although initially a rather one-note curmudgeon, as the layers of Ben Kingsley's toy shop owner Georges are pulled back and his hidden past is revealed, we realize the true reasons for his glum and harsh attitude.  Although the film is titled Hugo, it's really about Georges, his nostalgia for better days gone by, and a longing to return to what once was. 

#2 - Andy Serkis - Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I'm not here to debate whether motion capture performances should be able to be nominated for an acting Oscar.  In fact, I lean more towards the notion that they probably shouldn't considering the fact that computer programmers are half responsible for what is seen onscreen.  However, I'm not afraid to recognize them for a RyMickey Award and Andy Serkis' portrayal of Caesar is probably the most impressively emotional performance I've seen come from the mo-cap technique.  I don't know where the work of Andy Serkis ends and the work of the technicians begins, but combined they created the most realistic computer-generated being I've seen on the big screen.

#1 - Ryan Gosling - Crazy Stupid Love

It was tough to find a picture of Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love with his shirt on as he's probably best known for the abs he displays multiple times throughout the film.  But while that may have impressed the ladies, what impressed me was this typically dramatic actor's sly and effortless take on comedy -- a genre I'd like to see Gosling further explore in future films.  Sure, he's playing an over-the-top lothario, but he's a ladies' man with a lot of heart.  Debonair guys can get old real quick on film, lacking any type of endearing characteristic to latch onto.  Gosling is able to buck that trend, however, and play a slick guy who still is able to have the audience root for him.  

Previous RyMickey Award Winners

2010

2009