Ranking of 2017 Best Supporting Actor nominees.

I love analysing the Oscar categories and if it were up to me, I would have analysed all of them between the announcement of the nominations and the Oscar ceremony next Sunday. However, this was sadly unfeasible due to the fact that I live in the UK and tricky UK release dates meant I hadn’t seen a bunch of the nominated films.

I’ve only now watched enough films to analyse one category, Supporting Actor, and in terms of discussing the nominees, I’m deferring to Nathaniel’s method on the Supporting Actress Smackdown of a discrete score out 5, as opposed to my more convoluted grading system, where sometimes there wasn’t much in it between two performances, yet I gave one a B+ and the other an A-, which seemed a tad spurious.

So without further ado, my rankings of the nominated performances, from worst to best…

05. Dev Patel as ‘Saroo’ in Lion (**/*****)

My 10 Favourite Performances of 2013.

Making my way through the backlog, as promised. 2014's list and 2015's.

10. Bérénice Bejo, Le passé

09. Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street

(the bromance between these two gives me life! ❤️)

08. Melissa McCarthy, The Heat

07. Lindsay Lohan, The Canyons 

Lindsay got nominated for a Razzie(!!!!) for her performance here. Between that, and awarding Dakota Johnson 50 Shades of Grey last year, when both actresses did commendably with poorly written roles, I think it's safe to say the Razzies wouldn't be able to tell a good performance if it tied them up.

06. Rooney Mara, Side Effects 

She's so pretty. ❤️

05. Léa Seydoux, Blue is the Warmest Colour

Epic Blue is the Warmest Colour post incoming. You have been warned!

04. Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave

Thank God this amazing performance of earth-shattering pathos and deep complexity took home the Oscar, and in doing so, beating Jennifer Lawrence's unbearable hamming in a role she was several decades too young for, in American Hustle!

03. Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave 


02. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street 

Every other film has stills but Wolf of Wall Street performers are allowed gifs. Because a photo doesn't capture the full comedy of Martin Scorsese's 3-hour unforgettable, profane, & absolutely hilarious vilification or celebration? of heady Wall Street financiers.

01. Adèle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Colour

Will give Adèle and Léa the full attention and commendation they deserve in a future entry dedicated to this amazing movie. 

So, a French actress opening the 2013 list and a French actress closing it! Spoiler alert: when I do my favourite performances of 2012 list, a French actress will also (comfortably) be topping that list as well! Although, unfortunately, in that case, Jennifer Lawrence succeeded in stealing her Oscar. #NeverGettingOverIt

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Breakdown by BBFC rating 
18: 5
15: 4
12A: 1

Chaps: 3
Chicks: 7

Recurring stars

Rooney Mara: 2nd in 2015 (for Carol)

Leonardo DiCaprio: 2nd in 2006 (for The Depahted; hi Scorsese!) and 9th (Blood Diamond) although that list was constructed a l-o-n-g time ago and would be subject to change, 2nd in 2010 (Shutter Island; another Scorsese collab!)

Jonah Hill: 3rd in 2014 (for 22 Jump Street)

2014 BAFTA Predictions.

Seeing as the likes of The Dallas Buyers Club wasn't in contention at all in the nominations, the results tonight will be a bit different from the Oscars, so my predictions have gone with that BAFTA vibe of trying not to mirror their American cousins in every single move.

Best Film: 12 Years a Slave (alternative: Gravity)
Outstanding British Film of the Year: The Selfish Giant (alternative: Gravity)
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity (alternative: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave)
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave (alternative: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street)
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (alternative: Judi Dench, Philomena)
Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips (alternative: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave)
Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave (alternative: Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine)
Original Screenplay: Inside Llewyn Davies (alternative: American Hustle)
^^American Hustle will probably take this one, but I refuse to believe a film that shoddily written could win an award until I see it.
Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave (alternative: The Wolf of Wall Street)
Cinematography: Gravity (alternative: 12 Years a Slave)
Editing: Captain Phillips (alternative: The Wolf of Wall Street)
Production Design: The Great Gatsby (alternative: Behind the Candelbra)
Costume: The Invisible Woman (alternative: The Great Gatsby)
Music: 12 Years a Slave (alternative: The Book Thief)
Makeup/Hair: The Great Gatsby (alternative: The Hobbit 2)
Sound: Rush (alternative: Captain Phillips)
VFX: Gravity (alternative: Iron Man 3)
Foreign Film: The Act of Killing (alternative: Blue is the Warmest Colour)
Animated Film: Frozen (alternative: Monster's University)
Documentary: The Act of Killing (alternative: Tim's Vermeer)
Rising Star Award: Léa Seydoux (alternative: Will Poulter)