Top 10 Supporting Actress of 2014

Time to continue where I left off with Supporting Actresses!

1

Patricia Arquette as Olivia Evans

Boyhood

As much as I am a fan of flashy performances, I'm also a huge fan of subtle yet authentic ones and that's how I would describe Patricia Arquette's performance in Boyhood. It's a real character associated with natural acting and the result? Poignant and amazing.


2
Jessica Chastain as Anna Morales
A Most Violent Year

Jessica Chastain continues to surprise as years goes by. After watching A Most Violent Year, Celia Foote is definitely not the most fun Chastain character anymore. Her turn in this film is such a joy to watch from beginning to end. The wig works for her!


3
Tilda Swinton as Minister Mason
Snowpiercer

Speaking of fun, here's Tilda Swinton as my 3rd favorite performance by a an actress in a supporting role. Snowpiercer is Tilda and this is what I'm talking about in my Arquette writeup that I equally love flashy character performances. Swinton managed to make a despicable villain an adorable one.


4
Keira Knightley as Joan Clark
The Imitation Game

Never a fan of Keira until last year when I watched Begin Again.A few months later I watched The Imitation Game and I think it sealed my love for her. Her accent is so likable, and she made what could be a boring character an enjoyable one.


5
Uma Thurman as Mrs. H
Nymphomaniac

Just watch Nymphomaniac and see for yourself. I mean look at that pic! It's such a crime that she was snubbed by almost every awards guild. I mean...

6
Naomi Watts as Lesley
Birdman

Birdman has a lot of great performances and as for the supporting actresses, in my opinion, Naomi Watts should have been nominated instead of Emma Stone.


7
Rene Russo as Nina Romina
Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal's performance wouldn't be as fun and effective if not for Rene Russo's character. Her character, even if she's supposed to be strong, was juxtaposed by her ignorance and Russo captured all of it. Her chemistry with Gyllenhaal is amazing to watch.


8
Meryl Streep as The Witch
Into the Woods

I thought Meryl did a great job as the witch in the movie. It's far from being her best but greatness is always expected and she delivered.


9
Adriana Barraza as Silvana
Cake

Isn't it funny that her name is Silvana in a movie called Cake? alol. Anyway, I thought she was nothing special in most of her appearance in the film until that one scene happened, and voila, she's in this list.

10

Jessica Chastain as Murphy

Interstellar

Jessica Chastain's 2nd sighting in this ranking. She's got a great year but none of her performances got nods in the Oscars. I thought she's one of the best things in Interstellar, both her character and her acting. 

Only Lovers Left Alive

Director: Jim Jarmusch
With: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Jeffrey Wright

Just when I thought I'm done with the vampire genre after the traumatic movie experience that is 'The Twilight Saga', here come Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston starring in one, with Mia Wasikowska as an unexpected bonus. I do not HATE the whole Twilight Saga, by the way. The first one is actually my guilty pleasure but the rest are just cringe worthy and kind of annoying with the love triangle and Bella being blatantly a bitch. Ick. Enough.

Only Lovers Left Alive is a different take on the vampire genre without changing too much on the traits of the vampire characters. They have similar attributes from other vampire movies but executed in an offbeat and likable manner. 

Thirst for blood, Check. Uber white complexion, Check. Not the bluish kind of white though. Nocturnal beings, yup. Enhanced speed, yup. They are ancient and they also bite necks. All of these accomplished in Jarmusch's idiosyncratic style. They drink blood from a tequila glass for cryinoutloud and sometimes they put them in a freezer and turn them into blood ice popsicles. Most creative vampires ever.

Each character is different and very distinct, but all are eccentric. They refer to plants through their scientific names, for one. If Phoebe Buffay is a vampire, I could see her being like Eve (Tilda Swinton), very positive, scrappy and loving. Eve's lover Adam (Tom Hiddleston) is the serious type who's into music and refers to humans as 'zombies'. The two balance each other out and in every display of their affection, you can just tell that they're better in every single way. Way better than the intense Edward Cullen and lifeless Bella Swan. Even their slow dance is better, dancing awkwardly yet romantic to Denise LaSalle's Trapped by a Thing Called Love. Move over Flightless Bird, American Mouth. Seriously, I'm living for Tilda Swinton's dance in this film.

Just the background of their characters alone make this vampire movie interesting and amusing. On top of that, they're joined by Ava (Mia Wasikowska), Eve's sister with a larger than life personality that didn't mesh well with Adam. I would compare her to Caroline of Girls who coincidentally is also hated by a character named Adam.

I can't think of anyone playing the roles of Adam and Eve as perfect as what Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston did to them. Vampiresque physical appearance aside, they compliment each other with their commitment to the personalities of their characters. Hiddleston and Swinton play their characters without questioning the absurdity of the concept as not only vampires, but vampire lovers. They.are.super.cool. Wasikowska's portion in the film is nothing short of fun and energy as she disturbed the peace of the lovers. The film would still work even if her scene was cut but her presence proved to be a fun addition to Adam and Eve's intimacy and she's truly entertaining in all of her scenes.

With all of the abovementioned, Jim Jarmusch's innovative and filled with subtle sense of humor screenplay shined most. Casting of Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston as leads is perfect and the direction is as vivid and artsy as a 90's music video and I mean that in a good way. Grungy sets, costumes, make up and all.

Also, gotta love this wacky couple selfie:

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director: Wes Anderson
With: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Léa Seydoux, Jeff Goldblum, Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson

The only movie I've seen directed by Wes Anderson was Moonrise Kingdom and he immediately enticed me with his distinct style of direction--marvelous production designs that seem like straight out of a children's story book, sweetest color palettes that triggers allurement to the screen, quirky characters wearing neat designed costumes and a great ensemble to give justice to them. The Grand Budapest Hotel is nothing short of these aspects. In fact, it's way more extravagant and a way better experience than the former.

It's a thrilling ride that follows the story of a previously young lobby boy Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) who worked under Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), a charismatic yet strict concierge of a grandiose hotel called 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'.

The film consists of well-known actors and actresses but Budapest's storytelling is so fast that it swallows these actors' prominence and instead focuses on the characters they're playing. Anderson's characters are so quirky and distinct to each other that even though the film boasts of a number of heroes and villains, everyone remained memorable.

Everyone worked their characters very well and while all of them delivered, Ralph Fiennes stood out the most as the primary carrier, or should I say 'concierge' of the film - both as an actor and as a character. Gustave H is undeniably likable, a stubborn hero, a nefarious protagonist, he's an unsung hero reminiscent of classic playful Old Hollywood characters. It worked for him that he's not playing a kind-hearted goody goody hero because we knew him as an actor who played iconic villains. He was Lord Voldemort and he was monstrous. He was Amon Goeth and he was despicable. But Ralph Fiennes redeemed himself for playing this character that's just so ironically likable, even touching at times. Honorable mention is Willem Dafoe. As one of the characters with a brief role, he notably injected himself as the bulldog-looking scoundrel who's funny and awful at the same time.

In my viewing experience of Moonrise Kingdom, as much as I was highly fascinated by Anderson's work, there were times when it felt a little lethargic. But the slowness of the former, he makes up for the bold and quick pacing of Budapest. It never rests in entertaining the hell of its viewers. What made it more fun is that it's a movie with a world straight from a creative and unconventional imagination, youthful in its colors and execution albeit containing mature stories and characters.

I also just want to mention how Alexandre Desplat scored the hell out of this movie. It's kind of funny because it seems like he's scoring every other movie I watch this year. No complains here because he's a fantastic musical composer and he made Budapest more whimsy and playful.

Its humor is both verbal and visual. Its pacing is something most movies should have. I'd give this film 5 plums in a New York minute for its richness, creativity and astounding viewing pleasure but I just wish it connected more emotionally.

Even then, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a must-see film that somehow will remind you of the fulfillment one earn in watching quality movies.

Snowpiercer

Director: Bong Joon-ho

With: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Go Ah-sung, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris

Been eyeing on this film ever since I saw the cast way back late 2012. I got intrigued because it's directed by a non-Hollywood director yet the ensemble consists of Hollywood actors and actresses like Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris and Chris Evans. A year had passed and it wasn't shown anywhere. Luckily, it was shown early this year in Manila and I made sure too see it as early as possible and I did, and I LOVED it!

I tend to use superlatives when I do writeups like this so I'll just go ahead and say that this is the best dystopian movie I've ever seen (be mindful that I have yet to see Children of Men but it's already in my to-see list). Can't help but compare it to The Hunger Games and I must say that it made The Hunger Games look weak and this is from someone who's also a fan of the latter.

I had no idea about its concept except for its summary description on Wikipedia. Other than that, none. So everything about it felt very original. I just can imagine that it captured the world of Snowpiercer sufficiently. From the inhabitants, to the different rooms that mirror their classes, to the details of the twists, everything was visually cosmic.

It's also fun to see a variety of nationalities in one film or should I say, packed in a dystopian train. Add the fact that Tilda Swinton is one of the cast who was a hoot in all of her scenes. Octavia Spencer also stood out. John Hurt, Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, all of them were praiseworthy. Chris Evans was also unexpectedly effective as the lead rebel of this film. They all served their roles adequately.

I'm impressed that an Asian director like Bong Joon-ho has the bravado to adapt a French graphic novel into a film that has the quality of a Hollywood blockbuster. Makes me sort of envious that Filipino filmmakers don't have his audacity. Make no mistake, this film still has issues with its visual effects but it can easily be forgiven by the tenacity of Joon-ho's direction, extravagant costumes and production designs.

Don't fret, I still see the potential in Filipino filmmakers but let's face it, we only excel in films with limited use of visual effects. There's nothing wrong with that but it'd also be great if someday we'll be able to see a visual effect heavy film Pinoy made. Someday we will!

Overall, Snowpiercer is a joy to watch and if you're into dystopian films, you might find yourself hugely enthused by this. It's smart, it's fun, it's everything you look for in an entertaining film.