A divorced father looking for new love, a woman dealing with a relationship that turned from romance to routine years ago, a charismatic drug dealer who spies something new in his web, half of the most fascinating cinematic relationship of the year, and a slave & her brutal owner — 2013 featured numerous memorable performances but these are just a few of the ones that will stand the test of time.
It was difficult to whittle down to my 20 favorite. Sorry to those who missed the cut. These are simply my 20 favorites today (and come back tomorrow the accompanying lead performances, and Monday for the best films of the year.)
The Best Supporting Actors of 2013
Five Runner-ups (in alphabetical order): Will Forte (“Nebraska”), Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”), Jeremy Renner (“American Hustle”), Sam Rockwell (“The Way Way Back”), and Keith Stanfield (“Short Term 12”).
Barkhad Abdi as Muse in Captain Phillips
Photo credit: Sony
Tom Hanks is earning a lot of deserved praise for his work in this harrowing true story but the film doesn’t click without Barkhad Abdi’s supporting turn to anchor its household name. Abdi infuses his Somali pirate Muse with such relatable desperation, refusing to portray him purely as the one-sided villain he could have become. We understand more about why people commit such heinous acts as taking other men hostage when we look in Muse’s eyes. With a combination of fear and blind hope that this hijacking will still somehow lead to a better life, Abdi captures more truth about the part of the world from which he comes than any documentary could convey.
Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps in 12 Years a Slave
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight
Terrifying. That’s the word I think of when I envision Michael Fassbender’s performance in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave.” Edwin Epps is terrifying. He is a sociopath, a man so deep down the rabbit hole of his own power-mad insecurity that he takes out his loathsome misanthropy on the most innocent around him. He is the darkest vision of slave ownership we have yet seen on film. Fassbender, once again, makes such smart decisions to define him as more than a monster. Movie monsters are easy to dismiss. We can ignore them. We can put them away as film creations. Edwin Epps is terrifying because he is no mere film creation. Michael Fassbender finds the realism at the cold heart of this maniac. And that’s what makes him terrifying.
James Gandolfini as Albert in Enough Said
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight
Has there been a more bittersweet performance than James Gandolfini’s in Nicole Holofcener’s lovely romantic comedy in years? In his very first scene, we meet Albert at a party, and it’s like seeing an old friend again, and we know our time with him is all-too-short. And yet don’t think for a second that Gandolfini is only being cited for this work because he tragically passed. He would be on this list if he were still alive. He makes Albert three-dimensional by making him feel so real. The nerves he shows in his body language on that first date, the apprehension at their first kiss, the disappointment when his heart is broken — Gandolfini does what SO few do in the romantic comedy genre: He makes his character feel genuine enough that we root for him to find happiness. It’s only bittersweet that we won’t be able to do it again.
Matthew McConaughey as Mud in Mud
Photo credit: Lionsgate
What a turn Matthew McConaughey has taken in the last few years. Just four years ago, he appeared in “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”, a loathsome romantic comedy with Jennifer Garner. The two appeared together again this year in a surefire Oscar nominee, “Dallas Buyers Club,” just the latest in a string of acclaimed roles for the actor who was once a bongo-playing punchline. I like his work in “Dallas” (and brief turn in “The Wolf of Wall Street”) but my favorite performance from McConaughey this year was in Jeff Nichols’ fantastic “Mud.” The actor turns the title character into a charismatic enigma. Mud needs to be both dangerous and intriguing enough that we believe a young man like Tye Sheridan’s Ellis would be drawn to him. McConaughey actually does incredibly subtle work here, especially given the role’s inherent opportunity to over-act. Mud is one of the few characters from this year that I’m sure will be remembered for some time to come and it’s thanks to the decisions made by the man who has gone from a rom-com staple to one of our best working actors.
James Franco as Alien in Spring Breakers
Photo credit: A24
Speaking of memorable characters, there were few that stand out in 2013 as strongly as James Franco’s Alien in Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers.” Why was Alien so special? Couldn’t anyone have played this over-the-top, borderline lunatic who bounces on his bed with a wall of assault rifles behind him, imploring you to “look at his sh*t”? Hell no. What Franco gets here is that Alien needs to be a finely-balanced character for the film to work even in the slightest. The fine line between being too menacing to engage the audience and being too cartoonish to be real is walked expertly by Franco. Alien lives up to his name, being something that we’ve never seen before, to the degree that we believe that the four girls who cross his path would be as fascinated by staying in his world as we are. He’s crazy enough to convey real danger but magnetic enough to make us want to see what he does next. He’s unforgettable.
On to page two for the best supporting actresses…
The Best Supporting Actresses of 2013
Five Runner-ups (in alphabetical order): Amy Adams (“Her”), Kaitlyn Dever (“Short Term 12”), Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Octavia Spencer (“Fruitvale Station”), and Emma Watson (“The Bling Ring”)
Scarlett Johannson as Samantha in Her
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Discerning readers will notice that the picture above is NOT“Scarlett Johannson as Samantha in Her” and yet it conveys what her performance brings to the lead character in Spike Jonze’s masterful vision of the future. Joaquin Phoenix’s Theodore falls in love with his operating system, a more intuitive version of Siri, if you will, and said OS is voiced by Scarlett Johannson. I know that those of you that have yet to see Jonze’s film doubt this choice. I would too. Trust me when I tell you that Johannson’s vocal work here is more than deserving. It’s one of the best voice-only performances in years, maybe ever, as Johannson doesn’t overly sexualize the part or focus too strongly on the artificial aspect of her role. She becomes relatable enough that we believe the narrative foundation of the film. Without that believability in her vocal performance, the WHOLE thing falls apart. She supports all of “Her.”
Jennifer Lawrence as Rosalyn Rosenfeld in American Hustle
Photo credit: Sony
It’s something I’ve repeated more than once in end-of-year acting pieces but seems most appropriate here — this is a performance that works because the person giving it makes decisions that other actors wouldn’t even consider. Lawrence takes a part that could have been relatively dull window-dressing and nearly walks away with the entire movie. She imbues Rosalyn with such a captivating blend of confidence and insecurity. She knows she’s the life of the party but she also doesn’t want to leave her house. She knows she’s gorgeous but still feels challenged by those around her. Especially when balanced against her work in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” Lawrence proves that last year’s Oscar was no fluke. In fact, she may only be getting better.
Lea Seydoux as Emma in Blue is the Warmest Color
Photo credit: IFC
Much has been written about the controversial production process of “Blue is the Warmest Color” but one thing cannot be denied — it led to two of the most daring, fearless performances in years. I’ll be writing about one of them more tomorrow but the amazing work by Adele Exarchopoulos isn’t really possible without the support of Lea Seydoux as the blue-haired artist with whom she falls deeply in love. Seydoux shines more for what she doesn’t do than for what she does. She doesn’t steal focus. Her arc is the smaller of the two but she never pulls the film away from its protagonist as other actresses might have done. And then there’s the fight — a master class in acting that earned both stars instant spots in this feature. When years have passed, cinephiles will still be talking about Adele and Emma.
June Squibb as Kate Grant in Nebraska
Photo credit: Paramount Vantage
I’ve written a lot about truth in this feature. There’s truth in every expression of June Squibb’s charismatic face as she plays a woman forced into revisiting her past when her borderline-senile husband drags them back to their hometown. What I love so much about Squibb’s work is how much the actress refuses to cede storytelling focus to Bruce Dern, as other performers may have done. She holds her own. Kate has been dealing with a distant, alcoholic husband for DECADES and she has formed her own defense mechanisms and barriers. We see beyond those barriers ever so slightly as she glances briefly at how she got to where they are today but she’s just as willing to leave them up. Squibb is truly supporting — enhancing the work of the lead actor in the piece by not just letting him take the spotlight but playing with him in it.
Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight
Patsey’s face. When I think of the images of 2013 that will last for decades, the shattered face of beaten slave Patsey is one of the first that comes to mind. It can bring tears to your eyes just thinking of it. And yet I would never call Nyong’o’s breathtaking work here over-acting. She doesn’t go for melodrama, just realism. Patsey’s story is tragic enough that a lesser actress would have lost her way in the extreme horror of it all but Nyong’o never does. We cry for Patsey, we pray for Patsey, and we feel the pain that Patsey’s story wasn’t an uncommon one. It’s not just a great performance, it’s an important one to the history of the portrayals of slaves in film. We’ll never forget Patsey.
 | By BRIANTALLERICO |
