Oscar-Worthy but Ignored Part 4: Action

While writing the articles for comedy, horror, and sci-fi, I decided to do one on action movies too. Action movies are like the “red-headed stepchild” of the film industry. It doesn’t matter how well written, directed, or performed; it is really hard for action movies to come out from there ‘splodey stereotype. Except maybe if you’re a war movie.

Best Supporting Actress – Carrie Anne Moss in The Matrix

I suppose I could have put this under science fiction, but this still applies. Moss’ character Trinity is one of the ultimate badass chicks in film. Leather-clad and well-armed, Moss keeps calm, cool, and collected all the while running up walls and flip-kicking computer programs. What makes Moss Oscar-worthy is that she brings something tender to someone who is THAT calm, cool, and collected on the outside. I think I have said it before, but it bears repeating: that hardest thing for an actor to portray is restraint. She may be icy on the outside, but her eyes are screaming. She is naïve and lonely. She balances hopelessness and hopefulness. She bottles everything up in fear of looking weak or uncool. She was a hacker in a previous life afterall. “Cool” is usually portrayed as important.

Best Supporting Actor – Alan Rickman in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Some people might argue Harry Potter’s role in the action genre, or maybe I should have done a fantasy article (honestly I’m not that up to date on fantasy). Either way, this performance definitely needs some exposure. Alan Rickman plays Servus Snape. He is the professor of Potions and Defense of the Dark Arts. He is designed and portrayed as a very stereotypical evil warlock, but as the series progresses, it is revealed that the character is much more layered and complex. I don’t want to explain too much further given that it is still fairly new, and I don’t want to spoil anything. Needless to say, it is a stand-out performance, and with these franchise finales, the award covers the entire run.

Best Actress – Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol 2

I have recently read the Quentin Tarantino volume of Philosophy and Popular Culture, a book series that overthinks pop culture. It blew my mind with the their take on Kill Bill and how it mirrors a woman’s journey who thinks she needs to suppress her femininity in order to win the day, but can only win when she fully embraces it. I named Volume 2 of the series specifically. Thurman is all B-movie cult awesome-sauce in the first volume, and all the heavier emotional weight is put on her in the second. I never understood why the volume weren’t more balanced, but what Volume 2 ends up delivering is the full portrait of how a young girl can become The Bride. She is sweet and innocent yet determined in her training sessions. That determination boils over to her acts of vengeance, but you can kind of see that she wants to remain sweet and innocent.  When she finally confronts her former love and main target Bill, she is flooded with different emotions. The Bride does not do a good job of handling this flood, but Thurman has too in order to not overwhelm the audience. The scene where she lays on the bathroom floor and cries tears of both sadness and joy is spectacular. It is seriously heart-breaking and bittersweet to watch her whole breakdown unfold.

Best Actor – Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon is right up there with Die Hard being my favorite ‘80s style action movies. I was always a bigger fan of the funny average joe against all odds movies that the one man army movies like Commando and First Blood. Lethal Weapon adds an extra layer. They make the funny average joe darkly funny and not so average. He is a martial arts trained former Army ranger suffering from a mix of shell-shock and grief over his murdered wife. It was one of the earliest roles for Mel Gibson who went on to be one of the most entertaining action heroes for decades cementing a career that not even the worst public behavior can seem to lessen. Gibson plays a maniac; you never knew when he was competent or crazy. He uses comedy as a form of self-preservation because when the bad guys start hitting the right combination of buttons his anger gets the best of him.

Best Picture – The Dark Knight

I cannot possibly write for a blog called House of Geekery without mentioned one of the biggest Oscar oversights of the last 10 years. The Dark Knight  is a badge of courage for all geekdom proving that there is more to these silly superhero stories that wearing your underwear on the outside and punching equally if not more ridiculous looking bad guys in the face. The Dark Knight represented struggles of identity, security, and morality in ways that action movies usually gloss over. It delivers an action pace and thrilling mystery that dramas that wax poetic about morality don’t care to showcase. It is a great example of appealing to a mass audience without dumbing down, and it has the dollars to prove it.

The other parts: Comedy, Horror, and Sci-Fi