golden boys - part 2

So now supporting actor.

1. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

It's to the point where this one goes without saying. He will be missed, for sure. This indelible portrayal of malevolence will be remembered up there with Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lector.

2. Josh Brolin, Milk

It's a small part that stands out. Brolin plays Dan White, Harvey Milk's bitter and contentious rival on San Francisco's city council. It could have been a throwaway role filled with generic crazy. But the grace of Brolin's performance is his ability to add texture to every moment. He creates White as a jealous, small, and confused man. There's ambiguity, too, and a queer studies-ready

 reading of the part. Compared to his two-dimensional Bush impression in W. (perhaps not his fault, as he was asked to play a man with the complexity of a piece of cardboard), this is Brolin's best work yet.

3. Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married

I was one of the lucky theatergoers who saw Irwin's sad-sack interpretation of George in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf a few years ago (opposite the force of nature that is Kathleen Turner). I've been craving more of Irwin since. He stands out in Jonathan Demme's sprawling ensemble as the beaten-down but eternally upbeat father of his two warring daughters Kym and Rachel (Anne Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt). It's another performance consisting of divine small moments. The dishwashing scene? Killer.

4. Brad Pitt, Burn after Reading

So this has been his year. Previous to this film and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I've never been too impressed. His Oscar-nominated work in 12 Monkeys was entertaining, but still fell in that stock-straight jacket crazy category. And Casey Affleck managed to slyly steal The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford out from under him. But here, pairing with the Coens for this first time, Pitt makes a striking impression. As Chad, the hard-bodied, soft-minded trainer and confidante of Frances McDormand's plastic surgery-obsessed lonelyheart, Pitt elicits guffaws whenever on screen. Watch for the small movements, it's a great physical performance.

5. Emile Hirsch, Milk

I feel like I'm cheating a little bit with this one. Yes, I love how Hirsch disappears into the role of Chuck Jones, one of the activists who dedicates himself to Harvey Milk's cause (and who is, incidentally, the only main character portrayed in the film who is still alive). And this coupled with last year's Into the Wild makes Hirsch one of the most exciting young actors around.

But, really, this one is here because so many people have told me that Hirsch's Jones, in attitude, behavior, and gesture, reminds them of me. Looking at the film again, I must agree. So, this is probably as close as I will come to an on-screen portrayal, so I must give it the attention it deserves.