“Forgotten Hollywood”- My 2021 SAG Awards Ballot…

Posted on February 20, 2021 by raideoman1 | No Comments

Manny P. here…

“`This is the annual presentation of my SAG Awards Ballot, highlighting personal selections for movie-related performances in 2020. In my humble estimation, this was a weird year for cinematic productions since theaters remain shut down. Everything I watched was streamed. Here are my selections:

   

  OUTSTANDING MALE:  Chadwick Boseman  (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

A great selection of candidates, though Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods and Tahar Rahim in The Mauritanian were snubbed. My choice for Chadwick Boseman is not made out of respect for his untimely passing. In my estimation, his gives the finest performance in any category this season. Anthony Hopkins (The Father) and Gary Oldman (Mank) are worthy rivals. Hopkins contends with real and imagined settings, making his efforts all the more superlative. Steven Yeun (Minari) gives a fine understated performance. Riz Ahmed is receiving critical attention for Sound of Metal, but I am not buying the hype.

  OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Frances McDormand  (Nomadland)

Viola Davis as Ma Rainey is the clear front-runner. Honestly, Davis never gives a bad effort. In this case, she is actually overshadowed by Boseman’s performance. For me, it comes down to Frances McDormand’s reflective journey and Vanessa Kirby undergoing a difficult child-birth in Pieces of a Woman. It is a tough choice.  McDormand is truly the greatest American actress of this generation and roles are clearly tailored for her. Carey Mulligan is effortlessly wicked in Promising Young Woman. Amy Adams rounds out the field with an angry one-note recital. Andra Day was snubbed for her impressive turn in The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

  OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE:  Leslie Odom Jr.  (One Night in Miami)

This choice was the most difficult to make. Leslie Odom Jr., Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) and Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) remain neck-and-neck, with Odom’s elegance besting Cohen’s breezy humor and Kaluuya’s ferocity. Actually, my true pick would be Paul Raci in Sound of Metal if on the ballot.  Chadwick Boseman’s screen time in Da 5 Bloods was brief. Jared Leto shamelessly chews the scenery in The Little Things.

   OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING FEMALE:  Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)

Amanda Seyfried (Mank) was unfortunately omitted by the voting committee. I believe she is the front runner for the Oscar in this category.  That said, I adored Glenn Close’s performance in Hillbilly Elegy.  Ironically, standing in her way once again is Olivia Coleman efforts in The Father (as she did a couple of years back). I am perplexed by selections of Maria Bakalova in Borat, Youn Yuh-Jung in Minari, and particularly, Helena Zengel in News of the World.

   OUTSTANDING CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE:  The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7  has an unruly cast and in every instance, each role is perfection. And this was one of my favorite cinematic moments of the year. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night in Miami, and Da 5 Bloods have a real stagey feel to their respective ensembles. Each actor can appreciate the beautifully penned material they were handed to recite. Minari has a warm familial vibe, but I would have replaced this film with Mank.

~   ~   ~

~ 2020 Top 10: 1. Mank  2. The Trial of the Chicago 7  3. Promising Young Woman    4. One Night in Miami  5. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom  6. Nomadland  7. Da 5 Bloods    8. Minari  9. The Mauritanian  10. The United States vs. Billie Holiday

~ Hamilton was filmed as a television special.  Technically, it is ineligible for consideration in the movie category for the SAG Awards or for an Oscar. However, the Golden Globes allowed the presentation to be nominated as a motion picture (Comedy or Musical). The production is my worthy Honorable Mention… It is simply SPECTACULAR!!

“’The SAG Awards airs on April 4th on TNT and TBS. We will see how I do this year…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 20th, 2021 at 11:53 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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