actoroscar.blogspot.com

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Saturday, 22 April 2017

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Denholm Elliott in A Private Function

Posted on 20:38 by allenales
Denholm Elliott did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning BAFTA, for portraying Dr. Charles Swaby in A Private Function.

A Private Function is yet another off-beat film from 84 this time about a husband Gilbert (Michael Palin) and wife Joyce (Maggie Smith) getting into the complicated black market during food rationing in post-war England.

Denholm Eliott, in the second of his three consecutive BAFTA winning performances, plays the ringleader of the "nefarious" group secretly procuring food outside of the food rationing policies set by the government. Denholm Elliott is the funniest part of this comedy of manners because he plays the part the role less as a stuck up high class doctor and more as a crime boss not entirely unlike Michael Caine's Mortwell in Mona Lisa. Elliott's approach is to take everything so seriously that it ends up becoming more than a little hilarious, I won't say he quite plays it straight though because he doesn't exactly. There is a build up to this though as we see glimpses of his character as he is working with his "gang" of other well to dos who plan on getting their pork for a pivotal private function no matter what it takes, well maybe not no matter what. These guys though are pretty severe though it seems evidenced by Elliott's mere body language in these scenes as he sits with his darkened expression among the others, clearly the man of power, of course we're talking about the leader of a hoity toit dinner.

Unfortunately for doctor Swaby and his "villains" the new doctor in town, foot doctor that is, Gilbert accidentally comes wind of their hidden pigs who, egged on by his wife, decide to steal it in order to social climb. This leads to the doctor to be short of one pivotal main course for his dinner party leading to a break down among his gang. Elliott is hilarious in this scene, particularly the pained distress in his reaction at being suggested that they replace the main course with salmon. Elliott's great as he takes this atypical swing around as he plays it more mobster than snob in the viciousness he exudes in his speech against the changing mores of England. It is not entirely unlike Bob Hoskins's final speech in The Long Good Friday though of course Elliott's anger stems from having to share a little rather than due to losing everything. What I actually loved is that Elliott does not wink at any point in this playing the whole thing straight yet skewed still as a most ridiculous society man.

Elliott's best scenes come in the climax in the film where the men find their stolen pigs and must deal with Joyce and Gilbert in order to proceed with their proper meal on time. Elliott again stays with his oh so amusing approach as he brings so much intensity to the role. I with all sincerity hope Elliott played a legitimate gangster once since Elliott would be genuinely menacing in the role if his threats were more than just rather vague insults. Of course that is what makes Elliott so funny as he delivers his lines with the same type of determined hate you'd expect from a man who will kill to get what he wants, although of course the doctor really won't go that far. Elliott's subversion is quite something with the highlight being perhaps his version of Robert Prosky's speech in Thief since Elliott does not hold back directing his brutal words so effectively yet his brutal words basically amount to "hey nobody likes you, leave town". Elliott gives a very entertaining performance as he stays so true and consistent in his initial setup of portraying Dr. Charles Swaby as the most "merciless" of all dinner party hosts.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in 1984 Alternate Supporting, Denholm Elliott | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Alternate Best Actor 1992: Benoît Poelvoorde in Man Bites Dog
    Benoît Poelvoorde did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Ben in Man Bites Dog. Man Bites Dog is a faux documentary that goes alo...
  • Alternate Best Actor 1973: Edward Woodward in The Wicker Man
    Edward Woodward did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sergeant Howie in The Wicker Man. The Wicker Man is an effective horror f...
  • Best Supporting Actor 2016: Michael Shannon in Nocturnal Animals
    Michael Shannon received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Lt. Bobby Andes in Nocturnal Animals. Nocturnal Animals is a glossy holl...
  • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2016: Stellan Skarsgård and Damian Lewis in Our Kind of Traitor
    Stellan Skarsg å rd did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dima in Our Kind Of Traitor. Our Kind of Traitor is somewhat effectiv...
  • Alternate Best Actor 2012: Matthias Schoenaerts in Rust and Bone
    Matthias Schoenaerts did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Ali in Rust and Bone. Rust and Bone is an effective film which follo...
  • Best Actor 2016: Ryan Gosling in La La Land
    Ryan Gosling received his second Oscar nomination for portraying Sebastian in La La Land. La La Land is a wonderful musical about the romanc...
  • Alternate Best Actor 1968: Max von Sydow in Shame
    Max von Sydow did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jan Rosenberg in Shame. Shame is an excellent film that follows a couple th...
  • Alternate Best Actor 1954: Anthony Quinn in La Strada
    Anthony Quinn did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Zampanò the strongman in La Strada. La Strada is a great film by Federico F...
  • Alternate Best Actor 1968
    And the Nominees Were Not: Lee Marvin in Hell in the Pacific Burt Lancaster in The Scalphunters Charles Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the W...
  • Alternate Best Actor 1992: Eric Stoltz in The Waterdance
    Eric Stoltz did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Joel Garcia in The Waterdance. The Waterdance is a surprisingly low key film ...

Categories

  • 1937 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1947 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1947 Alternate Supporting
  • 1951 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1954 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1954 Alternate Supporting
  • 1968 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1968 Alternate Supporting
  • 1973 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1973 Alternate Supporting
  • 1984 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1984 Alternate Supporting
  • 1992 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1993 Alternate Best Actor
  • 1993 Alternate Supporting
  • 2003 Alternate Best Actor
  • 2003 Alternate Supporting
  • 2005 Alternate Supporting
  • 2012 Alternate Best Actor
  • 2012 alternate supporting
  • 2016
  • 2016 Alternate Best Actor
  • 2016 Alternate Supporting
  • 2016 Best Supporting Actor
  • Adam Driver
  • Alden Ehrenreich
  • Alec Guinness
  • Alex Frost
  • Andrew Garfield
  • Anthony Hopkins
  • Anthony Quinn
  • Anthony Wong
  • Ben Foster
  • Benoît Poelvoorde
  • Bernie Mac
  • Billy Bob Thornton
  • Bradley Whitford
  • Burt Lancaster
  • Casey Affleck
  • Charles Bronson
  • Chazz Palminteri
  • Choi Min-sik
  • Chris Pine
  • Christopher Lee
  • Cillian Murphy
  • Claude Rains
  • Cyril Cusack
  • Damian Lewis
  • Daniel Brühl
  • Daniel Day-Lewis
  • Denholm Elliott
  • Denzel washington
  • Dev Patel
  • Donald Sutherland
  • Edward G. Robinson
  • Edward Woodward
  • Elliott Gould
  • Eric Stoltz
  • Fredric March
  • George Sanders
  • Ghassan Massoud
  • Harry Dean Stanton
  • Harvey Scrimshaw
  • Henry Fonda
  • Ian Holm
  • Isao Numasaki
  • Issey Ogata
  • Ivan Dobronravov
  • Jack Lemmon
  • James Caan
  • Jason Isaacs
  • Jean Gabin
  • Jean Louis Trintignant
  • Jeff Bridges
  • Jeff Daniels
  • Jeffrey Wright
  • Jesse Bradford
  • Joel Edgerton
  • John Candy
  • John Cassavetes
  • John Hurt
  • John Ritter
  • Keanu Reeves
  • Kenneth McMillan
  • Klaus Kinski
  • Lee Marvin
  • Leslie Cheung
  • Liam Neeson
  • Louis Jouvet
  • Lucas Hedges
  • Mads Mikkelsen
  • Mahershala Ali
  • Malcolm McDowell
  • Matthew McConaughey
  • Matthias Schoenaerts
  • Max von Sydow
  • Michael Keaton
  • Michael Redgrave
  • Michael Shannon
  • Mikkel Følsgaard
  • Nawazuddin Siddiqui
  • Orson Welles
  • Oskar Werner
  • Ossie Davis
  • Park Hae-il
  • Peter Coyote
  • Pierre Fresnay
  • Raj Kapoor
  • Ralph Ineson
  • Rémy Girard
  • Richard Basehart
  • Richard Jenkins
  • Richard Jordan
  • Robert Donat
  • Robert Duvall
  • Robert Mitchum
  • Robert Shaw
  • Ronald Cheng
  • Ronald Colman
  • Russell Crowe
  • Ryan Gosling
  • Sam Neill
  • Shinya Tsuamoto
  • Shinya Tsukamoto
  • Stellan Skarsgard
  • Sterling Hayden
  • Sting
  • Tadanobu Asano
  • Terence Stamp
  • Thomas Bo Larsen
  • Tim Roth
  • Toby Jones
  • Tom Courtenay
  • Tony Curtis
  • Toshiro Mifune
  • Trevor Howard
  • Tsutomu Yamazaki
  • Tyrone Power
  • Viggo Mortensen
  • Vincent Price
  • Willem Dafoe
  • Yoo Ji-Tae
  • Yoshi Oida
  • Yosuke Kubozuka
  • Yul Brynner

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2017 (138)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (13)
    • ►  June (18)
    • ►  May (17)
    • ▼  April (20)
      • Alternate Best Actor 2012: Mads Mikkelsen and Mikk...
      • Alternate Best Actor 2012: Toby Jones in Berberian...
      • Alternate Best Actor 2012: Matthias Schoenaerts in...
      • Alternate Best Actor 2012
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Results
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Denholm Elli...
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Harry Dean S...
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Kenneth McMi...
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: John Candy i...
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Tim Roth in ...
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984
      • Alternate Best Actor 1984: Results
      • Alternate Best Actor 1984: Jack Lemmon in Mass Appeal
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1984: Tsutomu Yama...
      • Alternate Best Actor 1984: Terence Stamp and John ...
      • Alternate Best Actor 1984: John Cassavetes in Love...
      • Alternate Best Actor 1984
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1973 Results
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1973: Yul Brynner ...
      • Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1973: Richard Jord...
    • ►  March (24)
    • ►  February (22)
    • ►  January (16)
  • ►  2016 (12)
    • ►  December (12)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

allenales
View my complete profile