Robert Pattison [78 points / 12 votes]
Second place:
Timothée Chalamet [108 points / 18 votes]
And the winner is...
Michael Stuhlbarg [121 points / 18 votes]
“Although he had been in six movies and had a handful of television parts beforehand, it was his leading role in the Coen brothers’ 14th film, 2009’s A Serious Man that got Michael Stuhlbarg noticed by critics. Stuhlbarg made a lasting impression as Larry Gopnik, a much put upon professor of physics living a Job-like existence in 1967 Minnesota.
“But although the film got nominated for Best Picture, Stuhlbarg didn’t get a nomination for Best Actor. Nor did he for the supporting parts that followed in such major movies as Lincoln, Blue Jasmine, Steve Jobs, and Arrival. But it was this last year that Stuhlbarg really should’ve been acknowledged by Academy voters because he was in three of the nine nominees for Best Picture, The Shape of Water, The Post, and Call Me By Your Name, and nailed his role in each one.
“But while Stuhlbarg was somewhat lost in the A-list ensemble of Steven Spielberg’s The Post, his parts in Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, and Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name are very valuable to these fine films, and, yes, absolutely Oscar worthy.
“Stuhlbarg’s character caught between the forces of good and evil because while we meet him as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, a sympathetic scientist who wants to help save the mysterious amphibian man-like sea creature that the movie revolves around, he is in actuality a Russian spy, named Dimitri Antonovich Mosenkov, who’s supposed to euthanize the creature as per his orders from his superiors.
“The warmth of Stuhlbarg’s character is diametrically opposed to Michael Shannon’s icy Colonel Richard Strickland, who had captured the creature and wants to dissect it (or him). Shannon deserved an Academy Award nomination too, but as Stuhlbarg is a part of the film’s heart, along with Sally Hawkins’ protagonist Elisa Esposito, and Richard Jenkins’ Giles (both of whom scored nominations), and has a moving developmental arc, he has the emotional edge over Shannon’s sinister antagonist.
“In Call Me By Your Name, Stuhlbarg portrays Mr. Perlman, a antiquities and archaeology professor whose son, Elio (Timothée Chalamet), falls in love with a visiting American scholar (Armie Hammer). Once again, Stuhlbarg’s character is on the sideline to a blossoming romance. His Mr. Perlman is seemingly unaware of the passionate relationship going on under his nose, but a poignant, carefully delivered speech he gives to his son reveals that he wasn’t as oblivious as he appeared.
“Stuhlbarg may be destined to be a supporting player, but as he showed that he could carry a film in A Serious Man, we know he can more than handle being the lead, and, with hope, he’ll get another chance to head the cast of a major movie again. Until then, he’ll likely stand out in small roles, and maybe one will get finally him an Oscar nod. His multiple film roles in 2017, along with his appearances on the FX show Fargo (executive produced by the Coen brothers whose 1996 the program is based on), are strong examples of his layered talents and empathic presence.
“I’m betting that Stuhlbarg’s future projects, including a proposed sequel to Call Me By Your Name, will make it harder and harder for the Academy to ignore, but, more importantly, will further establish him as one of the most reliable actors in the business.” ~ Daniel Cook Johnson
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