The Best of 2009 - Supporting Actor

So while there are still a small number of films to see, my best of 2009 lists are pretty ironed out and its time to unveil the top 5s in performances followed by the top 10 movies of the year. 2009 was a fantastic year for movies, in my opinion, one of the best years of the decade and its unfortunate that some great films and performances have been left of the list.

Getting things started are the best supporting performances by an actor for 2009:

5. Robert Duvall - Crazy Heart

Duvall was the lightest part of what was a rather heavy movie. His character's enthusiasm was refreshing and his performance was a reminder of what a great actor he is.

4. Martin Starr - Adventureland
Starr is an actor who's always in the background but in Adventureland he really defines himself as not only a funny looking kid prime for ridicule, but proves he can add some serious emotional depth to a character he plays. He's heartbreaking without seizing to make you laugh.

3. Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker

Much has been made about the performance of Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker but Mackie's soldierish confidence adds more realism to this movie than Renner does. At the point when Makie's performance could make or break (if you've seen it, you know) Makie not only makes it, but kills it.

2. James Gandolfini - Where the Wild Things Are

I'm of the school of thought that it shouldn't matter what kind of computer imaging goes into what your character looks like. If the performance underneath it all is good enough for recognition, then recognize it. For an actor best known for his ruthless mafia ways, Gandolfini changes gears and creates a character lovable enough for children and complex enough for adults, much like the movie itself.

1. Christoph Waltz - Inglorious Basterds

There won't be many arguments here as Waltz steals every single frame in which he appears. A performance like this makes a strong case for abandoning the "supporting" catagory as he was just plain and simple, one of the best actors of the year. The bad guys have been dominating the supporting actor catagory for a few years now with Ledger and Bardem redefining evil but Waltz, like any Tarantino character, flips evil on its head and gives us a new look at humanity.