Bardem: Killer for the ages, a well-deserved win

Javier Bardem’s supporting actor win for “No Country For Old Men” doesn’t guarantee him the Oscar for that category. There’s still some sentiment for Hal Holbrook’s heartbreaking work in “Into the Wild.” Tom Wilkinson could win, too, if the Academy decides to hold a parade for “Michael Clayton.”

But by giving the award to Bardem, members of the Screen Actors Guild have done the right thing, rewarding a performance that is so fully realized that it is destined to become one of the greatest portraits of evil in movie history.

One publicist for a rival studio griped that Bardem should be put in the lead category. Too much screen time. Not so. It just feels that way. You cannot take your eyes off of Bardem whenever he is present. His creepy stillness is fascinating. And “No Country” coming from the Coen Brothers, the character’s humorlessness turns into something that is bleakly funny.

Bardem thanked the Coens for “ignoring the takes that … sucked.” Hard to believe Bardem delivered more than a few clunkers. This is the actor who made “Love in the Time of Cholera” almost bearable. Hell … he deserves some kind of special award for that alone.

-- Glenn Whipp