Oscars 2022: Every Acting Nominee Ranked

As is the case with fellow Being the Ricardos co-star J.K. Simmons, Javier Bardem serves as another example of the Academy praising itself.

There's no denying that the actor's performance is infectiously fun and entertaining, but his charm and impressive physicality aren't quite enough to justify the nomination. Watching it, it's clear this is the kind of performance that would be better remembered had it not been singled-out.

You've got to give Bardem credit for having such an obviously fun time, but you also have to wonder why he's received a nod over Nicolas Cage's revelatory work in Pig or Cooper Hoffman's touching portrayal of youthful joy in Licorice Pizza.

Enjoyable as the performance may be, Bardem's not really given anywhere to go thanks to Aaron Sorkin's mediocre script. This won't be a nomination that ages well.