Timothée Chalamet has undeniably become one of film’s most sought after stars. Throughout his entire career, the actor has always managed to steal the spotlight, whether it was in the modest thriller One & Two or big-budget franchises like Dune, Chalamet is a once-in-a-generation talent, something the actor proved early into his career. Chalamet’s rise to prominence truly came about with his performance as Elio Perlman in Luca Guadagnino’s stunning queer romance, Call Me by Your Name, making him the youngest Best Actor nominee in over 80 years. Now, Chalamet has once again caught the Academy’s attention, and has been nominated for his performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. While this is a great accomplishment for the actor, his second nomination really should have been for his work in Beautiful Boy. Based on the memoirs of Nic Sheff and his father, David Sheff, Chalamet gives one of the finest, most award-worthy performances of his career; one so astounding that the subject himself praised it.
Chalamet’s Performance In ‘Beautiful Boy’ is One of His Best

Since his cinematic debut, Chalamet has produced a diverse and intriguing body of work. Whether it’s as the titular chocolate maker in Wonka or as the heartfelt but homicidal Lee in Bones and All, the actor has never shied away from challenging ideas around his persona. However, Beautiful Boy is truly a special entry in his filmography. Released just a year after the Call Me by Your Name, Chalamet portrays a fictionalized version of Nic Sheff, a bright young man who is plagued by addiction. Opposite Steve Carell, who plays Nic’s father David, the film is an earthy and tumultuous look at the realities and lows of Sheff’s struggles. A lot of heft comes with such a script, and Chalamet proved that he was more than up for the challenge.

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Despite his career still being in its infancy, Chalamet handles the role with such beautiful and jarring realism. Throughout the film, the actor masterfully handles the highs and lows of Sheff’s life with honesty and accuracy. Chalamet’s portrayal of Sheff’s struggle with addiction is one of the most realistic ever put on film. He completely transforms emotionally, so much so that, even for audiences who have read either of the Sheff’s respective memoirs, you can’t help but be on the edge of your seat as the events unfold. At times, Chalamet’s take on Nic is so wonderfully hopeful that the film almost shifts to a “feel good” movie position. Then, minutes later, he’ll hit viewers with frustrating and dangerous actions that are so intense that it sends the picture into a dark, spiraling tone.
One of the best examples comes from Nic’s relationship with his younger siblings, which is, at times, beautiful and at others, dangerously toxic. Portraying such pivots is no easy task, yet Chalamet does it so naturally that the movie’s twists feel both inevitable and realistically jarring. Another crucial part of Chalamet’s performance is that he keeps an underlying arc of sympathy throughout. Even at his most volatile, it’s impossible to turn against Nic. We feel for him and can’t help but root for his recovery. This is key to telling Sheff’s story, as well as any tale involving the hardships of addiction.
Chalamet and Sheff Have Developed a Friendship

There have been countless films about important, real-life figures, many of which have become Oscar bait. The Academy’s snub of Chalamet’s performance is shocking enough as an audience member, but it’s even more frustrating when one considers the seal of approval the actor received from the real Nic Sheff. As stated in Chalamet’s interview with Variety, the actor was quite nervous about portraying Sheff. However, Chalamet found comfort in Sheff himself. “It was all trepidation on my part — nerves and anxiety,” said Chalamet, “which was immediately settled by [the] extraordinarily warm and kind and intelligent and wise person that Nic is, that is innate to him but also through his experiences and his life.”
Indeed, Sheff was equally impressed by the young actor and his performance, telling Deadline: “When I saw the film, the thing that struck me most about his performance was that he captured something I’ve honestly never seen captured before when it comes to addiction..” The two even developed a close friendship and deep respect for one another, which stemmed from Chalamet’s work. One has to wonder that, for all the actors who have been awarded for their biographical work, how the Academy could have skipped over Chalamet, with his stunning performance and praise from the subject himself. Nevertheless, Oscar nomination or not, Beuatiful Boy deserves to be considered amongst the very best in Chalamet’s already impressive filmography.

Beautiful Boy

Release Date

October 12, 2018

Runtime

120 minutes

Director

Felix Van Groeningen

Writers

Felix Van Groeningen, Luke Davies