Casey Affleck Academy Award For This & NOT "Manchester By The Sea"

The Academy gets into a habit of playing catchup for some performers, they did it for Leo recently, and they are 10 years too late for Casey Affleck.
His performance here was great. He plays very well the picked on/abused, defeated/down, going through the motions, fake or no confidence character. He did so hilariously in "Drowning Mona" and brilliantly in this movie. He plays the defeated, broken man/boy again in "Manchester by the Sea" but the movie was not moving and he is that way from beginning to end except for one scene that shows us him before his trauma.
As Robert Ford we watch his character progression from firstly a boy among men, star struck with Jesse James, idolizing and worshiping his hero to then discovering that saying "never meet your heros". Although seemingly taken under the wing of Jesse, his insecurities and realization he could never "be" his hero amplifies his feelings of failure. Ford gains a resentment after being picked on from Jesse and even his own brother, who is a dumber wanna-be hiding how scared to death he is of the unpredictable Jesse. We then see For defiant and in this defiance he feels he has found his own identity. He throws away his books of exaggerated tales about the James Gang and purges himself of the obsessive comparisons of himself and Jesse (the far reached similarities; the differences of age between brothers, their fathers similar jobs, sect). Eventually he double crosses Jesse thinking this will make him a hero to the higher class (politicians, FEDS) who are looking for the outlaw and his bandits and thinks this will finally make him feel good about himself. He imagines himself as the brave Cowboy justice hero capable of taking down the badass Jesse James. He ends up killing James (as the title gives away so no SPOILER ALERT for you *beep* but this only leaves him remorseful and empty as he betrayed the man he once idolized and now has insecurities of being a rat and trader. The entire USA also vilifies him, many men still regard James as a robin hood figure that drew Ford to James in the first place. Now hes the same insecure boy, but now realize his search for self identity and bout of false confidence and illusions of grandeur made him kill his hero.
Affleck's acting is incredible in this movie, a perfect match to Pitts own tortured man searching for self as he is written about as a larger than life figure he knows he is not. Pitts rejection from his older brother deeply effects him and his bouts with mental illness and paranoia as a man on the run all make him a comparable reflection to Affleck's character. In Affleck he finds a younger brother to tease/ almost an intern or super fan that he lets hand around so he can feel the adoration that makes him feel whole. His mistake is that Affleck has yet to become his own man and feels unwhole himself. Jesse seems to welcome death before it comes and as he looks at the reflection of Ford about to assassinate him he does not try to run or turn around. He knows this is the end of his tortured existence and welcomes death in the final seconds (similar to Malcolm X in Spike Lee's movie almost smiles when he stares at his killer before being shot). Just like his hero when Ford is called to turn around by his assassin, the looks he gives is not of surprise but almost says "I've been expecting you". Affleck talent is full on display on his transition to wide eyed excited boy to slowly being knocked down and broken down to eventual bitter underling to regretful tortured trader. Affleck uses his entire body in this performance. His eyes (avoidance in looking at people by shutting his eye lids as hes talking to someone withthem closed for long period of time), body language (shifty stance when talking tom someone he feels less than), movement of his adam's apple through gulps, nervously touching his hair, creepily starring, forced fake laughter.
This was truly a memorable award worthy performance. Yet he will probubly win for his trademark tortured guy character 10 years after this noteworthy performance. I hate when they repay actors awards after overlooking them because they were too busy repaying someone else that year. Yet Jennifer Lawrence wins every year because its fun for everyone or Meryl Streep ,who rightfully won a couple of times, wins every year because shes been around. I dont think she even cares about the awards she doesn't even talk about the award or movie she just uses the 3 minutes to rant about whatever she feels is wrong, that might be half of why the Leftist Hollywood Elite make her win, because they get aroused and climax by hearing her rant about politics and get front page of all the paper and now direct responses to the president. They should just *beep* and get it over with.