The Academy Awards 2012 Battles: WHO'S GOING TO WIN BEST LEADING ACTOR?

THE BEST LEADING ACTOR BATTLE

George Clooney (The Descendants) Vs Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

While most people always claimed that Clooney is the next Best Leading Actor Oscar winner, I've always put my hopes in Jean Dujardin in what seems to be the male version of the Julie Christie (Away From Her) Vs Marion Cotillard (La vie en rose) battle for the Best Leading Actress Oscar at the Academy Awards 2008. But this time, we have a third possible upset: Brad Pitt, he's out of the main battle, but he stills alive in the race.

GEORGE CLOONEY - THE DESCENDANTS

Perhaps one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, Clooney benefits from his MEGA MOVIE STAR title and for the celebrity status in this Oscar race. In Alexander Payne's The Descendants, Clooney delivered the best acting performance of his whole career and he won a big couple of awards like the Golden Globe of Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama and the Critics' Choice Award of Best Actor between a big couple of critics groups Best Actor prizes. The critical acclaim around him is universal and there are no doubts that he's one of the front-runners in the Best Actor race, but he already is an Oscar winning actor (Best Supporting Actor for Syriana), which is an advantage (in the way that it is a proof that the AMPAS loves him and they love to "kiss" their favorite sons), but it may also be one disadvantage (well, he has already one statue at home, right?).

JEAN DUJARDIN - THE ARTIST

Monsieur Dujardin was no worldwide known face until The Artist released in Cannes Film Festival and became the sensation of this year's festival edition, giving him the Cannes Film Festival Prize of Best Male Acting Performance. Jean Dujardin has one of the most expressive faces I've seen in late years and his performance as a silent movie star is simply awesome and so pleasant to watch: we feel sympathy for him in spite of not hearing no word from his mouth in The Artist. When most people thought the awards season in the Best Actor category would be between George Clooney and Brad Pitt (I confess I always had high hopes in Dujardin's performance), the French actor surprised a lot of people by taking home the SAG Award of Outstanding Performance by a Leading Male Actor in a Motion Picture and the BAFTA Award of Best Actor in a Leading Role, putting them in the same room where he has his Golden Globe of Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and the big couple of critics groups prizes. Dujardin is the unexpected front-runner of the Best Actor race and if he wins (I hope so and I believe it will happen) it will be like a recognition of primal and natural acting talent.

THE OTHER...

While Brad Pitt didn't have a great awards season (taking home a couple of critics associations' prizes like the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle Award of Best Actor), I can see him taking the Oscar home due to his "good behaviour" in the last years (since 2006, when he starred Babel) and specially due to the two great performances he delivered in this year's Moneyball (for which he was nominated) and Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life (for which one he could easily replace Jonah Hill in the Best Supporting Actor nominees shortlist). It would be an unexpected win for a lot of people, but it would also be an populist choice, since Pitt is a BIG movie star (like Clooney!).

TOP 35 Actors and Actresses Under 35 Working Today - 2017

The almost annual TOP 35 Actors and Actresses Under 35 Working Today is out, with me considering the performers' performances of 2016 also. We have a few changes since last year's list, with Greta Gerwig toping the list thanks to her last 3 great performances in Mistress America , Maggie's Plan and the Oscar buzzy acting turn in 20th Century Women . Scarlett Johansson comes second with her latest distinguished performance being in 2014 ( Under the Skin ), but she managed to be at the spotligh this year thanks to her fine turns in critically acclaimed movies: Hail, Caesar! , Captain America: Civil War , The Jungle Book (voice) and Sing (voice). Emily Blunt adds another great performance to her resume in The Girl on the Train and she comes third, while Elle Fanning 's turning into one of the finest actresses and she's getting to play more adult and complex parts like The Neon Demon and 20th Century Women 's (her two best performances since Super 8 ). Finall...

TOP 10 Most Promising Movie Actors (under 30)

Today I discussed about how awful some "teen icons" are and then we talked about some exceptions. So, I decided to make a little list, a TOP 10, with the male actors that I think that will become music in an ocean of noise somewhere in the future (I did one list before, but it was a little bit pathetic and I didn't justify my choices). Let's start... 1 - Ryan Gosling He may not have a huge list of movies in his body of work, but the few times he makes something, all the time he almost carries the movie. In fact, Gosling is a proof that talent does exist and that you don't need excentrical characters to receive raves. He rose to fame after the big screen adaptation of The Notebook (2004) and then received lots of critical praise for his performances in movies like Half Nelson (that gave him an Oscar, a SAG Award and other major awards nominations), Lars and the Real Girl (that gave him a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and other major awards nominations) and Fractur...

TOP 35 Actors and Actresses with or under 35 years old: 2018

I think it was my TOP 35 under 35 list I've ever done since I remember: so many great performers emerged last year with distinguished performances that elevated their previous works (I'm talking about Elizabeth Olsen , Lucas Hedges , Robert Pattinson , Gaspard Ulliel , Tessa Thompson or Jamie Bell , for example). I'm kinda sad I felt "forced" at letting Jonah Hill ( Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street ) and Emma Watson ( The Perks of Being a Wallflower , The Bling Ring and 2017's Beauty and the Beast ) out of the list. Congratulations to Kirsten Dunst , who turned 35 last year so she can not be included in this year's list - such an amazing child actress turned movie star, who delivered memorable performances in Interview with the Vampire (1994), The Virgin Suicides (1999), The Cat's Meow (2002) or Melancholia (2011). This year, Saoirse Ronan tops the list thanks to two great performances: On Chesil Beach and an iconic acting turn in Lad...

Cinema and Popcorn

Search This Blog