Javier Bardem for Biutiful - after winning the Cannes Film Festival award of best male performance, Bardem seems to be in the lead of the race for the Oscar of Best Leading Actor. He got all the praises in Cannes and his precedents are simply statements about how great his acting skills are and starring a movie directed by a great director as Alejandro González Iñárritu (21 Grams and Babel) is an advantage in this race. Portraying a man involved in illegal activities who's dying is the kind of juicy role that the Academy usually loves. Right now, an Oscar nod is almost sure and it seems "Biutiful" to me!
Stephen Dorff for Somewhere - Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is getting critical praise at Venice Film Festival and Stephen Dorff's performance is being acclaimed too. His role seems the Oscar nominee kind of role (a Hollywood superstar who's unhappy in spite of all the luxury that start spending more time with is daughter, starting an emotional journey) and Sofia Coppola knows exactly how a superstar behaves (she's Francis Ford Coppola's daughter) and she can make her movie's actors shine easily (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson for Lost In Translation and Kirsten Dunst for Marie Antoinette). Dorff is not famous at all, which is an advantage (the audience will see the character easily than the actor) and some Academy members may look at Dorff's Johnny Marco as they were looking at the mirror and they may vote in him for that. He has a good chance to get a nod for the Academy Award of Best Leading Actor.
Robert Duvall for Get Low - Robert Duvall's performance in Get Low has generated a lot of early Oscar buzz, being already described as an "acting gem". There's no secret that Mr. Duvall is one of the best actors alive in Hollywood, for sure, and I wouldn't be surprise if he would be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar and take the golden statue home, just because his role as a man who makes his own funeral in order to "put his older himself seven feet under" seems a juicy role that combined with Duvall's acting skills may become into gold. One of the strongest contenders, we hope the Academy won't go "more commercial".
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network - David Fincher's The Social Network has all the media attention and Jesse Eisenberg may be in the spotlight if the movie will receive good reviews. Eisenberg is also known as an indie actor and got lots of critical praise for his performance in The Squid and the Whale and then appeared in some well-received movies like Adventureland, Zombieland and Solitary Man. In fact, playing the creator of the Facebook may not give him 5 billion dolars, but may give him the respect and the opportunities an Oscar nominnee actor deserves!
James Franco for 127 Hours - while the Academy loves to give an Oscar nod to an actor/actress' breakthough performances, some actors that are overdue for some recognition must wait and this year may be James Franco's opportunitie. He's very well-known in the cinema business and named a good actor by the critics in general and he has a good body of work, but not an Oscar nod. His role in the Academy winner director Danny Boyle's 127 Hours as the mountain climber Aron Ralston (who had to cut his own arm during one of his adventures) may be his best chance ever to see his talent recognized by the Academy. This is a juicy role that the Academy may like, but a similiar one wasn't recognized some years ago: Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless in the acclaimed Sean Penn's Into the Wild. James Franco is overdue, but will he get the nomination for Best Actor? It's possible and it would be well-deserved!
Stephen Dorff for Somewhere - Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is getting critical praise at Venice Film Festival and Stephen Dorff's performance is being acclaimed too. His role seems the Oscar nominee kind of role (a Hollywood superstar who's unhappy in spite of all the luxury that start spending more time with is daughter, starting an emotional journey) and Sofia Coppola knows exactly how a superstar behaves (she's Francis Ford Coppola's daughter) and she can make her movie's actors shine easily (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson for Lost In Translation and Kirsten Dunst for Marie Antoinette). Dorff is not famous at all, which is an advantage (the audience will see the character easily than the actor) and some Academy members may look at Dorff's Johnny Marco as they were looking at the mirror and they may vote in him for that. He has a good chance to get a nod for the Academy Award of Best Leading Actor.
Robert Duvall for Get Low - Robert Duvall's performance in Get Low has generated a lot of early Oscar buzz, being already described as an "acting gem". There's no secret that Mr. Duvall is one of the best actors alive in Hollywood, for sure, and I wouldn't be surprise if he would be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar and take the golden statue home, just because his role as a man who makes his own funeral in order to "put his older himself seven feet under" seems a juicy role that combined with Duvall's acting skills may become into gold. One of the strongest contenders, we hope the Academy won't go "more commercial".
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network - David Fincher's The Social Network has all the media attention and Jesse Eisenberg may be in the spotlight if the movie will receive good reviews. Eisenberg is also known as an indie actor and got lots of critical praise for his performance in The Squid and the Whale and then appeared in some well-received movies like Adventureland, Zombieland and Solitary Man. In fact, playing the creator of the Facebook may not give him 5 billion dolars, but may give him the respect and the opportunities an Oscar nominnee actor deserves!
James Franco for 127 Hours - while the Academy loves to give an Oscar nod to an actor/actress' breakthough performances, some actors that are overdue for some recognition must wait and this year may be James Franco's opportunitie. He's very well-known in the cinema business and named a good actor by the critics in general and he has a good body of work, but not an Oscar nod. His role in the Academy winner director Danny Boyle's 127 Hours as the mountain climber Aron Ralston (who had to cut his own arm during one of his adventures) may be his best chance ever to see his talent recognized by the Academy. This is a juicy role that the Academy may like, but a similiar one wasn't recognized some years ago: Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless in the acclaimed Sean Penn's Into the Wild. James Franco is overdue, but will he get the nomination for Best Actor? It's possible and it would be well-deserved!
in consideration: Colin Firth (The King's Speech); Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine); Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter);
Comments