Best Actor in a Leading Role:
- Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
- George Clooney (The Descendants)
- Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
- Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
- Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Who will win the Oscar?/Who should win the Oscar?
I'm putting these two together here because I think this one is really up in the air. The winner will definitely be either Jean Dujardin or George Clooney, I'm sure of that, but I don't know for sure which one will win. For the sake of argument and because of the way things have happened so far, I'm going to say that Jean Dujardin will win, but that George Clooney should win. I could honestly see both winning. Clooney won the Golden Globe for Leading Actor in a Drama, while Dujardin won the Golden Globe for Leading Actor in a Comedy/Musical, and the SAG for Leading Actor. Dujardin was impressive this year and deserves the nomination. He works flawlessly within the medium of silent film, with the emotion of the performance transcending the silence of the film. That beings said, I feel like Clooney's performance in The Descendants is easily the best of his career. The range of human emotions that Clooney presents in this film is nothing short of amazing. For that, I believe he deserves the Oscar, and Academy voters very well may agree with me on that one. I think this will be the closest race in any of the acting categories this year.
The rest of the nominees?
I haven't seen A Better Life or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, so I can't really comment on Bichir and Oldman. I did see Moneyball however, and I found Brad Pitt's performance to be impressive. I'm not normally a Brad Pitt fan. He normally chooses roles that are a little too odd and abstract for my taste. What I like about Pitt in this movie is that he does a good job of balancing a character who is struggling to be both an aggressive businessman and a caring father. He's good, but Clooney and Dujardin are just better.
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
- Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
- Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
- Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
- Viola Davis (The Help)
- Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)
Who will win the Oscar/Who should win the Oscar?
Again, I think there is a bit of a tight race here. I don't think it is nearly as up in the air as the Best Actor category, but I think there is a somewhat competitive race. The two front runners in this category are Viola Davis and Meryl Streep. I honestly think the answer to both of these questions is Viola Davis. She won the SAG for Leading Actress. Davis performance in The Help really makes the movie. Some critics have said of this movie that it makes the white people look like the heroes, but if you come away from this movie and don't see the hero that Davis creates in this performance, you weren't paying attention. There is dignity and emotion in this performance and as much as critics might want to take away from Davis, she's amazing. Meryl Streep on the other hand won the Golden Globe for Leading Actress in a Drama. This is the only reason I could possibly see her taking the Oscar from Davis. Yes I said taking, because while Streep is good in this movie, she is far from the best this year. I will give credit to Streep, she is a beacon in what is one of the worst films I've seen this year. Nobody could fill this role like she does. She really is great here, but Davis gave a performance that no other actress can touch this year.
The other nominees?
I haven't seen Albert Nobbs and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, so I can't really comment on the performances, though I have heard good things about Mara's performance from my brother who read the book and saw the movie. Michelle Williams however gave one of my favorite performances this year in My Week With Marilyn. I heard one critic who complained that Williams makes Marilyn look ditsy, when in reality Marilyn was sexy. I couldn't agree less. I think that Williams' performance in this movie makes Marilyn an actual human beings. Most people see Marilyn as a figure or an icon. Hardly as a person. The Marilyn that Williams portrays in this movie has hopes, dreams, and fears that make her seem more human than ever, and yes this is based on a true story. Well those are my thoughts on this year's Best Actor/Actress nominees.
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