To kick off the month-long series of breaking down the Oscars, I thought I’d start with one of the award show’s most politically charged and most talked about categories, that category being Best Actor.
Last Year
Colin Firth took home a well deserved trophy for The King’s Speech; some argue it’s the award he should have been given for the previous year’s A Single Man, but he stood head and shoulders above his competition, with the possible exception of Jeff Bridges.
The Nominees
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
- It’s quite an accomplishment to star in a movie few people have heard of and even less people have seen and get nominated. With his nomination comprising the only Oscars representation for the film, however, his chances aren’t good.
George Clooney, The Descendants
- Clooney’s done just about everything to take home the top acting trophy, and this year he outdid himself in Alexander Payne’s darkly humorous vision of humiliation and frailty, shirking his suave image to play a wealthy but emotionally impotent schlub.
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
- Silent actors had to let their expressions do the talking, and that’s the order of the day for Dujardin in this film. He charms and emotes better than most, but a win here will have been cemented by the film sweeping the major categories.
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- After years of dodging an Oscar nomination, Oldman finally gets his due by shelving his histrionics to play a simple, perspicacious character with astonishing results. He’s never disappeared so fully into a role before.
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
- Pitt’s labor of love nets him another nod mostly because he carries the film; his energy is infectious and the script, co-authored by last year’s The Social Network scribe Aaron Sorkin, would have been pretentious prattle without him.
The Line
The field is fairly diverse without being overwhelming. Oldman’s role in a film campaigning for the Oscars won him his spot over a profusion of fellow actors, while Bichir’s gives attention to a small film despite everyone knowing he has no chance.
The Odds
Two-to-one for Jean Dujardin. He’s cleaned up at Cannes and the Screen Actor’s Guild, and with The Artist poised to take over, he’ll ride the wave.
The Darkhorses
With George Clooney having paid his dues while taking the majority of awards not given to Dujardin, he’s three-to-one. Pitt, Oldman and Bichir don’t have a chance.
E-mail Bryan at ExaminerFilm@gmail.com for questions, advice, opinions, and suggestions. Questions, advice, and opinions may be posted anonymously. Follow Bryan on Twitter at ExaminerFilm.
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