The
Best Actor race this year was at its most interesting and competitive
before the nominations. The big question was which of the six leading
men in the hunt would be left off the Academy's ballot. It was never
a question of who would end up winning the whole thing, as that has
been obvious for a couple of months now.
Easily the best thing about David O. Russell's screwball rom-com Silver Linings Playbook was Bradley Cooper's performance. He makes a likable hero out of a prickly character, sporadically but seamlessly transitioning between comedic and dramatic beats. But even in a less competitive year, I still don't think it's the sort of performance that could have won.
The
frontrunner, of course, is Daniel Day-Lewis, whose gentle yet
commanding interpretation of Abraham Lincoln humanizes the man behind
the myth. Having won the vast majority of critics prizes, along with
the Globe and the SAG, he's clearly poised to win his third
Best Actor Oscar. He'll become the first man ever to do so. His only
possible stumbling block may be that some voters remember him winning
his second not that long ago.
Hugh
Jackman successfully staved off the stigma against male leads in
musicals by reaping a hard-earned nomination for Les Miserables.
I'm really happy for him to have finally been given a role worthy of
his musical talents, and to have so successfully pulled it off too.
The Golden Globe victory was a nice bit of wind in his sails, but
leading men in musicals rarely win Oscars. Last time was Rex
Harrison in 1965!
The
best of the field, in my opinion, is Joaquin Phoenix in The
Master. I was worried that the SAG snub might have translated
into an Oscar snub as well, but thankfully, the acting branch
recognized it for the vital, courageous work that it is. However, it
strikes me as too difficult and enigmatic a performance to win over
the whole membership.
Rounding
out the field is Denzel Washington for his outstanding portrait of
addiction in Flight. The film itself hasn't had a huge
presence on the awards circuit this season, but the semi-surprising
nomination for John Gatins' script hints that perhaps enough people
saw and liked the film. Still, Washington would probably have needed
a Best Picture nod for the film in order to pose a serious challenge
to Day-Lewis.
Will
win: Daniel-Day Lewis for Lincoln
Runner-up:
Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables
Should
win: Joaquin Phoenix for The Master
Should
have been nominated: John Hawkes for The Sessions
