Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart; George Clooney, Up in the Air; Colin Firth, A Single Man; Morgan Freeman, Invictus; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker.
Jeff Bridges knocked it out of the park in Crazy Heart but I don’t think enough people will have seen it. George Clooney was even better, and he has a real shot. Morgan Freeman always delivers, but nothing in his performance stood out above Clooney’s and Bridges’ efforts. I still have to see A Single Man but I’m expecting big things from Firth — same with Renner’s Hurt Locker.
(Clockwise, from left: Jeff Bridges, Jeremy Renner, Colin Firth, George Clooney, Morgan Freeman)
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side; Helen Mirren, The Last Station; Carey Mulligan, An Education; Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire; Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia.
Since The Last Station still hasn’t been released here in the boonies, I can’t comment on my usual go-to gal Helen Mirren. Sandra Bullock’s clearly the crowd favorite in this category, but Meryl Streep did a better job in Julie & Julia. However, the too-fluffy nature of that film may make it difficult for her to get the nod. Gabourey Sidibe gave an astonishing performance in Precious — certainly Oscar-worthy, but I wonder if the depressing nature of the film may turn off Oscar voters. As for Carey Mulligan, I can’t get over my lack of enthusiasm for An Education. This category may come down to the wire.
(Clockwise, from left: Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren, Sandra Bullock, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe)
Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus; Woody Harrelson, The Messenger; Christopher Plummer, The Last Station; Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds.
Cristoph Waltz. If you’ve seen Basterds, you know there’s no contest here, despite standout performances by Matt Damon and Woody Harrelson.
(Clockwise, from top left: Stanley Tucci, Christoph Waltz, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Plummer, Matt Damon)
Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart; Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air; Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.
Kudos to Anna Kendrick for getting an Oscar nomination after playing second banana to Kristen Stewart in two Twilight movies. Nine‘s lackluster result is no great showcase for Penelope Cruz, but some of the other actresses really stood out in great films. Thanks to Up in the Air’s superior script, Vera Farmiga gave a more nuanced performance than the dependable Maggie Gyllenhaal was able to manage in Crazy Heart. Based on sheer performing power, however, Mo’Nique deserves the nod: she created a character you wanted to hate, yet for whom you were still able to feel some small amount of sympathy.
(Clockwise, from left: Vera Farmiga, Mo’Nique, Maggie Gyellenhaal, Penelope Cruz, Anna Kendrick)
Oh, you and your Tomato-tron! Good size-up, but what I really want is a snub report from the king of snubbery (aka where’s the effing love for (500) Days of Summer?!).
BTWs, I’ve never seen someone so “meh” about the idea of killing Hitler by way of an expertly portrayed French chick. Roll with the fantasy!
Thanks for chiming in, Junkie1!
Allz I’m sayin’ is Kells has a long uphill battle to win in Animation if nobody’s bloody seen it yet.
My love for (500) Days of Summer is well-known throughout the land. As is my Particular Fancy™ for Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
As for Basterds, I think it’s an expertly made film but it’s fantastical ending being totally at odds with what we know is reality leaves me cold. Does it really feel good to imagine Hitler successfully assassinated by a sultry Franco-Jew when we know the dude sloughed off more assassination attempts than Heidi Montag had plastic surgery procedures?
The deal is: it’s Tarantino! It’s all fantasty, so I think it’s unfair to judge it through a realistic lens since it’s fiction set in historically-inspired surroundings. That lens is better applied to something like Valkyrie.
Nice dig on Mont-hag, btw.
I come bearing links: http://tiny.cc/CzdHO