Best Actor in a Leading Role
In a fall where the multiplex offerings sometimes resembled the biography section of a bookstore, it is natural that at least a couple of the Best Actor candidates will be thespians portraying real-life people. From their films’ debuts at the Toronto film festival, Brits Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch seemed like instant contenders, as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything and Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, respectively. Both films performed admirably at the box office and buzz surrounding their virtuoso portrayals has not dampened since TIFF.
Joining them is another English actor playing a renowned historical figure: David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma. Although Oyelowo was left off our initial predictions list in November, the rousing reception both the actor and the film received in recent months makes him a near lock for the category.
Since those three performances have their similarities, this could lead to an upset for another favorite, Michael Keaton in Birdman. Although Riggan Thomson mirrors elements of Keaton’s own acting career, this meta quality will probably work in favor of the actor’s terrific performance.
That leaves a fifth spot that could go to a whole variety of actors. The Grand Budapest Hotel keeps building its awards pedigree, but despite Ralph Fiennes’ Chaplin-esque turn, there is already a comedic performance in play. American Sniper is also building buzz, although Bradley Cooper has earned a lot of Academy love in recent years, and that admiration should come to an end. Timothy Spall deservedly took home the Best Actor prize at Cannes for his outstanding work in Mr. Turner, but the film may be too small to make a dent in a packed race.
The last position will likely come down to two actors playing deeply disturbed characters: Steve Carell in Foxcatcher and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. Both actors earned a lot of critical acclaim for their wild on-screen transformations. However, Foxcatcher has seen much backlash regarding its depiction of the relationship between Mark Schultz (played by Channing Tatum) and Carell’s John du Pont. Meanwhile, some could argue that Carell owes much of his performance to the makeup artists. Unless Carell can hold on, expect Jake Gyllenhaal to buy his ticket into the category.
Final Predictions:
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman
David Oyelowo, Selma
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything