At this point in the Oscar race, there's really no chance that Brokeback Mountain isn't going to dominate that nominations. I had the pleasure of seeing the movie at an advanced screening on Thursday night, and it was phenomenal. It's honestly one of the best movies I've ever seen. This year's Oscar race is really starting to heat up with the addition of the Fall/Winter movies. A few movies and performances are way in the lead.
Best Actor Heath Ledger's performance in Brokeback Mountain was honestly heart-wrenching. His last line, at the end of the film, "Jack, I swear" really will go down in history as an Oscar-winning line because after seeing this movie, I honestly don't see how it could go to anyone else. This is such a breakthrough role for Ledger, and with having so many previous flops (critically and commercially), I'm sure he's thrilled with how hailed this performance has been.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance in Capote has been getting Oscar buzz from the minute it came out. Hoffman was the early front runner after the critics screeened the movie I saw it a month or so ago, and the movie was great, but his performance was even better. It was so odd because the movie seemed to be pretty long, and it was moving kind of slow, but I didn't even notice. You cannot take your eyes off Hoffman in this movie. Ever. His is the most surefire nomination, but unlikely win up against Ledger and Phoenix.
Walk The Line is probably one the best biopics I've ever seen and it can be almost solely attributed to the stellar acting by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. There were so many points during the film when I couldn't even tell that Phoenix wasn't Johnny Cash--which partly can be attributed to the fact that they do slightly look alike--but mostly to Phoenix's amazing, emotional, and riveting performance. I felt the movie overall was lacking something, but couldn't quite figure what. However, the performance (especially that of Phoenix), keep the film from drowning. This is Phoenix's best work yet and the Oscar nomination if not win will surely put him on track for Hollywood's newest addition to the A-List.
Other performances getting Oscar buzz in the Best Actor category are that of Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon in Crash, Jeff Daniels in The Squid and the Whale, Cilian Murphy in Breakfast on Pluto, Russell Crowe in Cinderella Man, Terrence Howard in Hustle and Flow, and Ralph Fiennes in The Constant Gardener, among a few others.
Ed: JH
Article comments
1 - Matt
Matt Dillon & Don Cheadle are being campaigned supporting.
2 - -E
Oh I don't think Phillip Seymour Hoffman should win because it was hard for me to see him as Truman Capote and not Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It was a good film and all, I just think Every Word is True will be a better one when it comes out.
I think Reece Witherspoon should get a nomination for her job in Walk The Line. Joaquin Phoenix did a damn fine job too, but I thought hers was excellent.
Anyone and everyone from Crash should be in the running. Those worth noting all did a great job and any one of them would get my vote.
And The Constant Gardener wouldn't really be on my list for the acting. Cinematography perhaps, but then Ralph Fiennes never really does it for me either.
3 - Don Baiocchi
Jeff Daniels in The Squid and the Whale was truly awesome, and although his nomination is a long shot, after being nominated by the Indie Spirit Awards I'm hoping he sneaks in. But Hoffman and Phoenix were both really fantastic.
4 - Chris Evans
This is really getting hard to predict. The race is getting SOO close between Ledger, Hoffman, and Phoenix.
5 - Chris Evans
I retract my predictions for Cheadle and Dillon, as it has come to my attention they are now being campaigned as supporting performances.
6 - SFC SKI
IT would be good to see CHeadle get recognized for this performance, and Matt Dillon really went beyond what I expected in this role, a very human portrait.
7 - Chris Evans
I personally don't like Don Cheadle. Nothing he's ever done has really impressed me (No, not even Hotel Rwanda) AND I hear he's quite the ass in person (I'm friends with an agent who has met him). But I do think that the movie Crash was great, the acting ensemble was great, and it's definitely Dillon's best work yet.
8 - funnyguy
Heath Ledger's performance was mesmerizing. I am still thinking about his restrained hurt and love that he was able to portray just with a look on his face. He definitely deserves to win.