[IMG:L]Last time, we looked at the Best Picture contenders. Now, 10 guys whose performances just might put Oscar gold in their hands in February.
The Frontrunner
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Why he deserves it: Reprising his Tony-winning role, Langella is resplendent as Richard M. Nixon, who, as Rolling Stones’s Peter Travers says, is “stripped of his tricks by an actor who cuts deep and leaves bruises.” Langella embodies the former president with both resolve and regrets, a true marvel to watch onscreen.
KEEP READING: The Runner Up …
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Why he deserves it: Penn’s flawless performance as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to win public office, in the late 1970s, finally gets away from his usual downbeat Oscar ploy and transforms himself into someone joyful for a change! Too bad his chances to win are slim — he’s never been a favorite of the Academy.
KEEP READING: The Senior …
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The Senior
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Why he deserves it: Now that the 70-something Eastwood claims he’s done with acting, his odds — playing yet another crotchety old man — just went up a notch. Especially since the man has yet to win the Oscar for Best Actor, despite being nominated twice. Can you say career award in acting? We hope not.
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The President
Josh Brolin, W.
Why he deserves it: Brolin’s performance is sometimes a SNL caricature, sometimes a heart-wrenching look at man with major daddy issues. But one thing it is NOT — boring. He’s probably got a better shot at Oscar with his supporting turn as the “Twinkie Defense” assassin Dan White in Milk, but you’ve got to give the actor props for portraying one seriously unpopular man with pizzazz.
KEEP READING: The Revolutionary …
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The Revolutionary
Benicio Del Toro, Che
Why he deserves it: Del Toro seems destined to play revered radical Che Guevara — and getting to do it in a four-hour opus is even better. Just ask George C. Scott, who won the Oscar for playing Gen. Patton in Patton (170 minutes) or Warren Beatty, who was nominated for playing John Reed in Reds (194 minutes).
KEEP READING: The Surprise …
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The Character Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Why he deserves it: It’s heartening to see a character actor get a chance to shine. Jenkins, best known as the dead patriarch in HBO’s Six Feet Under, burns brightly as a lonely man who befriends a couple basically squatting in his semi-vacant apartment. He’ll be the surprise nomination if he makes it.
KEEP READING: The Oddball …
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The Oddball
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Why he deserves it: What could be more challenging than playing an 80-year-old toddler? Pitt has always had the chops, and it looks like his offbeat performance, guiding by his soul mate David Fincher, could give him his first Best Actor nomination.
KEEP READING: The Comeback …
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The Comeback
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Why he deserves it: Rourke’s turn as a has-been trying to make his way back into the ring is art imitating life. As for his Oscar chances, the actor is the epitome of an underdog — and everyone loves an underdog.
KEEP READING: The Pretty Boy …
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The Pretty Boy
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Why he deserves it: DiCaprio’s multi-layered performance as a young married man stuck in an oppressive 1950s lifestyle goes beyond its Mad Men stereotype. This STILL may not be Leo’s year, but by golly, he’s going to keep trying until he wins one of those suckers.
KEEP READING: The Determined …
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The Determined
Will Smith, Seven Pounds
Why he deserves it: Much like DiCaprio, Smith has been trying real hard to get an Oscar for some time now. His performance as an IRS man seeking redemption by helping seven strangers would be the actor’s third attempt at the serious. Don’t worry, Will, you’ll get there.
Supporting Actor Possibilities: Heath Ledger as THE Joker in The Dark Knight; Philip Seymour Hoffman as a kindly priest in Doubt; Michael Sheen as the affable David Frost in Frost/Nixon; Robert Downey Jr. as the method actor extraordinaire in Tropic Thunder (or possibly as Best Actor for Iron Man); Milk’s Men: James Franco, Emile Hirsch and/or Josh Brolin; Ralph Fiennes as the boring husband in The Duchess or the troubled lawyer in The Reader; Michael Shannon as a schizophrenic neighbor in Revolutionary Road
