Last week, I gave you my predictions for the supporting categories. Let’s take a look at the leads!
BEST ACTRESS
THE NOMINEES:
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day, The United States Vs. Billie Holliday
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces Of A Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
WHO WILL (AND WHO SHOULD WIN): I think this another year where both of these are the same. In a year full of strong performances, Frances McDormand gave the performance of her career (which, considering her career, is fucking saying something). What she does in Nomandland is subtle and powerful and there is just so much silent acting where you see a character’s soul disintegrate. She should be getting another statue to put up on her wall, or wherever she keeps those things.
UPSET SPECIAL: She won the Golden Globe, and Hollywood loves a star who can sing and act. Andra Day‘s portrayal of Billie Holliday is very good (in a movie I didn’t love), and it may be good enough to get her the trophy.
WHO GOT SNUBBED: I don’t know that there were any real snubs. You could totally make the argument that these were the five best leading performances from women all year. I will give love to Jessie Buckley, who is sublime and doing a lot of really hard work in I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, which is a really hard movie. Maybe she’s in and Rosamund Pike is out, but you could convince me otherwise.
Best Actor
THE NOMINEES:
Riz Ahmed, Sound Of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Gary Oldman, Mank
Steven Yuen, Minari
WHO WILL WIN: Have your damn tissues ready, because Chadwick Boseman is an absolute lock to win this. The late actor has never been bad in a film. Hell, he’s never been less than brilliant. And he definitely deserves to have his poor widow come up to the stage to receive a trophy for the last film the man has ever made. We all gonna cry.
WHO SHOULD WIN: It’s a coin toss, but goddamn, I loved Riz Ahmed in Sound Of Metal. There are about a million ways he could have played this role wrong, but he found every way to make this role and this character work. Both him and Boseman deserve the trophy this year. Cut the fucking thing in half.
UPSET SPECIAL: I mean, so many good performances here. Maybe Steven Yuen gets very, VERY lucky. And he’s great. If he wins, give Minari the Best Picture Oscar and we can all go to bed.
WHO GOT SNUBBED: Did no one in the fucking Academy see Da 5 Bloods? I could have easily seen a world where that film was nominated for so many things, one of them being Delroy Lindo who is fucking perfect in this film and gives a performance that is absolutely fucking stunning. In my world, Lindo is in and Oldman is out.
Fancy Boys Club 