This is a year when I am absolutely stunned that the lead acting categories are both so close. It’s easy to make a case for five people to be taking home one of these two trophies a week from Sunday. Which thespian will be walking away with acting’s biggest prize? Let’s get right into it…
Best Actress
THE NOMINEES:
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea RIseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once
WHO WILL WIN?: This is a two-woman race and the closest race I can think of in any recent times. Williams, Riseborough and de Armas have no chance, and it’s gonna come down to Cate Blanchett or Michelle Yeoh. Either could win and both deserve it. This truly feels like a coin toss, so I’m just gonna go with my gut and say this is Cate Blanchett’s third Oscar.
WHO SHOULD WIN?: Both Blanchett and Yeoh are doing some of the best work in their careers in these films. This is the hardest pick I’ve had to make and it’s a real struggle. Yeoh has never even been nominated, so a win for her would be remarkable. But Tár is a film with a performance that has just been stuck in my gut since I’ve seen it.
UPSET SPECIAL: A Michelle Yeoh win will hardly be an upset. It just means I picked the wrong side of the coin.
WHO GOT SNUBBED?: Much has been made about the snubs of Viola Davis for The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler for Till. And those were great performances that I’ve just caught up with recently and loved. So I would remove everyone not named Williams and Yeoh, and throw in David, Deadwyler and Amber Midthunder, who is absolutely magnetic in Prey.
Best Actor
THE NOMINEES:
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
WHO WILL WIN?: This had felt like a three-man race for the longest time, but as of late, Colin Farrell has felt like the third man and he is just barely hanging on. Who does seem to be getting all the momentum, however, is Austin Butler and I think that’s where it’s going. Give the Academy a biopic impersonation and they’re probably gonna give you an Oscar for it.
WHO SHOULD WIN?:Man, Colin Farrell is so brilliant in The Banshees Of Inisherin. It’s just such a pure and light and winning performance that just gets more and more heartbreaking as the film carries on. Sadly, like most of the major awards Banshees is nominated for, it just came out in the wrong year.
UPSET SPECIAL: If not Butler, all signs seem to point to Brendan Fraser, who is quite good in The Whale, though I didn’t particularly love that film. It’s a big showy Oscar performance and Fraser hits all the notes he’s supposed to.
WHO GOT SNUBBED?: In a perfect world, Fraser and Nighy would be out and Tom Cruise and Nicolas Cage would be in, respectively, for Top Gun: Maverick and The Unberable Weight Of Massive Talent. Both of these performances are just dudes who know how to turn it on and bring some absolute heat to really great performances in really fun movies. Be more fun, Oscars!
Fancy Boys Club 