Oscars Predictions 2016: Best Actor and Supporting Actor

And now the gentlemen…

Best Actor Nominees

 

Dean – Leonardo DiCaprio

I could go into a long-winded essay about how the internet would break if he wins this year. And granted it would, but as much as it’s a “about damn time” moment, I cannot stress enough that he’s not going to win this because he is due a statue (which he is) or that the other contenders didn’t bring it as hard as he did.

He is going to win this because he made this role – with what little dialogue and character interaction he had – a truly unbelievable and memorable performance as a man both emotionally and physical beaten. It sure does seem a better contender than a wall street douchebag. This could – and should – very well be Leo’s year.

Stephen – Leonardo DiCaprio

Everyone kind of knows this is going to Leonardo DiCaprio this year. If it doesn’t, I think the world will officially give up on The Academy and we can all agree that something is really wrong there, in addition to the lack of diversity.

That being said, I have noticed a few good performances this year as well. Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl was an unbelievably nuanced performance, and paired with Alicia Vikander, this performance was magic to watch. Before the credits rolled, I was already second-guessing my original prediction which was hands-down Leo.

In addition to this, I had the chance to see Trumbo, which was the last Oscar-nominated film in the main categories that I managed to see. If I’ve learnt one thing about Bryan Cranston, it’s that he can do amazing things in the right role. In Breaking Bad he WAS Walter White, not just acting as the character. In Trumbo he does the same thing, and on top of this he has some amazing lines, which is to the credit of the screenwriters of course

Fassbender and Damon have decent performances as well, and one has to commend Fassbender especially for the fast-paced, ping-pong style conversations he has in the Steve Jobs film. But I don’t think any of this can out-do DiCaprio’s performance in The Revenant. The way he conveys physical, mental and spiritual anguish with so few words is just remarkable. Please give him the damn statue already!

Yet again, a pattern is forming regarding the lead acting award. Now let’s see what the supporting actor academy award predictions look like:

Best Supporting Actor Nominees

 

Dean – Mark Ruffalo

Sly Stallone is the fairytale winner here. We all kinda want him to win it and in an ideal world, he’ll get it because his long acting career needs a moment like this. We saw at the Golden Globes that he can win it. But as much as my heart is saying Rocky, my brain is saying Hulk – sorry, Ruffalo.

Are you picturing the Hulk walking up on stage at the Oscars and squeezing the life out of the statue before he grunts an acceptance speech and smashes Chris Rock into the ground? Well then my job is done.

Ok, let’s get back on track. Ruffalo has always been a severely underrated actor, but he brings a lot of heart to his roles and he does so in this one too, as a very determined Boston journalist with some strong views and a very powerful monologue in the film’s climax. Of all the members of the Spotlight team, Ruffalo shone most on screen. I see him taking this one.

Stephen – Tom Hardy

In this category I see the frontrunners as Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hardy and Sylvester Stallone. Stallone is a favourite just because it would be great to see him win after such an amazing career in film.

Ruffalo may walk away with the prize because of how popular Spotlight has been at the guild awards, and how it’s actually a frontrunner for Best Picture.

But I am going with Hardy on this one. Tom Hardy has shown amazing range over the years and has built his career up to this point. That level of progression is not something you see every day. Aside from this, his performance in The Revenant was great to watch; his character’s motivations are so clear (partly due to the amount of dialogue he gets). His brooding monologues, nervous moments and general cowardice just make you hate the character so much. Which is great work!

Tendai – Sylvester Stallone

The action hero of the 80’s and 90’s has more “negative awards” (Razzies) than he has “positive awards” (Oscars, Golden Globes). Who cares when you are a one man army, stranded in the jungle and you are up against an army of guerrillas, snakes, poisonous frogs and mosquitoes? Who cares? Sly is a legend and Rocky will forever be a legendary character as he led the movies.

But in Creed, Sly took a back seat and let the rising star Michael B Jordan lead. Not only did he support Michael B in taking over the reigns of becoming a boxing wonder kid, he became a father to a child of the man that defeated him, he became a father to a friend he had lost to a sport they both loved most. Sly was not only a coach, he was a father to a child who lost his father in the ring. And when Sly’s character wanted to give up, he fought, just like Michael B’s character did. This was more than just boxing, this was a father and son relationship.

What is your prediction for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor?

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