Javier Bardem - Biutiful
Javier B. is absolutely always remarkable. Always. Someone please tell me when he's less than stellar. But this movie irks me, as do all of A.G.I.'s movies (except Amores Perros) do. As the despicable, yet inimitable, George Lucas said, "it's easy to make an audience cry, just throw a kitten off a cliff". Alejandro knows how to pull those goddamn strings. And that just bores me to death and makes feel manipulated and want to throw tomatoes at the screen. As much as I want to place a wreath of laurels around Bardem's head, I can't for this film because it's just too obvious. Everything is thrown at us. Cancer! Children! Repentant Hitman! Puhleeze.
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Can't we just realize by now that, post Lebowski, this guy does no wrong? He won the award last year, he ain't gonna win it this year... but he deserves an award almost every time he bursts from the gate. He's mutable, malleable, and a revelation each time on the track. Proof that we don't reach our peak until we've, um, reached our "peak".
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
If mumbling and being angry get you nominated, then I know a lot of people that have been overlooked for this award over the years. I'm sure Jesse will be a force in years to come but this is most certainly not his moment. His performance owes EVERYTHING to Fincher's direction.... and I sort of want the actor to bring something of their own if they're nominated. Of course, this isn't always the case - so be it. A brilliant performance is a brilliant performance. But this is pretty much one note. Albeit, a great note.
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Yeah, yeah, yeah.... we all know he wins. 'Nuf said.
James Franco - 127 Hours
Now THIS is some serious acting. THIS is some amazing shit. I can not say enough goodness and delight about this performance. If we lived in my world, he'd take home ten Oscars. I could wax on about all he had to accomplish in the face of this sort of story telling, but the truth is that it doesn't matter. All we see is a brilliant film with an absolutely incredible performance by a man too handsome to be this talented. I mean, Brad Pitt? Handsome, yes - but only shines forth when man-handled by the proper director (um, Fincher). I could go on. But Franco, he can do anything, from soap operas, to David Gordon Green's first foray into comedy ("Don't fucking get on my case, all right? Look, only reason I started selling pot is so I could put my bubbeh in a nice retirement home.") Need I say more? Danny Boyle, casting genius. Danny Boyle, sorrowfully overlooked this year. Danny Boyle, you deserve it for this flick far more than for that pandering Slumdog Millionaire... Franco, keep it up. MFA's, PHD's, shorts, etc... you da man.
Everything seems to be in alignment with your best actor list, espically with Mr. James Franco, and that's the problem. for the last few, more like couple of years, everytime i hear about him, weather its print, tv, internet news, this blog, it's how fuckin wonderful the man is. a heavnly, dizzy, renisance man. I even got swept into it..... up until i read this blog. The tipping point has occured. this is the point where he goes from a boiling secret, private treasure, backroom keepsake, cheeky-monkey to another dependable cog on the wheel that must fit the parameters of his own creation. when you expect the unexpected, the only way to expect the unexpected, is to stop expecting everything........ A win for james franco would be a lot of unxpected fun, for everybody, except me. I'm rooting for joseph gorden-levitt for killshot. that would be unexpected...and whole-heartidly deserved..
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