Oscar Best Actor & Actress Picks

February 26^th is fast approaching, and that means the 84^th Academy Awards are right around the corner. As usual the carpet will be red, the dresses will be glam and the competition will be tough.  This year’s Best Actor and Best Actress categories are no exception. The competition features many big Hollywood names and the little gold man could go home with just about anyone.  Here are my picks for leading man and lady in 2012.
 
Best Actress Nominees

Glenn Close for “Albert Nobbs”
Set in 19^th century Ireland, Close plays the complicated role of a woman posing as a man in order to work as a butler in a posh hotel.
 
Meryl Streep for “ The Iron Lady”
Streep owns the controversial role of the United Kingdom’s first and only female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.  She brilliantly illustrates the complexity of a woman who held an enormous amount of power in a male- dominated world.
 
Viola Davis for “The Help”
Davis is Aibileen Clark in this film set in 1960s Mississippi. She beautifully portrays a brave African- American woman who told a white author what it was like to work for white families and oppression they faced.
           
Rooney Mara for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Based on the Swedish thriller by Stieg Larsson, Mara plays Lisbeth Salander, a computer hacker who aides a journalist is his search for a missing woman.
 
Michelle Williams for “My Week with Marilyn”
Williams has big shoes to fill, playing the iconic Marilyn Monroe.  The film takes place while the sex symbol is filming in 1950s Britain, spending an idyllic week with a lowly assistant. 
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My Pick: Viola Davis– The Oscars are struggling this year with a huge divide between critic’s and the people’s favorites, but Viola Davis is something everyone can agree on. The Help was hugely successful and Davis’ performance was absolutely flawless. After the predictability of last year’s Best Actress (Natalie Portman, duh), the Academy should be looking to shake things up. Not to mention, Davis snatched up the SAG Award earlier this year.

A Close Second: Meryl Streep – This one is almost too close to call second, as most people believe Streep will be the one take home the statue. She has been nominated many times but has not won in 29 years.  However, “The Iron Lady” was not widely popular and was also disliked by the Academy based on its lack of nominations in other categories. But it is very possible that Streep’s performance will outshine its vehicle and speak for itself.

Dark Horse:  Michelle Williams – If the category was not packed with such big names and so many powerhouse performances, this could have very well been Williams’s year.
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Best Actor Nominees

George Clooney for “ The Descendants”
Clooney plays Matt King,  a Hawaiian land baron and father trying to keep everything together after his wife suffers a boating accident. Clooney truly shines when interacting with his rebellious teenage daughter and as he unravels the complexities of his imperfect marriage.
 
Demian Bichir for “A Better Life”
Bichir portrays an illegal Mexican immigrant and a Los Angeles day laborer who has trouble connecting with his son. Bichir’s performance is strong, as a man who simply wants his son to lead a good life and earn an honest living.
 
Jean Dujardin for “The Artist”
In this love letter to filmmaking, Dujardin plays a silent movie icon in the 1920s.  He perfectly portrays a man in love and who is deeply worried about the future of his career – all without speaking.
 
Gary Oldman for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Set during the Cold War, Oldman is a semi-retired espionage expert forced to come back to take on a Soviet agent inside M16 .
 
Brad Pitt for “Moneyball”
Pitt plays the Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane , who revolutionized the baseball draft with a computer program. Pitt’s performance has the perfect mix of the cockiness of an ex- baseball player and the layers of sadness associated with an unfair game.
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My Pick: George Clooney– Although Clooney has been nominated many times, he has only won once for Best Supporting Actor. This may be the year a leading role earns him a statue. Clooney plays a family man, which is not a characteristic Clooney role; this could be his ticket to a win. Hopefully his unique new role will help him outshine the tough competition.

A Close Second: Jean Dujardin – The Artist is a Best Picture favorite and Dujardin’s performance is charismatic and unforgettable. Clooney will be hard to beat, but Dujardin did take home a SAG award earlier this year.

Dark Horse: Brad Pitt – You just cannot count out one of Hollywood’s most notable (and beautiful) leading men around Oscar time. Pitt’s Moneyball performance is solid and this year, the Oscars are anyone’s game.
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Images from awardsdaily.com