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[randomrichards]

OSCAR 2019 PREDICTIONS PART 4: THE ACTING AWARDS

BEST ACTOR:

·         Antonio Banderas as Salvador Mallo, an aging director who confronts his past before his film’s anniversary screening in PAIN & GLORY

·         Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick “F#$%ing” Dalton, an insecure aging tv actor who fears his star is fading in ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD

·         Adam Driver as Charlie, a New York stage director facing an ugly divorce in MARRIAGE STORY

·         Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a mentally unstable and abused comedian who becomes the iconic villain in JOKER

·         Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a progressive catholic Cardinal who would become Pope Francis in THE TWO POPES

Who Will Win?

Joaquin Phoenix’s ready to take the Oscar for playing one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time. Whether they love or hate the movie, everyone agrees he gave a powerful performance.

His version couldn’t be more different from Heath’s Ledger’s performance. Ledger’s was a calculating embodiment of chaos longing to watch the world burn. Phoenix’s version is a way more grounded performance.

Phoenix’s performance reminds me of Charlize Theron’s Oscar winning performance. Both performances reveal the humanity within monstrous characters, showcasing how their circumstances have left them unable to adjust to normal life. At the same time, the performances don’t back away from the disturbing aspects of their character’s personality.

A unique element to Phoenix’ performance is his physicality. He starts out as an average, raggedy schlub. As he descends into madness, he becomes so skinny you can see his ribs. Then he seems to contort his body, like his bones are trying to escape his body.

But his career highpoint comes in the climax when he appears on Murray Franklin’s (Robert De Niro) late night talk show. By now, he’s lost touch with reality, telling perverted jokes on national television and letting all his deep seeded resentment out in a furious rant.

He delivers big time.

BEST ACTRESS:

·         Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman, a former slave turned freedom fighter who led many slaves through the underground railroad in HARRIET

·         Scarlett Johansson as Nicole, an actress facing an ugly divorce in MARRIAGE STORY

·         Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, a fiercely independent up and coming writer in LITTLE WOMEN

·         Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, the real life former Fox News host who helped blow the whistle on Roger Ailes’ sexual misconduct in BOMBSHELL

·         Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland, a struggling actress who struggles with drug addiction and personal demons during a tour in England in JUDY

Who Will Win?

Renee Zellweger is the clear winner for embodying the immortal who died too soon.

One look at her and you see no sign of Zellweger. What you see is the most iconic actress/singer to ever come out of Hollywood. From the black curly hair to her sad doe eyes, Zellweger perfectly captures Garland’s look.

Well, the only element she couldn’t capture is Garland’s iconic voice. You still hear Zellweger’s voice when she talks or sings. But you soon forget about it because Zellweger’s still an excellent singer, especially when she sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

The Garland we meet is at her lowest point, desperate for any job after she’s burned too many bridges with the Hollywood that has psychologically damaged her. Her tour in London is her last chance for a comeback. You feel so bad for her as she tries to maintain a stable living for her children while battling her demons. It’s hard to watch her deal with cruel hecklers. At the same time, you can’t help but be frustrated by herself destructive behavior as she downs pills, behaves unprofessionally and being so out of it during performances. It’s clear she’s struggling with mental illness brought on by a cruel childhood and needs the counselling no one is providing.

Zellweger breaks through the shallow image to reveal Judy Garland’s nuanced humanity.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

·         Tom Hanks as Mr. Fred Rogers, the iconic children’s tv show host who offers a sympathetic ear to a troubled journalist (Matthew Rhys) in A BEATIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

·         Sir Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict, a disgraced Pope who resigns from his position in THE TWO POPES

·         Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa, the bombastic real life Union Boss who would mysteriously disappear in THE IRISHMAN

·         Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalion, the cool, friendly mobster who takes the title character (Robert De Niro) under his win in THE IRISHMAN

·         Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, Rick Dalton’s stuntman and the embodiment of cool in ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD

Who Will Win?

Brad Pitt finally gets an acting award playing the coolest guy in film history.

Tarantino always seems determined to make Pitt look as cool as possible in his movies. First, he made Pitt the ultimate American Matinee Hero in Inglorious Basterds and how he’s has Pitt playing one awesome stuntman. He succeeded because never has Brad Pitt been more awesome. With his Hawaiian shirt, Blue Jeans and Cadillac Coupe de Ville, Cliff Booth is for Stuntmen what the Dude is for hippies. You wish you could be like Cliff Booth or at least have him as a friend.

Which is no small feat considering how bad his life is. While his friend Rick Dalton’s living in luxury, Cliff lives in a rundown trailer behind a drive-in theatre, eating kraft dinner with his pit-bull. He also has a hard time getting jobs because of a rumor that he killed his wife.[1] Despite this, you’d still rather be him and his whiny friend Rick.

While he’s gives a great performance, I feel the actor more deserving of this award is Joe Pesci. His character couldn’t be more different than his Oscar winning role of Tommy De Vito (Goodfellas). While Tommy is a volatile powder keg you avoid at all costs, Russel is an easygoing boss you’d love to have a beer with or a friend you go on cross country trips with.

But you come to realize underneath the demeanor is a cold hearted businessman. Nowhere is this truer than when he casually orders the death of Jimmy Hoffa like he’s firing an employee.

But it looks like Pitt’s taking home the trophy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

·         Kathy Bates as Bob Jewel, a desperate mother who finds her son (Paul Walter Hauser) falsely accused of causing the 1996 Atlanta Bombings in RICHARD JEWELL

·         Laura Dern as Nora Fanshaw, the attorney who represents Nicole in MARRIAGE STORY

·         Scarlett Johansson as Rosie, JoJo’s (Roman Griffin Davis) compassionate mother who’s hiding a Jewish girl (Tomasin McKenzie) in JOJO RABBIT

·         Florence Pugh as Amy March, a bratty kid who becomes a practical painter after some hard learned wisdom in LITTLE WOMEN

·         Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil, an eager up and coming Fox News Executive subjected to sexual harassment by Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) in BOMBSHELL

Who Will Win?

Laura Dern takes the lead for her supporting performance. It’s all thanks to her first appearance.

When she first meets Nicole, Nora approaches her like high school friends at a sleep over; putting her feet on the couch and letting Nicole air her grievances. I’m surprised she didn’t pull out the ice cream. In another scene, she delivers an excellent monologue about the unrealistic standards society places on Mothers, especially during Divorce cases. Dern brings a lot of personality to her character into what little screen time she has.

Dern also shines in the courtroom scenes as she brushes off Ray Liotta’s rebuttals. While Liotta’s loud and blunt, Dern’s a cool assassin who uses Nicole’s anecdotes as weapons against Charlie.

[1] And one flashback scene strongly implies he did.