Let's hit the roundtable for best actor.
Nathaniel Rogers started us off at the end of the last
roundtable
with this quote: "It always hurts when actors are having their best
year and they're passed over, which is what's happening with Brad Pitt.
What does he have to do to win awards? Age another 15 years I suppose.
They do love to make the golden gods wait until they're old and
grizzled."
Anne Thompson: The real race that has
developed between onetime front-runner George Clooney and Jean Dujardin,
who won best actors at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, improves
Brad Pitt's chances by creating a split. A close race brings up the
possibility of a third actor actually gaining more votes, which is how
Adrien Brody won for "
The Pianist," a huge upset that year.
Sasha Stone: Dujardin has the thing in the bag.
Anne: Clooney still has support. And so does Pitt. It's not a sure thing at all.
Check out all the Oscar nominees >>
Caryn James: Don't buy the split-vote theory, and
I've never thought "Moneyball" was an Oscar-winning role. Definitely
Clooney vs. Dujardin and hard to predict. I'm hoping for a Dujardin
backlash to save Clooney.
Sasha: Start with the performances. Dujardin stands
out as carrying the whole film. Moreover, Pitt and Clooney are both hurt
by essentially playing the same role -- as in single dads, charming,
womanless, with a great crying scene at the end. Neither of them goes to
the depths Dujardin does with his role. So on its face, Dujardin is the
best of the three. If the actors were willing to go for an unknown
French actor over a huge star like Clooney (I don't buy the split vote
either) then, well, you know. That is beyond significant. But we'll see.
Thelma Adams: I'm really teetering on the brink of
"I don't know" here. I'm not buying the split vote either, and I do
believe that Pitt is out for "Moneyball." That's why he's so relaxed.
Every step he takes is a plug for his brand, without any wanting of the
prize.
Clooney, on the other hand, wants it. Breezy, but wants it. But I'm a
little stuck: I was so convinced of Clooney before the SAG surprise,
and I keep reaching back to other actors who totally wowed me: Dominic
Cooper, Michael Fassbender (in his many colors -- "Jane Eyre," "
A Dangerous Method,"
and "Shame"), and Woody Harrelson from "Rampart." This belated
wondering can't be good. If I took it fresh, again, of the five I'd go
for Clooney. And, eek, if I just went for performances, I'd vote Gary
Oldman, who is such a complete chameleon.
Learn all you need to know about the Oscar >>
Anne: Folks in the movie biz love and admire Clooney
enough -- and have for years -- to nominate him for pic and "Ides of
March" screenplay; Dujardin is new. And "The Descendants" is a hit,
while "The Artist" is fumbling at the box office.
Thelma: So, Anne, Clooney?
Sasha: Folks in the industry love Clooney? Huh. I
did not know that. I always thought he wasn't the most popular guy in
town, you know, someone who had to really fight for attention. You learn
something new every day! But seriously, yes, of course they love
Clooney. But Clooney's got two problems. One is Pitt, obviously, almost
as beloved. Maybe isn't going to be homecoming king, but he's certainly
got the quarterback cred. The more popular of a contender Pitt becomes,
the harder it is for Clooney to have the edge. There is no incentive,
particularly, to give him a second Oscar here. Dujardin, on the other
hand, has much going for him. Winning the SAG was really the key
indicator -- he didn't go up against Clooney at the Globes. The only
place Clooney won against Dujardin was at the Critics Choice. So, you
know. Clooney winning the SAG was the expected outcome, given his
popularity in the industry and elsewhere. And now it isn't just actors
voting, it's all of the other branches, too. Dujardin is hard to resist.
Anyone who comes in contact with him falls in love with him. And you
just know ol' Weinstein Co. is going to make sure that happens. It also
feels good to watch a guy who cried at his SAG win. When Clooney wins,
no one cares because he's already such a grand success story. But
Dujardin winning has the added bonus of it being a feel-good ending to
boot.
"The Artist" has made $20 million -- that's pretty good for a
black-and-white, silent movie. "The Descendants" might win adapted
screenplay. I'd love to see it overcome "The Artist" for picture --
either that or "Hugo." But after the SAGs, I feel it's Dujardin's to
lose.
'Celebrate the Movies' poster gallery >>
Nell Minow: If I were in the academy, I'd vote for
Brad Pitt. He is always underestimated as an actor because he makes it
look effortless. Only the most gifted performers can do that. No one is
better than Pitt at calibrating precisely how best to deploy his
extraordinary star power. A lot of actors with screen chemistry use it
as a crutch or a smokescreen, but he uses it only to the extent that it
serves the role. He made two movies in 2011, and both were nominated for
best picture. The precision and scope of those performances were
dazzling.
Nathaniel: Full agreement with Nell here. In a way,
Brad Pitt has developed Jeff Bridges' former problem. Now, few actors
are in Jeff Bridges' league, but Bridges always had the problem of
effortlessness, which is a problem in any acting category. So few
winning performances come free of gimmicks; they want to see you sweat
for it.
But that monologue in "Moneyball" about it being hard not to
romanticize baseball? That makes it so hard not to romanticize Brad
Pitt's entire filmography. It's such A-level work. That's a star fully
in charge of his gift without visible grandstanding about it. It's so
authentic a feeling and, for me, far superior to Clooney's more obvious
awards-baiting at bedside.
I don't normally share the "how do you compare performances?" angst
that sometimes inflicts discussions of the Oscars, but I'll admit it is a
little hard to look at what Dujardin is doing in the same context. But
god, he's great in "The Artist." If it wins best picture, he's
half-responsible, if you ask me.
See video clips of the nominees >>
Thelma: And, Nat, we did ask you.
Jordan Bayne: Right. I always forget this is a
high-school popularity contest and not actually based on the merit of
the performance. So George Clooney probably has it in the bag for a film
that I felt was flimsy with a premise I never bought. For me, Clooney
dials in Clooney, and that is not acting. I never feel anything from
him. Brad Pitt is excellent, but I don't feel this is his best
performance. However, I agree with Nell that part of his greatness is
that we never see technique. We always see a human being.
I do feel Jean Dujardin is a serious contender. The work he did
required not only tremendous skill in storytelling but also in conveying
emotion without falling into sentimentality. It is an incredible and
unique performance. For me, the one performance that stands out, that I
felt deeply in every frame, that pulled me in and made me weep was
Demián Bichir. This was a masterful performance full of beautiful
restraint, honest emotion, and deep conflict. In my opinion of these
nominees, this actor is most deserving of the award.
Anne: Wow. Of all the Oscar best-picture nominees,
"The Descendants" is the only one on my 10-best list; Clooney has earned
rave reviews for a reason: It's his best performance to date. Both
Clooney and Dujardin bring great emotion to their roles; Dujardin is
new, a fresh surprise. Pitt makes what he does look too easy. Popularity
does count -- and, by the way, charmers Brad Pitt and Jean Dujardin
have been effectively winning hearts, too. This is a campaign, but in
the end the academy voters go for the performance they think is the best
of the year. SAG went for Dujardin, which means a great deal, and "The
Artist" has been winning key races like the PGA and DGA. This suggests
that many branches of the academy membership are heading that way. But
the actors are one-fifth of the Academy. And in a close race, folks who
voted for "The Descendants" and "Moneyball" as their favorite films
could vote for Clooney and Pitt as well. Best actor is closer than
people may think.
Thelma: To me, post SAGs, PGA, and DGA, it seems like an incredibly close race.
Jordan: Yes, I know. I am one of the rare ones who did not like "The Descendants" at all, but that's another convo.
Matt Whitfield: Michael Shannon? Anyone?
Jordan: Love, love, love Michael Shannon.
Matt: As much as I'd love to see Clooney and
Dujardin split -- with Pitt emerging victorious -- I don't see it
happening. In fact, I think Clooney and Pitt will split, and Dujardin
will walk away with the statue. I'm just really bummed Pitt was never in
contention for a best-supporting actor nod for his work in "
The Tree of Life."
I truly believe it was the performance of his career. Had he been a
double nominee, I think he would have given Plummer a run for his money.
Anne: I agree with you that Pitt's better performance is in "
Tree of Life."
Fox Searchlight tried to go for supporting there, but it got no
traction. It was "Moneyball," which is a terrific movie star role, but
isn't as showy as "
Tree of Life." Truly his best.
Nathaniel: Jordan, we only seem like rarities given
the lockstep craziness of all the "American Masterpiece" talk. I
actually think "The Descendants" is Payne's weakest film, and I am
bewildered at the love. But yes: sidebar conversation, though it does
apply here given Clooney's mysterious front-runner status despite being
better in all of his recent Oscar roles.
See this timeline of the Oscars >>
Jonathan Crow: I agree with Nathaniel. "The Descendants" is better than "
About Schmidt,"
but it's one of his weaker films. It did seem groomed however for Oscar
attention. That scene where Clooney says goodbye to his wife just
screams "For your consideration." Jean Dujardin is very charismatic and
ingratiating, though his performance at times tips right into cloying.
Brad Pitt was fine in "Moneyball," but I was underwhelmed by the movie.
The pacing was terrible. Overall, I''m having a hard time getting
excited about this category. In my bizarro version of best actor, I
would have nominated Michael Shannon in "Take Shelter," Ryan Gosling
from "Drive," Robert Wieckiewicz from "In Darkness," Michael Fassbender
for "Shame," and Kevin Spacey from "Margin Call" with a wild card for
Peyman Moadi from "A Separation." But since the academy in their wisdom
decided to not give any of these much more deserving performances the
nod, I say wearily a pox on your house. And in an Oscar pool, I'd give
it to Clooney by a nose. Though, I am rooting for Gary Oldman to win.
Thelma: "Tinker Tailor Soldier" Oscar winner! And,
until next week when we dish on the supporting categories, we'll twist
the cap back on the chardonnay. And we can be thankful that we're not
experiencing true Oscar nominee
agita: the prospect of losing in front of millions of people worldwide.
Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 12:18AM 
Best Actress Comedy or Musical
And yes, for all the negativity that we experience sometimes, I do think it's more fun than it is anything else.
PS: I do have an opinionm on Angelina and her leg and that is: I used to dislike her but now I think it's awesome that some people combine self-destructive tendencies, compassion AND glamour!
She is a plastic star as much as she is a person who has contacted the worse that life has to offer and cares to make some difference in the world.
Have to totally agree about the spastic editing, its sort of how I feel about Nine. The movie isn't so good, but they go through all that time choreographing those numbers and then cut to this weird close ups and odd angles that I can't appreciate all the work.
Also I hope Emma Stone is on here, the whole time I was just thinking about how badly I want her to be my best friend
And is it just me, or was Jim Rash kinda hot in that pose and tuxedo?
Oh it's just me? Yeah, that's what I thought.
kthxbye
I hope Christopher Plummer is in your top 5. His win was the one that had everyone at my gathering smiling with no complaints (everyone loved Beginners to boot). And can we just talk about the run of Supporting Actor!? Bardem, Ledger, Waltz, Bale, and now Plummer! Have any of the other acting categories had such a consistent run of quality wins? I imagine you'd find very few that would complain about any of those wins in their respective years.