The Toronto International Film Festival has wrapped up and that is usually the signpost for the beginning of the awards season. This is also, not coincidentally, the time of the year when studios release their ‘Oscar contenders’ so that they are fresh in the minds of those who choose the nominees and the winners. The next Academy Awards are still a fair way away (March 4th, 2018) but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun and make some early speculations. Let’s look at a few of the names in contention for the category of Best Actor, as well as some of the types of roles often favoured by the Academy itself.
Armie Hammer (left) and Timothee Chalamet via Facebook
Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name- There is usually at least one rookie. This year, that seems to young newcomer Chalamet who amazingly portrays Elio, who enjoys a summer romance with Oliver (played by Armie Hammer, a likely nominee for Best Supporting Actor). Read the fantastic novel by Andre Aciman first if you can. The Academy loves to nominate young newcomers; consider Leonardo DiCaprio (What’s eating Gilbert Grape), Anna Paquin (The Piano), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Saorise Ronan (Brooklyn), and Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon).
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour- When an actor disappears into an historical icon, Oscar usually sends at least an invitation. Gary Oldman eerily became Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and is a lock for a nomination and an early frontrunner to win it. Some other examples of actors immersing themselves in real historical characters: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote, Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, Charlize Theron as Aileen Wournos and Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash.
Fionn Whitehead, Dunkirk – Another long shot, director Christopher Nolan guided the newcomer’s breakthrough performance with his trademark skill. Just as the Academy likes immersive biopic performances, it also has a quick eye for period movies (The Remains of the Day, A Passage to India, Shakespeare in Love) What's more for Dunkirk, the theme of war also fascinates people as it occupies a large space in this year's cinema and is a recurring theme in modern iGaming, with a number of titles featuring popular war movie characters. Whether the game reviews rival those of the films is another story, of course, but the cross-industry popularity of the genre in general may offer war films a boost when the Academy make their selections.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Stronger- The always amazing Jake plays Jeff Bauman in this true story about the struggles of a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing. Oscar always likes stories of overcoming the odds and triumphing in the face of adversity, often in the form of a disability. Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Theory of Everything also applies here, as do some classic performances from Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot), Sean Penn (I Am Sam), Holly Hunter (The Piano) and Colin Firth (The King’s Speech).
Daniel Day-Lewis via Wikipedia
Still to be Seen-
Tom Hanks, The Post- Another Academy darling, Tom Hanks’ next film won’t be released until January 12th of next year. With a powerhouse ensemble cast including Meryl Streep and directed by Steven Spielberg, one can reasonably expect a boatload of nominations, including Best Actor.
Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread- Yet another multiple winner with three gongs from five nominations, Day-Lewis is always a threat. Phantom Thread won’t be released until Christmas Day and is written and directed by talented movie maker Paul Thomas Anderson. The film also marks Day-Lewis’ last acting role as he has declared his retirement from cinema. That alone ups the likelihood of his inclusion on the final list.
The contenders on the long list will gain and lose momentum until the final list is revealed on January 23rd. Who do you think should be nominated?
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