2011 Oscar Nominees

Best Actor

 

Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Playing the role of the stammering, awkward Prince Albert who would reluctantly ascend to the throne to become King George VI, Colin Firth gives one of those career-defining performances (think Ben Kingsley in Ghandi). In a role that could have been reduced to scenery-chewing, Firth had the good sense to actually underplay the stuttering prince – which made his outbursts all the more powerful. And although the stammer was Prince Albert’s most obvious hurdle, Firth played “Bertie’s” fear and reluctance as if they too were a disability. We all knew that Firth was a fine performer – but did we know he was this good? In this race, he’s the odds-on favourite.

 

James Franco (127 Hours)

This is James Franco’s first Oscar nomination, but surely it won’t be his last. In recent years, he has shown his incredible range with roles as wide ranging as the stoner in Pineapple Express, the friend/rival in the Spider-Man trilogy, Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl, a gay activist in Milk and now as real-life mountaineer Aron Ralston, who cut off his own arm after being trapped by a boulder while mountain climbing. Playing Aron as a cocky and confident adventurer, Franco also mines the fear and determination of a man who faces death – and does everything he can to save his own life. It’s an amazing performance from an actor who promises many more in the future.

 

Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)

Although he’s been an indie film star for awhile now, Jesse Eisenberg surprised a lot of people with his understated but pitch-perfect performance as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. According to Aaron Sorkin’s script, Zuckerberg is a complex combination of quiet ambition, crushing loneliness, fierce determination, intuition, brilliance, naivety, jealousy, empathy and possessiveness. Somehow, Eisenberg deftly negotiates all of those qualities with ease. Sure, he may come across as socially awkward, but as portrayed by Eisenberg, Zuckerberg has a greater understanding of people than most of us ever will.

 

Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Up until last year’s Oscar triumph, Jeff Bridges was merely one of those veteran actors who you could count on for a great performance no matter what kind of material he was given. Now, finally recognized for his immense talent, Bridges is the new go-to guy for grizzled and irrepressible codger roles. In Bridges’ hands, Sheriff Rooster Cogburn is more than just a John Wayne knock-off, he’s his own man. Of course, Rooster’s trademark eye patch is a very important touch – even though Bridges would occasionally forget to wear it – and would have to re-shoot a take. Unfortunately, Bridges isn’t likely to win two years in a row.

 

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)

Winner of the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, Javier Bardem brings a soulful passion to his role as a lifelong criminal who faces his own mortality and the prospect of leaving behind his two children. Critics have been wowed by Bardem’s performance – and so have his peers. Oscar winner Sean Penn called it the “best performance since Brando in The Last Tango in Paris. However, even those accolades aren’t likely to be enough to win in this category. Biutiful simply hasn’t had enough buzz in North America to gather any sort of serious momentum. Bardem’s time will come again (remember, he won three years ago)...but not this time around.

By Tom Jokic