The 2014 Oscar race is heating up in the Best Actor department, which promises to be one of the most crowded categories in years.
Among the actors currently seen as front runners is Chiwetel Ejiofor for his performance in "12 Years a Slave," which got rave reviews at the Telluride Film Festival and is about to open in Toronto. Robert Redford's silent performance in "All Is Lost" also continues to generate buzz after its Cannes premiere, and the film is now heading to the fall festival cycle. Redford has not been nominated in years, and considering this is a one man show that will only help his cause.
Burce Dern has already stated that he will not campaign in the Best Supporting Actor category for his film "Nebraska," which makes sense, his recent win for Best Actor at Cannes bodes well for a nomination. Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in "The Wolf of Wall Street" has been called his most difficult role to date but no one has seen the film. Given the fact that the Academy has snubbed the actor a number of times it is unclear whether his performance will resonate enough to earn him a nomination.
Then there is Matthew McConaughey, who got rave reviews for his supporting turns in "Magic Mike" and "Bernie" last year but was ultimately snubbed. However, this year the actor could potentially get nominated for his work in either "Mud" or "Dallas Buyers Club," roles that snagged headlines for the actor's weight loss. Many pundits have him on the list for "Dallas Buyers Club," but with no reviews out it is hard to tell whether he will really live up to the promise.
One performance that could surprise is Steve Carell for his late entry film "Foxcatcher." With no concrete release date, the film wasn't on many people's radars. However, Sony Classics has announced a late December release for the movie. The biggest threat is Carell because the film is directed by Benett Miller who has led Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Brad Pitt to Oscar nominations.
Other actors with performances yet to be seen include Idris Elba in "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," Tom Hanks in "Captain Phillips" and Christian Bale in "American Hustle" and "Out of Furnace."
Then there are the actors whose status in the field is uncertain: Forest Whitaker in "Lee Daniel's The Butler"; Michael Fassbender in "The Counselor"; Michael B. Jordan in "Fruitvale Station"; Oscar Issac in "Inside Llewyn Davis"; Joaquin Phoenix in "Her"; Josh Brolin in "Labor Day"; Ethan Hawke in "Before Midnight"; Hugh Jackman in "Prisoners"; "George Clooney in "The Monuments Men"; and Mads Mikkelsen in "The Hunt."
Of course, if that list is not immense enough, there are plenty of actors who are considered long shots but that could easily still surprise if they make waves in the festival circuit: Ben Stiller in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"; Colin Firth in "The Railway Man"; Benedict Cumberbatch in "The Fifth Estate"; and Chris Hemsworth in "Rush."
However, it is far too early to predict who the eventual five nominated actors will be, but from the looks of it the Academy is sure to have a difficult time figuring out the top male performances of the year.
Second Predictions
1. Chiwetel Ejiofer - "12 Year's a Slave"
2. Leonardo Dicaprio - "The Wolf of Wall Street"
3. Robert Redford - "All Is Lost"
4. Bruce Dern - "Nebraska"
5. Matthew McConaughey - "Dallas Buyers Club"
Potential Nominees
6. Steve Carrell - "Foxcatcher"
7. Tom Hanks - "Captain Phillips"
8. Michael B. Jordan - "Fruitvale Station"
9. Forest Whitaker - "Lee Daniel's The Butler"
10. Christian Bale - "American Hustle"
11. Benedict Cumberbatch - "The Fifth Estate"
12. Oscar Issac - "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Long Shots
Michael Fassbender - "The Counselor"
Idris Elba-Mandela - "Long Walk"
Joaquin Phoenix - "Her"
Hugh Jackman - "Prisoners"
George Clooney - "The Monuments Men"
Mads Mikkelsen - "The Hunt"
For First Predictions Click Here.
