With two days to go until the 82nd Academy Awards, I will close out the acting categories with Best Actor. Don’t miss out tomorrow when I will wrap up my Oscar week features with a discussion and my picks for Best Director and Best Picture.
*Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart *George Clooney – Up in the Air *Colin Firth – A Single Man *Morgan Freeman – Invictus *Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
Earlier in the awards season, many felt that Clooney might take this category. However, Bridges has come storming through in these last couple of months. Bridges has been piling up statue after statue and he’ll have to make room on his shelf for Mr. Oscar himself.
Many people felt that Clooney’s character in Up in the Air was too close to his own persona. Firth is finally being recognized and I think he has a shot, a miniscule one though. Freeman, much like Matt Damon in the Supporting Actor race, is cursed by a movie that didn’t go over as well as expected. Renner doesn’t have a shot at this; I don’t think he should even be in this category. I felt Anthony Mackie had more of a breakthrough performance than Renner did.
Bridges is one part of a Hollywood family legacy and with that, his past nominations (The Last Picture Show, The Contender) and his incredible performance in Crazy Heart, he is the guy to beat.
My Pick: Jeff Bridges
