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Quite an exceptional category, I would say. But my vote would have to go to Joaquin Phoenix with Bradley Cooper at a close second. Although, I did like the way DDL became Abraham Lincoln was undeniably astounding and I loved how he was able to carry Lincoln (which I didn’t particularly care for). But, I’m all about spreading the wealth.
How about you, folks? Who would your vote be from this list?
ReplyBradley Cooper was my choice with Hugh Jackman as a very close second. Was Daniel Day Lewis good in Lincoln? Of course, he’s Daniel Day Lewis, he’s practicly flawless. But Cooper was in a lot of raunchy comedies before Playbook and really didn’t get a chance to shine his true skills off. What he did in Playbook was amazing. Jackman carried a huge role that is one of the most demanding in musical theater and did it very well. As for the other two, I’m not a big fan of The Master but Phoenix did a good job. I have no idea why Denzel Washington got nominated for Flight. That role could have been played by anyone that’s how much acting went into that role. I wish Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock), John Hawkes (The Sessions), or Jack Black (Bernie) were nominated instead
ReplyCopy URLI haven’t seen The Master, but I loved all the other nominees. DDL’s work was brilliant as usual, but Cooper and Jackman’s performances left a bigger impression on me. They don’t get those chances to show their chops as often as DDL. So my ballot would look something like this:
1. Bradley Cooper
2. Hugh Jackman
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
4. Denzel Washington
ReplyCopy URLI think it’s insanity that Joaquin Phoenix was not the absolute frontrunner from beginning to end. If only The Master wasn’t so divisive…
That being said, Cooper is a very, very close second.
For some reason, I never see this “magic” that people always refer to when they’re talking about DDL. Is he a good actor? Of course. He’s even a great one. I’d say he totally deserves his first two Oscars. But I feel like people go a bit overboard with their praise for him.
ReplyCopy URLJoaquin Phoenix gives one of the greatest film performances in history. He was complex, dark, twisted, charming and very scary. It proves how he is one of the greatest living actors, and the fact that he doesn’t have an Oscar yet is very sad. He needs to win soon, and I wish it were for Inherent Vice
Hugh Jackman was in a terrible movie, but he was good. I wouldn’t give him the win. Denzel Washington was good, but it wasnt’ an Oscar-worthy performance. Bradley Cooper was amazing in Silver Linings Playbook, but a win so early on would deter him from doing the great work he is now. Daniel Day-Lewis may just be the greatest living actor, but Lincoln was boring and overrated, and it was nothing compared to There Will Be Blood.
01. Joaquin Phoenix
02. Bradley Cooper
03. Daniel Day-Lewis
04. Denzel Washington
05. Hugh Jackman
ReplyCopy URL1. Daniel Day-Lewis – Possibly his best performance imo. Really showed his range and captured a warmth and grace I hadn’t seen from him before.
2. Denzel Washington – Strong, strong stuff, and demonstrates just how absurdly effortless it is for him to play on that level even if he doesn’t always choose roles as tough as this.
3. Hugh Jackman – Starts to drop off pretty drastically after Denzel, but Hugh did well at getting just the right balance of cinematic and theatrical for his performance. Not sure the show had to be made into a movie to begin with, but if it did I’m glad he was Valjean.
4. Joaquin Phoenix – The processing scene is great, but beyond that it’s just way too affected and tick-y a performance for my tastes.
5. Bradley Cooper – I get why he was nominated, and I don’t object too strongly. Still, kind of a shame he had to get in over much more interesting work.My own lineup would be:
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Denis Lavant in Holy Motors
Jean-Louis Trintignant in Amour
Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On
Logan Lerman in The Perks of Being a WallflowerAnonymous
Joaquin Phoenix gave one of the most original and distinctive performances in recent years, but I still think I have to go with Daniel Day-Lewis. His performance is a brilliant combination of classical and method acting, and he does wonders with the demanding dialogue (and so does Tommy Lee Jones). Bradley Cooper had the right balance of energy and restraint in SLP, without lapsing into sentimentality where it might seem tempting. Denzel Washington was strong but not altogether surprising until near the end of Flight, while I found Jackman to be a near-disaster in Les Mis; his voice is often nasal and whiny, with an awful wobbly vibrato, and in a musical like this singing and acting are not separable to the extent that would allow him to get away with it. It doesn’t help that his character becomes more and more boring as the film progresses.
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