The Oscar Buzz - Best Actor and Best Actress in a Leading Role Category Award

Of all the categories carrying nominations for this Sunday's 86th Academy Awards there are only a handful that the movie going public and the TV watching audience are really interested in - in my humble opinion! Counting down over the days leading upto the big Hollywood event, I'll list two per day that might capture your interest and for which you too might have something to say! Following on from yesterdays second instalment in this brief series, the focus now is on the leading roles, and who is likely to walk away with the golden Oscar statue on the film industry night of nights, and therefore further cement their place in the Hollywood pantheon.
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE AWARD

• Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street
• Matthew MacConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
• Bruce Dern for Nebraska
• Christian Bale for American Hustle
• Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave

All but Bruce Dern I have seen in this category, so on his performance in 'Nebraska' I cannot comment yet, but for me he is regardless up against some very strong competition. Chiwetel Ejiofor put in a strong performance as a free man plucked out of his comfortable family existence in the early 1850's to be brutally thrust into 12 years of slavery at the hands of various masters, circumstances and enduring hardships, but, was this anything we haven't seen in other similar stories told of this ilk? Christian Bale delivered a late 70's/early 80's downtrodden con-man well with his balding comb over, wide lapels and loud ties in 'American Hustle', and, stacked on some pounds to make his character a little more rotund and therefore believable, but again not sure this is entirely award worthy considering the final two, which for me almost come down to the toss of a coin. Matthew MacConaughey slimed down considerably for his ongoing method character actor resurgence as drug addled, alcohol induced, sexed up AIDS sufferer in the late 80's and his performance is top notch in 'Dallas Buyer Club'. Against Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street' who delivers such a believable over the top money wasting, coke snorting, advantage taking, corporate excess, high living Wall Street trader the competition is a close run thing. I think Matthew MacConaughey might just clinch it because of the ongoing spotlight on finding a cure for AIDS, the relevance of the story and how this actor really inhabits his character in every respect.

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE AWARD

• Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
• Sandra Bullock for Gravity
• Meryl Streep for August : Osage County
• Judi Dench for Philomena
• Amy Adams for American Hustle

As mentioned yesterday 'Blue Jasmine' has so far eluded me and so I cannot comment on our Cate's performance except to say that she has picked up just about every other gong this awards season for her fine performance in this Woody Allen's offering, and therefore she is almost a dead set winner for the golden Oscar, and on this basis who can argue! Cate Blanchett it is!

That said, for me Sandra Bullock comes a very close second for carrying a film with just two 'live' characters on screen for the duration of the movie and for complementing so well the story, the visuals and her co-star George Clooney in 'Gravity'. A great performance no doubt. Meryl Streep plays cancer suffering pill popping unhinged family matriarch very well in 'August : Osage County' in a dialogue heavy film about a dysfunctional family unit slowly imploding when they come together over a family tragedy. Meryl has been nominated a gazillion times, and although her performance is strong and nuanced she is outweighed this time by others in a stronger position. Amy Adams plays it well enough in American Hustle but is outshone by her female supporting actress who my money is on for the gig in that category. Judi Dench like Meryl Streep is nearly always faultless but not having seen 'Philomena' either I cannot comment with any confidence, but that said, the job is done anyway!

Log on tomorrow for the final in this lead up series for Best Picture and Best Direction, and my pick.

Until then - go see a movie!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-