Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Reza wrote:

Uri wrote: Best Actor is going to be an interesting race especially with Rami Malek vying for a spot too. I think there is going to be a major upset in this category on nomination morning.

Uri wrote:

Sabin wrote: There's one big wild card we haven't seen yet and that's The Mule. He already has four Oscars but considering his competition is 43 years old it's hard to make the argument that by giving him one more somebody else is getting seriously robbed.

If Eastwood is nominated, I can see Cooper, at least publicly, champining him - "his mentor" of a kind - for the win.

Sabin wrote: There's one big wild card we haven't seen yet and that's The Mule. He already has four Oscars but considering his competition is 43 years old it's hard to make the argument that by giving him one more somebody else is getting seriously robbed.

Sabin wrote:

I haven't seen Bohemian Rhapsody but Rami Malek could win. Even if the movie isn't that great. It's an enormous hit that is connecting with people. There's a huge physical transformation involved. I'd imagine he has a chance. I could see him being an alternative to Bradley Cooper.

Bog wrote
The way the momentum movements have gone the last several years it sure is difficult to fathom one of the 2 Sabin was talking of won't just boredom our way through the whole winter...the way it's basically gone post-Thanksgiving since....Dujardin? Penn's second? first?

Reza wrote: Have a feeling that although both Bale and Cooper will be nominated neither will win.

Sabin wrote:

Reze wrote
Bradley Cooper appears to be getting very strong competition from Christian Bale in Vice. Don't think Cooper is the frontrunner any longer.

As I've written elsewhere, I've seen Vice. Or at the very least, a couple of cuts before the final cut.

At the time, I wrote something like "Christian Bale is probably getting nominated, I guess" which in retrospect is a serious understatement. This is more than Makeup Assist acting. He is very good in the film and the first sight of him as Dick Cheney is just truly astonishing. You feel like you are watching Dick Cheney. No joke. That being said, there film doesn't allow him a range of emotion. Have you seen Dick Cheney in real life? That's basically all he's allowed to do in the film. Unless something has been changed, everyone else gets emotional scenes in the film. He just sort of Cheney's through scene to scene. But his transformation IS truly astonishing. Could that be enough? It's possible.

My hunch though is for the past few years, the Best Actor race started with one person far ahead (DiCaprio, Affleck, and Oldman) and things just sort of stayed that way. Sure, Denzel Washington might have closed the gap on Casey Affleck with Fences but who knows? All I know is history looks like it repeats itself with Bradley Cooper.

Reze wrote
Bradley Cooper appears to be getting very strong competition from Christian Bale in Vice. Don't think Cooper is the frontrunner any longer.

Sabin wrote:The Mule is also a big question mark. I can’t imagine they need to give Bradley Cooper a supporting win when he’s so clearly far ahead in the leading race.

Sabin wrote:

dws1982 wrote
In a weak year, I wouldn't have any problem with him winning Best Supporting Actor, although A) I don't think he'll be nominated this year, and B) he's lead.

I’ve yet to see the film but he seems like an extremely strong bet for a nomination alongside Mahershala Ali, Richard E. Grant, and who else? Maybe Sam Rockwell although he is barely in Vice.

dws1982 wrote
In a weak year, I wouldn't have any problem with him winning Best Supporting Actor, although A) I don't think he'll be nominated this year, and B) he's lead.