Oscar Picks: Best Actor and Actress

      In the category of Best Actor there are five nominees. Bradley Cooper starred in the ever charming and dysfunctional “Silver Linings Playbook.” His character struggled with mental health and coming to terms with his new lot in life. Daniel Day-Lewis starred as Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln.” This movie was not my favorite and Daniel Day Lewis is not my favorite to win this category, however I feel that he will take home the statuette. Day-Lewis is incredibly talented and his portrayal of the 16^th president was inspired. He characterized Lincoln as a mostly reserved and quiet man who knew how and when to raise his voice. Hugh Jackman really showed Hollywood what a threat he is with his singing and acting in “Les Misérables.” He won the Golden Globe for his performance, but that was in the category of Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. Denzel Washington is nominated for his role in “Flight,” which I think is a great nod for the talented actor. He did a great job with a very complex role. Finally, Joaquin Phoenix is the actor who should win this category. He plays a very unstable man who is taken in by a cult-like group aspiring for a higher consciousness in “The Master.” Phoenix plays crazy like no other actor I have seen. His character is very intense and fights and lies to come up with the answers and behaviors his cult leaders want to see in him.

     I have not viewed all of the movies for which the actresses are nominated in this category. However, I do believe Jessica Chastain will win the Oscar. Her performance in “Zero Dark 30” was complex and intense. To top that off she is an actress in a movie about war, a type of movie that typically does well on awards night. She also won the Golden Globe in her category and I believe the Academy will follow suit. Jennifer Lawrence is nominated for her role in “Silver Linings Playbook.” She played a confused widow who is attempting to find a balance in life and move on. Quvenzhané Wallis plays a young child in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” I greatly appreciated and enjoyed this movie, and while Wallis is very cute in the film her acting is limited by her age and the age of the character she was portraying. I have not yet seen the movie “Amour,” for which Emmanuelle Riva is nominated nor have I seen Naomi Watts in “The Impossible.”