Previewing the Oscar Candidates: Best Actor in a Leading Role

The Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role is annually one of the toughest to predict. The men still get more roles than the ladies so there are more Oscar caliber roles and plenty of men to fill the shoes. This year there are once again many performances that could win the Oscar.  These are a few to keep your eyes on.

Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is in the lead for the Best Picture Oscar but Brad Pitt will probably have to settle for a nomination. Brad Pitt has become a pretty good actor over the years but he's still just can't match some of his competition.

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
The Oscar voters love political movies and Frank Lagella's role as Richard Nixon is sure to be a pleaser. Many people think the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar is Langella's to win or lose.

Leonardo Dicaprio, Revolutionary Road
Leonaro Dicaprio finally broke through with his first Oscar nomination in 2005 but the trophy still eludes him. Can Leonardo win the Oscar this year? I don't think so but Dicaprio will probably be a strong contender for any good movie he's in going forward.

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke might be the dark horse in the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar. The Darren Aronofsky movie killed at the Toronto Film Festival and everybody is raving about Mickey Rourke's performance in particular. Roger Ebert says it was an Oscar worthy performance so that is good enough for me.

Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
The good news for Richard Jenkins is that he had the best performance of the first half of the year and the only one that was Oscar worthy. The bad news is the Oscar voters usually forget performances from the first half of the year.

Sean Penn, Milk
Sean Penn is probably right on Frank Langella's heels as the favorite for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar. Sean Penn plays the part of the first openly gay elected California official. With all the buzz and praise behind Heath Ledger's performance in Brokeback Mountain this role should be the same. Will the Oscar voters award Sean Penn a second Oscar though? They've been pretty stingy about multiple Oscars in the past.