An Inside Look at the Oscars: Winners and Losers

The leaders

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
 Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name
 Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
 Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
 Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
 Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

When thinking of all the great performances Gary Oldman has done, you would assume he has a slew of Oscars. However, he has been nominated for an Oscar just once before (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy). He was marvelous as Winston Churchill, displaying a wide-range of emotions. I would like to point out a scene to pay attention too, but he is glorious throughout. The prosthetics gave his character a lift, but Oldman is marvelous despite it.

My dark horse pick is Daniel Kaluuya. He is fantastic in Get Out, and I can’t wait to see him in another film. However, a scary movie doesn’t usually bring a lot of attention.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
 Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
 Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
 Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
 Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird
 Meryl Streep, The Post

As much as I want either Margot Robbie or Saoirse Ronan to win the Oscar, this is all Frances McDormand. Her portrayal of the grieving mother of her murdered daughter is out of this world intense. The best scene to see her talents in action is when Woody Harrelson is interrogating her. McDormand’s range is memorizing in that bit.

My dark horse pick is Margot Robbie. She is terrific, but it being her first impact role as an actress, I just don’t see her winning the golden guy.