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The Daily OrangePick me a winner
The Daily Orange predicts this weekend's Oscar winners
By Matt Levin and Jared Diamond
Posted: 2/22/08, 12:31 AM EST Section: Feature
No Oscar category includes more big names this year than the Best Actor bunch. Daniel Day-Lewis, probably the biggest unknown of the group, stands out as the front-runner. In "There Will Be Blood," he appears as an oil-mad business tycoon with a magnificent mustache. It's an over-the-top performance, but one the critics loved.
Gray-haired heartthrob George Clooney has the best shot of upending Day-Lewis. As an ethically challenged lawyer, Clooney presents a unique spin on an old genre as the title character "Michael Clayton." Do-it-all Johnny Depp sounds great as a musically inclined, bloodthirsty barber. His singing is fine, and so is the acting, but nothing about the role is Oscar-worthy.
Tommy Lee Jones gave a strong performance in "In the Valley of Elah," but few saw the movie. Viggo Mortensen earned an unexpected, albeit deserved, nomination for his portrayal of a Russian mobster in "Eastern Promises."
Levin's who should win: Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood") - "I drink YOUR milkshake."
Levin's who will win: Day-Lewis
Diamond's who should win: Day-Lewis - Before I saw "There Will Be Blood," I thought Day-Lewis gave the performance of the decade as Bill the Butcher in "Gangs of New York." Now that's the second best.
Diamond's who will win: Day-Lewis
When "No Country for Old Men" was released, Javier Bardem was considered a lock for the Best Supporting Actor award, perhaps prematurely. Bardem maintains a slight edge over the competition, but this category showcases a tour-de-force of roles, making this one of the most intriguing races.
Tom Wilkinson has done the best job of closing the gap on Bardem with a paranoid, poignant performance that should stick with voters. Philip Seymour Hoffman also deserves a shot for his part as a cynical, yet savvy CIA agent managed to toe that line of comedy and melodrama in the witty "Charlie Wilson's War."
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Matt
posted 2/22/08 @ 9:39 PM EST
Guys, do your homework. Daniel-Day Lewis the biggest unknown of the group? Are you kidding me? He is the only actor of this group who has previously won an oscar for best actor in a leading role. (Continued…)
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