Leon, Angel, Adam, Edward and Andrew
Friday, February 18, 2011 at 3:56PM This post is titled by the middle names of Oscar's BEST ACTOR nominees because here at The Film Experience we are always trying to find ways to keep things interesting. It would be much easier to title this blog post "Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco and Colin Firth" but where's the fun in that? If you enjoy a challenge, try to guess which middle name goes with which best actor, before you click over to the BEST ACTOR PAGE.
I include the trivia (and more) because this race is a done deal yet we have to stay interested for nine more days. Colin Firth's Coronation is proceeding exactly like Helen Mirren's a few years back, isn't it? It's like I was saying in that Tribeca Film article, each year there's generally one candidate who is granted immunity about whom no one ever bitches and who just sails through like it was always meant to be their year and their prize.
UPDATED: Includes Reader Poll "Who Should Win?"
Reader Comments (15)
Whoa Jessee (from lips upwards) looks so Paul Newman-ish!! Am i crazy?
Love the "how they got nominated".
I do think Adventureland helped more than Zombieland though i haven't seen the latter and i think i remember it was a big hit. Adventureland seems more adult.
Well sure, even if Colin Firth wasn't in the probable winning film, who is his competition? Jeff Bridges and Javier Bardem already both have Oscars. Jesse Eisenberg and James Franco are very young by Best Actor nomination standards and it is assumed that they will have further chances. All hail King Colin!
@JamesT. no you're not crazy. jesse eisenberg is one of these particular people whose attractiveness hinges on the angle of the short and circumstances of his hair. in one rather nice video interview i saw of him, he kind of resembled a jewish matt damon.....needless to say it was kind of hot.
also, love the trivia, but there is something wrong; jesse eisenberg isnt single. he's actually been with an (older!) woman in one of the most discrete relationships in hollywood thats been going on for like, eight years now or something crazy like that.
Thanks for mentioning the consensus pick thing that happens every year. It seems every year, all pundits are tired after fighting their own battles so they decide "I won't even debate this one", let that be Colin Firth or Sandra Bullock. At least, last year sandra Bullock provoked some discussion. This year, Firth's doubtful career choices aren't even mentioned. It's like he only existed since he became a king, only getting the good part of his past choices, the residual love for his performance last year. If someone had ever told Colin Firth would be considere overdue because of one nomination/perfomance I would've laughed. But here we are. I have nothing against him, he's obviously a good actor, not even comparable to Bullock, and a nice guy, but why everyone decides not to even re-consider it for a while is what bothers me. Not for him, but because consensus choices, group thinking and the like can lead to terrible mistakes and they're unstoppable, common sense is lost in the way so very often.
Anyway, as I'm not rooting for anyone in particular, I wonder what kind of Oscar winners the presumed winners this year will be. Or what kind of career change can someone like Jesse Eisenberg have after the nomination. Will Natalie Portman become one of those almost invisible winners you forgot they won because they just don't make movies? Or will she become the most demanded actress for the Lars von Triers or Todd Solondzes in the world? And Colin Firth? More musicals? or more Single Men? Leading, one man show roles or back to supporting the Hugh Grants of the moment?
If Melissa Leo wins I think she should get another series of ads, with "See?" Thanks" written all over.
Franco is beautiful
Bridges is husband material
Bardem is pure passion
Eisenberg is cute
Firth is English – He wins…Me
Jeff Bridges had that immunity thing last year, now it's time for Firth. Wonder who'll get it next year, it's a wonderful thing - no backlash, no hard feelings.
iggy -- that would be kind of awesome.... a follow up ad for Melissa Leo. I hope she does it if she wins. Stick it to them! Whatever one thinks of those ads it's RIDICULOUS that an actress as talented as she is isn't highly in demand and has to just taken random parts.
Ha, those middle names sound like they came straight out of Twilight.
I preferred Eisenberg and Franco's performances but looking at the actors side by side I sort of understand the bias against young actors winning. I mean holy shit, Eisenberg's age is half of Firth and Bridges. It wouldn't be too bad for the young actors to get acknowledged after few more nominations. They really would be lucky to have career longevity as other three nominees.
One more useless trivia : Now 3/4 Zombieland cast are Academy Award nominees. Emma Stone better step up ;)
Come on, you have to see Bardem. I don't even like the movie, but he is SO greater than any other actor in competition this year.
cal roth -- i'll eventually get around to it but they sure didn't make it easy ;) even my screeners didn't work.
anon -- oh yeah. zombieland. although emma stone already stepped up. she was SO great in EASY A
Javier Angel Bardem (wtf?! srsly?)
Jeff Leon Bridges
Jesse Adam Eisenberg
Colin Andrew Firth
James Edward Franco
Wow after seeing this picture I'm convinced Eisenberg can play bad boys!
Emma Stone really was great in Easy A. It's actually my favourite performance of 2010. I'm not saying best, but hell, she would be on my top 5.
Cal Roth, you are so right!!! Bardem in Biutiful is truly amazing, for me is not only by far the best of the nominated this year, but also the best male performance of 2010... but we all already know that the Oscar has the name of Firth on it...
Why have I just noticed that except for Colin Firth, the best Actor noimees all have names beginning with J?