Best Actor:
JB:
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actor has been the most fascinating of the acting categories due to the sudden shift it’s undergone. Throughout the critics’ awards, the very clear favorite was Chiwetel Ejiofor for his outstanding performance in 12 Years a Slave. However, as soon as the major awards started up, we suddenly had a new favorite, with Matthew McConaughey winning the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG, making him far and away the most likely to be taking home Best Actor on March 2nd. Both actors are very deserving, but I would have to tilt slightly in the direction of McConaughey, who completely blew me away with his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. While he is the new favorite, I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of a surprise victory for Ejiofor here. It will just depend on how popular 12 Years a Slave ends up being on the big night.
JA:
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
McConaughey is truly deserving of an award, and his turn as Rust Cohle on True Detective should also bring the heat in September. Yes, Leonardo DiCaprio deserves an Oscar and he was outstanding in The Wolf of Wall Street. However, McConaughey is sure to win for a performance that relies less on externalized theatrics.
On the flipside, Ejiofor gives a nuanced and heart-breaking turn without any of the formidable scenes you generally see played during an actor’s “Oscar reel.” As Solomon Northup, Ejiofor internalizes the pain and grips our heart by showing us the aching experience in subtle, nuanced ways. The Academy does not usually award more measured performances, but Ejiofor commands the screen by showing us a man’s hurt and vulnerability. It is his humanity that ultimately makes McQueen’s film shine, and watching Ejiofor’s soul rise to the surface is a true pleasure.
IF:
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
When the Academy calls McConaughey’s name on March 2nd, they’ll be honoring him not only for his career-best performance as swaggering cowboy Ron Woodroof, but also for his admirable career resurgence, from Mud and Magic Mike up through The Wolf of Wall Street and HBO’s True Detective. He’s absolutely terrific in Dallas Buyers Club (undeniably the crowning achievement of his so-called McConaissance) as a defiant survivor masquerading as a blustering desperado. Additionally, his weight loss for the role speaks volumes about McConaughey’s steadfast belief in the Method acting that the Academy so admires. As Woodroof, he goes to bold, risky places, capturing both the man’s ingrained homophobia and his uplifting rebel spirit. What McConaughey has that none of the other actors up for this category can really boast is a streak of danger in his characterization, and that cinches it for him.