Viggo Mortenson, Eastern Promises—A brave performance that goes beyond just the Russian accent. Underneath the rough exterior there is a heart and Mortenson gives us glimpses of it in his steady performance.

“And the Oscar goes to…”
Daniel Day-Lewis. The film would not have been half as good without his intense performance. The fact that he portrays such a vile, despicable man and, yet, you can’t take your eyes off him says it all. Plus, his “I drink your milkshake” line is one of the most memorable of recent movie history.

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age—I am fully convinced that Blanchett could read the phone book aloud and the academy would grant her a nomination. No doubt Blanchett is good but her bombastic performance in this mediocre film makes this nomination a reach.

Julie Christie, Away From Her—A steady, graceful performance by the veteran Christie as an aging woman whose humanity is slowly deteriorating due to the unmerciful onslaught of Alzheimer’s.

Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose—The tragic story of the French singer Edith Piaf captured powerfully by Cotillard. Her presence keeps this film from sinking into standard biopic fare.

Laura Linney, The Savages—The always reliable Linney is amazing in this underrated film. Partnered with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, she more than holds her own.

Ellen Page, Juno—My instinct tells me that the film as a whole is better than the individual performances. A good job by Page but, in comparison to the some of the others in this category, she does not have much of a shot.

“And the Oscar goes to…”
Marion Cotillard. While Christie culled much of the early buzz, Cotillard has gained momentum as the favorite. The sheer magnitude and scale of her performance outshines the subtleties of the more understated Christie.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford—A great year for Affleck as he stepped out of brother Ben’s shadow with two great performances (the other being Gone Baby Gone). Affleck here steals the show from Brad Pitt as the creepy Ford.

Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men—With his bad haircut, funny gait, and a curious choice of weapon, Anton Chighur is one of the scariest villains ever to grace the screen. The coin-flip scene is a classic.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War—Hoffman has a blast as renegade CIA agent Gust Avrakotos. Teamed with Tom Hanks, the two have infectious chemistry and much of it comes from Hoffman’s unique ability to completely transform himself into character.

Hal Holbrook, Into The Wild—No sentimentality here. The veteran actor deserves this nomination for his heartbreaking portrayal of an elderly man coming to grips with his past by connecting with the wayward traveler Christopher McCandless.

Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton—A role that could have easily slipped into a caricature is steadied by the veteran touch of a pro like Wilkinson. One of the more bizarre characters of recent years and Wilkinson nails it with the perfect combination of madness and humanity.

“And the Oscar goes to…”
Javier Bardem. In any other year it would be a toss-up between Holbrook and Wilkinson. This is the year for Bardem and No Country For Old Men.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

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