George Clooney, who is an Oscar winner and four-time nominee, is the leader of the pack with this year’s early buzz of Best Actor hopefuls. Up in the Air chronicles the life of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) a corporate downsizer who avoids emotional ties and readily fills the void in his life with frequent-flier miles. Ironically, the place he chooses to hide from life is the same place he meets it head on when he encounters Alex (The Departed’s Vera Farmiga). The chemistry between the two is being lauded as refreshing and George’s appeal has never been more effervescent. Hopefully, this early buzz won’t be a detriment to his chances in bringing home another golden boy. Maybe, best pal Brad Pitt can offer some advice on that topic.
Viggo Mortensen, George Clooney, Clive Owen in Line for Actor Noms
Other contenders in the Best Actor category are Viggo Mortensen in The Road, Clive Owen in The Boys Are Back and Matt Damon’s comic turn in The Informant. The Road is based on the Cormac McCarthy Pulitzer Prize winning novel, about a father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) trying to survive after a mysterious cataclysm. They wade through barren land constantly dodging starving stragglers and packs of cannibals.
The Boys Are Back is inspired by a true story and centers on the life of sportswriter Jack Warr (Clive Owen), who finds himself navigating through life as a single parent after the untimely death of his wife. With two sons to raise, without a feminine influence, their lives quickly unravel. Forcing them each to find their own way in order to persevere and sustain their family unit. The Informant is based on the true story of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), an executive at the agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland who decided to turn whistleblower and exposes the company’s price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI. Unfortunately, Whitacre’s ambition and ever-changing account threatens the case and makes it difficult to decipher the truth from the product of his vivid imagination.
Abbie Cornish and Carey Mulligan May Vie for Best Actress
In the Best Actress category Bright Star's Abbie Cornish and An Education's Carey Mulligan are the apparent frontrunners. Bright Star written and directed by Jane Campion depicts the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) whose unlikely coupling and forbidden romance was cut short by Keats' untimely death at the age of 25.
An Education won the Audience Choice award and the Cinematography award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A coming of age story about a 16-year-old school girl Jenny (Carey Mulligan) who resides in 1960s surban London and aspires to attend Oxford. That goal is abruptly terminated when she meets playboy David (Peter Sarsgaard), who is nearly twice her age. She is seduced by the lifestyle of classical concerts and late-night suppers he introduces her to and nothing will ever be the same.
Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story, is a strong contender in the documentary category. The bank bailouts are the focus this time around under the scrutiny of his cinematic lens.
 |
 |
 |
 |
