It was a fun performance, but I don't think it was in any way Oscar worthy. Judy Davis and Joan Plowright gave far better performances. Marisa was a lot better in In the Bedroom.

*sigh*

Sucks, becaaause...

Saw Last King of Scotland today, and I can't root for Whitaker. I just can't, really. It's the exact same thing as with Streep; it's just so clearly NOT a lead performance.

And the hype probably killed it a bit for me, too. Whitaker's good, but I wasn't blown away.

It's a good movie, not a great one. I recommend more people go out and see it, though.

I'm getting more and more convinced that if you take a historical figure, and beef up the role as much as you can with major dramatic chops and scenery chewing, the majority of the time he or she will pretty much get an Oscar. If we count Foxx as getting his Oscar after Swank, this will be 5 straight lead Oscars for the biopic/imitation camp. Some are great, buttt... Come on! Some variety please! I haven't seen Scotland so maybe I shouldn't be complaining, but from the sounds of it O'Toole really and genuinely acts his heart out in Venus, and he should be awarded for it.

I still think the Oscar will go to O'Toole in one of the night's most "shocking" moments.


And yeah, can't root for Whitaker either. As I said a while ago, and I think Raffiki was saying before me, he's definitely supporting (I think I put him as #2 in my supporting actor ballot before I saw Little Children...).

You'll love Notes. I can feel it But yeah, without seeing Mirren - ironically the frontrunner, an excellent lineup (but Streep should have been moved to supporting - not only she belongs there, she'd also have the Oscar closer to her hands )

THANK YOU!!!


Same here. the movie wasn't phenomenal and his performance was such a supporting one even moreso than Streep's I'd say. He shoulda been in supporting and easily won that.

I can't wait to see Notes tomorrow. I'm orgasming right now. I've ever made Monday afternoon free if the movie is absolutely fantastic as I know it will be.

Actres is completely locked up. If anyone other than Mirren was going to win I would actually say Cruz would do it. It's not gonna happen though.

Actor. Gosling and Smith don't stand a chance. i would not say the same thing about dicaprio...but, still, it's not gonna happen either. I do think whitiker will take it but i think it is a mistake to completely count out o'toole. the thing about him is that he got terrific reviews. as did the movie. it isn't the usual scenario where you have an alright performance in a decent film getting nominated simply because of who they are. which doesn't change the fact that this possibly being his last chance at an actual win in a competitive category will help him a lot. the movie is small, yeah, but academy award member have their screeners. i would imagine that this film/performace would be on top of the must-see list for many of them. if whitiker wasn't in the race (i hate what ifs but...) o'toole would take it for sure. whitiker has what has been called the role of a lifetime, but similar performances have been passed up before. they might still feel as if he'll probably have a chance at winning the award at some other point down the road.

I don't see that happening. I still think Whitiker will end up winning it. i still can't get over that "are they really gonna pass up the chance, possibly the last, to give peter o'toole a REAL(:P) academy award" feeling. i would not call the race a lock as some others have.

I'm suddenly wondering if O'Toole will win, too.... we'll see. What a fun surprise that would be :-P

I really think O'Toole has this...it could go either way, though.

I've had more faith in O'Toole, unfortunately. I'm starting to think that, just like last year, the Academy will surprise us only at the very end (or not, depending on which movie you think has a better shot at BP). Still praying for an upset, either O'Toole, Haley (how brilliant would that be?) or *dreams for the impossible* Kikuchi/Gosling/Winslet...? Yeah right..

I think this is one of the strongest best actress lineups in years, by the way. No undeserving nominees and if each performance was nominated in a different year, I think each one would be worthy of a win.

I think they will give it to O'Toole. Here is the reason why.

Whitaker's role is more of a supporting role. Also, the Actors rarely win for playing the antagonist.

Denzel Washington won Best Actor for playing an antagonist in a glorified supporting role.

I think Forest Whitaker is going to win but I will be rooting for anyone who is not Witaker and will be predicting O'Toole just for the hell of it.

Yeah, if any of their films had been released last year, for instance, any one of them could have given Reese a run for her money, I say.

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter (villainous, not exactly a lead role as well), I add to that.

I had that in mind, that's why I said rarely and not never.

Good point, then again, Last King doesn't really have the acclaim nor the popularity those two movies had.

That I agree. I still find it odd that Whitaker swept critics' awards. I thought only Mirren would.

Predix...

Best Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen

Here's hoping for upsets by Gosling (or DiCaprio) and Winslet (or Dench) though.

I'd love to see O'Toole upset Whitaker. If there were one upset I'd like to see the most, in fact, it might be this.

Though, you know, honestly, I still thought Will Smith in Happyness was so good.

I have no qualms with Mirren's win. Although it wasn't my favorite lead female performance of last year, I do think it's the strongest of the nominated 5.

I'd love to see Gosling or DiCaprio win. They are by far the best of their category. Gosling gave the best Lead Actor performance of 2006, IMO.

It went as expected, but I did wish Leo Dic would get a surprise..!!

I love Whitaker, ever since host Dog and I was glad for his win...yet I felt some pity for O'Toole.