Adrien Brody and Demi Moore Among Oscar Favorites in Lead Actor Categories

At the Oscars, some things seem clear in the lead actor categories, but much is still open. Currently, Adrien Brody and Demi Moore seem to have the best prospects.

Adrien Brody and His High-Caliber Competition at the Oscars

It would not be a big surprise if Brody could add a second Oscar for Best Actor to his trophy for "The Pianist" on March 2. The 51-year-old stars in Brady Corbet's fictional biopic "The Brutalist" as a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor who wants to start a new life in the States. His performance in the three-and-a-half-hour monumental drama has already earned him a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice Award. But the competition is impressive: Young star Timothée Chalamet is considered to have equally good chances as folk legend Bob Dylan in "Like A Complete Unknown," as does Briton Ralph Fiennes, who finds himself among the nominees in this category for the third time thanks to Edward Berger's Vatican thriller "Conclave." The quintet is completed by Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing" brought him back into the acting elite after "Rustin" last year) and Sebastian Stan. The latter can be seen as Donald Trump in "The Apprentice," as the film focuses on the professional rise of the current US President in the 70s and 80s.

Oscars: Demi Moore with a Cinematic Comeback Story

In the Best Actress category, a comeback story is emerging that America loves: Demi Moore has played her way back into the spotlight with Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance" after several lackluster years. In the quirky body-horror film, she plays an aging actress who takes a mysterious drug to rejuvenate her career. For this, she received, among other things, a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Actress and recently a Critics' Choice Award, not to mention her first Oscar nomination. In terms of Golden Globes, Brazilian Fernanda Torres can keep up, having succeeded in the drama category as a political activist in "I'm Still Here." A success for the film, which has been nominated three times in total, would be remarkable but not entirely surprising. The same goes for Mikey Madison, who shines as the title character in "Anora." Sean Baker's variation on the "Pretty Woman" theme, with Madison as a sex worker who has an affair with the son of a Russian oligarch, not only won the Palme d'Or in Cannes last year but is increasingly becoming a dark horse favorite for the Oscars.

"Emilia Pérez" Lagging Behind at the Oscars

This is ultimately also due to the fact that the 13-time nominated genre-bender "Emilia Pérez" is increasingly falling behind. After racist and Islamophobic tweets from lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón surfaced, the Spaniard not only shot herself in the foot but also significantly reduced the overall chances of Jacques Audiard's film. Gascón could have made history by becoming the first trans woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. However, this now seems unlikely. But who knows, maybe there will be a surprise victory for the "Wicked Witch of the West"? As such, Cynthia Erivo has won many fans' hearts in the highly successful musical adaptation "Wicked." Whether it will be enough for an Oscar remains to be seen. Another indicator will likely be the SAG Awards on February 23, as the Screen Actors Guild awards are considered quite reliable precursors to the Academy Awards. It remains exciting until the night of nights.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.