Critics' Choice Movie Awards Preview / Predictions Part 2 (The Actors)

Ok…so it’s time to look at the acting categories for this year’s Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. Let me tell you, this is a fun batch of nominees.

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – “Hugo”
Elle Fanning – “Super 8”
Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Ezra Miller – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Saoirse Ronan – “Hanna”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

One of the cool categories that the CCMA hands out is for Best Young Actor/Actress. Basically the nominees need to be under 18 for this category and it is a truly cool category to vote for. It’s great to get a chance to honor some of the stars of tomorrow performing at a high level today. Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for this category multiple times and while her Hannacharacter was solid, it’s not the best here. Ezra Miller performs in the still new to many, We Need to Talk About Kevin. And Elle Fanning is the girl everyone wants to be around in Super 8, which is great..but not this year. The winner will come from the performances of Asa Butterfield in Hugo (Our group tends to love him), Thomas Horn in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (not everyone likes his portrayal, but those who do LOVE IT), and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (an actress I was actually talking about the second the film was over).

SHOULD WIN:  Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

WILL WIN:  Asa Butterfield, Hugo

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn”
Albert Brooks – “Drive”
Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Andrew Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

Look, this is a talented group of men. Top to bottom it is solid. But the one performance that really blew me away this year was Albert Brooks in Drive. I felt equally afraid of his character as well as confident that he was the trustworthy father figure. Nolte back in the saddle with Warrior is a crowd favorite. Patton Oswalt was truly one of my favorites, if not for Brooks. It is a solid change with Serkis getting a nomination for his performance in Rise of Planet of the Apes; nice to see him alongside veterans Branagh and Plummer in this category.

SHOULD WIN:  Albert Brooks, Drive

WILL WIN:  Albert Brooks, Drive

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
Carey Mulligan – “Shame”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

I would not be disappointed by any winner here. Carey Mulligan is always good and Berenice Bejo could ride a tidal wave for The Artist. Chastain, if you could cover her roles in all her films might walk away the winner here (I liked her in Take Shelter more than in this film). Octavia Spencer was fantastic in The Help as well, but with two actresses here, that’s never an easy road to take to a win. McCarthy is loved here, and it may be the way for our group to award the fresh and funny Bridesmaids. For me…Woodley should win but it is truly WIDE OPEN.

SHOULD WIN:  Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

WILL WIN:  ??? Maybe…Melissa McCarthy?

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March

All five of these movies made my “Top 25” for the year. I’m not sure what everyone uses as their criteria for voting in this category. Myself, I look for the whole of the cast. Not what is necessarily the best film, but which needed the whole “team” of actors to make the film go. With that in mind, this is a pretty good list. In this group, I think it’s the place where the whole of the cast for The Help gets awarded. Just about everyone loved this film and it took all characters here to bring together their varied roles and experiences to bubble your emotions to the surface. While the rest are all pretty darned good, some will have their day in other categories.

SHOULD WIN:  The Help

WILL WIN:  The Help

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
Michael Fassbender – “Shame”
Ryan Gosling – “Drive”
Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”

An interesting category here and it will be a look at where the rest of the night may go. If Jean Dujardin takes home the award, it might be a big night for The Artist. However, I think there were better performances here. I would lean towards our group going toward Gosling, Pitt or Clooney. Gosling with the pure number of nominations for Drive, he has a lot of support, and could walk away with the top award. Clooney is a favorite for my favorite film of the year. And as of this writing, I STILL haven’t chosen between him and the amazing performance of Brad Pitt in Moneyball. Yes I know Leo is nominated here too, but sorry Leo, not with this group. And…lest I leave him out…Michael Fassbender is really, really good in Shame so much so that I wouldn’t be ashamed of him as the winner here. Oh and by the way…I think the rule was we had to nominate actors from films with no more than two word titles…now that is some DEEP analysis!

SHOULD WIN:  Brad Pitt or George Clooney

WILL WIN:  Brad Pitt

BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis – “The Help”
Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”
Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”

And finally for this list, the ladies and I have to admit, I know not where our group will go. Heck, I know not where my vote will fall – so I naturally assume that people are having the same feelings as I am. (As an aside, it’s nice to have some races that truly could go any way right now..but back to the analysis.) Viola Davis is the heart and soul of The Help. Elizabeth Olsen was a revelation in Martha Marcy May Marlene (though it’s a mouthful of a title). Meryl, well, she is Meryl and becomes Maragaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Tilda Swinton walks through the aftermath of pure horror in both the before and after in We Need to Talk About Kevin. Charlize Theron was fun and depressing all in one film (Young Adult) and they let her look good again. And I know some who were in love with Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn. Who should I vote for??? I’m leaning toward Elizabeth Olsen, but I could change my mind any way before the ballot is in. This would be an EASY category for me if….Rooney Mara was nominated for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo…my favorite performance by a female this year…but….

SHOULD WIN:  ????? (Rooney Mara)

WILL WIN:  Meryl Streep or Viola Davis (Our group loves Meryl, doesn’t everyone?)

Ok – my vote’s going in…and my final column is about ready – tune in here tomorrow for the pictures and who I think will win everything else.