The beginning of the year always signals the nominations for the Oscars! This year looks to be the most hotly contested best actor category ever. Elysium Magazine looks at the superb performances worthy of an Oscar in 2014.
Leonardo DiCaprio
The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street is a story of the rise fall of stockbroker Jordan Balfort. The movie certainly shows the relationship that’s built between DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese over the course of their previous four films. DiCaprio flings himself into the role of Balfort, sweating, screaming and at one point shuffling through a drug-fuelled fight that shows physical comedy skills not previously known.
It’s a go-for-broke performance, which will keep you riveted throughout. It’s the type of performance that should be talked about for years.
Christian Bale
American Hustle
Just to be clear, it’s Bale and not that terrible comb-over we believe should get nominated for the Oscar. Bale is doing a lot of performing as a conman in David O. Russell’s latest hit, boasting that terrible hair, a giant gut and a big accent with matching wild gesticulation. He’s funny and odd and the anchor of a very starry cast. He ensures that his performance is the glue that brings the cast together and makes every scene digestible.
Matthew McConaughey
Dallas Buyer’s Club
It’s proof that McConaughey isn’t just there to steal scenes as an eccentric supporting character. He plays Ron Woodroof, a man dying of AIDS who extends his own life, and those of many others, far longer than he should by a cocktail of self-created supplements.
He lost a ton of weight for the role and awards voters traditionally love transformation, but to boil his performance down to a diet would be a sin. McConaughey sells it hard, just like we knew he could. It was only a matter of time before he was given the chance to take a center stage role and make it his own.
Chiwetel Ejiofor
12 Years A Slave
Ejiofor is one of the leading men to walk away with a Oscar, despite the strong contenders for the gong. As Solomon Northup, a free man kidnapped and put into slavery, he has to do much of his storytelling with silence. This isn’t a big shouty performance like DiCapro’s but one about suffering. You have to be able to read the anger and tragedy of thousands of people on Ejiofor’s face and surely nobody who’s seen 12 Years A Slave would claim it’s anything but crystal clear.
The Oscars always bring surprises so we are sure there will be more contenders for the prize. Who else do you think deserved a nomination? Let us know on twitter and Facebook.