Oscars 2019: 9 Ups & 8 Downs
2. Rami Malek Wins Best Actor
Another result that wasn't terribly surprising but was nevertheless disappointing: Rami Malek won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Though Malek certainly gave a solid performance, his work was ultimately hamstrung by the sloppy writing and direction, making this a win undeniably influenced by the general public's fondness for Mercury himself.
Was Malek's all-teeth performance really better than Christian Bale (Vice), Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), Willem Dafoe (At Eternity's Gate) and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)? You can argue for the latter, but the rest? Not a chance.
But Malek has been an aggressive and charming campaigner on the circuit, which no doubt helped him grease the palms of Oscar voters ahead of the Big One. It's a shame, because with a better core movie he certainly could've been a deserving winner.