Every Best Actor Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked
21. Jean Dujardin - The Artist (2011)
Who should have won: Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
As far as Best Picture winners go, The Artist is an admittedly forgettable drama that's nonetheless wonderfully sweet in the moment, paying effective homage to the Silent Age of cinema with solid set design and infectious joy.
At the centre of the dreamy silent musical, Jean Dujardin plays a movie star unable to translate his career success into sound pictures, and brings a level of smug charm and awareness to the role that unfortunately ends up feeling decidedly one-note by movie's end.
This is the kind of charming but simple performance that would've been better remembered had it not secured Oscar glory, and feels - harsh as it may sound - like a role anyone could have played. How it beat Gary Oldman's best work is a mystery.