6. Naomi Watts - Diana
In all honesty, it's a bit surprising it has taken this long for a biopic about Princess Diana to come to fruition, but here it finally is. It also presents a dream role that many an actress would likely stoop pretty low to attain. The lucky thespian tasked with the portrayal of the late Princess of Whales though has landed to the English-born, Australian-immigrant Naomi Watts (who by all accounts did nothing nefarious to win the role). Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, a director who has had experience with cinematic interpretations of iconic historical figures (albeit of a much different nature in his captivating portrait of the final days of Adolf Hitler), the film's plot is said to deal with the final two years of Diana's life, including her campaign against the use of landmines and her relationship with the surgeon Hasnat Khan. What will be interesting to see is how tactfully Hirshbiegel hands the material and what that may mean for Ms. Watts' chances at grabbing another Oscar nomination. If the movie treats Diana with kid gloves to the point where it becomes a straight out hagiography, the film risks becoming pristine and dry to the point where it severely limits Watts' ability to exercise her acting prowess. On the other hand, if the film dares to not show the beloved Duchess of Cornwall the due respect many believe she deserves, Watts' performance, no matter how good, will likely be none too appreciated. It's quandary not only for Ms. Watts' Oscar hopes, but also for the film itself. We do know though that Ms. Watts has found success with the Academy in the past, receiving two leading actress nominations, including just last year in her physically tormented role in The Impossible. I think then we can expect members of the Academy to give her the benefit of the doubt, as long as things don't go too far overboard. It may make for a boring movie, but if they take the safe bet and don't risk backlash (which I expect the film will do), I think Ms. Watts has a decent shot at making the final cut.