Will Win: Matthew McConaughey Should Win: Chiwetel Ejifor Surprise Win: Leonardo DiCaprio Matthew McConaughey's career renaissance in the last few years has been astounding- this guy can act! But he should have won the Best Supporting Actor gong for Magic Mike. Most pundits will back Bruce Dern as the Comeback King, but the academy pulled that trick for Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart- it's too recent a memory for the same trick to be pulled. Dern won't win. However, you'll hear people saying "This is McConughey's year" for about the third year in a row. All signs point to that promise finally coming true. As fantastic as McConuaghey is, Chiwetel Ejifor's performance as Solomon Northrup is the strongest performance- Ejiofor deserves it, much like Fassbender did for his Steve McQueen's previous film Shame. Ejiofor suffers in an equally physical and emotional portrayal of an educated man who has lost everything and finds opportunities wherever they come. Northrup is desperate, intelligent, and not at all a showy performance. 12 Years A Slave is set to win big this year, and it would be a shame if its leading man, the one who anchors the whole film, misses out.. Then again, Leonardo DiCaprio may just come out of nowhere as the winner, with his critically-acclaimed role as Jordan Belfort. He's one of Hollywood's brightest and best, and deserving of an Oscar. This might just be his year. But like with McConaughey, it should have been awarded before now. And either man might just win at the expense of Ejiofor's performance.
Aspiring Director, Screenwriter and Actor. Film is my passion, but I indulge in TV, Theatre and Literature as well! Any comments or suggestions, please tweet me @IAmOscarHarding
