For all the Rayons of the world – and just about everyone else – Jared Leto can do no wrong this awards season. Returning back to the big screen after years of focusing on his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, Leto’s gender-bending role alongside Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club” has gripped the hearts of awards voters. He’s racked up a glittering stash of hardware from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG– as well as a slew of film critics’ awards early in the season which set him up as the front runner.
But it’s been fun to watch first-time actor Barkhad Abdi glory in his role as “the captain now” in “Captain Phillips,” which just earned him a BAFTA Award. Although Abdi was born in Somalia, he immigrated to Minneapolis at the age of 14 and was a complete acting novice before he auditioned for the lead pirate’s role.
In any other year, the rest of the field would pose more of a threat. Bradley Cooper and his head of permed curls, barely repressed sexuality and rapid fire violence are an integral part of “American Hustle,” and his second in a row nomination for appearing in a David O. Russell film.
Michael Fassbender brings his own brand of sadism and sex, honed in “Shame,” another Steve McQueen picture, to the role of the cotton plantation owner who torments his slaves, particularly Patsey, played by Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave.”
And what would Leonardo DiCaprio’s role as Jordan Belfort be without his sidekick, Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff, the true underbelly of “The Wolf of Wall Street.” After years of working in comedy, Hill is on a roll with his roles in “serious” films like this and “Moneyball,” and seems to work well as the number 2 to the two of the world’s most handsome men.
TAR’s Take: We are not exactly going out on a limb here. But if Leto doesn’t take the Oscar for best supporting actor this year, something might’ve been amiss in the Price Waterhouse ballot counting system.
–Hillary Atkin
