Best actor Nominees for Oscar 2011

Javier Bardem for Biutiful:
Bardem's inclusion is something of a surprise here, he didn't have much buzz going in and this is otherwise a pretty strong category. Still it's nice to have him recognized here even if he has no realistic chance of beating the likes of Jesse Eisenberg, James Franco, or Colin Firth.


Jeff Bridges for True Grit:
Arguing tit for tat on whether Bridges surpassed John Wayne's Oscar-winning role is a conversation for another paragraph. In some ways, it's not even relevant. Bridges was wonderful as Rooster, and when measuring it against the other nominees, talk of Wayne should be excluded. Alas, there's no keeping the Duke down and most voters will likely shy away from voting for the same character they already honored once. Still, this is nomination number 6 for Bridges, one year removed from his victory in the same category for Crazy Heart.



Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network:
Perhaps penalized a bit because some audience members found it hard to relate to his character, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg still secured his first nomination and arguably has the only real shot at taking down Colin Firth. As pronounced as Firth's performance was in The King's Speech, Eisenberg's was mostly understated. No less impressive but perhaps a bit less memorable.



Colin Firth for The King's Speech:
Two years, two Best Actor nominations for Colin Firth. The affable British actor had quietly built himself a reputation in supporting roles for years, but with a likely Oscar win coming for The King's Speech on top of last year's nomination for A Single Man, we may well see him become one of the more classy and reliable actors working today. I wouldn't mortgage the house on impending victory, but I would certainly take him against the field.



James Franco for 127 Hours:
Before 127 Hours, Franco was largely known as a pretty good, not great actor that could seamlessly vault between dramatic and comedic roles. One only has to look to his recent cameo in The Green Hornet to see that whimsical side, but this nomination propels Franco into another category. He's now more than just a likeable face. Only time will tell whether this was a one-off shot at greatness or a sign of things to come.