Will Leonardo DiCaprio be lucky in his sixth outing scalping the coveted but elusive Oscar? This is question most people - both from the industry and his million fans- are grappling with as the Hollywood get ready for its biggest gala of the year – officially the Academy Awards but better known by its nickname Oscar. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences host it annually to recognise “excellence in cinematic achievements in the film industry as assessed by the Academy's voting membership.”
Since his first nomination as the Supporting Actor for his astonishing role as mentally disabled teenager in 1993’s 'What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,’ the coveted statuette remains elusive for him despite noteworthy performances over two decades. Nominated 5 times for acting categories, as well one as producer for ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ his ‘performances’ at the Oscar are considered greatly ‘under appreciated,’ a heartbreaking moment for millions of his fans around the globe.
However, many industry watchers as well as audiences felt that, this could be the year and he could finally take home the statuette this year for his virtuoso performance as frontiersman Hugh Glass in the survival and revenge film ‘The Revenant’, set in American wilderness in the early 1800s.
Brutal and methodical in execution, grand and incredible in cinematography, The Revenant has been the toast of award season this year, with DiCaprio scalping almost every awards that matter - including BAFTA, SAG Award and the Golden Globe among others. “If he can fight a bear, surely he can win the fight for the Oscar,” noted a writer rooting for his win this year. However, stiff competition awaits from Eddie Redmayne in another solid performance as artist Danish Einar Wegener in ‘The Danish Girl,’ Matt Damon as an Astronaut Mark Watney stranded in Mars, in ‘The Martian’ and Michael Fassbender as ‘Steve Jobs’ in the namesake movie.
For the Best Actress Category, punters are tabbing their vote on first timer, Brie Larson’s role as a woman gaining freedom after being held captive along with her son in an enclosed space for seven years but finding difficulty to cope with outside world reality in Canadian-British-Irish drama film directed by Lenny Abrahamson ‘The Room’.
However, Oscar veterans like Cate Blanchet in ‘Carol’ and consistent performer Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Joy’ may topple the cart. Nevertheless, the absence of any clear breakthrough performance keeps the race open for fellow nominees Charlotte Rampling in ‘45 Years’ and Saoirse Ronan in ‘Brooklyn.’
(Morung Express News)
