Oscar Buzz Part 1 (Best Supporting Actress)

It's not long now before Films prestige film ceremony announces its nominess for this year. Over the next week we'll run through our potential winners for the five main awards (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Male and Best Supporting Actress). Now obviously these aren't who we think should win but instead who we beleive will be nominated. First up 'Best Supporting Actress'




1. Mo'Nique (Mary, Precious)


History: 42 years old, 14 films (Beerfest, Irish Jam, Domino), Never nominated.
Awards: Golden Globe (Nominated), Independant Spirit Awards (Nominated), Screen Actors Guild Awards (Nominated), Stokholm Film Festival (Winner), Sundance Film Festival (Winner), 
Release: 6th November (USA)
Box Office: $38,000,000
Company: Lionsgate
Role: Mary, an abusive, mentally ill mother
Probability: 8/10 The acadamy loves gritty urban stories, making Mo'Nique a clear favorite.


2. Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener, Up In The Air)

History: 24 years old, 7 films (Twilight Saga), Never nominated
Awards: Broadcast Film Critic Award (Nominated), Golden Globe (Nominated), Screen Actors Guild (Nominated)
Release: 4th December (USA)
Box Office: $11,000,000
Company: Paramount
Role: An uptight grad student, trying to climb the corporate ladder
Probability: 6/10 Still a new player in the film world, the panel will probably wait till she proves herself some more


3. Vera Farmiga (Alex Goran, Up In the Air)

History: 36 years old, 24 films (The Departed, Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas, Orphan) No previous nominations

Awards: Broadcast Film Critic Awards (Nominated), Golden Globe (Nominated)
Release: 4th December (USA)
Box Office: $11,000,000
Company: Paramount
Role: Female counterpart to Clooneys angry business persona
Probability: 7/10 Just pips Anna Kendrick due to her previous history in best picture winner The Departed and The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas


4. Marion Cotillard (Luisia Contini, Nine)

History: 34 years old, 35 films (Public Enemies, La Vie En Rose, Big Fish), 1 nomination and 1 win

Awards: Broadcast Film Critic Awards (Nominated), Golden Globe (Nominated), Screen Actors Guild (Nominated)
Release:  18th December (USA)
Box Office: $250,000
Company: Weinstien Company
Role: A Retired actress and long suffering wife
Probability: 5/10 Her previous winner, only a couple of years ago could hinder her chances, especially as she's nominated in a film full of other strong female performances. Her role in Public enemies is the only thing putting her ahead of the rest of Nine's cast.


5. Melanie Laurent (Shoshanna Dreyfus, Inglorious Basterds)

History: 26 years old, 22 films (Paris, Beat That My Heart Skipped), never nominated
Awards: Austin Film Critics (Winner), Broadcast Film critics (Nominated), Screen Actors Guild (Nominated)
Release: August 21st (USA)
Box Office: $120,000,000
Company: Weinstein Company
Role: The young French female protagonist.
Probability: 8/10 The academy likes to recognize foriegn talent in the supporting roles, and this great perfomance is surely worthy of an award. 

Also In the running:

• Penelope Cruz (Carla, Nine): surely deserves recognition for stella back catalogue of recent performances
• Julianna Moore (Charley, A Serious Man) A relatively small role, but her name always cuts the mustard with the critics as one of cinemas most criminally unnoticed talents
• Judi Dench (Lilli, Nine) With the apprent 'rise of the Brits' Dench is bound to get a nomination, she normally only has to appear for about 5 minutes in a film to get nominated for some award or another
• Dianna Kruger (Bridget Von Hammersmarck, Inglorious Basterds) Outplayed by Laurent but still deserving of a nomination
  

Outsiders:

• Rosamund Pike: An Education
• Marion Cotillard: Public Enemies
• Susan Sarandon: The Lovely Bones
• Sigourney Weaver: Avatar 

Who we would like to see lift the Trophy:


Melanie Laurent: An outstanding performance from a woman fairly unknown by most English speeking film fans. She has shown that she is one of the few European talents who could make it big in Hollywood, this years Marion Coltillard perhaps.  


Patrick Gamble