Academy Awards: Leading actor (From the best to the worst)
The best actors according to the Academy.
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- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroCathy MoriartyJoe PesciThe life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.Robert De Niro as Jake La Motta, a boxer who fights in and out of the ring. His performance is just perfect every second.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.Marlon Brando got a second award for portraying a mafia boss during his most difficult moments. He rejected the award and won eternity
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.Daniel Day-Lewis in a powerful role as a greedy man in a modern masterpiece. He is the best lactor of his generation
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.Jack Nicholson in one of his best performances as a criminal that pretends to be insane and faces an evil nurse
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsGene HackmanRoy ScheiderFernando ReyA pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.Gene Hackman won his first oscar for his role as a police officer struggling in the streets. One of the toughest actors at his best
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.Brando got his first Oscar after 4 consecutive nominatios. His character of a loser who looks for redemption is magnificent
- DirectorFlorian ZellerStarsAnthony HopkinsOlivia ColmanMark GatissA man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.Anthony Hopkins won his second award for this fantastic and moving performance as an old man who is losing his memory.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsSean PennTim RobbinsKevin BaconThe tragic murder of a 19-year-old girl reunites three childhood friends still living in Boston--the victim's gangster father, a detective, and the disturbed man they both suspect of killing her.Sean Penn finally got a long-waited award for this Clint Eastwood film as a man that wants revenge after the murer of his daughter
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsGeorge C. ScottKarl MaldenStephen YoungThe World War II phase of the career of controversial American general George S. Patton.George C. Scott was the first actor who rejected the award for his flawless performance as the almost-legendary american general
- DirectorRobert MulliganStarsGregory PeckJohn MegnaFrank OvertonAtticus Finch, a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama, defends a Black man against an undeserved rape charge, and tries to educate his young children against prejudice.Gregory Peck had to wait almost two decades to recieve the award and he got it for his role as Atticus, an admirable lawyer in a racist town
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDaniel Day-LewisSally FieldDavid StrathairnAs the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.Daniel Day-Lewis and his third win for playing the beloved american president during the end of the civil war.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsWilliam HoldenAlec GuinnessJack HawkinsBritish POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.Alec Guiness in one of his great performances as an English man taken prisoner by japaneses during the second world war
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanClifton Collins Jr.Catherine KeenerIn 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.Philip Seymour-Hoffman is just perfect as the iconic writer during his research for In Cold blood
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsDustin HoffmanMeryl StreepJane AlexanderAfter his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.Dustin Hoffman at his best as a single father facing the problems of taking care his small son
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is just mesmerazing every minute that he is on the screen. I still think he was more a supporting actor than a leading one
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsTom HanksDenzel WashingtonRoberta MaxwellWhen a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic-small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.Tom Hanks in his best role as a lawyer who gest fire for being homsexual and HIV possitive
- DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsEmil JanningsEvelyn BrentWilliam PowellA former Imperial Russian general and cousin of the Czar ends up in Hollywood as an extra in a movie directed by a former revolutionary.Emil Jannings was the first winner in the first ceremony for two movies, one of them is completely lost (The way of all flesh), and in this silent film he is great as a Russian general who becomes an extra in Hollywood
- DirectorJim SheridanStarsDaniel Day-LewisBrenda FrickerAlison WhelanChristy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.Daniel Day-Lewis and his first win, portrays perfectly an irish man who fights against his own body to get recognition
- DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsBen KingsleyJohn GielgudRohini HattangadiThe life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.Ben Kingsley at the begining of his great career won all the praises for playing with conviction the adamirable Mahatma
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.Casey Affleck as a depressed man facing the hard facts of life is just great, one moving performance to be remembered
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsRay MillandJane WymanPhillip TerryThe desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.Ray Milland won his Oscar in his only nod for portraying an alcoholic writer in this classic directed by Billy Wilder
- DirectorLaurence OlivierStarsLaurence OlivierJean SimmonsJohn LauriePrince Hamlet struggles over whether or not he should kill his uncle, whom he suspects has murdered his father, the former king.Laurence Olivier is the only actor until today to get an Oscar for a Shakesperian role.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HardyWill PoulterA frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.Leonardo Di Caprio in a strong role as a man struggling to survive against nature and men
- DirectorRichard BrooksStarsBurt LancasterJean SimmonsArthur KennedyA fast-talking traveling salesman with a charming, loquacious manner convinces a sincere evangelist that he can be an effective preacher for her cause.Burt Lancaster in one of his best roles as an spiritual leader full of sins and lust
- DirectorAlexander KordaStarsCharles LaughtonRobert DonatFranklin DyallKing Henry VIII marries five more times after his divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon.Charles Laughton as the English monarch who married several times and broke-up with the Pope. A legendary performance.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.Gary Cooper and his scecond win in this classic western, but Kirk Douglas in The bad and the beautiful was way better
- DirectorSam MendesStarsKevin SpaceyAnnette BeningThora BirchA sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.Kevin Spacey and his second Oscar this time in the leading category for his role as Lester in this dramedy, but Russell Crowe was just amazing in The insider
- DirectorTom HooperStarsColin FirthGeoffrey RushHelena Bonham CarterThe story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.Colin Firth as the king George VI, during his most difficult times trying to overcome a language disorder
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsFaye DunawayWilliam HoldenPeter FinchA television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit, but finds that his message may be difficult to control.Peter Finch was the firs actor to get the award after his death months before the ceremony, his iconic scene shouting on the screen in this masterpiece is why he got the Oscar
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsSean PennJosh BrolinEmile HirschThe story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.Sean Penn as the gay activist Harvey Milk is quite good, but Mickey Rourke gave the performance of his life in The wrestler
- DirectorHector BabencoStarsWilliam HurtRaul JuliaSonia BragaA gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life.William Hurt was the first actor to win for a gay role in this film about two men taken as prisoners by a dictartoship in South America
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJames CagneyJoan LeslieWalter HustonThe life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan.James Cagney in this biopic dances and sings, very different from his ganster films. He was the best option in a weak year for the category
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsJames McAvoyForest WhitakerGillian AndersonBased on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s.Forest Whitaker as the implacable African dictator got all the awards during that year
- DirectorMike FiggisStarsNicolas CageElisabeth ShueJulian SandsBen Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.Nicolas Cage in his best work as an alcoholic looking for death. Sean Penn in Dead Man walking is just perfect and should have won
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsJoaquin PhoenixRobert De NiroZazie BeetzDuring the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.Joaquin Phoenix gives a strong performance as the iconic villian of Gotham city, but I prefer Antonio Banderas (Dolor y gloria) or Adam Driver (Marriage story).
- DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsRobert DuvallTess HarperBetty BuckleyA broken-down, middle-aged country singer gets a new wife, reaches out to his long-lost daughter, and tries to put his troubled life back together.Robert Duvall got his reward for playing acountry singer asking a second chance in life
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMyrna LoyDana AndrewsFredric MarchThree World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.Fredric March and his second win for this wonderful film about life after the second world war in the USA.
- DirectorJoe WrightStarsGary OldmanLily JamesKristin Scott ThomasIn May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill is very good but Daniel Day Lewis in Phantom Thread was just superior
- DirectorMark RydellStarsKatharine HepburnHenry FondaJane FondaNorman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. At Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.Henry Fond finally got the Oscar after 50 years dedicated to the industry, a very sentimental award but a fair one
- DirectorScott HicksStarsGeoffrey RushArmin Mueller-StahlJustin BrainePianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.Geoffrey Rush was the obvious winner of 1996, his work is quite good, but he's only in half of the film.
- DirectorHal AshbyStarsJane FondaJon VoightBruce DernIn 1968 California, a woman whose husband is a Marine officer fighting in Vietnam falls in love with a former high school classmate who suffered a paralyzing combat injury in the war.Jon Voight in his best role as a Viet Nam veteran who falls in love with a married woman
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsBroderick CrawfordJohn IrelandJoanne DruThe rise and fall of a corrupt politician, who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.Broderick Crawford in the role of his lifetime as a corrupt politician, his best competition was Kirk Douglas for Champion
- DirectorJohn FordStarsVictor McLaglenHeather AngelPreston FosterIn 1922, an Irish rebel informs on his friend, then feels doom closing in.Victor McLaghlen was the surprise winner for this John Ford film, after all he won over 3 actors of the best picture of that year: Mutiny on the Bounty
- DirectorBarbet SchroederStarsJeremy IronsGlenn CloseRon SilverWealthy Sunny von Bülow lies brain-dead, husband Claus guilty of attempted murder; but he says he's innocent and hires Alan Dershowitz for his appeal.It's a shame that the great Jeremy Irons only has got a single one nod, when he has been better in other films. His work here is very good in a weak year, maybe Gerard Deperdieu was a little bit better in Cyrano Da Bergerac
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsMatthew McConaugheyJennifer GarnerJared LetoIn 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.Matthew McConaghuey portrays in a great way an homophobic electrician who fights for his life after being diagnosed HIV+, maybe Leo DiCaprio was a better option for The wolf of Wall Street
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenMichael DouglasTamara TunieAn impatient young stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless, greedy corporate raider who takes the youth under his wing.Michael Douglas as the evil man behind a corrupt economy business was very good. But he got the award only because of his another solid role in 1987: Fatal atraction
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsDustin HoffmanTom CruiseValeria GolinoAfter a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.Dustin Hoffman and his second Oscar for playing a man with autism, he won because it wasn´t a very good year in the category
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsErnest BorgnineBetsy BlairEsther MinciottiA middle-aged butcher and a school teacher who have given up on the idea of love meet at a dance and fall for each other.Ernest Borgnine was the winner for his solid performance as the butcher who has to deal with friends and family in his searching for the right girl. James Dean (East of Eden) and Frank Sinatra (The man with the golden arm) gave better performances that year
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsPaul NewmanTom CruiseMary Elizabeth MastrantonioFast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.Newman got the Oscar after several nominations for repraising his role of The Hustler (1961). A sentimental award but very correct
- DirectorScott CooperStarsJeff BridgesMaggie GyllenhaalColin FarrellA faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.Jeff Bridges finally became an Oscar winner after 38 years of his first nomination, but the performance of Colin Firth in A single man was superior
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.Clark Gable was a very tough guy during the 30's but he showed that he could be romantic and funny too.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.F. Murray Abraham as Salieri is very good, sorry that his career didn´t become as good as the award, Albert Finney in Under the volcano gave the best male performance among the nominees
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsCillian MurphyEmily BluntMatt DamonThe story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.Cillian Murphy got the award after several years of working in the industry, but Paul Giamatti (The holdovers) deserved it more.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartKatharine HepburnRobert MorleyIn WWI East Africa, a gin-swilling Canadian riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced English missionary to undertake a trip up a treacherous river and use his boat to attack a German gunship.The great Humphrey Bogart got the award for this classic romantic/adventure film directed by his friend John Huston, this was a sentimental award because he really deserved the award years before for films like Casablanca o Treausre of the Sierra Madre. Marlon Brando (A streetcar named desire) gave one of the most iconic performances of the history
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsCary GrantKatharine HepburnJames StewartWhen a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.James Stewar got his only Oscar for his role in this great screwball, but this was only because he had lost the year before for his magnificent role in Mr. Smith goes to Washington. Henry Fonda in the grapes of wrath was just perfect
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.Jamie Foxx as the legendary blind singer Ray Charles, won over Leo Di Caprio (The aviator). I think it was because of his other good work in that year: Collateral
- DirectorRalph NelsonStarsSidney PoitierLilia SkalaLisa MannA travelling handyman becomes the answer to the prayers of nuns who wish to build a chapel in the desert.Sidney Poitier became the first black actor to win in this category for a nice performance, but the British actors Albert Finney (Tom Jones) and Richard Harris (This sporting life) were superior
- DirectorRouben MamoulianStarsFredric MarchMiriam HopkinsRose HobartDr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.Fredric March as the tormented man divided into two gave a solid performance, at least he was better than his fellow winner Wallace Beery
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsSidney PoitierRod SteigerWarren OatesA black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case.After losing two years before for his magnificent role in The pawnbroker, Rod Steiger got the award for this poignant film about racism, the other nominees were better options: Dustin Hoffman (Graduate), Paul Newman (Cool hand Luke) and Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde)
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsBrendan FraserSadie SinkTy SimpkinsA reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.Brendan Fraser as a dying man looking for redemption is quite good, but Colin Farrell (The banshees of Inisherin) was a better option in my opinion.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksRobin WrightGary SiniseThe history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.Tom Hanks with his second consecutive award in this very corny tale, his performance is only good, the other 4 nominees would have been better choices: Nigel Hawthorne (Madness of king George), Morgan Freeman (Shawshank redemtion), Paul Newman (Nobody's fool) and John Travolta (Pulp fiction)
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.Denzel Washington and his second win (first in this category) as the bad cop in this Ok film. The favorite was Russell Crowe (A beautiful mind), maybe he didn't win because of Gladiator won the previous year.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsJack LemmonJack GilfordLaurie HeinemanA disillusioned war veteran has two days to let go of his shaken morals if he wants his small fashion company to survive.Jack Lemmon was one of the best American actors ever, but his win for this film is not so fair, because of 2 other competitors: Al Pacino (Serpico) and Marlon Brando (Last tango in Paris)
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.Adrien Brody with his best performance in a very good film, but he only won because of the other 4 actors divided the vote: Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York), Jack Nicholson (About Schmidt), Michael Caine (The quiet american) and Nicolas Cage (Adaptation)
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsPaul ScofieldWendy HillerRobert ShawThe story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.Paul Scotfield as Thomas Moore got the award and the seven-time nominee Richard Burton (Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?), lost one more time. What a shame!
- DirectorMichael GordonStarsJosé FerrerMala PowersWilliam PrinceThe charismatic swordsman-poet helps another woo the woman he loves.José Ferrer became the firs latin actor to win an Oscar, for repraising his role as the corageous French soldier in love with his cousin Roxanne. Maybe the best among the nominees, only William Holden (Sunset Boulevard) was a real competition
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenDon TaylorOtto PremingerAfter two Americans are killed while escaping from a German P.O.W. camp in World War II, the barracks black marketeer, J.J. Sefton, is suspected of being an informer.William Holden was saved by Billy Wilder years before in Sunset Boulevard and under his direction he became a winner for this solid film, sorry that Monty Clift never would win an Oscar, that year he did a fantastic job in From here to eternity
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.Jean Dujardin won for this tribute to old Hollywood a good performance, George Clooney was so much better in The descendants
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsSpencer TracyMickey RooneyHenry HullWhen a death row prisoner tells him he wouldn't have led a life of crime if only he had had one friend as a child, Father Edward Flanagan decides to start a home for young boys.Spencer Tracy and his second consecutive win as a catholic priest. James Cagney in Angels with dirty faces was great and deserved more the recognition
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsRonald ColmanEdmond O'BrienSigne HassoA celebrated actor struggles to distinguish his own life from that of his most recent stage role, Othello.Ronald Colman finally won the award for palying an actor who becomes Othello on and off the stage, it was a sentimental award in a weak year for the category, except for John Garfield in Body and soul
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsJack NicholsonHelen HuntGreg KinnearA single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.Jack Nicholson won for the third time, his role is interesting but Robert Duvall in The Apostole was just magnificent
- DirectorHerman ShumlinHal MohrStarsBette DavisPaul LukasGeraldine FitzgeraldA German-born engineer, his American wife and their children travel from Mexico to the United States to visit her family, but a Romanian count complicates their plans.Paul Lukas and his sole nomination, won the award for this war film, he is good in it, but Humprhey Bogart in Casablanca is just perfect
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsRami MalekLucy BoyntonGwilym LeeThe story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury is quite good in this typical biopic. Maybe the other 4 nominees were better options: Dafoe (At eternity's gate), Cooper (A star is born), Bale (Vice) and Mortensen (Green book)
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsSpencer TracyBurt LancasterRichard WidmarkIn 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazis judged for war crimes.Maximillian Schell got the award for playing what it seems a supporting role in this all-star cast, a very strong performance but Paul Newman was perfect in The hustler
- DirectorClarence BrownStarsNorma ShearerLeslie HowardLionel BarrymoreAn alcoholic lawyer who successfully defended a notorious gambler on a murder charge objects when his free-spirited daughter becomes romantically involved with him.The legendary Lionel Barrymore and his Oscar for playing and alcoholic man tha was very similar to other of his roles, he was quite good, he was the best in a very weak year for the Academy in general
- DirectorRalph NelsonStarsCliff RobertsonClaire BloomLilia SkalaAn intellectually disabled man undergoes an experiment that gives him the intelligence of a genius.Cliff Robertson did a solid job in this small film, but his competitor was extraordinary: Peter O'Toole (The lion in winter)
- DirectorSam WoodSidney FranklinStarsRobert DonatGreer GarsonTerry KilburnAn aged teacher and former headmaster of a boarding school recalls his career and his personal life over the decades.Robert Donat played in a very correct way a British teacher in this nice film, his competitors were superior, specially the perfect James Stewart in Mr. Smith goes to Washington
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsGary CooperWalter BrennanJoan LeslieA Tennessee farmer and marksman is drafted in World War I, and struggles with his pacifist inclinations before becoming one of the most celebrated war heroes.Gary Cooper won his first Oscar for this biopic/ propaganda film, he did a very decent job, but obviously Orson Welles was a better option for his masterpiece Citizen Kane
- DirectorWalter LangStarsYul BrynnerDeborah KerrRita MorenoA widow accepts a job as a live-in governess to the King of Siam's children.Yul Brynner as the king of Siam in this beloved musical is just Ok, Kirk Douglas (in his last unseccsesful nod) in Lust for life was superior
- DirectorJames MarshStarsEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesTom PriorStephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.Eddie Redmayne as the famous Stephen Hawkings robbed the award from Michael Keaton (Birdman)
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.Charlton Heston was a big star during the 50's and 60's, but he never was a great actor, this is a solid performance directed by a great director (William Wyler), his collegues Jack Lemmon (Some like it hot) and James Stewart (Anatomy of a murder) are so much better in their respective roles
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.Russell Crowe of his 3 nods, deserved the award for the other 2 and not for this peplum, the other 4 actors were better: Javier Bardem (Before night falls), Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Ed Harris (Pollock) and Tom Hanks (Cast away)
- DirectorWilliam DieterleStarsPaul MuniJosephine HutchinsonAnita LouiseThe biography of the pioneering French microbiologist who helped revolutionize agriculture and medicine.Paul Muni was on of the best actors of his generation, and won the Oscar for his solid work in this conventional biopic, the other 4 nominees gave better perfromances:Walter Huston (Dodsworth), William Powell (My man godfrey), Gary Cooper (Mr. Deeds goes to town) and Spencer Tracy (San Francisco)
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsAudrey HepburnRex HarrisonStanley HollowayIn 1910s London, snobbish phonetics professor Henry Higgins agrees to a wager that he can make crude flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, presentable in high society.Rex Harrison playing the pygmalion part in this classic musical is quite good but far from great, Anthony Quinn (Zorba, the greek) and Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove) gave more interesting performances
- DirectorHerbert RossStarsRichard DreyfussMarsha MasonQuinn CummingsAfter being dumped by her live-in boyfriend, an unemployed dancer and her 10-year-old daughter are reluctantly forced to live with a struggling off-Broadway actor.Richard Dreyfuss as a struggling stage actor became the youngest winner in this category at that time, It was terrible considering that 2 of his competitors were great actors that never recieved an Oscar: Richard Burton (Equus) and Marcello Mastroianni (A special day)
- DirectorReinaldo Marcus GreenStarsWill SmithAunjanue Ellis-TaylorJon BernthalA look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard.Will Smith got his award for playing a father with a controversial attitude. Benedict Cumberbatch (The power of the dog)or Denzel Washington (The tragedy of Macbeth) deserved the Oscar instead.
- DirectorElliot SilversteinStarsJane FondaLee MarvinMichael CallanA young schoolteacher turns into an outlaw to avenge her murdered father.Lee Marvin as twin brothers in this western comedy is very funny and nothing more, Rod Steiger in The pawnbroker gave the male performance of 1965
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJohn WayneKim DarbyGlen CampbellA drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian Territory.Almost at the end of his long career, John Wayne got the recognition for this nice western (the remake is better), it was a sentimental choice , the stars of Midnight cowboy were his closer competitors: Hoffman and Voight
- DirectorKing VidorStarsWallace BeeryJackie CooperIrene RichAn alcoholic ex-boxer struggles to provide a good living for his son.Wallace Beery had to share his award with Fredric March, this is a mediocre film, his acting is good, but not enough.
- DirectorVictor FlemingStarsSpencer TracyFreddie BartholomewLionel BarrymoreA spoiled brat who falls overboard from a steamship in the 1920s gets picked up by a New England fishing boat, where he's made to earn his keep by joining the crew in their work.Spencer Tracy and his first win for this good film, but his performance in just OK, two other actors were better: Fredric March (A star is born) and Paul Muni (The life of Emile Zola)
- DirectorPaul MazurskyStarsArt CarneyEllen BurstynRené EnríquezWhen his apartment building is torn down, a retired lifelong New Yorker goes on a cross-country odyssey with his beloved cat Tonto.Art Carney got his award for this almost TV-film as an old man dealing with his son, a bad choice sonsidering 3 of the other nominees: Al Pacino (The godfather II), Jack Nicholson (Chinatown) and Dustin Hoffman (Lenny)
- DirectorLeo McCareyStarsBing CrosbyBarry FitzgeraldFrank McHughWhen young Father O'Malley arrives at St. Dominic's, old Father Fitzgibbon doesn't think much of the church's newest member.Bing Crosby was a fantastic singer and sometimes a good actor, his award for this film is tailored but feels so dated now, Charles Boyer in Gaslight was very superior
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsRita HayworthDeborah KerrDavid NivenThe stories of several people are told as they stay at a seaside hotel in Bournemouth which features dining at "Separate Tables."David Niven and all his British charm got the award for this all-star casting film, but 3 new actors of that moment were better choices: Tony Curtis (The defiant ones), Paul Newman (Cat on a hot tin roof) and Sidney Poitier (The defiant ones)
- DirectorAlfred E. GreenStarsGeorge ArlissDoris LloydDavid TorrencePrime Minister of Great Britain Benjamin Disraeli outwits the subterfuge of the Russians and chicanery at home in order to secure the purchase of the Suez Canal.George Arliss a very popular stage actor won for his role as the British prime minister, this is a bad film, boring, the performance feels so old-fashioned, Wallace Beery (The big house) or Maurice Chavallier (The love parade) were better choices.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsAl PacinoChris O'DonnellJames RebhornA prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.One of the greatest actors of the 70's won for one of his worst performances as a blind man in this remake, Clint Eastwoon (Unforgiven) or Denzel Washington (Malcolm X) were very superior
- DirectorIrving CummingsRaoul WalshStarsEdmund LoweWarner BaxterDorothy BurgessA charming, happy-go-lucky bandit in old Arizona plays cat-and-mouse with the sheriff trying to catch him while he romances a local beauty.Warner Baxter won for this very dated film, maybe he won because of the lack of competitors, most of the films of that period are considered lost
- DirectorRoberto BenigniStarsRoberto BenigniNicoletta BraschiGiorgio CantariniWhen an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.Roberto Benigni in this film directed by himself so overrated, he is not a good actor, any of the other 4 actors were superior, specially Ian McKellen (Gods and monsters)