WHO WILL WIN: Best Actress

[Madrileña]

Why does she NEED to win? She deserves to win because she gave the best performance.

She doesn't need to win (she is a very talented actress who is going to give great performances, who is going to get nom many times in the future and who is going to get casted to do very important roles). A win is not going to do anything for her since she is already a very respectable actress (and the same can be said about Meryl Streep, of course).

Is the industry that needs her to win to give a good image of hollywood (hypocrite... but as true as the sun shines).

[rubbedout]

having seen both movies - as a novice on stuff like this, based on performance alone, in my unprofessional opinion , I'd say Meryl deserves is!!!! Team Meryl!

[camille]

If we are talking about the thorny issue of race, there is not NEED to award Voila Davis for this alone. Black actors have done incredibly well at the Oscars for the past decade or so, thank you very much. If she is rewarded it is primarily for the performance, and also her professionalism/personality.

[Atonenent.]

If we are talking about the thorny issue of race, there is not NEED to award Voila Davis for this alone. Black actors have done incredibly well at the Oscars for the past decade or so, thank you very much. If she is rewarded it is primarily for the performance, and also her professionalism/personality.

I don't think there is a large movement in the Academy voting for her just based on her race. This is a stupid and offensive argument used by Streep maniacs.

[crazyfists3600]

I don't think there is a large movement in the Academy voting for her just based on her race. This is a stupid and offensive argument used by Streep maniacs.

Which is why they should all be banned

[Madrileña]

I don't think there is a large movement in the Academy voting for her just based on her race. This is a stupid and offensive argument used by Streep maniacs.

The fact that the academy many times votes for stupid reasons is not a thing to be shocked about because we have a record and they do it with such normality (how it can be explained the victory of Gwyneth Paltrow over Blanchett in 1998 for example?, or the loss of Brokeback Mountain against Crash?)... Everyone knows that the academy votes for an actor or a movie NOT ONLY based in merits, but also in another factors (we all know that Citizen Kane was not awarded with Best Pic for being too critical). I don't think I'm saying anything offensive showing the crystall truth (I hope is not to raw to handle it).

I'm going post again a link of a person who is a supporter of Viola Davis and an oscar victory for her this year:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/2012/02/o...eep-and-davis/

Take a look at this extract: "To get at that knot we have to first look at what winning an Oscar really means. We have to understand what it represents at its best and at its worst. We have to understand what drives publicists and stars to work so hard for them and why there aren’t any to be had for black actresses. And we have to really understands the dynamics at play this year."

That are not my words. I think Viola Davis is a fantastic actress and I will love to see her wining for a role she really deserves to be awarded for. But what I would love doesn't matter, Davis is going to win in my opinion undeservedly this year... as well as Cate Blanchett, Paul Newman or Kate Winslet won in past in years in which they didn't make their best works at all.

[crazyfists3600]

And this is Streep's best work?

[Madrileña]

And this is Streep's best work?

No (but it's in the top ten). The best of the year? Yes.

ETA: But for example, in my opinion Winslet wasn't the best of her year. The oscars are just a mess...

[crazyfists3600]

I wonder...does Madrilena mean Meryl Streep in Spanish?

And we all thought Maramania was going to be this years Portmania

[NaomiHarper]

No (but it's in the top ten). The best of the year? Yes.

ETA: But for example, in my opinion Winslet wasn't the best of her year. The oscars are just a mess...

I would say it's more like the top 20. I ranked Manhattan, Kramer v. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa, Evil Angels, Defending Your Life, Death Becomes Her, The Bridges of Madison County, A Prairie Home Companion, Adaptation, and The Devil Wears Prada as better performances then The Iron Lady.

Hell I liked her in She Devil better.

[McTeague]

I hate that I share a city with Madrileña!

[kissfromarose]

Viola isn't winning for "political" reasons. If we try to be as "objective" as we can, her film is the biggest financial success of all the nominees. She also has the most uniformly positive reviews. Even critics who were lukewarm on The Help, acknowledged she was fantastic in it.

If she wins, she's doing it fair and square.

[crazyfists3600]

The most political win would be Meryl, at this point...or Glenn Close

[Streeper]

I love how Madrileña talks sense and even praises Viola Davis and yet he's still labeled "Streep maniac". Lol.

If Viola wins this many believe that it won't be because she was THE BEST out of the five, and not only "Streep maniacs" like some of you love to whine about. The Academy will make history by having two black actresses winning in the same year and they love their history.

But this race is ridiculously close, no matter what this poll laughably suggests and Meryl Streep has a great shot. Either one could win and it wouldn't be a surprise or a shock.

[crazyfists3600]

LOL, from all that I've read, Viola is considered by many to give the best performance of the five. In fact, of the reviews I've read the closest to get universal praise for her performance would actually be Rooney Mara.

[erikdean]

I love how Madrileña talks sense and even praises Viola Davis and yet he's still labeled "Streep maniac". Lol.

If Viola wins this many believe that it won't be because she was THE BEST out of the five, and not only "Streep maniacs" like some of you love to whine about. The Academy will make history by having two black actresses winning in the same year and they love their history.

But this race is ridiculously close, no matter what this poll laughably suggests and Meryl Streep has a great shot. Either one could win and it wouldn't be a surprise or a shock.

If Streep wins it won't be THE BEST out of the five either.

And you don't think Streep winning an Oscar would be historic for them?

But no, the race is not as close you think (wish) it is.

[City Lights]

If Streep wins it won't be THE BEST out of the five either.

And you don't think Streep winning an Oscar would be historic for them?

But no, the race is not as close you think (wish) it is.

Ehh. I haven't seen Williams yet, but Streep and Davis are about equal in terms of "best performance." Neither are really, truly exceptional, but both could be considered the best in an even crappier actress category year.

[Streeper]

If Streep wins it won't be THE BEST out of the five either.

And you don't think Streep winning an Oscar would be historic for them?

But no, the race is not as close you think (wish) it is.

Yeah, being the best is pretty subjective so we can go in circles on that issue until the cows come home. You saying that if Streep wins it won't be the best out of the five either is exactly like me saying the same for Viola. Just our opinion.

Meryl's win would be historic, but it won't be a "first" of anything, and that's a big difference.

If you don't think the race is close, I guess you don't read the awardsdaily columns. It's the closest thing this year's Oscars has to an obvious competition and like I said, both could win and either win wouldn't be a shock or a surprise.

LOL, from all that I've read, Viola is considered by many to give the best performance of the five. In fact, of the reviews I've read the closest to get universal praise for her performance would actually be Rooney Mara.

True on Rooney Mara, though I heard critics say any girl her age could of done what she did, but I don't agree with that. Every negative review of TIL still praises Streep. I've read stuff that praises both performances and usually the one thing that pushes Viola a little further is that her movie was better received and had bigger box office numbers.

[Aurelius]

Ehh. I haven't seen Williams yet, but Streep and Davis are about equal in terms of "best performance." Neither are really, truly exceptional, but both could be considered the best in an even crappier actress category year.

Davis in The Help acts circles around Streep in The Iron Lady. Not really Streep's fault, as the script gives her absolutely nothing to work with, while the (also bad) script of The Help at least gave Davis a chance to shine. Streep is nothing more than a shallow impersonation. A good one, but I saw nothing genuine in there.

[Streeper]

Davis in The Help acts circles around Streep in The Iron Lady. Not really Streep's fault, as the script gives her absolutely nothing to work with, while the (also bad) script of The Help at least gave Davis a chance to shine. Streep is nothing more than a shallow impersonation. A good one, but I saw nothing genuine in there.

That's just, like, your opinion man.

Here's another one:

"Meryl realises Maggie with almost terrifying fidelity, both at the height of her power, and in her twilight days. The actress who did ABBA-karaoke for Lloyd in their last collaboration goes leagues beyond impersonation here; she so inhabits the role, she may as well claim squatter’s rights....One of Streep’s finest-ever performances." - Empire.