Leonardo DiCaprio's Already Being Called the Frontrunner for Best Actor
All it took was a single screening of 'The Revenant.'
The Revenant was screened for the first time Monday, and it immediately became a part of the Oscar conversation, with some in attendance speculating that Leonardo DiCaprio will be the man to beat for the Best Actor award.
DiCaprio fans know the Oscars have not always been kind, or even fair, to Leo. Despite being nominated for Best Actor three times, and Best Supporting Actor once, DiCaprio is still chasing that golden statue. With The Revenant, he may have finally found the role that will bring him Oscar glory.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the consensus is that DiCaprio "couldn't have done a better job and looks like the man to beat in the best actor race. His almost silent performance, with its incredible physical demands, is the sort Clint Eastwood might have given if he had DiCaprio's drive and discipline as a young man."
The movie is bound to be a big part of the awards conversation going into January. After he won Best Director and Best Picture for Birdman last year, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is expected to compete in the same categories again for Revenant. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki is also expected to receive a nomination after winning last year for Birdman.
Of course, given DiCaprio's track record, it's possible we'll see a repeat of last year, when Inarritu's movie won Best Director, Best Picture, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Screenplay, but failed to pick up a win for Michael Keaton for Best Actor. If that happens, we hope Leo finds some solace in his piles of money and supermodels.
