Oscar Predictions: Best Actor

November 19th Update.

Only one change in the top ten. I'd be pretty surprised if anyone makes it in that's not listed here.

1. Chiwetal Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave is the frontrunner and the story is all about him. The film itself and Ejiofor both have received outstanding reviews so far. He plays a free man is is abducted and sold into slavery in this incredible true story. (Previously #3)

2. Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club

McConaughey has been on a roll lately. He lost 40 pounds for the role of an AIDs patient in Dallas Buyers Club. It's an Academy friendly story and powerhouse performance that will be rewarded. (Previously #2)

3. Robert Redford- All is Lost

All is Lost is a one man show and Redford shines. He hasn't been nominated as an actor since 1974, so this would represent his comeback. I'm mostly dropping him a few spots because I think his film has a greater chance of being overlooked as opposed to the first two. (Previously #1)

4. Tom Hanks- Captain Phillips

Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips. It's the true story detailing the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film was a big hit critically and commercially. (Previously #4)

5. Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street
 
DiCaprio and Scorsese have had great success in the past. Nobody has really seen the film yet, so this is mostly a hunch. It's a crowded field and a lot can change. (Previously #5)
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Other Possibilities 

6. Bruce Dern- Nebraska (Previously #6)

7. Christian Bale- American Hustle (Previously #10)

8. Joaquin Phoenix- Her (Previously #8)

9. Christian Bale- Out of the Furnace (Previously unranked)

10. Forest Whitaker- The Butler (Previously #7)