It’s that time of the year again.
On Thursday, Jan. 23 after being delayed twice due to the catastrophic fires in LA, the 2025 Oscar Nominees dropped. The results were shocking. Sweeping the competition, the film “Emilia Pérez” has been nominated for 13 Oscars, putting it on par with films like “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”
The Best Actor nominations came with a mixed bag of emotions as well. Timothée Chalamet was nominated for his role as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” shocking fans who expected his performance in “Dune: Part Two” to receive recognition. Ralph Fiennes and Adrien Brody’s nominations came as little surprise for their performances in “Conclave” and “The Brutalist” respectively. Despite its limited release, “The Apprentice” garnered Sebastian Stan a nomination for his portrayal of Donald Trump. Shining amongst these well-recognized names is a lesser-known Coleman Domingo for his role in “Sing-Sing.” One name seemed to be missing from the list which has the internet in an uproar — Daniel Craig for his performance in “Queer.”
With a budget of $60 million — half of which seems to be spent on cigarettes — “A Complete Unknown” opens with a 19-year-old Bob Dylan seeking to make a name for himself in a politically tense 1960s New York and revolutionize the American Folk genre. The film is electric, and it relies heavily on the actor’s performance to entrance the viewer. Chalamet’s performance as Dylan — which took him over five years of intense immersion — is a striking tribute to the musical legend.
In a People Magazine article, Chalamet described how he would go to sleep panicking about losing the character because of distraction.
“I had three months of my life to play Bob Dylan, after five years of preparing to play him,” Chalamet said. “So while I was in it, that was my eternal focus.”
The newest addition to A24’s ever-growing Oscar nominee shelf is Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” — a 215-minute homage to vintage cinema shot on 70 mm VistaVision.
Brody stars as Lászlo Tóth, a Hungarian holocaust survivor immigrating to America to forge a new life as an architect. The film captures not only the brutality of the immigrant experience but touches on a variety of issues ranging from addiction, class inequity, abuse and even filmmaking itself. In 2002, Brody won an Oscar for his performance in Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” making him the youngest Best Actor winner at 29 years old — a record that Chalamet now might break.
Ralph Fiennes has also been nominated for his reserved, yet powerful performance in “Conclave.” Fiennes plays Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, held responsible for the election of the new pope. Lawrence does not seek the papacy himself, yet the choice set before him will decide the direction of the Roman Catholic Church. The film has received criticism from a Catholic audience that feels that it paints the church in a condescending light. Fiennes, however, was universally stellar — his delivery of a conflicted church leader certainly earned him a place amongst the other nominees.
Overcoming the odds of a limited release and less than rave reviews is Sebastian Stan’s performance of Donald Trump in Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice.” The film sees a young Donald Trump in a chance encounter with Roy Cohn — played by Jeremy Strong — a lawyer and politician who influenced much of the politics and business in the 70s. Cohn mentors Trump, pushes him and manipulates him into the powerhouse business mogul most Americans know him as today.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stan said that he had saved on his phone over 600 videos of Donald Trump and was constantly ready to do improvised rants for the director. In that same article, Abbasi says that Stan’s research gave a reality to the character.
“If he did 10% more of what he did, it would become Saturday Night Live,” Abbasi said. “If he did 10% less, then he’s not conjuring that person.”
The last nominee is Coleman Domingo for his role in “Sing-Sing.” Based on a true story, “Sing-Sing” tells the story of Divine G, imprisoned at Sing-Sing penitentiary for a crime he didn’t commit. In this otherwise hopeless situation, Divine G finds meaning in the prison’s theater arts program. Much like Andy Dufresne in “The Shawshank Redemption,” Divine G is an advocate for his fellow inmates, educating them in his free time and helping to found the RTA (Rehabilitation: Through the Arts). “Sing-Sing” features real inmates, and many of these formerly incarcerated actors are playing themselves — breathing a special passion into the film. Every time you see the words “as himself” roll across the credits screen, it’s easy to let another tear roll down your cheeks.
“So it’s not a prison movie to me,” said Domingo in an interview with the Texas Standard. “It’s a movie about our humanity. It’s about human beings that are in the container of a prison that are advocating and fighting for their humanity and to feel again. It’s about how art transforms and heals.”
Who has a shot at winning the best actor? Audiences resonate with two different kinds of portrayals. First, there are the actors who immerse themselves to become who they are playing. Austin Butler, who spent three years preparing for his role as Elvis, became so entangled with his character that underwent speech therapy to remove his Memphis accent. The sheer dedication this takes moves us to recognize their talents and laud them for awards. Chalamet and Stan fall into this category, spending years becoming iconic men.
The other type of Oscar-nominee actors are those who bring new characters to life, emotionally connecting with audiences. These performances are less about nailing figures we already know, instead eliciting responses from us with brand new ones. Performances like these can require less preparation time and immersion — and thus can sometimes be seen as less difficult — but that does not negate their power. No matter the familiarity of the one portrayed, the performer can transfix us, break us and move us to new feelings or worlds of thought. Brody, Domingo and Fiennes fall under this category.
Yet only one can win. If the award goes for sheer dedication and immersion and the skill of bringing a beloved icon to new life, Chalamet will be taking home the little golden man for his dead-on portrayal of Bob Dylan. If the academy chooses to honor a new character, one who challenges us, breaks us, then, for the second time in 22 years, Adrien Brody will walk the stage to receive an Oscar for his role in “The Brutalist.”
