BEST ACTRESS

Front-runners:

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Front-runners:

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Front-runners:

BUT DON'T FORGET ...

Bardem, who plays a hunky artist looking to whisk away two American tourists for a weekend of frolic, establishes himself as a romantic lead, says Dave Karger of "Entertainment Weekly." "After 'No Country for Old Men,' Javier Bardem is now one of those actors who will get Oscar talk for everything he does, and he deserves it," Karger says. "Barcelona" co-star Penelope Cruz "is getting all the attention, but he's just as alluring."

Brolin's turn as President George W. Bush didn't do much for moviegoers (the film grossed $25.5 million), which may hurt his chances. "It didn't sit well with audiences, and reviews for the movie were mixed," Karger says. "But (Brolin's) were unanimously positive."

DiCaprio plays a restless 1950s suburbanite trying to keep his family intact in this drama by Sam Mendes. "I think either Brad Pitt or Leo will be nominated, but not both," says Sasha Stone of AwardsDaily.com. "Two A-list stars, giving the best performances of their careers. And Leo hit hard emotional scenes in a way I've never seen him do. It was terrific."

Hoffman got a surprise Golden Globe nomination for his turn as a divorced, jobless mess of a man who meets the equally lonely Kate (Emma Thompson). "It makes me so happy to see a 71-year-old man playing a romantic leading man," Karger says. "And to do it with such skill and grace."

Jenkins' turn as a disillusioned professor who discovers two illegal immigrants living in his vacation apartment was a rare leading role for the longtime character actor. "He gives a career-capping performance, and everyone is rooting for him because they've worked with him," Karger says. "He really showed what he's capable of."

In a movie few saw, Beckinsale plays a Washington reporter jailed for not giving up her sources after she reveals the name of a CIA agent. "Beckinsale sadly flew under the radar this year," says Kris Tapley of InContention.com. "That's a shame, because it's certainly her best work and a reminder that she has the chops to be a real standout in the industry."

She may play second fiddle as Pitt's love interest, but she's catching some observers' eyes. "This is quickly becoming the most overlooked performance of the year," Tapley says. "She sticks the landing on a range of complex emotions and across a spectrum of time and ages that leaves the viewer — this one, anyway — dazzled."

Playing a primary school teacher who remains eternally optimistic, Hawkins could be a threat to crack the top five. "I think Sally Hawkins has a good shot" at an Oscar nomination, says Anne Thompson of Variety.com. "There's a huge consensus about her performance. She and (director) Mike Leigh created this light, optimistic character out of thin air."

Thomas, who plays a woman freed from prison, was an early favorite for an Oscar nomination, but the movie's box-office take ($2.2 million) has hurt her chances. Still, Thomas "gives one of the best performances of the year, and she's overdue for a nomination," says Thompson. "The academy may still welcome her with open arms."

Williams' Wendy finds her life derailed after she and her dog, Lucy, break down on the road to Alaska. "She carries this film on her shoulders," Thompson says. "And she takes audiences straight into the heart of a lonely, homeless woman."

Fiennes pulls double duty this year, as the Duke of Devonshire in "The Duchess" and Michael Berg in the Holocaust drama "The Reader." "It's really a shame he has given two great performances in the same year," Karger says, "because I think he's going to split the votes" and perhaps get nominated for neither.

As the boyfriend of gay activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), Franco "might have given the best supporting role in the movie," Stone says. Franco "does such a good job playing understated. He's the only gay character who isn't playing gay. He's showing real range. He could become one of the best young actors we've got."

Irwin's portrayal of a father trying to mend fences between feuding sisters may be the role most moviegoers can relate to, Karger says. "His performance is the emotional entry point for the audience," he says. "You can't help but feel awful for this guy trying to keep his family together."

As a paranoid, foul-mouthed driving instructor, Marsan was the perfect foil to Hawkins' upbeat Polly. "To me, he was the best thing about the movie," Stone says. "It isn't until we meet him that we understand what Sally Hawkins' character is really about. And he's the most relatable character; he feels the way a lot of people probably feel."

Shannon plays a mentally imbalanced young man who seems to understand the suburban couple's misery. He gives the drama some of its few light moments. Karger: "It's one of the most magnetic performances I've seen."