84th Academy Awards

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Picture

Demián Bichir

A Better Life

He’s not the most expressive actor ... but what he lacks in range he makes up for here in concentrated decency. This isn’t a case of a liberal-minded movie inflicting goodness upon a character but a man radiating goodness because, well, he is good.
– Wesley Morris

George Clooney

The Descendants

Clooney gives such an invisible performance here that you may not notice the depth of the trick - that he’s a handsome movie star playing an entitled upper-class lawyer yet still conveying the weary, beleaguered confusion of a guy who’s in the same boat we are.
– Ty Burr

Jean Dujardin

The Artist

Gary Oldman

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt

Moneyball

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Ty Burr says ...

It's a tight race between Clooney and "Artist" star Jean Dujardin, but the former is the king of a company town, and he has never won a best actor Oscar. He gives a very good performance, but Pitt delivers subtler work in "Moneyball." Shame about "Shame" and Fassbender.

Will win
George Clooney, The Descendants
Should win
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Shouldn't be here
George Clooney, The Descendants
Was robbed
Michael Fassbender, Shame

Wesley Morris says ...

Not an inspiring group. The admittedly wonderful Jean Dujardin already has Hollywood worried about a Roberto Benigni-esque acceptance speech, and what lots of people see as new ground for Clooney felt, to me, like a summer rerun. No Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Michael Shannon, or Mortensen? But Pitt's soul did give its first performance, which is significant, as too many people never believed he had one.

Will win
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Should win
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Shouldn't be here
George Clooney, The Descendants
Was robbed
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method