by Eric Blume

While Nathaniel updates the Oscar charts over the next two days, I thought I'd chime on with some thoughts on one of the year's most packed-with-candidates categories, Best Actor.  It's always good for TFE readers to talk about the big races, and I'm here to offer a perhaps unpopular take. Since the debut of King Richard at TIFF in September, many have crowned Will Smith as the runaway winner of this year's Oscar.  Smith is a well-liked, bona fide movie star with twenty years of box office hits and solid performances.  He may indeed be our victor.  But after finally catching up with the film this past weekend, I'm going to put it out there that I don't think his victory as assured as so many do.

Sure, Smith gives a charismatic and spirited performance in the film, and his megawatt charm holds the picture together despite its weaknesses and cliches.  But there's not much of an arc to this character, who finishes the picture right where he starts it...