If you were an Academy member, for whom would you vote?
Daniel Day Lewis, by a mile.
Though I’ll add that I haven’t seen Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.
I have seen all these performances except Phoenix’s. I enjoyed them all. My wife even said it a was a pity that Bradley Cooper had to have Silver Linings Playbook come out the same year as Lincoln, because he keeps getting nominated for awards with no chance of winning any!
This has to be just about a lock for Daniel Day Lewis. He is fantastic as Lincoln - he disappears into the role. Still, Cooper is outstanding, both raging and subtle. Denzel is great as a guy you really can’t stand, but even as much as a douchebag as the character is, you find yourself hoping he’ll get away with it. And I thought Jackman did a great job in Les Miz. Excellent nominations, but I can’t see anybody taking it except Mr. DDL. Or is it Sir? I can’t keep up any more.
Daniel Day Lewis is the very best part of the Movie. I think it’s a movie people wanted to love but it’s length and subject matter (passing an Amendment to the constitution) isn’t necessarily riveting stuff, unless you’re a political wonk. I didn’t know I was watching anyone but an incarnation of Lincoln. He’ll get the nod.
Much as I would love to see Hugh Jackman get an Oscar to go with his Tony, Daniel Day Lewis is a shoo-in.
All of these were good performances (n.b.: I didn’t see Pheonix), but Day-Lewis took on a character of mythic proportion and made him human. He nailed that role.
If you’d told me a year ago that I would ever vote for Bradley Cooper over Daniel Day-Lewis, I would have thought you were crazy, but it’s true. Cooper was an absolute revelation for me, and while Day-Lewis was excellent and will be a deserving winner, he still falls behind Cooper and Joaquin Phoenix for me this year.