Best Actor 1998: Results

5. Robeto Benigni in Life is Beautiful- Well he certainly smiles a lot and clowns around but that is basically all he does.

4. Nick Nolte in Affliciton- Nick Nolte never really becomes that effective in his role here, but I still think he was fine.

3. Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan- Tom Hanks stays as a man to follow through the war epic of a film, and finds time to develop his character despite the nature of the film.

2. Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters- McKellen gives a very effective, and believable performance as James Whale, suggesting all of his complicated past, and his current predicaments exceedingly well.

1. Edward Norton in American History X- Edward Norton is simply brilliant as he undergoes all of his character very complicated changes from young man, to a Neo-Nazi, and later to a very reformed and changed man. An extremely complicated and completely outstanding performance.

Deserving Performances:Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski

Best Actor 1998: Roberto Benigni in Life is Beautiful

Roberto Benigni won an Oscar from his only acting nomination for portraying Guido Orefice in Life is Beautiful.

It is hard to know what quite to make out of this film, comedy simply does not seem to be the right tone for a holocaust movie especially one that takes itself somewhat seriously. I'd say it would have to be like a pitch black comedy of sorts like Seven Beauties to work.

Who was the first actor to win in this category for a foreign language performance, was it Giancarlo Giannini's brilliant performance in Seven Beauties, or perhaps one of Marcello Mastroianni's performances, no not one of those who could have been incredibly deserving no the first was for Benigni.

There is not that much to his performance really. All he really does is smile, and clown around throughout the film, with the occasional sad face. He really just keeps smiling throughout doing his clown act, and that is it no matter what the situation is. I understand that this is what Guido's character is suppose to be, but even if that seems right for the character it does not make his performance here an impressive one.

Now after the fact that he does the same thing over and over again,  does this thing that he does over and over again work? Well not for me really. I never found him to be all that funny or charming. I will grant him that he tries very hard to get a laugh, and to seem really really charming but I never really found him to be. He did not grow on me in the least, and his performance does not make his own film work either, despite being essential for it to. He never made the story convincing for me even in a fantastical sort of way, his performance simply failed to work.

Best Actor 1998

And the Nominees Were:

Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters

Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan

Roberto Benigni in Life is Beautiful

Edward Norton in American History X

Nick Nolte in Affliction

Who do you predict, and pick?