LEAD ACTOR
Christian Bale, “Vice” Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born” Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate” Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”
Winner: Malek
Possible alternative: Bale
Analysis: What has been the worst movie featuring a lead actor Oscar winner in the history of the Academy Awards? Should Malek win, let the debate begin! Scanning the last half-century, you could argue that Al Pacino winning the Oscar for “Scent of a Woman,” a buddy drama that lumbers along for 2½ hours, might be that movie. But I’d counter that watching Pacino chew up the scenery as a bitter, blinded man offers more pleasure than anything I saw in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a bland, superficial biopic that swallowed Malek whole, save for the prosthetic teeth, which were far too big to be digested.
However, I know from readers — and quite a few academy members — that not everyone shares this assessment. I am told that the movie and Malek’s sweaty, energetic turn as Queen singer Freddie Mercury contains a kind of magic that puts you in the center of performative joy. And I understand this. I feel that pleasure every time I watch Queen’s full 1985 Live Aid performance, the most perfect miniature set in the history of rock music. Why watch the karaoke version when you can enjoy the real thing?