AFT Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role

This is the first category of the 2nd Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Runners-up:
FRANK LANGELLA, FROST/NIXON
SASSON GABAI, THE BAND’S VISIT
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
KARL MARKOVICS, THE COUNTERFEITERS
JASON SEGEL, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL

The winner:
Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) was the most likeable, awesome superhero in years, completely funny and legitimate at the same time, and he carried his film.

Other nominees:
Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino) was gruff and grunted at every possible turn, but it’s a deeply committed performance that is both humorous and respectable, sympathetic despite his intense racism and intolerance. Sam Rockwell (Choke) finally found a role that suits his particular talents and allows him to ooze arrogance and sleaziness while still charming every woman he meets, also keeping the film’s overly sexual nature in check. Sean Penn (Milk) was a kind-hearted unifier who helped to really capture the spirit of the movement and the time. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) was a great comeback story, showcasing a broken character desperately seeking to return to his realm, showing off his best dramatic (fights) and comic (deli counter) skills.