Oscar Nominees: Best Actress in a Leading Role

My predictions: 5/5
My ballot: Come back in February!
The nominees: Cate Blanchett (Carol), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Brie Larson (Room), Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Surprisingly, this year didn’t offer any surprises to prognosticators paying attention in the top categories. Blanchett, Larson, and Ronan were locked from the beginning, Mara and Vikander stayed in supporting, and Lawrence rode through her SAG snub and her film being shut out in all other categories to get nominated her for what I believe to be an excellent performance. And then there’s Rampling, who earns her first nomination and serves as the sole representative of her film, a fitting tribute to a strong career and a very good performance. No one else really missed out here, since all the other options were never very serious contenders.

My current bet to win: I’m not sure if anything can stop Larson.