The 90th Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, will be held on March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony will air live nationwide on the most popular American Broadcasting Company (ABC) at 8 pm Eastern Time (6:30 am IST). This year’s Oscar is set to see one of the toughest fights in recent years for the Best Actor in a leading role category. The reason, other than the superlative performances of all five nominees, are the names in the category.

Will Daniel Day-Lewis win another Oscar in the leading actor category or will it be the year when Gary Oldman, who many believe to be one of the greatest actors of his generation, manage to win his first golden statuette? Denzel Washington, who is nominated for his performance in the film Roman J. Israel, Esq. will look to win the award third time (he has been a winner in the actor in a leading role and supporting role category once each). This will also be his third nomination. Then there are the first time nominees Timothée Chalamet and Daniel Kaluuya who are nominated for the films Call Me By Your Name and Get Out, respectively. And, the nominations for an actor in a leading role are:

1. Daniel Day-Lewis for Phantom Thread

A Still From The Movie Phantom Thread (Photo Credit: Twitter/Phantom Thread)

In this Paul Thomas Anderson directed period drama- Phantom Thread, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Raynold Woodcock, fashion designer set in 1950s London, a couturier who unexpectedly finds love with a waitress who initially seems coy but gains strength in time to challenge his obsessive/compulsive insistence on order and perfection. Over the years, Day-Lewis has shown a penchant for characters who are driven and caught up in their world of desires and motives. As Raynolds Woodcock, Daniel Day-Lewis is stylish, graceful and yet rigidly mannered genius who is as exact and emotionless as the dresses he makes. Before the release of the film, it was announced that this would be his final film and performance. Will it also be his final Oscar then?

2. Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour

A Still From The Movie Darkest Hour (Photo Credit: RogerEbert.com)

Gary Oldman, who was previously nominated for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY in the year 2011, portrays Winston Churchill, during the time when Churchill had become the new British prime minister and had to take a call between rallying his nation to fight a war or surrender to Hitler in the early days of World War II. Gary Oldman’s performance has been well received and many critics and movie lovers feel that this might be the year of Gary Oldman and also when the Academy recognises his genius. He has already won the Golden Globes and Leading Actor at Bafta.

3. Denzel Washington for Roman J. Israel, Esq.

A Still From The Movie Roman J. Israel, Esq. (Photo Credit: RogerEbert.com)

The acting powerhouse and the two-time winner of the Oscar for acting, Denzel Washington in this film plays an idiosyncratic lawyer who finds that he is too idealistic for the real world and engages in acts to save his belief and must make sacrifices for it. Denzel has tried to play this part with a dash of humour which is mild and almost non-existing on the surface. The part has received mixed reviews from the critics. But the academy loves surprises, so you never know.

4. Timothée Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name 

A Still From The Movie Call Me By Your Name (Photo Credit: RogerEbert.com)

Timothée Chalamet, the 22-year-old actor is a hot favourite to win this year's best actor statuette. Many critics believe that it is either going to be him or Gary Oldman who will beg this coveted award. So what makes Timothée performance so great that he is considered a bet? He plays Elio in the film, a prodigy and boy-genius with a gangly body but with a sharpness that belies his age. His life changes with the arrival of Oliver, a doctoral student who comes to Elio's father who offers an annual internship. Elio and Oliver's chemistry at the beginning is dynamic but not amicable, however, at the end it takes a beautiful turn. Timothée Chalamet, in the last scene, shows why he is the talent to look forward to. His performance is termed as the breakthrough performance of the year.

5. Daniel Kaluuya for Get Out

A Still From The Movie Get Out (Photo Credit: RogerEbert.com)

The 28-year-old actor Daniel Kaluuya has received his first nomination and he deserves every bit of it. In the racially sensitive horror comedy film Get Out, he essays the role of Chris, a talented but bothered black photographer, who experiences a horrid weekend at his white girlfriend's home. Kaluuya in this film portrays Chris with all his fears and pretensions and delivers a memorable performance thanks to his brilliant facial expressions and dialogue delivery. Surely one of the best performances of the year which has made the critics and viewers take note of his exceptional acting talents.

It will be really interesting to see who wins the actor in a leading role statuette this year. Will it be last time lucky for Daniel Day-Lewis or first-time fortune for Gary Oldman? Or is it going to be one of the first time nominees who has delivered a performance to remember for a lifetime? With such talents, we can just hold our breath with fingers crossed as we wait patiently to see who takes the 90th Annual Academy Awards for Best Actor in a leading role.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2018 12:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).