14 DAY TRIAL // Even before Chris Nolan’s “Inception” came out this summer, word in the media, with fans and critics alike, had it that this would definitely be Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar vehicle. As it turns out, odds are against him right now.
Leo has had several nominations and wins at prestigious awards, but, so far, not a single Oscar win – which is quite a shame given his talent, dedication and, last but not least, his appeal both at the box office and with the critics.
Many believed “Inception” would be the film that would turn things around, though Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” in which DiCaprio plays a lost, deluded man, also stood good chances at doing the same.
The Academy Awards are still a couple of months away, but that’s not stopping fans and bookies from choosing favorites – and, according to E! Online, because of James Franco, Leo has slipped at the bottom of the list.
“The 32-year-old renaissance man is a 9-to-2 favorite to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a few months, behind only 3-1 Jesse Eisenberg, presuming The Social Network looks as good to the Academy after the buzz has died down, and 6-5 Brit Colin Firth, who’s getting raves for his role as stuttering monarch George VI in The King's Speech, currently a 2-1 fave to be named Best Picture, as well,” E! says.
In other words, for his role in Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours,” Franco is favorite to take home this year’s statuette for Best Actor. DiCaprio, not so much – at least according to odds on Bodog.
“Aside from Firth, Eisenberg and Franco, six-time nominee (but only one-time winner) Robert Duvall is an early favorite for the Depression-era indie dramedy Get Low, while Jeff Bridges could find himself getting the recognition he deserves two years in a row if the Coen brothers’ remake of True Grit is any good,” E! further says.
“But DiCaprio, who starred in both Inception and Shutter Island this year, is way back at 25-1 to win the Best Actor Oscar, despite Inception’s decent odds and the fact that both Nolan and Martin Scorsese made it onto Bodog’s Best Director list,” the same report says.
Indeed, if these estimates are accurate, it would be sad news for DiCaprio fans, many of whom believed the time was finally right he got due recognition for his work – either with “Inception” or “Shutter Island,” but mostly for the former.