Just like the actresses, the actors find themselves in a wide-open competition, too, but in their case, it’s less about an abundance of strong performances and more that Daniel Craig and Ralph Fiennes, the presumed frontrunners, haven’t been hustling that hard, which leaves room for others to make their case. Adrien Brody, for instance, has a VERY strong case with The Brutalist, an extraordinary film anchored by an unbelievable performance by Brody. 

 

Both Brody and Craig were at the Governors Awards last night, along with their co-stars. Let’s call it date night for dude contenders. Daniel Craig cleaned up his recent dirtbag act a little bit, donning a classic tux and serial killer glasses. Mostly I’m distracted by his pocket square. I know it’s just the way it’s folded, but it LOOKS like two pocket squares, and now I’m thinking about Benoit Blanc saying something scathing about a man with two pocket squares. Though Craig is currently repping Queer, he was officially on hand to present Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

 

Craig’s Queer co-star Drew Starkey was also there, in a red tux jacket, which he did not button while posing on the step and repeat, which is A Choice. I’m old enough to feel that jackets should be buttoned in such circumstances. Leaving the jacket open ruins the line of the jacket, and Drew Starkey is tall enough that it would only emphasize his height more if the jacket’s proportion was hitting right. Men, learn to flatter yourselves.

 

Adrien Brody was also present, as was his Brutalist co-star Guy Pearce. Brody is going to get a lot of heat for his performance, anchoring that long-ass film, but Pearce is INCREDIBLE as a boorish industrialist. It’s such a sneaky performance, too, because you know he’s a heel from frame one, but how far the film goes and how evil he is somehow still surprises because Pearce has enough to charisma to almost overcome all of his own red flags. It’s really well done. 

 

You’re going to get SO tired of me talking about The Brutalist for the next month but it’s going to be my whole personality!

Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong also made an appearance, and I appreciate Jeremy’s mint tuxedo. Talk about choices! He looks like the tired adult version of a haunted Victorian doll. I’m a little bit worried for these two because I feel like Trump could make his threat of reprisals against his enemies real, but I can’t decide if he’ll see The Apprentice as an enemy or as weirdly flattering. After all, the Winter Soldier portrayed him in a film. That has to flatter his ego on some level, that someone as handsome as Sebastian Stan played him. 

 
 

Then there are handsome brothers John David and Malcolm Washington, looking super handsome. The Piano Lesson hits Netflix next week, just after their dad, Denzel, is in theaters with Gladiator II. It’s a big month for the Washingtons! 

 

Finally, A Real Pain duo Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin turned up. Eisenberg is a long shot as director, writer, and actor, but Kieran Culkin is emerging as a frontrunner, if not THE frontrunner, for Best Supporting Actor. I am all for Kieran Culkin bringing his chaos agent energy to the Academy Awards, ESPECIALLY the year Conan is hosting. Let’s just go full chaos in 2025.