97th Oscars

Demi Moore and Adrien Brody in pole position

Can Demi Moore celebrate her first Oscar on March 2?

(Bild: AFP/ANGELA WEISS)

This year's Oscar race is in full swing: in the weeks leading up to the glamorous gala in Hollywood, the awards ceremonies of the various associations have been watched with suspicious eyes to see if a favorite can pull away. As far as the acting categories are concerned, some things seem clear, but a lot is still possible. Adrien Brody and Demi Moore probably have the best hopes.

It would come as no great surprise if Brody were able to add a second Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role to his trophy for "The Pianist" on Monday night. In Brady Corbet's fictional biopic "The Brutalist", the 51-year-old plays a Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor who wants to start a new life in the States.

Brody favorite - but strong competition!
His performance in the three-and-a-half-hour monumental drama has already won him a Golden Globe and a prize at the Critics' Choice Awards.

Adrien Brody shines in "The Brutalist". Will he win his second Oscar on Sunday?

(Bild: A24 via AP)

But the competition is impressive: Young star Timothée Chalamet as folk legend Bob Dylan in "Like A Complete Unknown" is considered to have just as good a chance as Britain's Ralph Fiennes, who is among the nominees in this category for the third time thanks to Edward Berger's Vatican thriller "Conclave".

The quintet is completed by Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing" brought him back into the top acting field after "Rustin" last year) and Sebastian Stan. The latter can be seen in "The Apprentice" as Donald Trump, as the film focuses on the career rise of the current US president in the 70s and 80s.

Moore and her cinematic comeback story
The best leading actress category, on the other hand, features the kind of comeback story that America loves: thanks to Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance", Demi Moore has played her way back into the limelight after a number of meagre years.

Will Demi Moore crown her success with "The Substance" with an Oscar?

(Bild: © Universal Studios/Mubi via AP)

In the shrill body horror flick, she plays an ageing actress who takes a mysterious drug for the sake of her career in order to become younger again. This earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy and recently a Critics' Choice Award, not to mention her first Oscar nomination.

In terms of Golden Globes, the Brazilian Fernanda Torres can keep up, who was successful in the drama category as a political activist in "I'm Still Here". Success for the film, which has been nominated three times in total, would be remarkable, but not a complete surprise.

This also applies to Mikey Madison, who shines as the title character in "Anora". Sean Baker's variation on the "Pretty Woman" theme with Madison as a sex worker who enters into a relationship with the son of a Russian oligarch not only won the Palme d'Or in Cannes last year, but is increasingly becoming a secret favorite for the Oscars.

"Emilia Pérez" is lagging behind
Ultimately, this also has to do with the fact that the 13-time nominated genre juggernaut "Emilia Pérez" is increasingly falling behind. After racist and Islamophobic tweets from lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón surfaced, the Spaniard not only shot herself in the foot, but also significantly reduced the general chances of Jacques Audiard's film.

The film "Emilia Pérez" has gone from favorite to Oscar bogeyman.

(Bild: Shanna Besson/Netflix via AP)

Gascón could have made history if she had been the first trans woman to win the Oscar in the "Best Actress in a Leading Role" category. However, this is no longer very likely.

But who knows, maybe there will be a surprise win for the "Wicked Witch of the West"? As such, Cynthia Erivo made many fans' hearts beat faster in the highly successful musical adaptation "Wicked". But it remains to be seen whether she will also win an Oscar. In any case, it remains exciting until the night of nights.