Oscar Update: Helen Hunt Shifted to Supporting...

While Oscar season may be starting, I haven't had the chance to see a movie in almost a month... a rarity for me. Still, with the Toronto Film Festival starting this week I'm sure I'll be updating my Oscar predictions more frequently. The next films I intend to see in theaters are The Master and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but I also plan to watch Butter and Liberal Arts via VOD.

The reason for this post, however, is that a change in category consideration has been brought to my attention. Apparently, Helen Hunt is being placed in the Best Supporting Actress category instead of the Best Leading Actress. Based on the trailers I've seen and the reviews that I've read, I don't really see how this placement makes sense, but I suppose that it's similar to Berenice Bejo being considered a 'Supporting Actress' for her work in the artist, even though she was essentially the female lead. Regardless to my thoughts on the lead/supporting debate, this lead to an update in my Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress brackets.

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: 

1. Keira Knightely, Anna Karenina
2. Quevenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
3. Marion Cotillard, Rust & Bone
4. Laura Linney, Hyde Park on Hudson
5. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

ALTERNATES: Meryl Streep, Hope Springs ; Viola Davis, Won't Back Down 

This is, by far, one of the dullest Best Actress races I've seen in a long time. The only surefire nominees seem to be Knightely and Wallis, with many early reviews saying Linney's role in Hudson isn't all that crucial to the film, Winstead seeming like a wild card, and Streep just sneaking in due to her legendary status, but she could easily be replaced with Davis. Hopefully after TIFF we'll have more concrete rankings.
EDIT: I completely forgot to add Marion Cotillard to the brackets! Her performance is receiving a lot of buzz.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:

1. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
2. Amy Adams, The Master
3. Helen Hunt, The Master
4. Sally Field, Lincoln
5. Olivia Williams, Hyde Park on Hudson

ALTERNATES: Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ; Samantha Barks, Les Miserables

I see Hathaway, Adams and Hunt as surefire contenders in this category but we'll have to wait the year out to see who else is a heavy weight.