Oscars 2025: Why Ralph Fiennes should win 'Best Actor'

With the Oscars coming up this weekend, many people are reflecting on the best and worst performances of this year and who will scoop up each award.

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(Credits: Focus Features)

Film » Features » Film Opinion

Fri 28 February 2025 22:45, UK

With the Oscars looming around the corner, there has been endless discourse about who should win and who will once again be snubbed by the Academy. The category for ‘Best Actor’ this year is stacked full of contrasting performances, with Timothée Chalamet being nominated for his performance in A Complete Unknown, Adrien Brody in The Brutalist, Colman Domingo in Sing Sing, Sebastian Stan in The Apprentice and Ralph Fiennes in Conclave.

After Chalamet’s speech at the SAG awards, some have been pondering whether the actor might finally be recognised for his work after being famously snubbed for his seismic performances in Call Me By Your Name and Beautiful Boy. However, if you think Chalamet has been snubbed, then wait until you hear about Fiennes’ career, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards but has never actually taken home the golden statue, remaining as a baffling enigma given the range and versatility of his performances.

Some members of the Academy have recently stated that they didn’t vote for the actor due to the fact that he has been nominated many times before, which feels completely ridiculous given the fact that he is verging towards the Leonardo DiCaprio running-gag territory of becoming a great actor who is always ignored during awards season.

However, Domingo and Stan are first-time nominees, which slightly levels the playing field in this category that is usually dominated by acting heavyweights, as well as showcasing independent cinema. Brody has been famously won before following his performance in The Pianist, however he has been a favourite during the awards circuit this year after his portrayal of the Hungarian architect and struggling artist.

So, with all that being said, who should win the coveted award? While some people would say that the power or quality of the film shouldn’t influence the overall judgement of their performance, I personally feel that artists who have given great performances in mediocre films become slightly overshadowed by those who starred in great projects.

While Chalamet gave an undeniably strong performance in his portrayal of Bob Dylan, the film is unfortunately average and unremarkable, something that makes me feel less enthusiastic about the idea of rewarding this project above all others. There was nothing about the film’s production that was daring or risky, and Chalamet is still relatively early on in his career and will undoubtedly have many more opportunities to demonstrate his talents and passion.

For this reason, I believe Ralph Fiennes should be the recipient of this award. This award should have happened a long time ago and now comes at the perfect moment, given that his performance was completely enthralling and that he starred in a meaningful and well-written film. Conclave is a calling card to moving forward and finding a balance between the future and our past, striking a chord between progress and regression, hope and cynicism.

It beautifully reflects the state of the world we currently find ourselves in while also reimagining how this world could be. All of this is held together by the fierce determination and repressed anger of Fiennes’ character, someone who believes in the best yet struggles to realise this dream, but no doubt putting his best foot forward as he tries to take care of the world’s problems that rest on his shoulders.

Related Topics

Adrien BrodyOscarsRalph FiennesSebastian stanTimothee Chalamet

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