Finalists: Closer was a just miss --not because I didn't love the work. But because, all things being equal, I opt for larger casts with more communal work over small casts who are performing duets for this particularly category * Ray has a large cast who, despite being overshadowed by the one-man show aspect, are all fine Semi Finalists: Dogville all of them serving Von Trier's vision * The Bourne Supremacy -Some of the same cast as the first film but all of the characters seem to have something emotionally going on so it's much better * Collateral Though this is mostly the Tom & Jamie show, there's vivid stuff going on in the peripheral cast as well * Maria Full of Grace -Catalina Sandino Moreno was not the only fine performance in this film, naturalistic performances from all.

Finalists: Ivan Dobronravov, The Return -a terrific debut. This kid is a natural. But he's very young and were enough people watching? * Jon Heder, Napoleon Dynamite -Very funny. But what will he do for an encore? * Anthony Mackie, Brother to Brother, Million Dollar Baby, She Hate Me -Given the range of these films and characters, you'd think he would have gotten more attention this year. Does he have "it"? I'm not sold yet but I'm watching. * Semi Finalists: Cameron Bright, Birth, Godsend, The Butterfly Effect -Haley may have worn people out on spooky little kids but he was quite good in Birth and seemed to understand the part (which is spooky enough) * Kett Turton & Sara Rue I'm grouping them together because they had such great chemistry in Gypsy 83 ...but I think that only 4 people saw this movie. * Steve Sandvoss showed promise in the indie gay flick Latter Days *