Every single year – without fail – by the time 2008 rolls around and Oscar nomination votes have to be handed in, it’s become a super-crowded race for Best Actor. The Best Actress category, meanwhile, struggles to find five good enough nominees. No, that doesn’t mean men are better actors; rather, it’s a blatant reminder that not enough good roles are being created for women.

Next week, I’ll take a look at the Best Actress race and see how this year has fared in that department. For now, though, let’s look at the clusterbleep of potential candidates that the Best Actor race has turned into.

The Five to Beat:

Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood: His buzz is bigger here than it was for Gangs of New York, with many again expecting him to walk away with not only the nomination, but the prize. A rock-solid lock.

Denzel Washington, American Gangster: A beloved star, a box office hit, a critical home run? Hard to believe he wouldn’t make the top five.

Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson’s War: This is a political film that’s blatantly aiming for Oscars – could it be a massive flop? That’s what many are predicting, but I refuse to believe the American public won’t rush to a Tom Hanks/Julia Roberts match up anyway. Hanks is playing against type in this, and he’s nothing if not reliable. Plus, a Christmas release means its directly on the minds of the Academy voters.

James McAvoy, Atonement: He’s the attractive young star of tomorrow (although Academy members usually reserve that description for their Best Supporting Actress frontrunners). And the early reviews have been excellent. But a lack of screen time will haunt him.

Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Academy loves Depp. Audiences looooove Depp. And this is an awards-baiting musical. If critics and audiences are both excited about it, then Depp’s in.

What you see above are the five solid, safe choices. If all five of those actually remain the frontrunners for