Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave
If doesn't seem five minutes since we were last talking about the Oscars, and now the 2014 ceremony is on the horizon.
Yesterday we saw that the Best Actress category is going to be a tough one to call... but Best Actor is going to be a real slug fest.
We take a look at some of the actors guaranteed a nomination and the other stars would could find themselves in the mix.
*Certainly For Best Actor Nomination*
Chiwetel Ejiofor: 12 Years A Slave - If you see just one movie in the new year then make sure it is the latest offering from director Steve McQueen. It hasn't been released yet and it is already a contender for one of the best films of 2014.
The movie is based on the memoir by Solomon Northup; a free black man who is tricked and sold into slavery. Chiwetel Ejiofor takes on the role of Northup in the most powerful performance of his career to date.
This is a violent, powerful, heartbreaking and moving film that it, and Ejiofor's performance will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
Ejiofor has already won at the likes of New York Film Critics Online Awards and Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards and that success looks set to continue.
Bruce Dern: Nebraska - Bruce Dern staked his claim for Oscar glory very early on this year as he scooped the Best Actor gong at the Cannes Film Festival.
Since then the movie and Dern's performance have been gaining praise and support on the festival circuit. The movie sees Dern team up with director Alexander Payne to follow a journey that his character makes with his estranged son.
It is a mighty performance from Dern - it is not hard to see why many are calling it the best of his career so far.
More nominations have followed for Dern and he is set to be in the Oscar mix come the new year.
Robert Redford: All Is Lost - Robert Redford is another older actor who has been whipping up a storm this autumn.
All Is Lost sees Redford give a towering solo performance as a man who is forced to face mortality as he is stranded out at sea.
Redford already has two Oscar under his belt; one for directing Ordinary People and the other a Lifetime Achievement award.
His stunning and moving performance in All Is Lost could well see him win a Best Actor gong for the first time.
Matthew McConaughey: Dallas Buyers Club - Matthew McConaughey is an actor who really has turned his career around; he has gone from pin-up to potential Oscar contender.
Dallas Buyers Club is one of the finest moments of his acting career to date as he brings the true story of Ron Woodroof to the big screen.
McConaughey lost fifty pounds to play AIDS sufferer Woodroof, who worked around the system to bring much needed HIV/AIDS medication to people suffering with the disease in the U.S.
McConaughey picked up the Best Actor prize at the Rome Film Festival and Gotham Awards and looks set to be a major Oscar contender.
*ActorsTo Watch Out For*
Tom Hanks: Captain Phillips - Tom Hanks has given two fantastic performances this autumn, but it should be for the role of Captain Phillips that he gets recognised.
He delivers a powerful and commanding performance as a captain who comes face to face with Somali pirates. This movie really is Hanks at his awesome best.
Joaquin Phoenix: Her - The Master was the last time Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar, but he could be in the mix again for Her.
Her sees him take on the role of Theodore Twombly, a lonely man who develops a relationship with his advanced operating system; voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Leonardo DiCaprio: The Wolf of Wall Street - Leonardo DiCaprio has delivered some great performances over the years and has been nominated for Best Actor on several occasions.
The Wolf of Wall Street sees him reunite with Martin Scorsese to tell the true story of Jordan Belfort; a stockbroker who fell from grace.
The Best Actor category really is going to be a tough on this year, as you could make a case for all of the above to triumph. But we could well see Bruce Dern come out the winner as he is gaining some serious support.
