We have less than a month to go before the Oscar nominations are announced on Jan. 16. That means it’s time to start seriously looking at the field, especially now that many of the movies have already been released. The wide releases of American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks have given audiences around the country to see some awards-worthy performances. The Wolf of Wall Street opens on Christmas and August: Osage County, which opens wide this week as well, is sure to get some love in the acting categories. So, that’s where we’ll start.

The first category to size up is probably one of the easiest, but that’s not to say that it’s a weak field. The Best Actress Oscar has been won by a wide variety of performances lately and this year’s field will likely be filled with previous winners.

The Locks

Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
This was an early release, but I don’t think the Academy will forget Blanchett’s stirring performance as Jasmine Francis, a woman thrown out of her high-class New York comfort zone and put in working class San Francisco. It’s emotionally powerful and really proves why she’s one of the best. She previously won for playing Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s , but that was for supporting. She’s due for an Oscar in a leading role.

Sandra Bullock - Gravity
Bullock gives a heartbreaking performance in Gravity. It’s quite a task, since she’s floating in space and has no one to talk to except George Clooney who doesn’t have much screentime. She carries the movie all by herself and if Blanchett doesn’t win, Bullock should. She won for The Blind Side, which was only a few years ago, though.

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Emma Thompson - Saving Mr. Banks
Emma Thompson, who won over two decades ago for Howards End, is earning rave reviews for her portrayal of Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. She already has SAG and http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/2013/12/american-hustle-12-years-slave-and-wolf-wall-street-lead-golden-globe-nominations>Golden Globe nominations in the bag, so it would be shocking if she didn’t take one of the five slots for the Oscar.

Judi Dench - Philomena
Dame Judi Dench has also scored nods for this indie film, distributed by The Weinstein Company, which sure knows how to get its stars Oscar nods. She plays a woman searching for her son and Steve Coogan is on the road with her. It’s the type of stuff the Academy goes for. Dench won a Supporting Actress Oscar for 1998’s Shakespeare in Love. It would be nice to see her win for a larger role.

Meryl Streep - August: Osage County
The Academy loves giving Streep nominations, so why not give her another one for old time’s sake? John Wells’ August: Osage County lost some of its luster after critics started seeing it and Streep’s performance looks over-the-top in trailers. But, the Academy loves those type of roles, where an actor completely dominates a scene.

Others:
It all depends on how charitable the Academy feels towards smaller projects. The Hollywood Foreign Press nominated Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Enough Said, but she likely got that because of the individual comedy and drama awards handed out at the Globes. Amy Adams’ performance in American Hustle is good, but I think she’s done better (in The Fighter particularly). I'd be surprised if she's nominated.

image: Warner Bros.