Oscar buzz follows Fassbender, Ejiofor in '12 Years' (USA News)

USA News __An unquestionably compelling film. Two parts of a lifetime. This is the story of two men who paid attention to chief Steve Mcqueen's call to start America's darkest part. It's a film analysts say is bound for the Oscar stage. Usa Today stacks up the chances. 

Michael Fassbender

Age: 36

You know him from: Hunger, Shame, Prometheus, X-Men: First Class

Pursuing 12 Years a Slave: "I'd pondered it before I got the script," says the German-Irish on-screen character. "For me, after that first experience with Hunger, which truly sort of changed my existence and only kind of changed the way I work to a huge degree, I said to Steve, I was like, 'Look, I read the script, was in tears by the closure of it,' and I said, 'Whatever it is, if its one day or two days in this, I'd want to be a part of it."

Oscar chances: Very high. "He is an incredible wager for a designation," says Dave Karger, an industry Oscarologist and Fandango's head journalist. "The supporting-performer class takes into consideration villainy more than best on-screen character does. You see awful gentlemen overwhelm a little all the more regularly in that class. What's intriguing is he came as close as anybody perhaps can to getting a best-performer designation two years back (for Shame) and he didn't get it. Opinion is with him."

More: '12 Years' catches mercilessness, actuality of subjection

Chief's take: "There's nothing that he can't do. Nothing," says Mcqueen. "What's more I suppose he doesn't even know 50% of it, which is awesome."

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Age: 36

You know him from: Phil Spector, Kinky Boots, 2012, Children of Men

Pursuing 12 Years a Slave: Ejiofor (whose name is affirmed Chew-ih-tell Edge-ee-goodness for) had been on the chase for an extraordinary part. "You're bugging your executor, you're attempting to resolve it, you're venturing to the far corners of the planet, you're perusing scripts. And after that it can happen," the Brit says. "You can get the script, you open it up, you read it and you consider, 'Can I isn't that right? How would I begin to do this?' " Ejiofor took 24 hours to stamp out his own particular remains skeptical about before calling Mcqueen to acknowledge the part. "What's more you consider, 'Right, how about we get on with it. Who's set to show me how to play the violin? Also how would I study how to pick cotton or chop down trees legitimately?' You're in the diversion."

Oscar chances: A lock. "He's the gentleman to overpower at this moment," says Karger, "which is captivating since it would seem that the three individuals he could be selected against are Oscar victors: Tom Hanks (for Captain Phillips), Forest Whitaker (The Butler) and Robert Redford (All Is Lost)." Karger says he's heading even that pack. "He plays a true individual. The character experiences unspeakable hardship in the film. What's more he turns out the other side to be a persuasive figure. It's just such a capable, adequate execution."

Chief's take: "I suppose he's managing (the consideration) hugely well," Mcqueen says. "I suppose there's a considerable measure of individuals idiom things about him, about what could potentially happen, what may happen, yet he's more concentrated on the work. I'm simply extremely pleased with him, of what he's carried out."