As much as I hope Sandra Bullock doesn't get it (on principle more than anything else), she most likely will win the award for her role in The Blind Side, in which she plays real-life person Leigh-Anne Tuohy. There's no denying the fact that Bullock put a lot into her role; she met with Tuohy on multiple occasions to perfect her portrayal of the character. Having said that, I simply think that The Blind Side is a mediocre film, and as brilliant as Bullock may or may not be in the film, I don't think her portrayal is Oscar material.
Instead, I think the role should go to the always-reliable Meryl Streep, who last won in 1982 with Sophie's Choice. Streep, nominated for Julie & Julia is the strongest part of the film. Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the titular character in Precious, is also a strong actress, having not had any acting experience before her role in the film. She does extremely well in the role.
Carey Mulligan, though she's a fantastic actress (geeks may know her as Sally Sparrow from the "Blink" episode of Doctor Who) doesn't stand much of a chance for her role in An Education, and neither does Helen Mirren for her role in The Last Station.
[...] Best Actress [...]