Pro: There was a time when the idea of McConaughey as an Oscar nominee would have been met with derision, but since “The Lincoln Lawyer” last year, the bronze-bodied Texan has been on a remarkable streak of form, across a well-chosen range of films. His oily, obliviously hilarious svengali in Steven Soderbergh’s male-stripper sleeper is a career-best turn, like Joel Grey’s “Cabaret” emcee in leather ass-chaps, and voters might like to reward this hard-working Hollywood prince for finally raising his game.

Con: It may have been of the surprise hits of the summer, but will voters remember this torso-tastic comedy – and if they, will they take it seriously enough? McConaughey has strong work coming up next year in Jeff Nichols’s Cannes-endorsed drama “Mud”: the Academy might prefer to wait for that one.

- Guy Lodge