Melissa Leo has fighting spirit for Oscar

Two actresses are running very different Oscar campaigns these days, raising questions about their odds of winning. One of them may be improving her chances, while the other may be sinking them.

Melissa Leo is considered the front-runner for best supporting actress, for "The Fighter." Before Oscar nominations were even announced, she won the equivalent at the Golden Globes, which seemed like a just reward for a hardworking actress who, at 47, became an indie darling for her performance in the 2008 film "Frozen River."

That warm, fuzzy feeling began evaporating when Leo launched her own Oscar campaign, taking out ads in trade magazines featuring a glamorous photo of herself under the slogan "Consider . . . " Leo bluntly admitted she was "pimping" herself, which is fair enough, though she also used that word to describe the promotional efforts of 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld, a competitor for the same award. Pundits are now wondering whether Leo's seemingly crass tactics will lead Oscar voters to tap Helena Bonham Carter ("The King's Speech") instead.

Meantime, Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right") is running her best-actress campaign the old-fashioned way, blanketing the media with appearances. Recently she has spoken with Jay Leno, Regis Philbin, Jimmy Fallon and Charlie Rose, in addition to showing up at numerous other public events. Charming and self-effacing, Bening seems to be lessening the distance between herself and the Oscar, though it still seems destined to go to Natalie Portman for "Black Swan."

Will any of it make a difference? Oscar voting closes Tuesday, and after that only PricewaterhouseCoopers will know.