I agree with you on Halle. I thought the movie was good, but I don't think her performance was worthy of an award.
As for Cage, it was worth an award. A broken person drinking to himself to death while another broken person tries to save him was a much better story than two broken people with dead kids and spouses who fall in love and overcome racism was really sappy and unoriginal.
I was only saying that I don't think it's a real challenge for actors to portray self destructive alcoholics/junkies or poor pathetic people.