I
would have done this post sooner, but I’m getting over the flu and was very ill
the morning the nominations for the 85th Academy awards were
announced. So sorry for the delay.
Another good promo...
Okay, one more...
There
were some big surprises, upsets, whatever you want to call them. Many thought Ben Affleck would receive (if
not win) a best director nomination. He won many other awards for directing Argo, and the film received a Best
Picture nomination as well and they tend to go hand in hand. To add to his sting, last night he won The
Golden Globe for both categories.
Kathryn
Bigelow was also shut out for directing Zero
Dark Thirty, yet the film also got a Best Picture nomination.
Another
surprise was Quentin Tarantino being left in the cold, yet again Django Unchained is up for Best Picture
and Tom Hooper for Les Misérables
was shut out for directing as well.
It
is odd when the director doesn’t get a nomination but the film does, how can
that be exactly? There are numerous
reasons that could be a topic of a blog on its own, but to put it simply “Best
Picture” does involve more than just the direction and there are ten spots for
best picture where direction only has five spots for nominations.
In
the acting categories, Leonardo DiCaprio will have to try again to get that
Oscar since the Academy decided to give it to Christoph Waltz instead for Django Unchained.
I
would have also liked to have seen a nomination for in the best adaptation
screenplay for
The Perks of Being a Wallflower or even Cosmopolis, but that movie might have been a little too out
there for most of the Academy voters
*cougholdwhitemencough*.
So,
here are my predictions....as you can tell I didn't do ALL the categories....Ill
confer with my friend Shannon who knows more about sound editing and mixing,
etc. ;)
Some
interesting stats concerning this year’s nominations; Lincoln leads the
nominations with eleven. We have the oldest female nominee ever for Best Actress with
Emmanuelle Riva at eighty-six for Amour
AND the youngest ever female with Quvenzhane Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild at nine years old but was six when
the movie was filmed.
Best Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of
the Southern Wild
Django
Unchained
Les
Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver
Linings Playbook
Zero Dark
Thirty
My
prediction: It seems to be down between Lincoln
and Silver Linings Playbook, but don’t
fully count out Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. With the political
backlash towards Zero Dark Thirty the Academy doesn't want to upset anyone in
Washington and they like to play it safe. Argo does have the pity factor and and
could win as a type of apology to Ben Affleck for not giving him a directing
nom and the film festivals loved it. Also, NEVER count out the George Clooney
factor in terms of him being a producer and loved in Hollywood by a large demographic.
Silver Linings Playblook has the mental disorder and small budget feel that
they love as well. Lincoln has Spielberg,
history and Daniel Day-Lewis.
It is a hard one and these are all solid films in their own right. I’m
giving it to Argo in the end.I wouldn't mind being wrong on this one and well... “Argo F*** yourself!”
Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings
Playbook
Daniel
Day-Lewis for Lincoln
Hugh
Jackman for Les Misérables
Joaquin
Phoenix for The Master
Denzel Washington for Flight
My prediction:
Everyone knows my love for the big DDL but don’t think that I’m biased enough
that I don’t realize he campaigns like everyone else in his own way. And it’s
working. Bradley Cooper wants it as well, but has to prove himself some more
before the Academy is willing to give it to him so maybe another time. If DDL wasn't in it this year and the film wasn't a musical, Hugh Jackman could have been a
real contender. Joaquin Phoenix gave his finest performance and one of the best
performances in general that I have seen in years, and it is a honest shame
that he is not getting more recognition for The
Master, but with his comments about not caring for awards and the Hollywood
establishment (despite backtracking and quietly playing nice now) The Master being too confusing and not
Hollywood friendly, as well the DDL factor, any other year he would be the shoo
in.
In
the end I’m going with what I said the day Daniel Day-Lewis was announced to
play Abraham Lincoln, “every other male actor can go home that night.” I’m giving
it to Daniel Day-Lewis. One of the best.
Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark
Thirty
Jennifer
Lawrence for Silver
Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle
Riva for Amour (2012)
Quvenzhané
Wallis for Beasts of the
Southern Wild
Naomi Watts for The
Impossible
I
want to mention that sometimes who I pick to win may not be who necessarily deserves
to win, and even that is subjective. You
follow enough award seasons and Hollywood gossip you end up learning enough
about the politics involved with awards and nominations. It can
be as confusing and brutal as an episode of Game
of Thrones.
It is a two women race this year between Jessica Chastain and
Jennifer Lawrence. Right off the bat we can eliminate Quvenzhane Wallis. Does
she do a great job, yes, but come on...too young. As sad as this will sound,
Emmanuelle Riva can be eliminated as well. Despite the film festival love,
Amour is a “foreign film” and when was the last time an actress in a foreign
film has won for the leading actress? Amour is also a heavy film that is not everyone's cup of tea. Naomi Watts is gaining some
support but it is too little too late.
It’s
a difficult one and really could go either way between Jessica and Jennifer
(sounds like competition for cheerleading captain). Both ladies are no doubt
talented and almost chameleon like in their versatility. Again the political
backlash towards Zero Dark Thirty
comes to mind and Jennifer Lawrence is loved by Hollywood (at twenty-two this
is her second nomination) and has Harvey Weinstein to back her up. In the end
Katniss will come out of the arena as the victor.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin for Argo
Robert De
Niro for Silver
Linings Playbook
Philip
Seymour Hoffman for The Master
Tommy Lee
Jones for Lincoln
Christoph
Waltz for Django
Unchained
This
is another difficult category filled with acting legends. Although Philip
Seymour Hoffman is loved by the academy, not enough momentum behind him and the
unfriendliness of The Master comes
into play again. Its okay, he has his Oscar for Capote. Alan Arkin is the lovable old man once again in Argo and already won for doing that in Little Miss Sunshine. Tommy Lee Jones is
suffering the same fate like Joaquin Phoenix is. The DDL factor, only this time
it is the Christoph Waltz factor.
Christoph
Waltz is kinda becoming like DDL no? Excellent work not matter what and loved
in Hollywood. Also, when your co-star takes the spotlight away from your lead
AND Leonardo DiCaprio (and takes his nomination), you’re becoming like DDL. All while
being your charming self. It may not matter
that he won for Inglorious Bastards
not too long ago. I’m thinking the Academy will give it to him again.
Christoph...now
“THAT’S A BINGO!”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for The Master
Sally Field for Lincoln
Anne Hathaway for Les
Misérables
Helen Hunt for The Sessions
Jacki Weaver for Silver
Linings Playbook
This
is another category that seems to be a lock. Normally a role like Mary Todd
Lincoln would be the front runner. Add all the love for Lincoln and the way
Sally Fields has been talking about fighting for the role and her long career, all make up the right ingredients for a win. Not so much this
year.
This
year comes a woman who was known as a goody-goody Disney Princess; a self admitted
“vanilla personality,” who plays Catwoman to many surprises and has THE MOMENT in a film that is almost three
hours long. All in extreme close up.
Anne
Hathaway...your dream has come true.
Best Achievement in Directing
Michael Haneke for Amour
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
David O.
Russell for Silver Linings Playbook
Steven
Spielberg for Lincoln
Benh
Zeitlin for Beasts of the
Southern Wild
As
mentioned before, this is the category has gotten a lot of buzz for those who
were not nominated. Keep in mind many good directors have never won or have even
nominated.
Again,
as sad as this is, Michael Haneke won’t win for Amour; it is foreign and will win for that category. Plus The Artist was enough of a stretch for
them to award Best Picture to and that was last year. Ang Li used a little too
much CGI for the Academy’s liking. Benh Zeitlin is a surprise for his first
feature, but won’t win since the film is too experimental for the Oscars and he
is still an unknown, but keep it up!
So it
comes down (once again) between Spielberg for Lincoln and Russell for Silver
Linings Playbook. Lincoln has everything the Academy loves and every once
in a while they give it to an “underdog” feel good type like Silver Linings Playbook.
I’m
going on a bit of limb and say David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook.
Best Writing, Screenplay
Written Directly for the Screen
Amour: Michael
Haneke
Django Unchained : Quentin
Tarantino
Flight: John Gatins
Moonrise
Kingdom: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
Zero Dark
Thirty: Mark Boal
In
other words, an ORIGINAL script and not adapted from a previous work, which is
becoming less and less difficult to find. That’s another category.
I’m
going to keep this one short and sweet. As much as I would love to see Wes
Anderson and Roman Coppola win for Moonrise
Kingdom (and where is Wes Anderson for directing?) I’m going to give it to
Quentin Tarantino for his always solid work and the amazing dialogue in Django Unchained.
An
Anderson/Tarantino collaboration...now that would be something, lol. Nevermind! Too many alpha males.
Best Achievement in Costume
Design
Anna Karenina: Jacqueline
Durran
Les
Misérables: Paco Delgado
Lincoln: Joanna
Johnston
Mirror
Mirror: Eiko Ishioka
Snow White
and the Huntsman: Colleen
Atwood
I
can’t do all twenty-four categories, and you probably don’t want to see me do
them anyway, but I COULDN'T ignore costume design, especially with so many beautiful
ones this year. Also plenty of good ones that were not nominated.
At
first it is a three way tie for me between Anna Karenina (a beautiful film to watch
and lots of technical awards as well,) Les Misérables and Lincoln.
All in this category have been nominated (except Paco Delgado) before as well
and do great work and their passion comes out.
Any actor will tell you about the importance of the costumes
in terms of helping them develop their character. Any director and production designer
will also tell the importance in terms of their vision in bringing the world of
the film to life.
Maybe the uber girl in me is coming out with this one, but
I have to give it in the end to Jacqueline Durran for Anna Karenina. The costumes were superb in the elegance and
reflection of Russian Aristocracy.
AND THE JEWLS!!!
For the rest of the nominations, click on the link. http://www.imdb.com/oscars/nominations/?ref_=rto_nb_acd
It should be an interesting night, with host Seth MacFarlane on February 24!
I have chosen who I think will win too in a poll with Oscar Watch and mine are almost the same as you. I love the big slap in the face last night at the Globes when Ben Affleck won but he didn't get enough love to be included for the AAs. Best movie I chose Lincoln and the rest the same as you. As usual well written and very interesting. I have now seen most of the films nominated and my goal is to see them all. I have enjoyed all the them so far except Lincoln I was so bored but am going to try again and watch the rest of it.
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