Oscar Predictions

The Oscars, alas! It'll be around 2am UK time but I'll be up, and with Seth Macfarlane hosting, I'm very excited :) 

Here are my predictions on who will win for some of the categories, and my thoughts on who I personally think deserve the award:

Best Picture

Nominees:

Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty

Prediction: Argo or Lincoln

I wish it was: Life of Pi

Out of these picks, the film which blew me away the most in terms of its visuals and its themes and meanings was Life of Pi. Argo was great but it’s won way too many things now. I haven’t seen Lincoln so I cannot comment. By the way I am confused as to why The Master wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. What the hell did they increase the number of films that can be nominated for?? This was also 007’s best shot at a Best Picture nomination, so I’m disappointed Skyfall wasn’t nominated.

Best Actor

Nominees:

Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington

Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis

I wish it was: Joaquin Phoenix

Haven’t seen Lincoln so cannot comment on DDL’s performance. Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely phenomenal in The Master.

Best Actress

Nominees:

Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Emmanuelle Riva, Quvenzhane Wallis, Naomi Watts

Prediction: Emmanuelle Riva

And so it should be: Emmanuelle Riva

Besides Quvenzhane Wallis (because she's too young) I think everyone in this category was amazing so I wouldn’t mind if any of them won to be honest!

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees:

Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tommy Lee Jones, Christoph Waltz

Prediction: Robert De Niro or Tommy Lee Jones

I wish it was: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Again I haven’t seen Lincoln so I cannot comment on TLJ’s performance. I also see Christoph Waltz possibly winning this, and it’s true he did an awesome job supporting Jamie Foxx, but the best thing about that film was Leonardo DiCaprio. I wish wish wish he’d been nominated. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the only one that truly, truly deserves to win in my opinion. His performance was masterful as the Master in The Master.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees:

Amy Adams, Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Jacki Weaver

Prediction: Anne Hathaway

I wish it was: Amy Adams

Anne Hathaway was the best thing about Les Mis for me. But I don’t want to start a Les Mis rant, that could go on for pages. But just because I know she’s going to win, I want Amy Adams to win. Her role in The Master really was effectual in giving off this sinister sense of control lurking behind the Master.

Best Director

Nominees:

Michael Haneke - Amour, Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild, Ang Lee - Life of Pi, Steven Spielberg - Lincoln, David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook

Prediction: Steven Spielberg

I wish it was: Michael Haneke or Benh Zeitlin

I’m not sure why Beasts hasn’t been nominated for best cinematography! It looked gorgeous! He directed a 9 year old to put on an Oscar nomination worthy performance right? Haha. Also gutted for Beasts being thrashed by Silver Linings Playbook at the Indie Spirit Awards yesterday. SLP is really ‘indie’, yeah.

Best Cinematography

Nominees:

Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Skyfall

Prediction: Life of Pi

I wish it was: Skyfall

See this is the thing. I’m confused about what ‘Cinematography’ actually means, because I used to think it meant cinematography WITHOUT visual effects, but apparently it doesn’t? Life of Pi should win Visual FX, definitely, but in terms of non-completely-reliant-on-CGI, I’m rooting for Skyfall. GO ENGLAND!!! (and Scotland) The whole stage-production-within-a-film thing in Anna Karenina was an interesting thing to do but it didn’t do anything for me. If only they’d had more vastness and openness in Levin’s scenes. I mean that was the point I thought, when I was reading the novel many years ago. That we were liberated from all the suffocation and tension through Levin’s outdoor scenes.

Music – Original Score

Nominees:

Dario Marianelli - Anna Karenina, Alexandre Desplat - Argo, Mychael Danna - Life of Pi, John Williams - Lincoln, Thomas Newman - Skyfall

Prediction: Life of Pi

I wish it was: Anna Karenina

The score was the best character of the film. It really supported the characters and the actions, and brought the production to life.

Best Original Screenplay

Nominees:

Michael Haneke - Amour, Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained, John Gatins - Flight, Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom, Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

Prediction: Django Unchained

I wish it was: Moonrise Kingdom

Act 3 of Django was disappointing for me. Throughout all 3 acts there were scenes that went on waaay too long, and elements such as Samuel LJ’s character I wish he’d explored a bit more. Not sure what ZDT is doing in this category, wasn’t that based on true accounts? Flight was terrible. After the plane crash it was just downhill in terms of plot and characters. I wouldn’t mind if Amour won, but I’m rooting for Moonrise Kingdom! It was fun, unique, with more depth than you think.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Nominees:

Chris Terrio - Argo, Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild, David Magee- Life of Pi, Tony Kushner - Lincoln, David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Prediction: Silver Linings Playbook

And so it should be: Silver Linings Playbook

I thought the writing was the foundation of SLP. Also wouldn’t mind if Chris Terrio won for Argo. In fact I’d be happy as DOR has already bagged a few awards for this one (either for director or screenplay).