And The Oscar Goes To…
By See above (See above)
Quite possibly the five most famous words in all of film, said over and over, yet never loses its impact. Earlier this week the Academy announced the nominees for the 84th Annual Academy Awards. Hollywood’s most prestigious night (Sorry Golden Globes!) has finally filled out its guest list. So without further adue, I take a look at each nominee and hedge my bets on who will bring home the coveted golden statue on February 26th.
Best Animated Feature Film
- A Cat In Paris
- Chico & Rita
- Kung Fu Panda 2
- Puss in Boots
- Rango
The nominees for Best Animated Feature Film are a bit weak this year according to the ‘experts.’ There isn’t a Ratatouille or Toy Story clear cut favorite to fall back on this year. Looking at the list of names, it breaks down as follows. Kung Fu Panda 2 won’t win because it’s not a Pixar flick. Historically Dreamworks animated features don’t get much love. Since 2001, the only two pictures to win from the Dreamworks camp were Shrek and Wallace & Gromit. Shrek was ground breaking while Wallace & Gromit competed within a weak field. If Kung Fu Panda 1 didn’t take home Oscar gold, 2 doesn’t have much of a chance. I could take a long shot here and back Chico & Rita but I don’t think the Academy will go that bold this year. The film was fantastic and deserved a nomination but just look what it’s competing against. A bunch of films that are mainly considered “kids” movies. With all of that said, I’m going with Rango. It’s witty, creative and has Johnny Depp in it. Put your money on Rango this year to take home Oscar gold for Best Animated Feature Film.
Best Cinematography
- “The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
- “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
- “Hugo” Robert Richardson
- “The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
- “War Horse” Janusz Kaminski
This category is a personal favorite of mine. Going to film school and falling in love with Cinematography has had the greatest impact on my life. Each year it’s an honor to watch some of Hollywood’s most daring and talented cinematographers go to work. If any category stays consistently strong each Oscar season, it has to be cinematography. Although the five films nominated this year each were all stunning pieces of work, the Academy will lean in one of two directions. They will go for the clear cut favorite The Artist or they will pick the underdog The Tree of Life. This bet I think is tougher then people give it credit for. One film is on fire right now, dominating the press and blogs while the other has been sort of forgotten. For me The Tree of Life should take home the award. The film is on a different level visually. Every frame is delicately pieced together with grace, power and perfection. The Tree of Life is a monumental achievement in the way films are shown. This year The Tree of Life will be taking home the Oscar for Best Cinematography.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
- Jessica Chastain, The Help
- Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
- Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
- Octavia Spencer, The Help
The field for Best Supporting Actress is actually pretty deep this year. Everyone was cheering when Melissa McCarthy got nominated for Bridesmaids because she really did deserve it. As much as I would love to see her stun the world and take home the Oscar, it’s not going to happen. This year the two front runners are Bérénice Bejo and Octavia Spencer. Out of all the major categories this year I think this is going to be the hardest one to predict. The Academy is always known for throwing a wicked curve ball at you when you least expect it. That curve could come right over the plate on Oscar night when it comes to this field of women. My sleeper pick (aka the curve ball) is Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs). I just feel like this film is getting over looked and is right on schedule to pull out a sneaky win in one of the major categories. Putting my sleeper aside, I have to pick a winner. This year’s winner is going to be Bérénice Bejo (The Artist). That may come as a surprise to some of you reading this but just look at it from my perspective for a second. All of the ingredients are there for a win – tons of hype, silent film, groundbreaking, unique. Octavia Spencer is the favorite but I am pushing my chips all in for Bérénice Bejo on Oscar night.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
- Jonah Hill, Moneyball
- Nick Nolte, Warrior
- Christopher Plummer, Beginners
- Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Wow, The Artist wasn’t nominated for this category? Oh well it wouldn’t really matter anyway because we all know who is taking home the Oscar. While it was nice to see Jonah Hill and Nick Nolte get nominated this year, it’s pretty much a lock that Christopher Plummer (Beginners) will be walking away with the statue. Plummer’s performance was riveting. Each year one actor/actress stands out above anyone else and this year that person was Christopher Plummer. If you haven’t seen Beginners do yourself a favor and rent it. Watch Plummer dominate the screen, take it all in. It becomes obvious why he deserves this award more then anybody else in the field.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
- Viola Davis, The Help
- Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
- Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
- Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Viola Davis is the Hollywood favorite. Meryl Streep is well Meryl Streep. Underdog vs Powerhouse. Patriots vs Giants comparison anyone? Anyone? Okay, never mind. What’s interesting about the Best Actress category this year is this sort of David vs Goliath match up. Davis has captured the hearts of the Hollywood press while Streep is the legend who has done it before, twice over. From a betting perspective it has to be Viola Davis who walks away with the trophy on Oscar night. Can’t you just picture Streep standing up and cheering on Davis as she walks up to the stage? Before I forget, let’s not forget about Michelle Williams for her outstanding portrayal as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn. Cheers to you Michelle, great stuff.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Demian Bichir, A Better Life
- George Clooney, The Descendants
- Jean Dujardin, The Artist
- Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Clooney vs Pitt everybody! Two best friends, saying all the right things are about to clash on the big stage. It’s safe to say the women of the world will be happy with whom ever wins on February 26th. But wait! Don’t give these guys the Oscar just yet. No, The Artist and its lead Jean Dujardin are waiting in the shadows to jump out and surprise everyone. Okay, maybe I threw that in for some drama but let’s get back to business. In the duel of two friends, it will be Clooney who walks away with the award and gives one hell of speech. He will thank Pitt, crack jokes and enjoy his evening on top. Bet on George this time around.
Best Direction
- Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
- Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
- Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
- Alexander Payne, The Descendants
- Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Michael Hazanavicius is the front runner and as much as I appreciate what he did bringing The Artist to life, my heart can’t stop itself from wanting Martin Scorsese to take home another Oscar. One of the greatest directors in the history of film has only won ONE time. That’s right ONE time. It’s a crying shame that he doesn’t have an entire shelf full of trophies for the work he has given the world. I guess you could call this going for the upset but I am picking Martin Scorsese over Michael Hazanavicius to win Best Director this year.
Best Picture
(Not highlighting the winner. Read to find out!)
- The Artist
- The Descendants
- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
- The Help
- Hugo
- Midnight in Paris
- Moneyball
- The Tree of Life
- War Horse
This is it. The big one, the category that everyone waits for to end the show. The nominees for Best Picture are a group of films that are all very deserving in their own right. Before we get into the front runners and my pick for the winner, I want to give Midnight in Paris a well deserved shout out. This movie was absolutely breath taking. Woody Allen pieced together the most slept on movie of 2011 and did it with incredible class and dignity. If you haven’t seen Midnight in Paris, I can’t stress myself enough when I say go see this film. It won’t win the Oscar for a whole host of reasons but it deserves a ton of credit for pushing the boundaries of originality and capturing the hearts and imaginations of young writers everywhere. With that being said, we have two wonderful films going head to head for the chance to be called Best Picture. The Artist, the movie that has swept audiences away should be considered the front runner going into Oscar night. Its only competition this year? The Descendants with George Clooney. Both are tremendously good films and should equally be honored for vastly different reasons to be in such a close race for the award. When the envelope is cracked open and the name is read off the card your winner for Best Picture will be…The Artist. Like the dramatic pause? Yeah, me too.
Great round-up, some interesting films coming out. Look forward to seeing whether your predictions turn out!
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