Just for fun, and in case anyone wants to compare and/or compete, here are my Oscar predictions and preferences this year. There are still a number of movies from last year Id like to see, mostly international, independent, and documentary things. Best Picture Will Win: 12 Years a Slave, one of many great movies that came out last year. My Vote: Gravity. Its the most astonishing technical accomplishment in the movies in years, its one of the best thrillers ever, its a perfect religious allegory, its an existential parable, its a metaphor for its own creation, and its all those things seamlessly and simultaneously. There are several worthy candidates in the category this year, but this is the one Id vote for. My full ballot would probably look something like this: 1. Gravity 2. Her 3. The Wolf of Wall Street 4. 12 Years a Slave 5. American Hustle 6. Captain Phillips 7. Dallas Buyers Club 8. Nebraska 9. Philomena Should Have Been Nominated: Some of the animated and documentary features are certainly worthy (The Act of Killing, The Wind Rises, Ernest and Celestine), but, among movies that missed out on nominations entirely or almost entirely, Id take The Spectacular Now, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Worlds End, Short Term 12, Prisoners, Fruitvale Station, Frances Ha, Blue Jasmine, and Mud are all 2013 releases Id take over the last four Best Picture nominees. Best Documentary Feature Will Win: It seems like 20 Feet From Stardom may win as the upbeat, entertaining contrast to all the more serious-minded competition. My Vote: The Square and Cutie and the Boxer were both very, very good, and I havent yet seen Dirty Wars or 20 Feet From Stardom, but I cant imagine anything more shocking and more sobering and more all around amazing than The Act of Killing, which is simply one of the most incredible movies Ive ever seen. Best Foreign Language Film Will Win: The Great Beauty My Vote: So far, Ive only seen The Great Beauty, which I really loved, but Ive heard great things about and am really looking forward to seeing all the others (except maybe Omar). Best Animated Feature Will Win: Frozen My Vote: I really liked Frozen, but I much preferred Ernest and Celestine and The Wind Rises (I havent seen The Croods or Despicable Me 2). Its a toss-up between those two, both of which I really, really loved, but Ill go with The Wind Rises. Best Director Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron My Vote: Alfonso Cuaron Should Have Been Nominated: Spike Jonze Best Original Screenplay Will Win: American Hustle My Vote: Her Should Have Been Nominated: Her is really the only script in the category Im super crazy about. Id have nominated Gravity (a script that, in a tight 80 minutes, functions perfectly in every single moment as both allegory and action movie), Ernest and Celestine, The Spectacular Now, and maybe The Worlds End, with Inside Llewyn Davis, Short Term 12, Mud, and others all good candidates. Best Documentary Short Will Win: The Lady in Number 6 My Vote: Unfortunately, I havent seen any of them. Best Animated Short Will Win: Get a Horse! My Vote: Ive only seen Get a Horse! and Mr. Hublot. I preferred the formalist comic invention of Get a Horse!, but Im not really in love with either of them. Best Live Action Short Will Win: Avant Que De Tout Perdre My Vote: Havent seen em. Best Actress Will Win: Cate Blanchett My Vote: Since Blanchett is going to win anyway, Id probably vote for Bullock, who was the heart and soul of Gravity, giving it an easy, unforced emotional center, all while acting in a big box of monitors, pretending to move in slow motion, and having her body contorted by the War Horse puppeteers. That the performance feels so effortlessly effective in the midst of all those technical challenges is an amazing accomplishment. Should Have Been Nominated: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks. I didnt care for her movie, but she was absolutely extraordinary in it. Best Actor Will Win: Matthew McConaughey My Vote: Leonardo DiCaprio. Its a bit of a cheat, because he got to do the MOST acting, but its still such a wild, crazy, funny, dynamic, terrific performance. Should Have Been Nominated: Simon Pegg, The Worlds End. Best Supporting Actress Will Win: Lupita Nyongo My Vote: Sally Hawkins Should Have Been Nominated: Scarlett Johansson, Her. Best Supporting Actor Will Win: Jared Leto My Vote: Jonah Hill. I stare into his eyes in that movie and I cannot tell if Donny has never told a lie in his life or never told the truth in his life. Should Have Been Nominated: James Franco, Spring Breakers. Best Cinematography Will Win: Gravity My Vote: Gravity, for pulling off things that seem physically impossible to me, and looking absolutely beautiful doing it, though I also really loved Deakins work on Prisoners, among others. I havent seen The Grandmaster. Should Have Been Nominated: The Great Beauty, Her Best Editing Will Win: Captain Phillips My Vote: Gravity Should Have Been Nominated: The Wolf of Wall Street Best Production Design Will Win: The Great Gatsby My Vote: Her Should Have Been Nominated: The Great Beauty Best Sound Editing Will Win: Gravity My Vote: Gravity, though I havent seen All Is Lost, Lone Survivor, or The Hobbit yet. Should Have Been Nominated: Don Jon, Spring Breakers Best Sound Mixing Will Win: Gravity My Vote: Gravity, though I still havent seen Lone Survivor or The Hobbit. Should Have Been Nominated: The Worlds End Best Visual Effects Will Win: Gravity My Vote: I didnt see any of the others except Star Trek, but I cant imagine any of them being more impressive than Gravity. Best Original Score Will Win: Gravity My Vote: Gravity, with Her as a very close second. Should Have Been Nominated: I didnt see The Book Thief, but I really didnt like Thomas Newmans score for Saving Mr. Banks or Alexander Desplats score for Philomena (two guys whose work I often really love). Id have preferred to see some recognition for Joe Hisaishis characteristically gorgeous work on The Wind Rises and for the haunting, beautiful original music for The Great Beauty. Best Original Song Will Win: Let It Go My Vote: The Moon Song Best Costume Design Will Win: 12 Years a Slave My Vote: American Hustle, for capturing a time period in a way that manages to fit the tone of the movie--both cartoonish and grounded in a real, lived-in environment. That said, I havent seen The Grandmaster or The Invisible Woman. Best Makeup & Hairstyling Will Win: Dallas Buyers Club My Vote: Ive only seen Dallas Buyers Club, and its pretty cool that theyll probably win on a $250 budget, but, based on what Ive seen, Bad Grandpa actually looks like the most impressive make-up job.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 01:00:48 +0000
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