So the Academy Awards are on Sunday, an event Ive really come to enjoy watching every year, but because Im going to be driving up to Pennsylvania with my dad on Sunday, I doubt Ill see any of it this year, so I decided over the next couple of days to create a list of my own predictions for who will win the coveted gold statuettes, and who I think deserves to win (but probably wont). Forgive me if this goes a little long, as I love movies so much! Get your ballot cards ready! Tonights Categories: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress. (Choosing these was very difficult; theyre all so good.) Best Picture Will Win: 12 Years A Slave (Its a historical drama, something the Academy adores. Just look at Schindlers List, Argo, Braveheart, Gandhi, and Chariots of Fire.) Should Win: 12 Years A Slave (Its dark, well-acted, beautifully filmed and edited, and it struck me on an emotional level and always kept my attention, despite its shocking and depressing content. A true classic.) Best Director Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity (Cuaron spent 7 years working on creating an absolutely gorgeous and spellbinding sci-fi thriller that made Avatar look like childs play. For future reference, James Cameron, this is how you blend special effects and story together correctly.) Should Win: Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave (Ive followed McQueens filmography quite closely, and every movie hes made has been stellar. If you want an interesting character study, watch Shame. With 12 Years his unrelenting look into the life of a man whos freedom was forced from him was a heartbreaking and fascinating look at American history that we still try to hide from. A film that will most likely wind up in university classrooms around the world.) Best Actor Will Win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (McConaughey has spent the last couple of years playing roles that are both serious and funny. His portrayal of a man inflicted with AIDS who was willing to defy the law in order to help his fellow sufferers was a performance of a lifetime. Hes finally grown up, and the Academy will surely award him for it.) Should Win: Chitwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave (Ejiofor has mostly been in smaller, independent movies for the past decade, but this performance will hopefully make him a star in bigger movies. His performance as a man whos constantly pushed to the point of giving up hope and then managing to persevere was amazing, and if it werent for McConaughey, he would probably win.) Best Actress Will Win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine (Its Cate Blanchett. In a Woody Allen film. This is a no-brainer. Anyone who doesnt pick her is going to lose, and it would be a miracle for anyone else to win. At least its better than Meryl Streep, who even after 18 nominations (!) I still dont find that talented because I find her so boring.) Should Win: Amy Adams, American Hustle (Ive never been a big fan of Adams until she worked with David O. Russell in The Fighter. Working with Russell again created a character who was funny, serious, and memorable, and easily the best performance in one of 2013s best films.) Best Supporting Actor Will Win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (Anytime an actor portrays a woman, or an actress portrays a man, the Academy usually honors them with a nomination. Leto gave a great performance as a transgender woman, and Id even go so far as to say it was better than McConaugheys performance. If only he had more screen time, he could have gone up for Best Actor.) Should Win: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave or Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street (Fassbender just gets better and better as an actor, and his portrayal as Solomon Northups cruel slaveowner was both uncomfortable to watch and strangely compelling at the same time. That is the mark of a true actor; they can play a character you despise, but you still cant stop watching. Hill meanwhile hasnt been this funny since Superbad, and his character is so slimy and despicable, especially when playing along with Leonardo DiCaprio, that it was enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, Hill is so associated with his comedic roles, I doubt hell win an Oscar anytime soon.) Best Supporting Actress Will Win: Lupita Nyongo, 12 Years A Slave (A lot of people think Jennifer Lawrence will win for American Hustle, but I think based off of other awards shows, the newcomer Nyongo will win this one by a hair. It also helps that she played a character with a lot of complexity and compassion, something the Academy loves.) Should Win: Lupita Nyongo, 12 Years A Slave (Watching Nyongos character Patsey slowly turn from a spirited young girl into a tortured, physically unrecognizable woman was gut-wrenching, but watching her beg her friend Solomon for death over another day at the hands of a sadistic owner, only to realize that this cycle of life would probably never end may have been one of the most memorable moments in a film Ive ever seen.)
Posted on: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:10:55 +0000
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