Now that the hubbub has died down around the Oscar nominations, we’re going to take a look at who’s in with a shout and why. Hosted this year by the wonderful Ellen DeGeneres, the big night draws ever nearer and come Sunday March 2nd, we reckon we’ll have most, if not all of the winners, right here!!
Best Picture
Even though American Hustle lead the way with the most nominations, I really don’t expect it to do all that well on the night. It’s certainly not deserving of the best pic award. In my opinion it’s down to two movies; Gravity and 12 Years A Slave. Both are deserving of the honour for different reasons but I’m gonna give it to 12 Years A Slave, because Hollywood laps up that kind of movie, and Gravity is sure to be honoured in other categories.
Director
Usually this goes hand in hand with the best picture award but I think this year it’s got to be Alfonso Cuaron for his technical achievements on Gravity. This way too both Gravity & 12 Years A Slave take home an Oscar each, and Steve McQueen won’t feel like he was left out for his powerful take on slavery.
Actor
While we’d love to go with Leonardo DiCaprio for his over-the-top electric performance in The Wolf Of Wall St (and because lets face it, if anyone deserves an Oscar for his body of work, it’s Leo) the best performance of the year was undoubtedly Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club. After a stellar year that saw him steal every single movie he popped up in, few would argue that he has earned the title this year. Saying that, the best performance of the year isn’t always the one that wins. 50/50 between the two but I’m gonna say Matthew McConaughey.
Actress
This one is a sure thing. Nothing else came close to Cate Blanchett this year for her star turn in Blue Jasmine. A category of very strong candidates with Bullock, Streep, Dench and Adams but I think Cate’s name is already on the trophy.
Supporting Actor
This was looking like a tough one to call but Jared Leto’s performance as an AIDS victim in Dallas Buyers Club steals the show. A magnificent performance in a powerful movie, he deserves the plaudits and to take home the statuette. Our own Michael Fassbender is nominated here and although he’s carrying the hopes of the nation, his repulsive plantation boss in 12 Years A Slave falls short of deserving the win.
Supporting Actress
Again, another tough category to call. Lupita Nyong’o was fantastic in 12 Years A Slave, but Hollywood’s Jennifer Lawrence obsession may overshadow that performance and see the young starlet take home another major award. Everything Lawrence touches right now turns to gold, and really there’s a reason for that… She’s got talent in spades. Like the Best Actor category this one is a 50/50. Im giving it to Lupita Nyong’o
Screenplay
The dark horse of the ceremony, Her is the only film on the list we’ve yet to see and so it’s harder to make a decision about it. The rest of the nominees are quite strong too and this may be where American Hustle makes an impact. However, the fact that in a year so full of great movies Her got nominated for best picture I’m gonna take a chance and say it picks up the award here.
Adapted screenplay
Another Irish hopeful in this category, Philomena was an unexpected surprise announcement at the nominations. The Wolf of Wall St, Before Midnight and Blue Jasmine are all very well written movies but this is another category that 12 Years A Slave deserves to win and probably will.
Those are my predictions for the major awards, and here’s a very quick rundown on some of the rest.
Foreign Language Film – The Great Beauty
Animated Film – Frozen
Documentary – The Act Of Killing
Cinematography – Gravity
Film Editing – Gravity
Production Design – The Great Gatsby
Costume Design – 12 Years A Slave
Visual Effects – Gravity
Sound Editing – Gravity
Sound Mixing – Gravity
Original Score – Gravity
Original Song – Frozen
Makeup & Hairstyling – American Hustle
Live Action Short Film – Helium
Animated Short Film – Get A Horse!
As usual I’ll be putting my money where my mouth is and picking 10 categories for a €50 accumulator bet. Last year saw me miss out by one prediction and the previous two years were very lucrative but don’t all rush out and splash the cash based on my guesses because they are just that – guesses!! There are always a few surprises on the night so the best thing to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the show!!
(Images courtesy IMDb, Empire, AwardsCircuit)
