It’s Oscar season and we are already breathless with anticipation for moviedom’s biggest night. This cycle has thrown up some of the finest films in recent history and as a result, competition has been fierce. While some categories are too close to call, others have already been decided; mostly by the long list of precursor awards.
We bring you our own analysis of who will – and who deserves to go home with the golden naked guy. Only in the major categories
Best picture
Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
What should win
Ben Affleck’s comeback came full circle with his CIA thriller based on real life events. The public loved it, the critics hailed it and all was well with the world. Except the Academy went and snubbed him for Best Director. Which does not bode too well for the film’s chances. See films rarely win Best Picture without at least a Best Director nod. This most of all will hurt ‘Argo’s ’ chances.
What will win
Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ has the highest number of nominations (12) and seems like the film to beat. With nominations in all the right places and a subject matter that most Americans defer to, only ‘Argo’ can stop this ship from sailing.
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper(Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis(Lincoln), Denzel Washington(Flight), Hugh Jackman(Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix(The Master)
Who should win
Remember when Tom Hanks with his 2 Oscars used to be called the greatest actor of his generation? Then it was Sean Penn with his own 2 trophies. Well move over Messers Penn and Hanks because a new champion has arrived to claim Oscar number 3 and his name is Daniel Day-Lewis.
Who will win
It is a mortal lock. Mr Lewis has won every other major award under the sun for his majestic performance of America’s favourite president and his name is already written on the gold statue. Anyone else would be a major upset.
Best Actress
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Who should win
Amour’s Riva is eighty-five years old and on that sentiment alone we would love to see her rewarded. Plus she does deserving work too.
Who will win
Jessica Chastain’s glower will not be enough to stop Jennifer Lawrence’s voter-friendly steam roller of a performance come Sunday night.
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), Alan Arkin (Argo), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)
Who should/win
Frankly we don’t really mind who takes this one as all five of them are already past Oscar winners. While we are naturally inclined towards Django’s Waltz, Lincoln’s Tommy Lee Jones seems to be the favourite.
Best Supporting Actress
She dreamed a dream of Oscar glory playing the doomed mother Fantine in the musical spectacle Les Miserables and even wild horses cannot stop Anne Hathaway from adding Academy Award winner to her resume come Sunday night. A perpetual lock since the first trailer for Les Miz surfaced, Hathaway has the role of a lifetime. She sings, she cries, loses weight, shaves her hair, someone hand her the trophy already.
Best Director
Ang lee (Life of Pi), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild), David O. Russell (Silver Livings Playbook), Michael Haneke (Amour), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Who should/will win
The biggest snub of this season occured when Ben Affleck was left out of this list so we’ll snub it in return. Looks like it’s Spielberg’s show to lose although we fantasize a scenario where Haneke pulls an upset and steals his thunder.
Best Original Song
Before My Time (Chasing Ice), Everybody needs a best friend (Ted), Pi’s Lullaby (Life of Pi), Skyfall (Skyfall), Suddenly (Les Miserables)
Frankly the other nominees exist only to fill up the ballots. When it comes to big awards like these, it is an Adele world and we are all just living in it.
Do you agree with our picks?
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