Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Oscars have arrived!

As usual, I am posting my picks. My confidence is only moderately high, since this is SUCH a competitive year. I have not see every nominee, but have seen quite a few, and I think all the major contenders. So, here goes:

Best Picture: Argo   (Lincoln is so close that it's almost a toss-up. Lincoln does hold the slight edge of having its director nominated as well. They are usually selected together. So, we'll see! I liked them both and perhaps even liked Zero Dark Thirty more, so I have not real preference.)

Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis  (Personally, I thought Hugh Jackman's performance was amazing, but Day Lewis was phenomenal too. Still, Day Lewis is the closest thing to a lock this year!)

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (A really tight race, with amazing performances all-round. If Jennifer doesn't get it, I believe Jessica Chastain will. There has been renewed interest in the performance of Emmanuelle Riva in Amour -- and she was terrific, but I think it goes to one of the younger actresses. At first I thought Naomi Watts would win, but there's no buzz there anymore.

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones   Another tough category, with Christoph Waltz winning some earlier awards, and Robert De Niro always a favorite. But I think I'll stick to Jones, who was such a key player in Lincoln.

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway  Early buzz was for Sally Field, but that faded. And after I saw Les Miserable, I saw why Hathaway was the favorite. She (and the movie) was marvelous.

Best Director: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. I haven't yet seen it, but I've read quite a bit of sentiment for Ang Lee for Life of Pi. But I'm betting the academy will want to spread the love for Lincoln by giving this to Spielberg.

Best Song: Skyfall by Adele. At least the Bond movie will get something for one of the best pictures of the year!! (Should have gotten a nomination for best picture!)

Cinematography: Hoping it's Roger Deakins for Skyfall, but will most likely go to Caludio Miranda for Life of Pi. And where is the nomination for cinematographer for The Impossible?

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Adapted Screenplay: I'm going with Chris Terrio for Argo, but it could be Tony Kushner for Lincoln.

Foreign Language Film: Amour (oddly enough, from Austria) A slam dunk. And a very depressing movie, by the way!

Sound Editing: I'm going to agree (again) with the World Herald reviewer and pick my favorite movie -- Zero Dark Thirty.

I'm not going to pick "Visual Effects" because I'm ticked off that Skyfall isn't nominated! (Life of Pi should win.)

So there you have it. I don't know enough to pick in the other categories. May the best man, or woman, win!!!