2013 was a kick ass year in film. I can't think of a better late end of year run series of films than the ones we just had. It is now that time of year to kick off Oscar season.
The nominations were announced Thursday morning. I want to take a look at some of the big categories and share some quick thoughts on who has the best chance of going home with an Oscar and who got robbed of a nomination.
So let's go ahead and take a look:
BEST PICTURE
AMERICAN HUSTLE
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
GRAVITY
HER
NEBRASKA
PHILOMENA
12 YEARS A SLAVE
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Captain Phillips sadly lost it's chance of winning when both Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass did not get nominated in either of their respective categories. Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, and Philomena are probably going to get most of it's awards in the acting categories, while Her will have a better chance of getting Best Screenplay. The Wolf of Wall Street is in the same position Django Unchained was in last year. It is a cool and hip film to nominate for best picture but one that the older members of the branch don't have the stomach to vote for the win. So that leaves American Hustle, Gravity, and American Hustle. Gravity, my personal favorite film of the year, is going to sweep the technical categories. But the lack of a Best Original Screenplay nomination I think is a sign that it won't win here. American Hustle is a fun film. Audiences and critics both love it. If it were any other year, I would pick it to win. But 12 Years a Slave is one of those movies that comes along every once in awhile that is so powerful that I think the members of the academy will probably go ahead and pick it. It doesn't pull any punches and the way Steve McQueen guided the movie is an achievement in of itself. I expect the academy to honor it with it's highest award.
BEST ACTOR
CHRISTIAN BALE - AMERICAN HUSTLE
BRUCE DERN - NEBRASKA
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR - 12 YEARS A SLAVE
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY - DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Tom Hanks not getting nominated here is a stunner. Walking out of Captain Phillips, I thought he was a shoo-in for a acting nod. But DiCaprio and Bale's films became really popular as of late and Hanks had the misfortune of having his movie open all the way back in October. Bruce Dern gives the performance of his career in Nebraska and it is really good to see him nominated here. But I think it is a two man race here between Ejiofor and McConaughey. Ejiofor would win it if I was picking the winner. 12 Years a Slave is very much dependent on us caring for the lead character and Ejiofor more than succeeds in making us see the struggles that his Soloman Northup went through. McConaughey though is having a Tom Hanks-like comeback. To think of where he was a few years ago being stuck in Kate Hudson films to now working on the next Christopher Nolan film is truly remarkable. He too gave one of the best performances of the year. And considering that he lost an insane amount of weight in order to play the part, it pretty much seems to be a given that he will win. Let's just hope he can fit in a Dazed and Confused quote in his acceptance speech somewhere.
BEST ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS - AMERICAN HUSTLE
CATE BLANCHETT - BLUE JASMINE
SANDRA BULLOCK - GRAVITY
JUDI DENCH - PHILOMENA
MERYL STREEP - AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
I said this to people in August when I saw the film and I am going to say it again: Cate Blanchett is going to win Best Actress. Woody Allen wrote her an excellent character to play in Jeanette "Jasmine" Francis. Blanchett handled the part like a pro and she should be awarded here. Amy Adams could win for American Hustle since she is on the hot streak she continues to be on. Bullock was also good in Gravity but I think the acting branch will probably see that film as more a technical film than an acting one. Judi Dench is well respected but she has not won any awards to suggest a win here. As for Miss Streep, I think she got this nomination by the skin of her teeth. Osage County has not been a hit with critics and reviews from audiences have been mixed. In fact I could have sworn I heard groans in the press room when the academy announced her name. Meryl has three trophies already, time for Cate to get one of her own.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BARKHAD ABDI - CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
BRADLEY COOPER - AMERICAN HUSTLE
MICHAEL FASSBENDER - 12 YEARS A SLAVE
JONAH HILL - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
JARED LETO - DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
It is awesome to see Barkhad Abdi get nominated for Captain Phillips. To go toe to toe with Tom Hanks and look like a seasoned pro is a major accomplishment for the first time actor. But he hasn't won any acting awards yet, so the nomination may end up being his award. Bradley Cooper did well in American Hustle but his hair probably is getting more press than his acting did in the film. Jonah Hill continues to impress as a dramatic actor but I just don't see the academy giving him the trophy. Michael Fassbender continues to be one of the best actors around these days. His character was evil and the interactions he had with Ejiofor were some of the best scenes in 12 Years a Slave. But I think Jared Leto is going home with the award. Leto has over the last decade played mostly psychopaths and characters with a dark side. But he showed a surprising amount of heart in Dallas Buyers Club. Him and McConaughey were great together and Leto's transgender character I thought really gave the film a good dose of humor and heart amongst all the talk of AIDS and medical procedures. If he wins, I expect many a mention of his role on the brilliant TV show My So-Called Life to be mentioned on Twitter.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
SALLY HAWKINS - BLUE JASMINE
JENNIFER LAWRENCE - AMERICAN HUSTLE
LUPITA NYONG'O - 12 YEARS A SLAVE
JULIA ROBERTS - AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
JUNE SQUIBB - NEBRASKA
Great surprise seeing Sally Hawkins getting a nod for Blue Jasmine. She really provided a great counter point to the madness of Blanchett in the film. But she has not been nominated for anything else so far so I don't think she gets the win here. Unlike Streep, Julia Roberts earned her acting nomination for Osage County. But like Streep, the lack of buzz for the film hurt her chances. June Squibb was a hoot to watch in Nebraska. Voters though I think will probably think of the film more for Bruce Dern's role that for Squibb's. Jennifer Lawrence has kicked ass and taken names in 2013. She won Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook, had a mega hit with Catching Fire, and continued her great acting work in American Hustle. But to be honest, I don't think her work in Hustle is one of her best. Sure she is great and all and I would not be shocked in the least if she wins again. But Lupita Nyong'o was amazing in 12 Years a Slave. She could have overacted or gone over the top with her role but she didn't. It made her character "Patsey" all the more better for it. The academy, in this case, I think will stray from the popular choice of Lawrence and give it to the right choice, which would be Nyong'o.
BEST DIRECTOR
DAVID O'RUSSELL - AMERICAN HUSTLE
ALFONSO CURON - GRAVITY
ALEXANDER PAYNE - NEBRASKA
STEVE MCQUEEN - 12 YEARS A SLAVE
MARTIN SCORSESE - THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
This category has become a two man race. Martin Scorsese is a great director and will always be one, but The Wolf of Wall Street has just as many haters as it does admirers, so he will not get the win here. Alexander Payne continues to make great small dramas. Nebraska is a great film but one that will get more support in the acting category than the directing branch, so no luck for Payne here. This is the third time in a row that David O'Russell has been nominated for best director. Any other year I imagine a groundswell of support for O'Russell getting the directing nod, but for the same reasons that Payne has with Nebraska, I think people are probably going to see Hustle as more an acting achievement than a directing one. So that leaves, Steve McQueen and Alfonso Curon. McQueen winning this would not be a surprise at all. He took a story that he could have dumb down and shied away from the harsher more violent parts of Soloman Northup's story but he didn't. Because of this, he made an amazing film and got great performances out of everyone in the cast. But Alfonso Curon did something even more impressive. In a day and age where CGI and special effects have made movies less personal, Curon made a film that was both a character driven story and a special effects treat. Gravity is a film that did not let the special effects take over the story. You felt like you were in space. You were into Sandra Bullock and George Clooney's struggle in trying to not float away into the dead of space. This is an excellent acheivement over all and while McQueen would not be a bad choice for winner in the category, I expect Curon to win here.
Before I go, I wanna give a quick shout out to a fellow friend and blog writer. If you wanna read another take on the Academy Awards, go to kentuckygeekgirl.com and get your fix there. She is also a great writer and has a cool logo to boot!
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