Predicting the 86th Academy Awards

Film's biggest night of the year is finally upon us as the 86th Academy Awards are held tonight at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California. Here are my predictions for who will take home the six biggest awards of the evening. 

Best Picture
Nominees:
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity 
Her
Nebraska
Philomena 
The Wolf of Wall Street

Will Win: 12 Years a Slave
Should Win: American Hustle 
Nominees I've seen: 6/9 (American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Her, Nebraska, The Wolf of Wall Street)

There really is no clear unopposed frontrunner this year, but I believe 12 Years a Slave has a slight advantage over Gravity and American Hustle. 12 Years a Slave has the based on an incredible, poignant true story pedigree that Academy voters love to reward.   

Best Actor
Nominees:
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

Will Win:Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Christian Bale, American Hustle
Nominated performances I've seen: 4/5 (Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey)

Who would've thought the guy who starred in Ghost of Girlfriends Past just 5 short years ago would be up for an Academy Award and suddenly become one of the most well-respected actors in Hollywood? Matthew McConaughey made a remarkable physical transformation for Dallas Buyers Club and a all-but-guaranteed Oscar victory tonight will complete his recent rebirth as an actor. 

Best Actress
Nominees:
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Will Win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Should Win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Nominated performances I've seen: 2/5 (Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett) 

Cate Blanchett should walk away with the second Oscar of her career for her powerhouse performance in Blue Jasmine and she absolutely deserves it. Few actors this year commanded the screen with as much depth and emotion as Blanchett did.

Best Supporting Actor
Nominees:
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

Will Win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Nominated performances I've seen: 4/5 (Barkhad Abdi, Bradley Cooper, Jonah Hill, Jared Leto)


If I was to bet on one award for tonight, it would be Jared Leto for Best Supporting Actor. He has 100% of the momentum going into the Oscars and his role as a transgender female with AIDS is about as Oscar-friendly as any role can be.

Best Supporting Actress
Nominees:
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Luptia Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Should Win: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Nominated performances I've seen: 3/5 (Sally Hawkins, Jennifer Lawrence, June Squibb)

This is a complete toss-up between Jennifer Lawrence and Luptia Nyong'o. Nyong'o has the advantage of being a first-time nominee in a dramatic role, but I believe Lawrence's hilarious scene-stealing performance in American Hustle gives her the slight edge.

Best Director
Nominees:
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Martin Scorcese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Should Win: David O. Russell, American Hustle
Nominees I've seen: 3/5 (Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Martin Scorcese) 

The simple yet effective concept and groundbreaking visuals of Gravity makes Alfonso Cuaron the clear favorite. Though I haven't seen Gravity, it's quite the achievement to make a film with only two actors on screen with such a basic plot and make it work on any level; let alone get all the high praise and awards-love that Gravity has received.     

My Personal Academy Awards for 2013

The 86th Annual Academy Awards to honor the best of cinema in 2013 will be held on Sunday. No matter whom the winners end up being; film buffs across the world are bound to be aggravated with at least some of the winners. With the inevitable disappointment of the Academy Awards right around the corner, I figured it would be fun to live out every film geek’s fantasy and hand out my own personal film awards for 2013. So pour yourself a glass of Cabernet, throw together an elegant cheese platter, and (hopefully) enjoy this fictional awards ceremony.

Best Picture: Nominees: “American Hustle”, “Blue Jasmine”, “Fruitvale Station” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, “Iron Man 3”, “Pain & Gain”, “Short Term 12”, “The Spectacular Now”, “This is the End”

And The Winner Is...: “Frutivale Station”

 In a year full of deep and brilliant films, “Fruitvale Station”was far and away the most complete film of 2013. It brings the story of Oscar Grant to the masses with jaw-dropping authenticity and excellent acting while also serving as a thought-provoking reflection on the racial issues that plague our society in the modern day.

Best Actor: Nominees: Christian Bale, “American Hustle”, Hugh Jackman, “Prisoners”, Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”, Joaquin Phoenix, “Her”, Miles Teller, “The Spectacular Now”

And the Winner Is...: Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station” 

Michael B. Jordan’s work in “Fruitvale Station” is the type of performance that turns a young actor into a bonafide star. Jordan becomes Oscar Grant and explores him with an incredible depth that exposes every single side of his character. From Grant’s introduction as a newly released convict trying to not fall back into his old ways to support his daughter to the final moments before he is gunned down; Jordan is simply mesmerizing to watch as he brings Grant back to life on screen. There was not a single performance in 2013 that came close to being as emotionally affecting and profound as Jordan’s work in “Fruitvale Station”.

Best Actress: Nominees: Amy Adams, “American Hustle”, Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”, Brie Larson “Short Term 12”, Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, Shailene Woodley, “The Spectacular Now”

And the Winner Is...: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

This is a virtual tie between Blanchett and Amy Adams’s spellbinding performance in “American Hustle”, but Blanchett’s work as the mentally unstable title character in “Blue Jasmine” gets the slight edge. Blanchett nails the desperation, insanity and manipulative antics of a woman that can’t acclimate back to the real world after being pampered in high society for so long.

Best Supporting Actor: Nominees: Daniel Bruhl, “Rush”, Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”, James Franco, “Spring Breakers”, Dwayne Johnson, “Pain & Gain”, Jeremy Renner, “American Hustle”

And the Winner is...: Jeremy Renner, American Hustle

It’s shocking to me that the other four top-billed actors in “American Hustle” were given a plethora of award nominations while Renner was snubbed by every major award ceremony. Renner’s Carmine Polito is the most sympathetic and lone good-hearted person in a set of characters that thrive off taking advantage of other people. Renner hasn’t been this dialed into a role since “The Town” and he manages to steal the show in a film that was chock full of show-stopping performances.

Best Supporting Actress: Nominees: Kaitlyn Dever, “Short Term 12”, Melonie Diaz, “Fruitvale Station”, Scarlett Johannson, “Her”, Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”, Octavia Spencer, “Frutivale Station” 
And the Winner Is...: Octavia Spencer, “Fruitvale Station”

Octavia Spencer managed to top her excellent Academy Award-winning performance in “The Help” as Oscar Grant’s mother in “Fruitvale Station”. The final 10 minutes after Grant passes are some of the most heartbreaking scenes ever put on film and Spencer’s commanding performance as his grief-stricken and utterly shocked mother is at the forefront of it.

Best Director: Nominees: Joel and Ethan Coen, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, Ron Howard, “Rush”, David O. Russell, “American Hustle”, Guillermo Del Toro, “Pacific Rim”

And the Winner Is...: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station 

In his directorial debut, Ryan Coogler proved that he has a better grasp on filmmaking than most directors that have been making movies for decades. Coogler makes “Fruitvale Station” so convincing that it seems like the events of the film are unfolding in real time. At only age 27, Coogler has a very bright career and hopefully numerous real awards ahead of him.