My Oscar Predictions
It’s that time of year again! The Oscars are tonight and it’s time to predict the winners. Like last year and the year before, I’ll be choosing who I think will win and who I actually want to win.
Unlike last year, I’m super excited for the Oscars this year but I feel like they crept up on me. Work has been crazy and I’ve barely had any time to even think about the Oscars. Hopefully Seth McFarlane is a good host. I’m worried he might be too abrasive. At least the nominees are better than last year! Still surprised by a few snubs like Moonrise Kingdom, Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow, Wes Anderson, etc. but at least most of the nominees are pretty darn great.
Actor in a Leading Role
Who I think will win: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Who I want to win: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master. Of course, DDL is going to win, but I honestly didn’t like the film Lincoln too much even though I was very excited about it. I don’t think it’s his best role. Joaquin Phoenix was unrecognizable in this role. He really poured himself into it. I think I’d be ok with Denzel Washington winning it for Flight because he also gave a very strong performance. He was the best part of that movie.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Who I think will win: Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Who I want to win: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained. Can we just talk about the Leo DiCaprio snub?? I’m so angry about that. DiCaprio was magnificent in this role and as much as I love Waltz’s performance, DiCaprio really outshone everyone in Django. In most of his performances I never quite believe him, I always see Leo in any character that he plays, but in this role he was Calvin Candie. And what great comedic timing! Ok, I’m done talking about it. Tommy Lee Jones was also wonderful, but Waltz’s performance is by far my favorite.
Actress in a Leading Role
Who I think will win: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Who I want to win: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour. I vacillated between Quvenzhane Wallis and Riva. To deliver such a performance at the age of five for Beasts of the Southern Wild is nothing short of amazing. I think there could be big things in store for Wallis. But Riva’s performance in Amour was so bold and fearless. She gave it her all and delivered a performance that was just heartbreaking and amazing, as well as very true.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Who I think will win: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Who I want to win: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables. Anne Hathaway was great. Just like, DiCaprio I have a hard time believing Anne Hathaway’s performances sometimes. But she was Fantine. If Hathaway’s going to win an Oscar it should be for this role. She was excellently gut-wrenching.
Best Director
Who I think will win: Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Who I want to win: Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild. Zeitlin delivered one of the most beautiful movies of 2012. The film gave hope to indie films with its massive box office and critical success. Zeitlin shows so much mastery of the craft at such a young age. The way he told the story of Hush Puppy and the Bathtub was really quite unique and very powerful.
Best Foreign Language Film
Who I think will win: Amour
Who I want to win: NO. I don’t normally have much to say in this category, but I’m particularly invested this year. As much as I love Michael Haneke and Amour, I really want NO to win. I’m a HUGE fan of Chilean cinema and Pablo Larrain’s films. I actually got to photograph him this past year for the Film Society at the NYFF and it was so very cool to see him speak about his film there as well. I think Chilean cinema is on the rise and as a Chilean-American I’m extremely proud. Chile went through 19 years of a dictatorship that stifled all creativity, especially art. And now to have the first Chilean film nominated for an Oscar, that’s a tremendous leap forward for Chile. What’s more, the film was completely innovative having been filmed on U-matic to give that ’80s film like the commercials the film portrays. It’s incredible and has done enormously well on the festival circuit and now in its theatrical release.
Best Picture
Who I think will win: Argo
Who I want to win: Django Unchained or Beasts of the Southern Wild. It’s a bit of a surprise that Argo is the frontrunner for Best Picture, even though I did enjoy it. My pick would be Django Unchained since I think it is one of the best films Tarantino has ever made and my favorite of 2012. It could have used the late, great Sally Menke’s expert editing skills, but it was still a great piece of cinema. I already expressed my love of Beasts above. And wouldn’t it be great to see an underdog win?
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Well, there they are! I’m probably going to live stream the Oscars so expect some live blogging of winners. How many of you will be watching live?
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