Best Picture – Nominees
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
Our Prediction: 12 Years A Slave
Across the board this is a high-quality year but there’s no film carrying the unbeatable magic flavour of a sure winner. There’s no Godfather in this race. The hottest contender has to be 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen’s very well made and stunningly beautiful historical epic full of fantastic performances. Historically, the Oscars has shown love for movies with a powerful message, particularly if the message involves a scathing criticism of ideals traditionally held dear in American culture – 1999 winner American Beauty savaged the concept of the comfortable middle-class family, and 2006 winner The Departed skewers brotherhood, the father-son dynamic and loyalty – or films that depict low points in American history (Platoon, The Deer Hunter and Forest Gump all offer devastating critiques on America’s part in the Vietnam War, all won Best Picture). It’s hard to make a stronger case for any of the other nominated movies.
Best Director – Nominees
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
Our Prediction: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity.
I think, as a complete piece of filmmaking, nothing can compare to Alfonso Cuaron’s visionary real-time space drama. No other movie from 2013 provided as immersive an experience (although Spike Jonze gave it his best shot with Her). The astounding special effects and the set were so utterly convincing it’s difficult to accept that the whole thing was shot on a soundstage in front of green screen and not real outer-space. From Sandra Bullock Cuaron extracts the best performance of her career while she’s bobbing around in sporty underwear. The pacing is perfect, and Cuaron doesn’t fall into the frustrating trap of choosing quantity over quality, clocking in at a swift 91 minutes (half the running time of Scorsese’s entertaining but wildly overblown 180-minute Wolf). As a technical achievement it’s astonishing, and as the product of a director’s vision, Gravity is simply unparalleled this year.
Best Actress – Nominees
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Our Prediction: Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett’s exhausting performance in Blue Jasmine is undeniably ‘actorly’, but the physicality she gives the role – she stretches every single muscle in that extraordinary face of hers – and the complete absence of vanity in the performance is what gives Cate an edge. Jasmine is a woman falling apart, and Blanchett plays it to such devastating effect that it’s difficult to watch.
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
Our Prediction: Bruce Dern.
We’re going out on a limb here and bypassing the obvious – and highly awarded – McConaughey performance in Dallas Buyers Club. He’s the frontrunner at this point and has remained so throughout the pre-Oscar Awards Season race, however this is a stacked category full of great performances which could potentially split the votes. Chiwetel Ejiofor has earned a much-deserved moment in the spotlight for his soulful lead in 12 Years A Slave, and Leo scored a Golden Globe for diving headfirst into the grotesque excess and chest-pumping machismo of Jordan Belfort under the adoring gaze of Scorsese’s camera; but Bruce Dern is the dark horse here. The Academy has occasionally honoured a veteran performer for their body of work – like a Lifetime Achievement award – and Bruce Dern represents the least showy, most quiet and natural piece of acting among the contenders.
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
Our Prediction: Jared Leto
Again, we’re looking at a stacked category this year and all contenders gave worthy performances, but with his unexpectedly sensitive and nuanced turn as AIDs patient Rayon, Leto has scooped just about every award going. His closest competition is probably Michael Fassbender, although the Academy could be unwilling to honour the depiction of a character as heinous as Edwin Epps – regardless of how fine the performance. Leto also is the nominee with the most fabulous hair. A win for Leto is a win for dudes with chic ponytails everywhere.
Best Supporting Actress – Nominees
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Our Prediction: Lupita Nyong’o
Jennifer Lawrence is clearly a hoot and I would get drunk with her tomorrow given the chance. But this Award belongs to Lupita Nyong’o. As Patsey in 12 Years A Slave she soars as she’s destroyed. She more than holds her own against a formidable Michael Fassbender, and the realness that she brings to the performance kicks you right in the guts.
Alright that’s it. The countdown has begun. Channel Nine will broadcast the Oscars Live around the country at 12:30pm AEDT. Tune in from 10.30am for our Red Carpet live blog.
