On the right column can be found my Oscar predictions. Any update or modification to the rankings will be accompanied by a post...just like this one!
My initial Oscar predictions are as such:
Best Picture
- Argo
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- The Dark Knight Rises
- Django Unchained
- Life of Pi
- Lincoln
- The Master
- Les Miserables
- Moonrise Kingdom
- Zero Dark Thirty
Some of the most anticipated films of the year are sure shots for nominations (Lincoln, The Master, Life of Pi, Django Unchained) however Moonrise Kingdom and The Dark Knight Rises are likely to drop off as the season progresses.
Best Director
- Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained
- Ang Lee for Life of Pi
- Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
- Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master
- Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
If The Master turns out to be P.T. Anderson's magnum opus, then this is going to be his year. Bigelow and Lee can easily fall off this list to be replaced by the likes of Tom Hooper for Les Miserables or Ben Affleck for Argo. Festival receptions and their subsequent releases will determine that.
Best Actor
- Django Unchained (Jamie Foxx)
- Hyde Park on the Hudson (Bill Murray)
- The Master (Joaquin Phoenix)
- Lincoln (Daniel Day Lewis)
- The Sessions (John Hawkes)
As evidenced by Mickey Rourke in 2008, the Academy loves a comeback story and the buzz coming out of Venice is that Joaquin Phoenix has risen from the ashes in a tour de force performance. But another thing the Academy has an even bigger love for is a historic and/or biographical depictions; with Daniel Day Lewis portraying Lincoln in Spielberg's latest film, a Best Actor win would make history for DDL being the only actor to win 3 Academy Awards for Best Actor. We'll see if the performance is indeed history making..
Best Actress
- Anna Karenina (Kiera Knightly)
- Beasts of the Southern Wild (Quvenzhane Willis)
- Hyde Park on the Hudson (Laura Linney)
- Rust & Bone (Marion Cotillard)
- Won't Back Down (Viola Davis)
The noise has been quite muted in the Best Actress category but the one name I've had to learn has been that of Quvenzhane Willis. I'm hoping to get to see Beasts of the Southern Wild while it's still in theaters but it may be too late for that. More to come in this category soon (I hope!).
Best Supporting Actor
- Argo (Bryan Cranston)
- Django Unchained (Leonardo DiCaprio)
- Lincoln (David Strathairn)
- The Master (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
- Les Miserables (Hugh Jackman)
Again, I'm hoping that Venice and Toronto will give more insight into the caliber of acting in some of the festival films like Argo or The Master. DiCaprio as a villain in a Tarantino movie screams Oscar adding to Django's anticipation.
Best Supporting Actress
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Judi Dench)
- Django Unchained (Kerry Washington)
- The Master (Amy Adams)
- Les Miserables (Anne Hathaway)
- The Sessions (Helen Hunt)
Helen Hunt could be considered in the Best Actress category after the film gets a release. Judi Dench could easily fall off this list but she's adored by the Academy and their older voters who viewed and enjoyed this film could use the opportunity to shower her with their love once again. Amy Adams, coming up on her fourth Oscar nom, always produces incredible work and director Paul Thomas Anderson has the talent to extract a winning performance out of her yet.
I think it's apparent I'm eagerly awaiting the release of The Master
