In the run up to the 85th Academy Awards, announced tonight in Los Angeles, film fanatics Christopher Preston and Amy Reith bring you their predictions for who will take home that prestigious gold man…
Do you agree with their predictions? Or think they’re way off target? Let us know in the comments section!
Best Picture:
- Amour
- Argo
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Django Unchained
- Les Misérables
- Life of Pi
- Lincoln
- Silver Linings Playbook
- Zero Dark Thirty
CP: Will Win: Argo. Look back at all the awards evenings so far. Is it possible anything else can win? Well, of course. It’s entirely possible, in fact, and all of this year’s films (with the exception of Lincoln. Personal opinion.) are marvellous, but the smart money is well and truly on Argo.
AR: Will Win: Argo. Totally in agreement on this one, with the attention lavished on director Affleck at all recent award ceremonies and the furor caused by Affleck’s director snub it would be a surprise if this political drama didn’t take home the big prize on the night.
CP: Should Win: Les Misérables. My two favourite films from the category were Django Unchained and Beasts of the Southern Wild (with Argo and Les Mis coming just after) but there was something about Tom Hooper’s crowd-pleasing musical that kept singing Best Picture to me. Perhaps it was its grand scale; perhaps I’m just a romantic at heart, I don’t know. It doesn’t have a chance in Revolutionary France of winning, but it has every right to.
AR: Should Win: Django Unchained. For me this was an easy call. I loved all the films in this category and it’s a really strong year. But there was only one film that made me laugh, cry, kept me on the edge of my seat and made me desperate to go and see it a second time. Mr. Tarantino, you may not be the front-runner for this, but you certainly have my support!
Best Director:
- Michael Haneke, Amour
- Ang Lee, Life of Pi
- David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
- Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
- Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
CP: Will Win: Steven Spielberg. Definitely one of the most exciting categories of the night, solely down to Mr. Affleck’s noticeable absence. It’s going to be tight, but I’m pretty sure Spielberg is going to come out on top.
AR: Will win: Steven Spielberg. Again, I agree with Christopher on this one. With Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino’s absence it would seem it’s Mr. Spielberg’s time to take the stage.
CP: Should Win: Ang Lee. Both sumptuous and splendid, Lee’s direction of Yann Martel’s “unfilmable” novel is a triumph; aesthetically, critically and commercially (it’s just broken half a billion dollars at the box office) and easily the most deserving winner in this category. He’s definitely still in the race, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll storm to victory.
AR: Should Win: Michael Haneke. The direction of Amour showed an incredible, and quite surprising delicacy, subtleness and tenderness to Haneke’s direction and while he’s arguably the wild card in the category, it would be a beautiful justice to see him win. Plus, I think we all want to see the posts on the fake, but hilarious Michael Haneke twitter account!
Best Actor:
- Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
- Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
- Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
- Denzel Washington, Flight
CP: Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis. His portrayal of the sixteenth President of the United States of America is astounding; “flawless to the point of being eerie” is what I said in my review, and I stand by it. Fantastic actor, deserved win.
AR: Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis. There is no real competition here, the fact it’s hard to distinguish the actor from the iconic figure himself guarantees no one but Day-Lewis will walk with this prize.
CP: Should Win: Daniel Day-Lewis. See my comments above. We’ll be talking about this momentous performance for years and years, I’m sure.
AR: Should Win: Daniel Day-Lewis. See above and further above… In a different year Phoenix or Jackman may have been the favourites for their great performances, but this is the year of Day-Lewis.
Best Actress:
- Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
- Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
- Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
- Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Naomi Watts, The Impossible
CP: Will Win: Emmanuelle Riva. This is a difficult one because I can just as easily see Jennifer Lawrence stealing the show. I believe Jessica Chastain was touted as a front runner fairly recently, but I think it is really going to boil down to Riva VS Lawrence.
AR: Will Win: Jessica Lawrence. The 23-year-old actress has been the front-runner at all awards shows, and it was a big surprise when Riva took home the BAFTA earlier this month. Her performance has been lauded by the entire of Hollywood and International film industry and I think, having already notched up a nomination for Winter’s Bone in 2011, this will be her year. Her biggest competition comes from Jessica Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva.
CP: Should Win: Emmanuelle Riva. There are some fantastic performances in the category this year, but Riva should romp home with this. Lawrence is a real talent, and her Academy day will come eventually (she’s only 23 at the moment) but based on acting, and legacy, Riva is the clear winner. Her performance in Amour is astonishing, unlike anything else I have seen this year.
AR: Should Win: Emmanuelle Riva. As Christopher said, it’s a strong year for female categories, but Riva’s portrayal of a woman spiraling into dementia in the final months of her life is extraordinary and heartbreaking, and the award is well deserved.
Best Supporting Actor:
- Alan Arkin, Argo
- Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
- Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
- Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
CP: Will Win: Christoph Waltz. His recent run of awards’ success point to him winning the Oscar gold, but any of his competitors (all of whom are excellent in their individual films) could easily prove to be an upset.
AR: Will Win: Christoph Waltz. Despite it being an extremely strong year for Supporting Actors, which sees all nominees as previous winners, and all nominees winners at previous awards it seems wide open. But Waltz has taken home the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, and only three men who have taken home the same awards have gone on to miss out at the Oscars. It’s another strong performance and Waltz undoubtedly leads the film from the sidelines.
CP: Should Win: Christoph Waltz. I’ve put Waltz but, frankly, any of these actors ‘should’ win for their individual performances. It’s one of the strongest years for the category in recent times, and it will certainly be exciting to see who will actually come out on top.
AR: Should Win: Christoph Waltz. As I said, it’s a strong year but Waltz’s performance is by far the standout. His strongest competition comes from Hoffman and Lee Jones, but Waltz needs to take the award. In fact, I am pretty sure he should just have his own category every year.
Best Supporting Actress:
- Amy Adams, The Master
- Sally Field, Lincoln
- Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
- Helen Hunt, The Sessions
- Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
CP: Will Win: Anne Hathaway. It’s almost entirely down to the heart wrenching, tear inducing, throat lumpening (?) version of I Dreamed A Dream, but who cares? She elevated the role above pure musical theatre, and knocked the performance (and song) out of the park. Completely deserved.
AR: Will Win: Anne Hathaway. A stunning performance, and one that has launched her to the forefront continuously, despite being part of a very strong category. Helen Hunt, Sally Field and Amy Adams all turned in stunning performances this year, but it’s Hathaway’s award.
CP: Should Win: Anne Hathaway. Some may say Sally Field most deserves the gong this year, but Hathaway’s turn as Fontaine is wonderful. Although, if there was such a thing as an Academy Silver Medal, Amy Adams is definitely my choice as a worthy runner up.
AR: Should Win: Anne Hathaway. Despite only being a short-lived role in the first act of the epic film, Hathaway’s role is a memorable and wrenching performance that anchors the film’s emotional heart.
Adapted Screenplay:
- Tony Kushner, Lincoln
- David Magee, Life of Pi
- David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
- Christopher Terrio, Argo
- Benh Zeitlin & Lucy Alibar, Beasts of the Southern Wild
CP: Will Win: Argo. As I say, it’s Argo’s year (apart from poor old Ben.)
AR: Will Win: Argo. In agreement with Christopher. To make up for Affleck’s snub, I think the film will take home all other awards possible.
CP: Should Win: Silver Linings Playbook. Silver Linings Playbook took a lot of stick when the nominations came out, but it’s a strong film full of great performances, strong direction and, most importantly, a really good script. It’s that last crucial element that is most deserving of reward.
AR: Should Win: Life of Pi. Whilst Silver Linings Playbook was a fantastic adaptation that turned into a beautiful screenplay, to take a novel dubbed ‘unfilmable’ and create a story for the screen that feels like the most cinematic film this year, is a triumph that should be recognised.
Original Screenplay:
- Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
- Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
- John Gatins, Flight
- Michael Haneke, Amour
- Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
CP: Will Win: Django Unchained. Quentin Tarantino’s vision of the Western is well and truly his own, and his screenplay for Django Unchained is brilliant. Perhaps his best work since Pulp Fiction. QT’s closest competitor of the evening will be Michael Haneke for Amour, who could just as easily walk out with the award, but I’d stick my money on Django Unchained.
AR: Will Win: Django Unchained. No one can quite write a screenplay like QT. His dialogue is mesmerising, and his plots intricate and fascinating. It’s hard to see that anything else could even be in with a chance at the little gold man.
CP: Should Win: Django Unchained. I am so tempted to put Moonrise Kingdom here, because it’s such a charming and well written film (one of my favourites of last year), but Django Unchained just edges it out. I think it should win.
AR: Should Win: Django Unchained. Whilst my own personal love of this film knows no bounds (see my above choice for best film…), it’s been great to see Tarantino embraced by audiences that would usually avoid his work, who have been delighted and enthralled by his astonishing work and this has helped secure the award for him.
Best Foreign-Language Film:
- Amour (Austria)
- Kon-Tiki (Norway)
- No (Chile)
- A Royal Affair (Denmark)
- War Witch (Canada)
CP: Will Win: Amour. My review ten seconds after the credits rolled was: “Superb, exhausting, beautiful, depressing, relentless. Haneke’s best film to date perfectly captures the fragility of life and what loving someone means.” It’s a remarkable film that is definitely going to win.
AR: Will Win: Amour. An amazing piece of filmmaking. It is destined to become a classic and I cannot recommend it enough. No other film can come close to Haneke’s masterpiece this year.
CP: Should Win: Amour. Neither of my two favourite foreign films of 2012 (Rust and Bone and The Hunt) were nominated, so I’ll go with Amour, which is easily the best film in the list and something I carried around me long after I left the movie theatre.
AR: Should Win: Amour, but… Special mention has to go to A Royal Affair. Although a surprise entry choice from Denmark over The Hunt, A Royal Affair is a beautiful, emotional, heart-wrenching period drama that another year might have had a strong chance. Sadly, up against Amour it doesn’t have a chance, but Haneke will deservedly take the prize.
Best Animated Feature:
CP: Will Win: Wreck-It Ralph. Brave could steal it, purely because it’s Pixar, but I think Ralph will Wreck It’s chances and take home the gold.
AR: Will Win: Brave. Whilst not the best animated feature of the year, the voters love a good Pixar feature and I think this slightly disappointing outing from the studio will still clinch the big prize.
CP: Should Win: Wreck-It Ralph. I nearly put ParaNorman here, because it’s easily the most fun film in the category and really, really well made, but Wreck-It Ralph’s animation is some of Disney’s best work to date. It’s a shame it’s script wasn’t as good as it’s visuals, but I still think it’s the most worthy winner.
AR: Should Win: The Pirates! Band of Misfits. I’m going patriotic on this one. It would be great to see the UK-based Aardman take home the award for their silly, but enjoyable Pirate romp.
Best Animated Short:
CP: Will Win: Paperman. See below.
AR: Will Win: Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”. I think the world’s most famous mute baby has the power to take the award.
CP: Should Win: Paperman. Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare” is a real delight, but it’s not Oscar worthy. Paperman is easily the best entrant into this category.
AR: Should Win. Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”. It is hard to describe this as anything other than ‘a real delight’, as Christopher pointed out. A sweet short, that I think might just have the oompf behind it to win.
Best Documentary Feature:
CP: Will Win: Searching for Sugar Man. An excellent story, an excellent artist, an excellent documentary. This film ticks all the right boxes; capturing the enigma of its mystery well, satisfying our thirst for answers, and giving a much needed platform to a person seemingly lost to the ages.
AR: Will Win: Searching for Sugar Man. As Christopher said, it’s a strong year but I think this will take the award.
CP: Should Win: Searching for Sugar Man. To be honest, The Imposter deserves to win this year. It’s one of the best documentaries I have ever seen but, seeing as it was not nominated, SFSM is a more than worthy recipient in its place.
AR: Should Win: Searching for Sugar Man, Again, I could not agree more. The Imposter was the documentary of the year, but in it’s absence, this is a worthy winner.
Best Original Song:
- “Before My Time”, J.Ralph (Chasing Ice)
- “Everybody Needs a Best Friend”, Seth McFarlene (Ted)
- “Pi’s Lullaby”, Mychael Danna & Bombay Jayashiri (Life of Pi)
- “Skyfall”, Adele (Skyfall)
- “Suddenly” (Les Misérables)
CP: Will Win: “Skyfall”, Adele (Skyfall) Adele’s Bond theme did everything right; it was new and original but nodded to Golden Oldies, nearly spent more time on the airwaves than Someone Like You, and complimented the film perfectly.
AR: Will Win: “Skyfall”, Adele (Skyfall) As Christopher noted, it’s a great match for the film, and also a large commercial success. Plus, I think I speak for everyone when I say that everyone is excited about Adele’s speech after her iconic “Oh my god! Oh my God!” at the Golden Globes!
CP: Should Win: “Skyfall”, Adele (Skyfall) A fantastic addition to a fantastic film.
AR: Should Win: “Skyfall”, Adele (Skyfall) The strongest in the category by far. It’s biggest rival will be Les Misérables’ entry, but you get the distinct impression “Suddenly” only arose to give them a chance at this award. The song was a superfluous addition to the already perfect range of songs. Too bad they didn’t see “Skyfall” creeping up on them and saved themselves the trouble…
Best Original Score:
- Mychael Danna, Life of Pi
- Alexandre Desplat, Argo
- Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina
- Thomas Newman, Skyfall
- John Williams, Lincoln
CP: Will Win: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi. See comments below.
AR: Will Win: John Williams, Lincoln. Williams stature and reputation in the film world will lead him to this prize, even if there are stronger candidates.
CP: Should Win: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi. Some may say Williams for Lincoln, but Williams’ score pales in comparison to Danna’s arrangements. A fantastic accompaniment to the wonderful story illustrated on screen.
AR: Should Win: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi. Personally I found Williams’ Lincoln score distracting and mismatched in much of the film. While I think it will take the prize, I think Danna’s work deserves the prize.
Christopher Preston
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