Well, it’s that time of the year again. The biggest awards show of the season, The 86th Academy Awards, screens Monday afternoon in Australia live on Channel Nine from 12.30pm AEDT, with Ellen Degeneres as our host. In anticipation, myself and Iris writer Alex King thought we’d take you through the list of nominees and see if we could lend our thoughts on who we think SHOULD win, and who WILL win. Let’s see on the day how close to the winners we get…
Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
ALEX
Will Win: 12 Years a Slave
Should Win: 12 Years a Slave
LARRY
Will Win: 12 Years a Slave
It has the fact it’s not a US production working for and against it. But the same was said for The King’s Speech. Like that past winner, out of all the films, it’s easily the work that will most grab the emotions of the voters.
Should Win: The Wolf of Wall Street
If they hadn’t already given Scorsese the Oscar for The Departed, which is easily one of his least original works, being a remake and all, Academy voters would have likely jumped on this one. Its very controversy would have helped, too, in their decision. But, unfortunately, the Academy rarely awards a past Best Picture winner the trophy twice.
Best Director
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Alexander Payne – Nebraska
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street
ALEX
Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron
Should Win: Alfonso Cuaron
LARRY
Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron
Should Win: Alfonso Cuaron
The film is the most groundbreaking we’ve seen in years. He deserves it, and it’s hard to see the Academy not seeing that one through.
Best Actor
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
ALEX
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey
Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio
LARRY
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey
Should Win: Matthew McConaughey
Matthew’s late career move into high drama is something that has been a joy to witness, and Academy voters will likely agree. Though I do agree with Alex that Leo is as deserving… his performance was tremendous and The Wolf of Wall Street was my personal favourite film of the year.
Best Actress
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
ALEX
Will Win: Cate Blanchett
Should Win: Cate Blanchett
LARRY
Will Win: Cate Blanchett
Should Win: Cate Blanchett
Hollywood rarely let scandal get in the way of a good performance – the scandal in this case involving the director. It may rob him of his chance at Best Screenplay (not that he’d show up anyway), but there’s little chance of it taking away from Cate’s tremendous performance in Blue Jasmine.
Best Supporting Actor
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
ALEX
Will Win: Jared Leto
Should Win: Jared Leto
LARRY
Will Win: Jared Leto
Should Win: Jared Leto
This is one of the most competitive categories of the list… all five are incredible performances. Barkhad could pull an upset here, but otherwise it’s looking like this is Leto’s trophy.
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska
ALEX
Will Win: Lupita Nyong’o
Should Win: Lupita Nyong’o
LARRY
Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence
Voters are going to want to give American Hustle any love they can, and I think this is where they’ll end up pushing the most votes.
Should Win: Lupita Nyong’o
Her role was pretty short though – as brilliant as it was – and Nyong’o definitely deserves being in with a good shot here. Though, you know Squibb could upset too. It should be an interesting one…
Best Adapted Screenplay
Before Midnight – Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips – Billy Ray
Philomena – Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
12 Years a Slave – John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street – Terence Winter
ALEX
Will Win: 12 Years a Slave
Should Win: 12 Years a Slave
LARRY
Will Win: Before Midnight
Should Win: The Wolf of Wall Street
I feel like they’re going to award Linklater this one, in recognition of the trilogy that film lovers (and romantics) adore. But again I get bias on Wolf. I thought the script was tremendous.
Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle – Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine – Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club – Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Her – Spike Jonze
Nebraska – Bob Nelson
ALEX
Will Win: Her
Should Win: Blue Jasmine
LARRY
Will Win: Her
Should Win: Her
Any award with the word “Original” has to go to Spike Jonze doesn’t it?
Best Foreign Language Film
The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
Omar (Palestine)
ALEX
Will Win: The Great Beauty
Should Win: The Hunt
LARRY
Will Win: The Great Beauty
Should Win: N/A
Best Animated Feature Film
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises
ALEX
Will Win: Frozen
Should Win: Ernest & Celestine
LARRY
Will Win: Frozen
Should Win: Frozen
It’s the biggest animated film since Toy Story 3… anything that delights audiences like that deserves it.
Best Production Design
American Hustle
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Her
12 Years a Slave
ALEX
Will Win: The Great Gatsby
Should Win: 12 Years a Slave
LARRY
Will Win: The Great Gatsby
Should Win: The Great Gatsby
Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster – Philippe Le Sourd
Gravity – Emmanuel Lubezki
Inside Llewyn Davis – Bruno Delbonnel
Nebraska – Phedon Papamichael
Prisoners – Roger A. Deakins
ALEX
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
LARRY
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
THEY NEVER CUT AWAY IN THAT OPENING SHOT! ARE YOU SERIOUS!? F**king brilliant. Beautiful. Hand it to him now!
Best Film Editing
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
12 Years a Slave
ALEX
Will Win: Captain Phillips
Should Win: Gravity
LARRY
Will Win: Captain Phillips
Should Win: Gravity
Best Visual Effects
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek Into Darkness
ALEX
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
LARRY
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
Best Original Score
The Book Thief – John Williams
Gravity – Steven Price
Her – William Butler and Owen Pallett
Philomena – Alexandre Desplat
Saving Mr. Banks – Thomas Newman
ALEX
Will Win: Steven Price, Gravity
Should Win: Steven Price, Gravity
LARRY
Will Win: Thomas Newman, Saving Mr. Banks
Should Win: William Butler and Owen Pallett, Her
Best Original Song
‘Happy’ from Despicable Me 2
‘Let It Go’ from Frozen
‘The Moon Song’ from Her
‘Ordinary Love’ from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
ALEX
Will Win: ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen
Should Win: ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen
LARRY
Will Win: “Ordinary Love” from Mandela
Should Win: “The Moon Song” from Her
Best Sound Mixing
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lone Survivor
ALEX
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
LARRY
Will Win: Captain Phillips
Should Win: Gravity
Don’t count out Inside Llewyn Davis for this one, too. Given it’s a musical film, this may be one recognition they’d like to give the film…
Best Sound Editing
All Is Lost
Captain Phillips
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lone Survivor
ALEX
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
LARRY
Will Win: Gravity
Should Win: Gravity
Best Costume
American Hustle
The Grandmaster
The Great Gatsby
The Invisible Woman
12 Years a Slave
ALEX
Will Win: The Great Gatsby
Should Win: 12 Years a Slave
LARRY
Will Win: The Great Gatsby
Should Win: American Hustle
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
The Lone Ranger
ALEX
Will Win: Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
LARRY
Will Win: Dallas Buyers Club
Should Win: Dallas Buyers Club
But don’t count out Bad Grandpa. The Academy might surprise us on this one… but I have to ask: why wasn’t American Hustle nominated in this category. Hairstying was half the film!
Best Documentary Feature
The Act of Killing
Cutie and the Boxer
Dirty Wars
The Square
20 Feet from Stardom
ALEX
Will Win: The Act of Killing
Should Win: The Act of Killing
LARRY
Will Win: The Act of Killing
Should Win: The Act of Killing
We are not predicting the shorts winners for this one. But otherwise, there you go… now stay tuned to our twitter channel and to the live feed on Channel Nine on Monday afternoon and join us for the live conversation about it all! Let’s see who was right, who was wrong and how Ellen goes…
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