Since the 84th annual Academy Awards are Sunday night, here is my predictions list of what should win and what probably will win the big awards of the night. Please keep in mind that I have seen everything nominated for all categories this year.
The 84th Annual Academy Awards air Sunday (Dave_B_, Flickr Creative Commons)
BEST ACTOR
Who should win: Gary Oldman for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Why: With his first Oscar nomination, Gary Oldman has never truly gotten the recognition he deserves until now. He has given numerous great performances, ranging from Commissioner Gordon in the recent “Batman” movies to the bad guy in “The Fifth Element.” He perfectly nails down the complex emotions and persona of his character in “TTSS,” and I am just thrilled that he got nominated.
Who will win: Jean Dujardin for “The Artist”
Why: He was exceptional in this film. Being a French speaker, a silent film was perfect for him. The academy loves these types of performances (and films), so it’s a surefire thing.
Also nominated: George Clooney, “The Descendants”; Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”; Demián Bichir: “A Better Life”
BEST ACTRESS
Who should win: Michelle Williams for “My Week With Marilyn”
Why: Williams has been nominated two times before this one, and for great performances. But this is by far her most complex and layered performance as the fabulous Marilyn Monroe.
Who will win: Viola Davis for “The Help”
Why: Davis has also been nominated for Oscars before, but this is definitely her time to take the prize. As much as I’d like Williams to win, I’m perfectly happy with Davis beating Streep for the gold.
Also nominated: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”; Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”; Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who should (and will) win: Christopher Plummer for “Beginners”
Why? Plummer has been around for a long time. His performance in “Beginners” was amazing and one of the very few last year that almost made me cry. This is part lifetime achievement award as it is an Oscar.
Also nominated: Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”; Nick Nolte, “Warrior”; Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who should win: Jessica Chastain for “The Help”
Why: Last year, she was in a grand total of six movies, three of which could have earned her an Oscar nomination. I would have rather seen her performance in “The Tree of Life” get nominated instead of “The Help,” but she was still very great in the film.
Who will win: Octavia Spencer for “The Help”
Why: “The Help” will get all of the female acting awards this Sunday, and the film does deserve it. However, I’ll admit that it’s a little surprising to think that the woman who was the crazy lobster lady in Dinner for Schmucks in 2010 just got an Oscar nom.
Also nominated: Bérénice Bejo, “The Artist; Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”; Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
BEST DIRECTOR
Who should win: Terrence Malick for “The Tree of Life”
Why: If you know Terry Malick’s filmography, you know the guy likes to take his time making films. He’s made five movies over the course of forty years. His directing in “The Tree of Life” is phenomenal.
Who will win: Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist”
Why: I’m predicting a biiiiiiiiiiiiig night for “The Artist.”
Also nominated: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”; Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
BEST PICTURE
Who should win: “The Tree of Life”
Why: To be completely honest, I agree with almost everything nominated (except for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”). But my absolute favorite film of the last years was “The Tree of Life.” It is the only film of last year to be in my top ten favorite films of all time, and it’s just a groundbreaking piece of cinema.
Who will win: “The Artist”
Why: This film got praised by critics (and me) back in December, and it really did deserve that. It is a truly great movie, and it’s a landmark in modern cinema. To quote my review of the film: “It’s a silent, beautiful love story told in the best of ways. Just the fact that a silent film can be made in this day and age, and can be done so well, I might add, is remarkable.”
Also nominated: “The Descendants,” “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “The Help,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Moneyball,” “War Horse”
~Adam Rolseth is a freelance writer and movie reviewer
Loading ...
Tree of Life? That was the most pretentious film I’ve seen in years. You only say you like it to look intelligent. Please
in settimana scriverò un tutorial!