2014 Oscar Review

Following up on my Oscar picks as documented here:

The first name in each category was my guess at the winner. If I wanted someone or something else to win, that is in parentheses. Incorrect guesses are struck through, and winners are bolded.

I did not make predictions for four categories.

Total correct: 11/20 and three more where the one I wanted to win did, though it was not the one I picked.

Best Picture
12 Years a Slave (Gravity)

Actor in a Leading Role
Matthew McConaughey (Joaquin Phoenix, who was not even nominated)

Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Sandra Bullock)

Actor in a Supporting Role
Bradley Cooper
Jared Leto

Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence

Lupita Nyong'o

Animated Feature Film
Frozen

Cinematography
Gravity

Costume Design
The Great Gatsby

Directing
David O. Russel for American Hustle (Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity)

Film Editing
American Hustle (Gravity)

Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club (The Hobbit, which was not nominated)

Music - Original Score
Gravity

Music - Original Song
"Let it Go" from Frozen ("Do You Want to Build a Snowman" from Frozen)

Production Design
Gravity

The Great Gatsby

Short Film - Animated
Get a Horse!

Mr. Hublot

Sound Editing
Gravity

Sound Mixing
The Hobbit

Gravity

Visual Effects
Gravity
Writing - Adapted Screenplay
The Wolf of Wall Street

12 Years a Slave

Writing - Original Screenplay
American Hustle (Her)

2014 Oscar Nominations

It always amazes me that with all the movies I see in a year, very few of them end up nominated for anything important.

Case in point, I have seen only 4 of the 9 Best Picture nominees for 2014 - American Hustle, Gravity, Her, and The Wolf of Wall Street. I was not even aware of three of the movies (Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, Philomena), missed one (12 Years a Slave), and decided not to see the other (Captain Phillips).

I have seen only two of the five performances nominated for Best Actor - Christian Bale in American Hustle and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street - and two of the five for Best Actress - Amy Adams in American Hustle and Sandra Bullock in Gravity.

I saw two of five for Supporting Actor, and only one of five for Supporting Actress.

Amazing. I will see if I can do better in the coming year.

I am confused by the presence of The Wind Rises on the Animated Feature Film nomination list. If it ever played in 2013 I'm not aware of it. IMDB lists it with a US release date of February 21.

Based on only the information I have right now, here is a list of the films or actors I think will win each category, followed by the one I would like to win, if different.

Best Picture
12 Years a Slave (Gravity)

Actor in a Leading Role
Matthew McConaughey (Joaquin Phoenix, who was not even nominated)

Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Sandra Bullock)

Actor in a Supporting Role
Bradley Cooper (Bradley Cooper)

Actress in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence (Jennifer Lawrence)

Animated Feature Film
Frozen (Normally I would vote for any Miyazaki film, but I haven't seen it, and Frozen was brilliant)

Cinematography
Gravity

Costume Design
The Great Gatsby (I didn't like the movie, but it looked good)

Directing
David O. Russel for American Hustle (Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity)

Film Editing
American Hustle (Gravity)

Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club (The Hobbit, which was not nominated)

Music - Original Score
Gravity

Music - Original Song
"Let it Go" from Frozen ("Do You Want to Build a Snowman" from Frozen)

Production Design
Gravity

Short Film - Animated
Get a Horse! (This is the short that played before Frozen)

Sound Editing
Gravity

Sound Mixing
The Hobbit

Visual Effects
Gravity

Writing - Adapted Screenplay
The Wolf of Wall Street

Writing - Original Screenplay
American Hustle (Her)

Oscars, briefly

Best Picture:


Amour – In theaters, but not convenient ones.

Argo – Seen it.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Could watch on video.

Django Unchained – Seen it.

Les Misérables – Seen it. My pick to win, at the moment.

Life of Pi – Seen it.

Lincoln – Still in theaters. Some interest in seeing it.

Silver Linings Playbook – In theaters. Interest in seeing it.

Zero Dark Thirty – Not going to see it.

2010 Oscars

In 2010, in addition to my normal theater watching, I saw 9 of the 10 Best Picture nominees, some of them on video. This is the order I ranked them:

Black Swan
The King’s Speech
Inception
127 Hours
The Fighter
The Social Network
True Grit
The Kids Are All Right
Winter’s Bone

I also made an effort to see all the Best Actor and Best Actress performances. The only commentary I can find on this process follows:

I have now seen half the Best Picture nominees. The King’s Speech was an excellent movie with outstanding acting performances from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. The Fighter was also an excellent movie, with outstanding acting from Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. At least there are deserving contenders this year.

Update to last post… and then there was Netflix in the mailbox, with The Kids Are All Right. Good movie, but not great movie. I think it’s on the list as a Hollywood nod to alternative families. Bening’s performance was solid but doesn’t hold a candle to Portman’s. Same for Ruffalo in relation to Bale and Rush.

Just saw 127 Hours. Powerful, visceral, movie. Do not see it if you are at all squeamish. Do see it if you want to see a virtuoso acting performance from James Franco.
It’s a very different role from my previous Oscar front-runner, Colin Firth. Difficult to compare. I think Firth is more likely to win, and possibly deserves to.

Okay, I’ve seen 9 of 10 Best Picture nominees, and all that I’m going to. It’s a good class this year, I wouldn’t be terribly upset to see any of them win. That said, my order is:
Black Swan
The King’s Speech
Inception
127 Hours
The Fighter
The Social Network
True Grit
The Kids Are All Right
Winter’s Bone
…but even the movies at the end of the list are good and worth watching.

Actress: Portman
Actor: Firth
Supporting Actress: Steinfeld
Supporting Actor: Bale