2014 Oscar Predictions and Hopefuls

2014 Oscar Predictions and Hopefuls

Best Sound Editing


·      Gravity


·      Captain Phillips


·      All Is Lost


·      The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


·      Lone Survivor   

Want to Win: Lone Survivor

Will Win: Lone Survivor

Best Sound Mixing
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·      Gravity

·      Captain Phillips


·      The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


·      Inside Llewyn Davis


·      Lone Survivor

Want to Win: Lone Survivor/ Inside Llewyn Davis

Will Win: Lone Survivor

Best Visual Effects


·      Gravity


·      The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


·      Iron Man 3


·      The Lone Ranger


·      Star Trek Into Darkness

Want to Win: Gravity

Will Win: Gravity

Best Cinematography


·      Gravity


·      The Grandmaster


·      Inside Llewyn Davis


·      Nebraska


·      Prisoners

Want to Win: Prisoners/ Inside Llewyn Davis

Will Win: Gravity

Best Original Screenplay


·      American Hustle 


·      Blue Jasmine 


·      Dallas Buyers Club 


·      Her 


·      Nebraska

Want to Win: Her

Will Win: Her 
        


Best Adapted Screenplay


·      12 Years a Slave  


·      Before Midnight 


·      Captain Phillips

·      Philomena 


·      The Wolf of Wall Street

Want to Win: The Wolf of Wall Street

Will Win: 12 Years a Slave

Best Supporting Actress


·      Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle 


·      Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine

·      Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave 


·      Julia Roberts, August: Osage County


·      June Squibb, Nebraska

Want to Win: Jennifer Lawrence

Will Win: Lupita Nyong’o

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 Buyer's Club

Want to Win: Jared Leto, Jonah Hill, Bradley Cooper

Will Win: Jared Leto

This was a tough category to pick my favorite.

Best Actress


·      Amy Adams, American Hustle 


·      Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine 


·      Sandra Bullock, Gravity 


·      Judi Dench, Philomena

·      Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Want to Win: Amy Adams

Will Win: Cate Blanchett

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 Buyer's Club

Want to Win: Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo Dicaprio, Christian Bale

Will Win: Matthew McConaughey

Best Director


·      Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity 


·      David O. Russell, American Hustle

·      Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave


·      Alexander Payne, Nebraska 


·      Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Want to Win: Alfonso Cuarón

Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón

Best Picture


·      12 Years a Slave

·      American Hustle

·      Gravity

·      The Wolf of Wall Street

·      Dallas Buyers Club

·      Her

·      Nebraska

·      Philomena

·      Captain Phillips

Want to Win: I’d be ok with 6 of them but if I can only choose one I’d pick American Hustle.

Will Win: 12 Years a Slave

Hope you enjoyed my picks. I realize these are not all of the categories but I figured I’d stick with the major ones. Let me know your picks or thoughts.

P.S. I finally saw Inside Llewyn Davis today and I can’t believe it was left out of the best picture race.

My Top 10 Movies of 2013

My Top 10 Movies of 2013

Now that 2013 is over I’ve decided to make a top ten list of the movies that I thought were the best movies. Also, this is my first blog, so I decided to start with something fun like this. I hope you enjoy, just remember this is my opinion. I’d love to know your top 10 movies.

10. Spring Breakers

            There were a lot of great movies this year and for me number 10 could be interchanged with many of them. However, I’m putting Spring Breakers for several reasons. One, It’s James Franco’s best performance of his career and I believe he could have received an Oscar nod for his performance. Second, after the movie I felt like I had been dreaming. As I was driving home, I felt like I had just been through a psychedelic dream. No film has ever made me feel that way. Lastly, I think it’s a great look at what the modern American dream is. It’s not work hard and make money. It’s get rich any way possible.

9. Captain Phillips

            Tom Hanks. Need I say more? The last scene in the movie showed why he could have been up for an Oscar. The film is intense and moving and the actors really bring Captain Phillips to life. Barkhad Abdi was phenomenal and deserving of his supporting actor nod. This film kept me on the edge of my seat the entire two hours and 14 minutes.

8. Lone Survivor

            Those of you that know me will think I’m biased because Emile Hirsch and Mark Wahlberg are two of my favorite actors but that was just a bonus. Lone Survivor was very real and gritty and at times tough to watch. The acting was superb. This story was very powerful and needed to be heard. I think Peter Berg did all of the Marines justice. I don’t cry at movies very often, but this one choked me up (especially if you stay for the slideshow of the real Marines.) This is a movie that it’s ok for men to cry at (any war or sports is okay).

7. Prisoners

            This movie didn’t get much love at the awards circuit and I don’t know why. The acting was fantastic, the cinematography was gorgeous, and it kept me guessing until the very end. Prisoners is not an easy movie to watch but it’s definitely worth it. The movie also has Paul Dano who is another one of my favorite actors and I believe is the most underrated actor in Hollywood. You’ll understand after you watch Prisoners, There Will Be Blood, and Little Miss Sunshine.

6. Dallas Buyers Club

            I was very excited about this movie long before it was released: one because Matthew McConaughey is another of my favorite actors, and two, because it was the return of Jared Leto who took a hiatus from acting for music. This movie did not disappoint. I think the actors in Dallas Buyers Club carried this film and it shows after Leto, and McConaughey won the Golden Globes. I don’t know if they’ll repeat at the Oscars but at least they are getting their recognition.

5. Fruitvale Station

            This movie surprised me. It’s Ryan Coogler’s first film, which is impressive in and of it self. Also, I knew who Michael B. Jordan was but this movie was definitely his breakthrough. He played Oscar Grant as a real person. He didn’t try to paint him as a hero or a perfect person he played him honestly and brought him back to life. Even though I knew what happened the anticipation and build up was keeping me on the edge of my seat, and I already knew the outcome. If it weren’t such a competitive year this movie would be up for best picture.

4. Her

            This moving was refreshing because of its originality. Also, the film showed that even though sometimes we don’t think we truly need human companionship. Eventually without human contact, that relationship will die. I think this movie was one of the most real about relationships. I hope Spike Jones wins for best original screenplay because it’d be well deserved.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street

            One of my favorite directors and one of my favorite actors (Leonardo Dicaprio), how does this not make it into my top 5 movies of the year? The Wolf of Wall Street is hilarious, wrong, and despite what some think not to glorify the one percent but to show the American dream when it goes wrong and how anything in excess is too much. Jonah Hill gives the performance of his career. Also, don’t worry the three hours will fly by. This was a fantastic ride and I can’t wait to watch it again.

2. American Hustle

            David O. Russell has a knack for writing great characters and when casted correctly can take a movie from good to great. Once again Russell’s films is up in all four of the acting categories. The soundtrack is a trip. This movie ranks so high for me because I love movies that take place in the 70’s. Almost Famous, Dazed and Confused, The Devil’s Rejects, The Deer Hunter, Boogie Nights. All of these movies are in my top 20 so I think that’s why this one stuck out so much for me. If American Hustle wins best picture, I will not be disappointed.

1. Gravity

Any of the top three films on this list could be interchanged, but the awe I was in after seeing this film is why I put it at number one.  The visuals were stunning. The opening scene was beautiful and the horrors that happen play on everyone’s fear of being alone and helpless.  Gravity was one of the best uses of 3-D. Gravity and Life of Pi are the only films to use 3-D for artistic purposes. Gravity is a frightening and beautiful movie and should be a must see on everyone’s list.

Some honorable mentions are: The Spectacular Now, Mud, Blue Caprice, and The Way Way Back. Also Inside Llewyn Davis, and 12 Years a Slave I think would’ve probably made it on this list, unfortunately I haven’t seen these films yet. Well that’s my top 10 list for 2013. I’d love feedback so let me know what your list would be.