It's that time of year again - and this guru has some catching up to do! The Oscar nominations are out for the 2013 film year and if you've been living under a rock for the first half of 2013, The Academy would like to guarantee that you've missed no good movies from January to September. The list's "oldest" film of the year, Gravity, was released on October 4. What does that mean for movies like The Butler and Fruitvale Station? No nom for you! Looks like I should have blown off the holiday season to play catch up with the Best Picture nominees.
But really, let's get down to me complaining about the one movie I actually saw this season and liked. Despite being completely snubbed by the Golden Globes, I thought The Academy would have the utmost generosity towards Lee Daniels' historical drama. Forest Whitaker's outstanding performance definitely deserved a nod for best actor. And lest the make-up crew be forgotten for their otherwise astounding ability to convincingly age up their characters over a period of a good half century. This movie needs recognition!
Though, congratulations must be sent out to those who were nominated today. I am particularly proud of the entire team of 12 Years a Slave, who swept home the "Best motion picture, drama" category at the Golden Globes last week. I'm super excited for 12 Years' Lupita Nyong'o for being nominated for "Best Supporting Actress," and I hope our good friends at The Academy have recognized the pure greatness radiating from this woman.
Also, a very huge pat on the back for Leonardo DiCaprio (another Golden Globes favorite on Sunday) for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. Could this be the golden opportunity that DiCaprites have been wanting for years? (I apologize in advanced for making a false name for DiCaprio fans). We will just have to wait and see, because DiCaprio is going against Golden Globe's best musical or comedy actor Mathew McConaughey. Let the battle of the heart-throbs begin! (But let's remember that this is an award for acting and not a looks competition).
Like every year, I've fallen behind in watching some of the Best Picture nominees. But do you know how expensive one movie ticket is? Especially considering how all the pictures came out at once. And thus, I cannot offer my Oscar picks for this year. Please have a look for yourself and see if you can predict who will be taking home Mr. Oscar come March 2nd.
Best picture
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“Captain Phillips”
“Her”
“American Hustle”
“Gravity”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
Best director
Steve McQueen — “12 Years a Slave”
David O. Russell — “American Hustle”
Alfonso Cuaron — “Gravity”
Alexander Payne — “Nebraska”
Martin Scorsese — “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Best actor
Bruce Dern — “Nebraska”
Chiwetel Ejiofor — “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey — “Dallas Buyers Club”
Leonardo DiCaprio — “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Christian Bale — “American Hustle”
Best actress
Amy Adams — “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett — “Blue Jasmine”
Judi Dench — “Philomena”
Sandra Bullock — “Gravity”
Meryl Streep — “August: Osage County”
Best supporting actor
Barkhad Abdi — “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper — “American Hustle”
Jonah Hill — “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto — “Dallas Buyers Club”
Michael Fassbender — “12 Years a Slave”
Best supporting actress
Jennifer Lawrence — “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o — “12 Years a Slave”
June Squibb — “Nebraska”
Julia Roberts — “August: Osage County”
Sally Hawkins — “Blue Jasmine”
Best original screenplay
“American Hustle” — David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer
“Blue Jasmine” — Woody Allen
“Her” — Spike Jonze
“Nebraska” — Bob Nelson
“Dallas Buyers Club” — Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
Best adapted screenplay
“12 Years a Slave” — John Ridley
“Before Midnight” — Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater
“The Wolf of Wall Street” — Terence Winter
“Captain Phillips” — Billy Ray
“Philomena” — Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Best animated feature
“The Wind Rises”
“Frozen”
“Despicable Me 2″
“Ernest & Celestine”
“The Croods”
Best foreign feature
“The Hunt” (Denmark)
“The Broken Circle Breakdown” (Belgium)
“The Great Beauty” (Italy)
“Omar” (Palestinian territories)
“The Missing Picture” (Cambodia)
Best documentary feature
“The Act of Killing”
“20 Feet From Stardom”
“The Square”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
Best music (original song)
“Frozen”: “Let it Go” — Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”: “Ordinary Love” — U2, Paul Hewson
“Her”: “The Moon Song” — Karen O, Spike Jonze
“Despicable Me 2″: “Happy” — Pharrell Williams
“Alone Yet Not Alone”: “Alone Yet Not Alone” — Bruce Broughton, Dennis Spiegel
Best music (original score)
“Gravity” — Steven Price
“Philomena” — Alexandre Desplat
“The Book Thief” — John Williams
“Saving Mr. Banks” — Thomas Newman
“Her” — William Butler and Owen Pallett
Best cinematography
“Gravity” — Emmanuel Lubezki
“Inside Llewyn Davis” — Bruno Delbonnel
“Nebraska” — Phedon Papamichael
“Prisoners” — Roger Deakins
“The Grandmaster” — Phillippe Le Sourd
Best costume design
“The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin
“12 Years a Slave” — Patricia Norris
“The Grandmaster” — William Chang Suk Ping
“American Hustle” — Michael Wilkinson
“The Invisible Woman” — Michael O’Connor
Best documentary feature
“The Act of Killing”
“20 Feet From Stardom”
“The Square”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
Best film editing
“Gravity” — Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger
“12 Years a Slave”– Joe Walker
“Captain Phillips” — Christopher Rouse
“American Hustle” — Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
“Dallas Buyers Club” — John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
Best makeup and hairstyling
“The Lone Ranger” — Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” — Stephen Prouty
“Dallas Buyers Club” — Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
Best production design
“12 Years a Slave” — Adam Stockhausen and Alice Baker
“The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn
“American Hustle” — Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler
“Gravity” — Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard
“Her” — K.K. Barrett and Gene Serdena
Best visual effects
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Star Trek Into Darkness”
“Iron Man 3″
“The Lone Ranger”
Best sound mixing
“Gravity”
“Captain Phillips”
“Lone Survivor”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
Best sound editing
“Gravity”
“All Is Lost”
“Captain Phillips”
“Lone Survivor”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
Best short film, live action
“Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)”
“Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)”
“Helium”
“Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)”
“The Voorman Problem”
Best short film, animated
“Feral”
“Get a Horse!”
“Mr. Hublot”
“Possessions”
“Room on the Broom”
Best documentary short
“CaveDigger”
“Facing Fear”
“Karama Has No Walls”
“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”
But really, let's get down to me complaining about the one movie I actually saw this season and liked. Despite being completely snubbed by the Golden Globes, I thought The Academy would have the utmost generosity towards Lee Daniels' historical drama. Forest Whitaker's outstanding performance definitely deserved a nod for best actor. And lest the make-up crew be forgotten for their otherwise astounding ability to convincingly age up their characters over a period of a good half century. This movie needs recognition!
Though, congratulations must be sent out to those who were nominated today. I am particularly proud of the entire team of 12 Years a Slave, who swept home the "Best motion picture, drama" category at the Golden Globes last week. I'm super excited for 12 Years' Lupita Nyong'o for being nominated for "Best Supporting Actress," and I hope our good friends at The Academy have recognized the pure greatness radiating from this woman.
Also, a very huge pat on the back for Leonardo DiCaprio (another Golden Globes favorite on Sunday) for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. Could this be the golden opportunity that DiCaprites have been wanting for years? (I apologize in advanced for making a false name for DiCaprio fans). We will just have to wait and see, because DiCaprio is going against Golden Globe's best musical or comedy actor Mathew McConaughey. Let the battle of the heart-throbs begin! (But let's remember that this is an award for acting and not a looks competition).
Like every year, I've fallen behind in watching some of the Best Picture nominees. But do you know how expensive one movie ticket is? Especially considering how all the pictures came out at once. And thus, I cannot offer my Oscar picks for this year. Please have a look for yourself and see if you can predict who will be taking home Mr. Oscar come March 2nd.
Best picture
“12 Years a Slave”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“Captain Phillips”
“Her”
“American Hustle”
“Gravity”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Nebraska”
“Philomena”
Best director
Steve McQueen — “12 Years a Slave”
David O. Russell — “American Hustle”
Alfonso Cuaron — “Gravity”
Alexander Payne — “Nebraska”
Martin Scorsese — “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Best actor
Bruce Dern — “Nebraska”
Chiwetel Ejiofor — “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey — “Dallas Buyers Club”
Leonardo DiCaprio — “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Christian Bale — “American Hustle”
Best actress
Amy Adams — “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett — “Blue Jasmine”
Judi Dench — “Philomena”
Sandra Bullock — “Gravity”
Meryl Streep — “August: Osage County”
Best supporting actor
Barkhad Abdi — “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper — “American Hustle”
Jonah Hill — “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto — “Dallas Buyers Club”
Michael Fassbender — “12 Years a Slave”
Best supporting actress
Jennifer Lawrence — “American Hustle”
Lupita Nyong’o — “12 Years a Slave”
June Squibb — “Nebraska”
Julia Roberts — “August: Osage County”
Sally Hawkins — “Blue Jasmine”
Best original screenplay
“American Hustle” — David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer
“Blue Jasmine” — Woody Allen
“Her” — Spike Jonze
“Nebraska” — Bob Nelson
“Dallas Buyers Club” — Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
Best adapted screenplay
“12 Years a Slave” — John Ridley
“Before Midnight” — Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater
“The Wolf of Wall Street” — Terence Winter
“Captain Phillips” — Billy Ray
“Philomena” — Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
Best animated feature
“The Wind Rises”
“Frozen”
“Despicable Me 2″
“Ernest & Celestine”
“The Croods”
Best foreign feature
“The Hunt” (Denmark)
“The Broken Circle Breakdown” (Belgium)
“The Great Beauty” (Italy)
“Omar” (Palestinian territories)
“The Missing Picture” (Cambodia)
Best documentary feature
“The Act of Killing”
“20 Feet From Stardom”
“The Square”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
Best music (original song)
“Frozen”: “Let it Go” — Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”: “Ordinary Love” — U2, Paul Hewson
“Her”: “The Moon Song” — Karen O, Spike Jonze
“Despicable Me 2″: “Happy” — Pharrell Williams
“Alone Yet Not Alone”: “Alone Yet Not Alone” — Bruce Broughton, Dennis Spiegel
Best music (original score)
“Gravity” — Steven Price
“Philomena” — Alexandre Desplat
“The Book Thief” — John Williams
“Saving Mr. Banks” — Thomas Newman
“Her” — William Butler and Owen Pallett
Best cinematography
“Gravity” — Emmanuel Lubezki
“Inside Llewyn Davis” — Bruno Delbonnel
“Nebraska” — Phedon Papamichael
“Prisoners” — Roger Deakins
“The Grandmaster” — Phillippe Le Sourd
Best costume design
“The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin
“12 Years a Slave” — Patricia Norris
“The Grandmaster” — William Chang Suk Ping
“American Hustle” — Michael Wilkinson
“The Invisible Woman” — Michael O’Connor
Best documentary feature
“The Act of Killing”
“20 Feet From Stardom”
“The Square”
“Cutie and the Boxer”
“Dirty Wars”
Best film editing
“Gravity” — Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger
“12 Years a Slave”– Joe Walker
“Captain Phillips” — Christopher Rouse
“American Hustle” — Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
“Dallas Buyers Club” — John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
Best makeup and hairstyling
“The Lone Ranger” — Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny
“Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” — Stephen Prouty
“Dallas Buyers Club” — Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
Best production design
“12 Years a Slave” — Adam Stockhausen and Alice Baker
“The Great Gatsby” — Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn
“American Hustle” — Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler
“Gravity” — Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard
“Her” — K.K. Barrett and Gene Serdena
Best visual effects
“Gravity”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
“Star Trek Into Darkness”
“Iron Man 3″
“The Lone Ranger”
Best sound mixing
“Gravity”
“Captain Phillips”
“Lone Survivor”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
Best sound editing
“Gravity”
“All Is Lost”
“Captain Phillips”
“Lone Survivor”
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
Best short film, live action
“Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn’t Me)”
“Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)”
“Helium”
“Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)”
“The Voorman Problem”
Best short film, animated
“Feral”
“Get a Horse!”
“Mr. Hublot”
“Possessions”
“Room on the Broom”
Best documentary short
“CaveDigger”
“Facing Fear”
“Karama Has No Walls”
“The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”
“Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall”