“…and the Oscar goes to…"
The next 5 seconds will feel like an eternity for the nominees. They know that if their name is said next they’ll be among Hollywood’s elite. They’ll instantly add a line to their legacy. They’ll forever be introduced as "Oscar Winner So-and-so.” Hoisting Oscar up in the air could not only lead to more roles and more bucks but a recent study shows it could add 4 years to an actor’s life as well. Lost in the fanfare surrounding the award is…the award. Poor Oscar never gets his story told. So before I get into my predictions for #Oscars2014, let me introduce you to Oscar.
Oscar stands at 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds. Interestingly enough, no one really knows where he got his name from. Most people believe the story that Academy Executive Secretary, Margaret Herrick, mentioned that the statuette looked like her “Uncle Oscar.” Even though the name is a mystery what we do know is that he’s a knight holding a large sword pointing down to the film-reel platform he is standing on. The film-reel base has 5 spokes that represent: Actors, directors, writers, producers, and technicians. The industries “unknown soldier” will be a prized possession for any of its recipients (unless your'e Merryl Streep, then you’re just another paper weight).
So, this is the first year I set out to watch all 9 Best Picture nominated films, and added Blue Jasmine to make it 10 because…you know…OCD and all. Through moments of elation and depression I’ve come to this point to give you:
Bee’s 2014 Oscar Rankings & Predictions
I’ll have you know that last year I was a perfect 5/5 in my predictions (see proof below) but this year I’m adding Supporting Actress to the mix. My confidence remains unshaken.
Before we get into the rapid fire predictions of the Top 6 categories, I want to start off by ranking the 9 Best Picture Nominations based on my overall experience watching each one. So without further adieu…here’s the list.
9. Dallas Buyers Club- The one legitimately BAD movie in the bunch. For all my Breaking Bad fans that made it past the awful first season…imagine that season made into a 2 hour movie. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t fall asleep. It is painstakingly slow and full of unlikable characters. The characters were ambitiously constructed to be both hated and understood at different moments. It just didn’t work for me.
8. The Wolf of Wall Street- Absolutely entertaining for the first hour. The next TWO HOURS were excruciating. Had the urge to walk out of this painfully drawn-out pseudo-comedy. How many wild/drunken/drugged up party scenes did we really need to see to get the point? If you haven’t seen the film yet…Jordan Belfort is a money-hungry, drug-addicted diva. Feel free to sleep for an hour and a half in the middle of the movie. You’ll thank me later.
7. Gravity- I’m sorry, I just don’t get the hype. Gravity could win Best Picture this year but I found it’s story-line to be dull. If you are watching the entire telecast of the Academy Awards tonight you may think Gravity is poised to steal the show because it will (and should) win most of the visual and technical awards. However, the depth of the story fell extremely short for me. I fell asleep for about ¼ of the movie. Take what you will from that.
6. American Hustle- (See critique of The Wolf of Wall Street)…Good, not great. Christian Bale and Amy Adams stole the show but the film was building momentum for a finish that was far too simple to figure out. I’m usually not the guy in the room that calls the big twist ending before it happens but this one stuck out like a sore thumb.
5. Nebraska- We are now stepping into my realm of true Best Picture candidates. Sometimes a simple story, told the right way can leave you oh so satisfied. Enter Nebraska. A father and son tale from the mid-western culture mixed its purposely mundane moments with laugh-out loud ones. The simple one-track story-line of a demented father attempting to claim his (scam) prize winnings was further simplified by its visuals. An all Black and White movie is as simple as you could get.
4. Philomena- I want to adopt her as my Grandma. Like Nebraska, Philomena was a simple story-line that worked on so many different levels. Comedic value, dramatic twists, emotional attachment, moral response…etc. Successfully blended lightheartedness with thoroughly emotional storytelling. Judi Dench was phenomenal.
3. Her- Should win a few writing awards. Best Original Screenplay at least. New concept, new approach. Spike Jonze is an absolute genius for capturing the current human condition in such a profound way. The movie is oozing of allegory and juxtaposition. One cannot help but think of how 1). We as a society are married to our phones. 2). We should not be ashamed of love. Celebrate it, never let it go. I did catch myself calling certain moments absurd. Like “He’s doing what with his phone? Wait, what is going on right now?!” However, even through these I’m in awe of how Jonze used such a genius method of delivering a profound commentary.
2. Captain Phillips- Riveting from start to finish. The film knew where it wanted its audience to spend their time and took to the sea quickly. From conquest to ransom to rescue the story was strong but the actors were stronger. It’s an absolute travesty that Tom Hanks isn’t nominated. Barkhad Abdi (Somalian pirate) is a well-deserved nominee for Supporting Actor. These two made the film what it is. If you’re a hostage movies fan, Captain Phillips is as good as it gets.
…and the Oscar goes to…
1. 12 Years a Slave- It tore down the veil that hid the true embarrassment slavery was in America. The subject matter justified the chilling, hard-to-watch portrayal of slave treatment. I could feel my emotions stirring up throughout the film until finally the last scene let them loose. The final scene will be etched in film history. A beautifully written, genuine display of redemption.
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Now for the predictions:
BEST PICTURE:
Will Win & Hope Wins: 12 Years a Slave.
BEST LEAD ACTOR:
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Again, I wasn’t a fan of the movie. Ron Woodroof made Matthew McConaughey, not the other way around. Will give him a nod for losing all that weight though.
Hope Wins: Chiwetel Ejofor (Pronounced CHEW-it-tell EDGY-o-for) (12 Years a Slave)
BEST LEAD ACTRESS:
Will Win: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
She had so many layers to her character and played them all flawlessly. Really complicated role to play.
Hope Wins: Judi Dench (Philomena)
I felt so connected to her in Philomena. She brought innocence, lightheartedness, and stubbornness all together for her role as Philomena. Loved the film, so naturally loved her as the title character.
BEST DIRECTOR:
Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
It couldn’t be done…until it was. Cuaron brought us to space and did it in spectacular fashion. Not many directors even dream of a project like this.
Hope Wins: Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)
Opened our eyes to the realities of slavery. Didn’t hold back and drew out scenes to drive home the truth.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Will Win: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Tough to argue with a transgender, prostitute, AIDS patient.
Hope Wins: Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
Body language spoke volumes of his dilemmas. You were convinced that he was a pirate, not by his choosing but by necessity. Great portrayal for a new actor.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Will Win & Hope Wins: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Responsible for many of the most moving scenes in this epic tale.
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There you have it. Enjoy the Oscars tonight!
BEEEEE OUT