June Oscar Buzz and Predictions - Screenplays

     The case with the screenplay categories is usually an embarrassment of riches on the Adapted side and a few shoo-ins among the Originals with the remaining slots left for that year's up-and-coming auteurs.  This year there are more heavy hitting arguably overdue writers working in Original, which promises to be an interesting novelty if nothing else. As always, the buzz leads each category with my thoughts and predictions following after.

Adapted Screenplay
  1. Before Midnight
  2. The Monuments Men
  3. August: Oslo County
  4. The Wolf of Wall Street
  5. The Butler

  6. Foxcatcher
  7. Labor Day
  8. 12 Years a Slave
  9. Captain Phillips
  10. The Great Gatsby

     It seems odd to me that Before Midnight lands in Adapted just because it is a sequel, but that's how the rules work at present.  I would like to post the disclaimer that I expect August: Osage County to be one of those ensembly Picture nominees with no Screenplay nod (think: The Help).  Tracy Letts showed talent with Killer Joe, but it was no masterpiece of a script.  There are relatively few Oscar veterans in serious contention in this category, but I still think experience counts...

  1. Before Midnight - Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke (0 wins out of 1 nomination)...This film has been celebrated even more exuberantly than the previous installment that earned this trio a nomination - seems like a gimme.
  2. Foxcater - E Max Frye (never nominated) & Dan Futterman (0 wins out of 1 nomination)...If this film works at all it will rely heavily on a strong screenplay.  Futterman was previously nominated for Capote.
  3. The Wolf of Wall Street - Terrence Winter (never nominated)...Mr. Winter may have never been nominated for an Oscar, but he's worked on some of the most cinematic television shows imaginable (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire) and Scorsese would never have signed on for a screenplay that didn't have the goods.
  4. Monument's Men - George Clooney & Grant Heslov (0 wins out of 2 nominations in writing categories)  Third time COULD be the charm for this pair whose film sounds almost TOO Oscar baity.  Still....
  5. 12 Years a Slave - John Ridley (never nominated)...Yes, Mr. Ridley's most impressive previous cred by a mile is Three Kings, but that WAS a very good screenplay and I can't imagine that Steve McQueen is going to follow up Shame with (pardon the expression) some crap.

  6. Labor Day - Jason Reitman (0 wins out of 1 nomination in writing categories)...Reitman is a very talented auteur, but Young Adult proved that he can wax too dark for the Academy's tastes and this is his first effort without comedic elements.  We will have to wait and see.
  7. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - William Nicholson (0 wins out of 2 nominations)  Arguably one of the most overdue names on this list, Mr. Nicholson was previously nominated for Gladiator and Shadowlands.  He is also backed by the Weinstein Company.
  8. The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet - Jean-Pierre Jeunt & Guillaume Laurant (0 wins out of 1 nomination)...The writing pair that brought you Amelie, working in English, backed by the Weinstein Company...nuff said.
  9. The Butler - Lee Daniels & Danny Strong (never nominated in writing categories)...The Paperboy is not exactly the most convincing former writing credit (remember Daniels only DIRECTED Precious), but Harvey Weinstein is pushing this as a Best Picture nominee.  Still, could be another victim of The Help syndrome.
  10. Snowpiercer - Joon-ho Bong & Kelly Masterson (never nominated)...Yes, it's science fiction, that's why I put it last.  Still, the writers separately penned Madeo (or Mother, which surely would have been nominated if it was in English) and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead so I have very high hopes.

     Also in the mix:  August: Osage County (Tracy Letts, never nominated), Captain Phillips (Billy Ray, nn), The Fifth Estate (Josh Singer, nn), A Most Wanted Man (Andrew Bovell, nn), Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon, 0/1), Oldboy (Mark Protosevich, nn), Philomena (Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope, nn) & The Spectacular Now (Scott Neustadter & Michael H Webber, nn)


Original Screenplay
  1. The Counselor
  2. Inside Llewyn Davis
  3. Fruitvale Station
  4. Gravity
  5. Nebraska

  6. American Hustle
  7. The Past
  8. Captain Phillips
  9. Blue Jasmine
  10. The Immigrant

     This category is PACKED this year, with some very celebrated screen writers in contention.  I wouldn't count out ANY of the buzzed about films listed above, but I DO have a few films I feel strongly about that didn't make it.  MY list looks more like this...

  1. Inside Llewyn Davis - The Coen Brothers (2 wins out of 5 nominations in writing categories)...I'm not saying they'll win (previous wins for No Country and Fargo sort of make the notion of being overdue silly), but with raves out of Cannes, a nomination seems all but assured.  There are three names that should never be underestimated in the Oscar world.  Pixar, Weinstein...and Coen.
  2. Fruitvale Station - Ryan Coogler (never nominated)...It may seem odd to place a rookie at number two with so many experienced sharks in the water, but the film has been seen, was well received, and has Weinstein pushing it hard.
  3. Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen (3 wins out of 15 nominations in writing categories)...I would add Allen to the list of names to never bet against except that in a career as prolific as his you have to have a lot of misses to only score (ONLY?) fifteen nominations in over forty years of film making.  Early buzz indicates this is not one of them.  I wouldn't vote against it.
  4. The Counselor - Cormac McCarthy (never nominated)...It may be Mr. McCarthy's first script, but he IS one of the most celebrated novelists of the twenty first century, whose work has often adapted beautifully to screen.
  5.  All Is Lost - JC Chandor (0 wins out of 1 nomination)...I had a really difficult time picking between number five and number six here, but this film has already been seen to strong reviews and Chandor is one for one ( with Margin Call) with the Academy.  Robert Redford's performance ensures that even the most curmudgeonly Academy members will watch their screeners and have the movie in mind.

  6. American Hustle - David O Russell (0 wins out of 1 nomination) & Eric Singer (never nominated)...That being said, its hard to bet against Mr. Russell.  However, he has gained above the line notice on his last two films (Silver Linings Playbook was JUST last year and incorporated most of the same primary actors) and unless this film is REALLY something special, AMPAS might decide that it is someone else's "turn" as it were.
  7. Gravity - Alfonso Cuaron (0 wins out of 2 nominations in writing categories) & Jonas Cuaron (never nominated)...This film and Elysium are in kind of the same boat.  In both cases, I have great confidence in the previously nominated writer's abilities, but in both cases the films are science fiction (or at least employ certain sci-fi sensibilities) and that does not always bode well with the writer's branch. For now, I'll give Cuaron the edge due to the fact that he has already proven not to be a one trick pony (with nods for both Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men).
  8. Elysium - Neil Blomkampf (0 wins out of 1 nomination)...See what I said for Gravity.  Blomkampf's one trick was the brilliant debut effort District 9.
  9. The Past - Asghar Farhadi (0 wins out 1 nomination)...If The Past were not in French, I would probably place Farhadi MUCH higher on this list.  Still, he got here in Arabic with A Separation, so a nod is certainly possible.
     I never do this, but...
  10. Her - Spike Jonze (never nominated in writing categories)...I find it difficult to believe that the writer's branch has never honored him before, but it's true...
     (tied with)
        The Zero Theorem - Pat Rushin (never nominated)...I find it difficult to believe that the Academy has never embraced the film's of director Terry Gillam more than they have.  Maybe this is the year they FINALLY correct this.

     Plus...Ain't Them Bodies Saints (David Lowery, nn), The Dallas Buyer's Club (Craig Borten & Melissa Wallack, nn), Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach 0/1 & Greta Gerwig, nn), The Immigrant (James Gray & Rick Menello, nn), Mud (Jeff Nichols, nn), Nebraska (Bob Nelson, nn), Out of the Furnace (Brad Inglesby & Scott Cooper, nn), Rush (Peter Morgan 0/2), Saving Mr. Banks (Kelly Marcel, nn) & Stories We Tell (Sarah Polley, 0/1),
  Related articles: What "Cannes" We Tell So Far?, June Oscar Buzz and Predictions - The Aural Techs, The Visual Techs, The Genre Categories, The Help Review, The Perfect Para-Killer (Killer Joe review), Another Young Project (Young Adult review),  The Great Zac Efron Film Festival of 2012 (The Paperboy review), Dark Clouds Beautify "Silver Linings", Water and Earth Make "Mud"

2013 Awards Preview - Postscript: Predictions

     Of course, nobody knows anything yet, but I can't resist doing this just for fun.  I haven't even started tracking 86th Oscar Buzz in any significant way yet.  This is just going with my gut. That being said, five of the eventual Best Picture nominees from last year were in my preview series predictions top ten and I made those a couple of weeks earlier.  Three of the other four were in my alternates.  Amour is the only possibility that seemed to really escape me, but how often does a non-English language film actually crack the Best Picture category?  Let's see if I can do any better this year.  Bear in mind, the last couple of alternate slots in any category are usually going to be things I would LIKE to see happen.  Some are a little wild...

  Best Picture
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Twelve Years a Slave
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Nebraska
5. Fruitvale Station
6. The Monuments Men
7. Elysium
8. Before Midnight (ala Toy Story 3 and the expanded field effect)
9. The Butler
10. The Counselor

11. American Hustle
12. The Zero Theorem
13. The Immigrant
14. The Great Gatsby
15. Labor Day
16. The Rover
17. The Young and Prodigious Spivet
18. To The Wonder
19. Ain't Them Bodies Saints
20. The East
  But don't rule out: All Is Lost, August: Osage County, Captain Phillips, The Fifth Estate, Foxcatcher, Grace of Monico, Gravity, Her, Kill Your Darlings, Midnight's Children, Mud, Only God Forgives, The Place Beyond the Pines, Serena, Snowpiercer, Trance, World War Z

  Best Director
1. Steve McQueen - Twelve Years a Slave
2. Martin Scorcese - The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Alexander Payne - Nebraska
4. Ryan Coogler - Fruitvale Station'
5. The Coen Brothers - Inside Llewyn Davis

6. Neil Blomkamp - Elysium
7. Lee Daniels - The Butler
8. George Clooney - The Monuments Men
9. Richard Linklater - Before Midnight
10. Terence Malick - To The Wonder
  Other possibilities: David O Russell - American Hustle, Paul Greengrass - Captain Phillips, Ridley Scott - The Couselor, Bill Condon - The Fifth Estate, Bennett Miller - Foxcatcher, Baz Luhrman - The Great Gatsby, James Grey - The Immigrant, Jason Reitman - Labor Day, Deepa Mehta - Midnight's Children, Jeff Nichols - Mud, Nicholas Winding Refn - Only God Forgives, David Michod - The Rover, Susanne Bier - Serena, Jean-Pierre Juenet - The Young and Prodigious Spivet, Terry Gillem - The Zero Theorem

  Best Actor
1. Michael B. Jordan - Fruitvale Station
2. Michael Fassbender - The Counselor
3. Chiawatel Ejiofor - Twelve Years a Slave
4. Robert Redford - All Is Lost
5. Bruce Dern - Nebraska

6. Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
7. Oscar Isaac - Inside Llewyn Davis
8. Forest Whitaker - The Butler
9. Matthew MacConaughey - Mud
10. Christoph Waltz - The Zero Theorem
  Or...Casey Affleck - Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Bradley Cooper - American Hustle, Dennis Quaid - At Any Price, Ethan Hawke - Before Midnight, Toby Jones - Berberian Sound Studio, Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips, Matt Damon - Elysium, Bradley Cooper - The Fifth Estate, Mads Mickelson - The Hunt, Jeremy Renner - The Immigrant, Daniel Radcliffe - Kill Your Darlings, Ryan Gosling - Only God Forgives, Leonardo DiCaprio - The Great Gatsby, Joaquin Phoenix - Her, Idris Elba - Mandela: TheLong Walk To Freedom, Ryan Gosling - The Place Beyond the Pines, Christian Bale - Out of the Furnace, Colin Firth - The Railway Man, Guy Pearce - The Rover, Tom Hanks - Saving Mr. Banks

  Best Actress
1. Nicole Kidman - Grace of Monaco
2. Jessica Chastain - The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers
3. Oprah Winfrey - The Butler
4. Carey Mulligan - The Great Gatsby
5. Rooney Mara - Ain't Them Bodies Saints

6. Naomie Watts - Diana
7. Sandra Bullock - Gravity
8. Marion Cotillard - The Immigrant
9. Julie Delpy - Before Midnight
10. Susan Sarandan - The Company You Keep
     I also thought about: Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle, Meryl Streep - August: Osage County, Rooney Mara - Her, Saoirse Ronan - How I Live Now, Mia Wasikowska - Madame Bovary, Naomi Harris - Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Shaillene Woodley - The Spectacular Now

  Best Supporting Actor
1. John Goodman - Inside Llewyn Davis
2. Robert DeNiro - American Hustle
3. Brad Pitt - The Counselor
4. Steve Carrell - Foxcatcher
5. Ewan McGregor - August: Osage County

6. Michael Fassbender - Twelve Years a Slave
7. Robin Williams - The Butler
8. Matthew MacConaughey - The Wolf of Wall Street
9. Will Forte - Nebraska
10. Ezra Miller - Madame Bovary
  Also: Ben Foster - Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Jeremy Renner - American Hustle, Chris Cooper - August: Osage County, Benedict Cumberbatch - August: Osage County, John Cusack - The Butler, Michael Fassbender - Frank, Tim Roth - Grace of Monaco, Tobey McGuire - The Great Gatsby, Joachin Phoenix - The Immigrant, Justin Timberlake - Inside Llewyn Davis, Matt Damon - The Monuments Men, Jean Dujardin - The Monuments Men, John Goodman - The Monuments Men, Casey Affleck - Out of the Furnace, Bradley Cooper - The Place Beyond the Pines, Scoot McNairy - The Rover, Robert Pattinson - The Rover, Paul Giamatti - Twelve Years a Slave, Brad Pitt - Twelve Years a Slave, Ben Whishaw - The Zero Theorem

  Best Supporting Actress
1. Jane Fonda - The Butler
2. Viola Davis - The Disappearence of Eleanor Rigby: Hers or His, not sure which
3. Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
4. Cate Blanchett - The Monuments Men
5. Alfre Woodard - Twelve Years a Slave

6. Amy Adams - American Hustle
7. Octavia Spencer - Fruitvale Station
8. Catherine Keener - Captain Phillips
9. Carey Mulligan - Inside Llewyn Davis
10. Ellen Page - The East
  And then you have: Juliette Lewis - August: Osage County, Melissa Leo - The Butler, Parker Posey - Grace of Monaco, Samantha Morten - Her, Michelle Pfeiffer - Malavita, Kristen Scott Thomas - Only God Forgives, Zoe Saldana - Out of the Furnace, Quvenzhane Wallis - Twelve Years a Slave, Judy Davis - The Young and Prodigious Spivet

  Adapted Screenplay
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Before Midnight
3. The Butler
4. The Monuments Men
5. Much Ado About Nothing

6. The Great Gatsby
7. Prince Avalanche
8. Midnight's Children
9. Snowpiercer
10. Man of Steel
  In the running: The Fifth Estate, The Spectacular Now, Two Faces of January

  Original Screenplay
1. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. Twelve Years a Slave
3. Fruitvale Station
4. Nebraska
5. The Immigrant

6. The Counselor
7. Elysium
8. American Hustler
9. The Zero Theorem
10. Ain't Them Bodies Saints
  Also keeping an eye on: All Is Lost, Captain Phillips, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His and/or Hers, The East, Foxcatcher, Frank, Grace of Monaco, Kill Your Darlings, Mud, Only God Forgives, Her, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Rover, Trance, The Young and Prodigious Spivet, World War Z

  Best Cinematography
1. The Monuments Men
2. The Great Gatsby
3. Ain't Them Bodies Saints
4. Nebraska
5. To The Wonder

6. Elysium
7. The Zero Theorem
8. The Wolf of Wall Street
9. All Is Lost
10. Only God Forgives

  Best Editing
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Twelve Years a Slave
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Elysium
5. The Monuments Men

6. Fruitvale Station
7. The Butler
8. Man of Steel
9. The East
10. The Counselor

  Best Production Design
1. The Monuments Men
2. The Great Gatsby
3. Elysium
4. Twelve Years a Slave
5. The Butler

6. Oblivion
7. Grace of Monaco
8. Kill Your Darlings
9. The Young and Prodigious Spivet
10. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

  Best Costume Design
1. The Great Gatsby
2. Grace of Monaco
3. The Butler
4. Oz the Great and Powerful
5. The Immigrant

6. Diana
7. Inside Llewyn Davis
8. Twelve Years a Slave
9. The Monuments Men
10. The Rover

  Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
1. The Butler
2. Oz the Great and Powerful
3. World War Z

4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
5. Grace of Monaco
6. Only God Forgives

  Best Original Score
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Man of Steel
3. The Monuments Men
4. World War Z
5. Oldboy

6. Oz the Great and Powerful
7. Snowpiercer
8. The Young and Prodigious Spivet
9. Elysium
10. The Zero Theorem

  Best Original Song
1. Was there an Original Song in Sapphires?
2. Planes
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Oz the Great and Powerful
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

  Best Sound Editing
1. Elysium
2. Man of Steel
3. The Monuments Men
4. All is Lost
5. Only God Forgives

6. World War Z
7. Oz the Great and Powerful
8. Snowpiercer
9. Twelve Years a Slave
10. Captain Phillips

  Best Sound Mixing
1. The Monuments Men
2. Man of Steel
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Elysium
5. World War Z

6. Only God Forgives
7. All is Lost
8. Twelve Years a Slave
9. The Wolf of Wall Street
10. Captain Phillips

  Best Visual Effects
1. Elysium
2. Man of Steel
3. World War Z
4. Snowpiercer
5. The Europa Report

6. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
7. Gravity
8. The Great Gatsby
9. All is Lost
10. Oblivion

  Best Documentary Feature
1. Stories We Tell
2. The Act of Killing
3. Blood Brother
4. We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks
5. Room 237

  Best Foreign Language Film
1. Child's Pose
2. The Hunt
3. Gloria
4. The Past
5. Le Grande Bellazza

6. Closed Curtain
7. Venus in Fur
8. Goodbye to Language
9. Attilla Marcel
10. Mood Indigo

  Best Animated Feature
1. Frozen
2. Planes
3. The Wind Rises
4. Monsters University
5. Hell and Back

6. Epic
7. Ernest and Celestine
8. Leo the Lion
9. Despicable Me Too
10. The Croods

     Related Articles:  Upcoming 2013 Award Season Preview: Part One: Pulpy Players, Part Two: Specialties That Might Spellbind, Part Three: Little Pics That Might Could, Part Four: The Usual Suspects, Part 5 - Because I Said So, 2012 Preview Postscript - Predictions

Arantino Explained (The T is Invisible)

Or

The Film in Which Tarantino Blows Tarantino to Smithereens

     Like most American college students in the early to mid nineties, I found Quentin Tarantino to be the herald of a new age of American cinema when I first discovered Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.  Twenty years later, the Geek Guru of Film may STILL be trying to top those early triumphs, but even his weakest efforts show more creativity and cleverness than ninety percent of what's available at the box office.

     Django Unchained, however, is far from Tarantino's weakest effort.  It is a film with flaws, but many great moments as well.  I would rank it somewhere in the middle of the pack...not quite as strong as Inglorious Basterds, but still a bit ahead of the Kill Bill series (all of which I love, by the way).  It is also pure Tarantino: abrasive, irreverent, challenging and completely self aware of its more sophomoric tendencies.
     Which brings us, I suppose, to the obligatory accusations of racism thrown around when a white boy makes a film about slavery in which the "n-word" is tossed around casually and often.  Personally, I think that being offended by one of this man's movies is a lot like being offended by South Park:  you make yourself look far more ridiculous by your reaction than the movie was capable of making you look.  Quentin is an equal opportunity offender and lover of all mankind, which should be obvious to anyone who actually pays attention to his films.  The use of the "n-word" is not only historically accurate, but absolutely necessary to capture the thematic tone of ignorance and disregard for human rights that is central to the piece.  As for the institution of slavery itself, I don't think any film has ever presented it in all its disgusting barbarism in quite the stomach turning manner of Django.
     As I mentioned before, the film does have a couple of flaws, so let's get those out of the way first.  I regret to say that while Django the character is written brilliantly as a sort of Blaxploitation cowboy super-hero, Jamie Foxx's interpretation of said character falls a little bit short.  It's not a bad performance, and he does have some wonderful moments, but in its totality his performance lacks something of the bigger-than-life-yet-utterly-believable quality that his three primary co-stars deliver in spades.  Foxx has proven himself adept at both comedy and drama, but doesn't quite seem to catch the groove of the weird hybrid flavor essential to this material.
     I would also say that while Mr. Tarantino drew four wonderful, memorable characters at the center of this yarn, some of the peripheral talents were underutilized.  I was quite excited to hear about Kerry Washington's involvement in this project.  She is a highly talented young actress, the only junior member of the cast of For Coloured Girls to hold her own when playing against her veteran cast mates.  I had hoped that participation in this film would expose her ability to a wider audience, but she is given so little to do or say that I am afraid her role will quickly be forgotten.  Walton Goggins, similarly, seems to be placed in the picture merely to look googly-eyed in the background.  While there is no actor better suited to this task, the man has MUCH more to offer.
     The only other real fault I found with Django is an uneven quality in the plot structure by which the climax pales in comparison to the bigger, wilder battle scene that proceeds it.  The fault, however, may not lie in the script at all, but in Mr. Foxx's unwillingness to quite take his character all the way over the top with feeling.  The character herd has thinned somewhat by the final scene, and working alone the actor seems unprepared to upstage what the ensemble as a whole was able to pull off.
     In Mr. Foxx's defense, it IS a pretty amazing ensemble to try and upstage.  The clear stand-outs, however are Leonardo DiCaprio and (ESPECIALLY) Samuel L. Jackson.  I have always held that Mr. DiCaprio is a far more talented character actor than leading man, and his first turn in a truly villainous capacity has gone a long way toward proving me right.  It was refreshing to see the familiar actor truly doing something NEW, impressing me in a way that I don't know he quite has since Gilbert Grape, certainly not since The Aviator.  His acting has usually been at its best when there was a darkness to the characters he was playing (The Aviator, Shutter Island, Inception) and diving into the deep end of that ocean has produced one of his best turns yet.
     Samuel L. Jackson is one of those great actors who could never quite transcend the enormity of his own personality.  I have always asserted that all of his characters, while entertaining, employ very similar vocal inflection patterns, postures, and modes of physical expression. In other words, Sam L always played some variation of Sam L.  I will say this no more. In Django, he completely disappears into the character of Steven.  His customary mannerisms just weren't there.
     However, it is the interaction between these two characters that creates much of the sheer joy of viewing this picture.  Their relationship is perhaps that most complicated between any of the major characters.  The scene where they conspire in the study, away from prying eyes and ears, is absolutely outstanding and tells you so much about the characters in such a short burst of time.
     All this doting on his two snubbed compatriots should do nothing to minimize the contribution of Chritoph Waltz and the performance that recently nabbed him his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar.  Waltz actually plays the outsider in this world and it is through his eyes that we see the true horror inherent in it.  He is charming and bigger than life but still completely accessible.
     Long as this review is becoming, I would remiss not to take a minute to praise the excellent work of Django's production team.  Fred Raskin faced a daunting task stepping into the shoes of Tarantino's longtime editor Sally Menke, (who recently passed away) and performed his duties admirably.  Cinematographer Robert Richardson was fully deserving of his Oscar nomination providing some of his finest camerawork to date.  It is also easy to see why many considered costumer Sharen Davis's lack of a nomination a snub.  Foxx and DiCaprio in particular had some A-mazing outfits.  Django also makes fantastic use of music with one of the best and most diverse soundtracks of the year.
     On a final note, Inglorious Basterds and this film seem to be inviting a third revenge fantasy focused on righting the wrongs of history to finish the trilogy.  What's next, Quentin?  The remnants of the native South American tribes invade the Vatican to steal their gold?  A mysterious plague affecting only Republicans strikes the country and a team of gay doctors refuse treatment?  Let your mind run wild, Mr. Tarantino, it's what we count on you for.
   
     

Final 85th Oscar Winner Predictions

     This doesn't really need a preface, does it?  Cross your fingers (or webbed feet, or whatever) and check out my live tweets tonight during the ceremony.

  Best Picture: Argo
         alternate: Silver Linings Playbook
         wild card: Amour
          should have been nominated: The Dark Knight Rises

  Best Director: Steven Spielberg - Lincoln
          alternate: David O Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
          wild card: Michael Haneke - Amour
          should have been nominated:  Christopher Nolan - Dark Knight Returns (sorry, Mr. Affleck, you were great)

  Best Actor: um...Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
          alternate:  Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
          wild card:  Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
          should have been nominated:  Richard Gere - Arbitrage

  Best Actress: Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
          alternate: Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
          wild card: Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
          should have been nominated: Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone

  Best Supporting Actor: Robert DeNiro - Silver Linings Playbook
          alternate: Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
          wild card: Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
          should have been nominated: Dwight Henry - Beasts of the Southern Wild

  Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
          alternate: Sally Field - Lincoln
          wild card: Jackie Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook
          should have been nominated: Salma Hayek - Savages

  Best Original Screenplay: Amour
          alternate: Django Unchained
          wild card: Zero Dark Thirty
          should have been nominated: Looper

  Best Adapted Screenplay: Argo
          alternate: Lincoln
          wild card: Silver Linings Playbook
          should have been nominated: The Dark Knight Rises

  Best Animated Feature:  Wreck-It Ralph
          alternate: Frankenweenie
          wild card: Brave
          should have been nominated: A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's
        Graham Chapman

  Best Documentary Feature: Searching For Sugarman
           alternate: Gatekeepers
           wild card: 5 Broken Cameras
           should have been nominated: Queen of Versailles

  Best Foreign Language Film: Amour
           alternate: No
           wild card: War Witch
           should have been nominated: Rust and Bone

  Best Cinematography: Life of Pi
          alternate: Skyfall
          wild card: Lincoln
          should have been nominated: Beasts of the Southern Wild

  Best Editing: Argo
          alternate: Zero Dark Thirty
          wild card: Life of Pi
          should have been nominated: Cloud Atlas

  Best Production Design: Anna Karenina
           alternate: Les Miserables
           wild card: Life of Pi
           should have been nominated: Cloud Atlas

  Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina
            alternate: Les Miserables
            wild card: Mirror Mirror
            should have been nominated: A Royal Affair

  Best Make-Up and Hairstyling: Les Miserables
             alternate: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
             wild card: Hitchcock
             should have been nominated: Cloud Atlas

  Best Score: Life of Pi
              alternate: Skyfall
              wild card: Lincoln
              should have been nominated: Beasts of the Southern Wild

  Best Song: Skyfall - "Skyfall"
              alternate: Les Miserables - "Suddenly"
              wild card: Ted - "Everybody Needs a Best Friend"
              should have been nominated: numerous numbers from Lawless & Django Unchained

  Best Sound Editing: Skyfall
               alternate: Life of Pi
               wild card: Argo
               should have been nominated: The Dark Knight Returns

  Best Sound Mixing: Les Miserables
                alternate: Skyfall
                wild card: Argo
                should have been nominated: The Impossible

  Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi
                 alternate: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
                 wild card: Marvel's Avengers

  Short Film Animated: Paperman
                 alternate: Head Over Heels
                 wild card: Adam and Dog
         
  Short Film Live-Action: Buzkashi Boys
                  alternate: Curfew
                  wild card: Death of a Shadow
 
  Short Film Documentary: Innocente
                  alternate: Open Heart
                  wild card: Mondays at Racine
          

Oscar Winners Predictions & Buzz - Screenplays

     So we're gonna skip Foreign Language Film and Live-Action shorts for a moment (is there an echo in here?) as I am hoping to see the Live-Action Shorts later tonight (fingers crossed).  In the meantime, we shall  forge forward into the top eight categories.  It would be nice to know what The Writer's Guild will do first, but at least the Scripter Award was already announced.  As always, the buzz rankings appear on the first list with previous rankings listed in parenthesis.  My humble opinions come hopping after...

Adapted Screenplay
  1.(1) Lincoln - Tony Kushner
  2.(2) Argo - Chris Terrio
  3.(3) Silver Linings Playbook - David O Russell
  4.(5) Life of Pi - David Magee
  5.(4) Beasts of the Southern Wild - Benh Zeitlen & Lucy Alibar
  Leaving the Rankings:  Les Miserables, The Sessions, Anna Karenina, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Cloud Atlas
     It's difficult to argue with the buzz too much.  It's definitely still a three way race, however.  For now, I'll say...
  1. Silver Linings Playbook...I may well switch in my final predictions, but this film just won the BAFTA, whose voting body overlaps with the Academy.  It also won the National Board of Review.
  2. Argo...Argomania could carry Chris Terrio to a win.  The recent Scripter victory didn't hurt.
  3. Lincoln...Tony Kushner is clearly well respected and he did win the Critics Choice, but the film seems to be losing its foothold on the top of THIS mountain.
  4. Beasts of the Southern Wild...Benh Zeitlin  and Lucy Alibar are still a wild card.  They have won SOME sort of recognition from almost every critics group imaginable.  With no "outstanding newcomer" award to shuffle off on the film, and no clear front runner in this category, anything could happen. Especially this year.
  5. Life of Pi...As difficult as this adaptation must have been to write, and despite the fact that he and Kushner are the only scribes on this list with previous writing nominations, I think that David Magee will have to console himself with being that much more overdue next time.

Original Screenplay
  1.(4) Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino
  2.(5) Amour - Michael Haneke
  3.(2) Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal
  4.(3) Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
  5.(7) Flight - John Gatins
  Leaving the Rankings:  The Master, Looper, Promised Land, Middle of Nowhere, Seven Psychopaths
     It's difficult for me to take any nominee list that excludes Looper too seriously, but I shall try to remain objective...
  1. Amour...Usually when a Foreign Film receives multiple nods it wins somewhere outside of the Foreign Language Film category.  I may chicken out and pick Django in my final predictions, but for now I feel like mixing this up.
  2. Django...Of course, it's difficult to argue with the three time nominee and former winner who already took home The Critics Choice, BAFTA, and Golden Globe.  Um....
  3. Moonrise Kingdom...IF this film were to win the Writer's Guild Award I could MAYBE see it picking up the momentum to win in this category.  It is Anderson's second writing nomination, Coppola's first.
  4. Zero Dark Thirty...Considering that Boal just won for the Hurt Locker and the Academy's tendency to distance themselves from TOO much controversy, I'm having an increasingly difficult time seeing a win for this picture here.
  5. Flight.. Mr. Gatins should consider himself very lucky to be nominated.

Related Articles:  Oscar Winner Predictions & Buzz: Of Snubs and Triumphs (preview), Musical Techs (Score and Song), Noisy Techs (Sound Editing & Sound Mixing), Pretty People Techs (Costume Design & Make-Up and Hairstyling), Pretty Picture Techs (Cinematography & Production Design), Finishing Touch Techs (Editing & Visual Effects), Toons of Any Length (Animated Feature & Animated Short), Docs of Any Length (Documentary Feature & Documentary Short), I Think You "Argo"ing to Love It!, "Lincoln" Perks, Fantasy "Life of Pi", Best That the Summer Wields? (Beasts of the Southern Wild review), Acting Master Classes in Private "Sessions", Anna Conundruma (Anna Karenina review), Cloudy Connections (Cloud Atlas review), Promarlius Kingdom (Moonrise Kingdom review), Didn't Quite Take "Flight", Can You "Master" Your Nature?, Twist Until You Are Loopey? (Looper review), Premise Grand (Promised Land review)

Didn't Quite Take "Flight"

     Flight is a movie which suffers a little from over-hype.  First it was a major premiere at the New York Film Festival!  Then it was billed as Robert Zemeckis's triumphant return to live action film making!  Then it premieres and it becomes Denzel Washington's greatest role in years!  Then it releases and it becomes something of a box office hit, which should have been a no-brainer. Denzel is rarely BAD for box office and the film had a trailer that made guys think that it's a bad-ass action movie about a plane crash and women expect a heart wrenching drama in which Mr. Washington would make them laugh a little and cry a lot.  Suddenly, however, film awards commentators begin concluding left and right that this box office surge has elevated Flight (pardon me, sorry) to the level of serious Best Picture contender.  Whew!
     Fortunately, I think that I was able to keep my own expectations in check.  I really expected it to be a slightly sappy drama with a brief, extremely slick and well put together action sequence that would work well as a vehicle for Mr. Washington to make people laugh a little, and cry a lot, and maybe get some awards attention.  And that is pretty much what I got.  Is it his BEST work in years?  Maybe, but not in any hands down kind of way.  I thought that his work in Book of Eli was magnificent.  Someone trains a blind man to memorize the entire Bible and fight his way across a continent.  How many actors can sell that kind of premise?
     There is also some great supporting work being done here, particularly by John Goodman (who is so hot right now, someone give him that stand out role to get a Best Supporting nod under his belt already) who continues to illustrate why he is one of America's greatest character actors in a role that probably has less than ten minutes of screen time.  Kelly Reilly gives an engaging turn as Nicole, the young woman battling similar demons who becomes Whip (Washington)'s love interest.
     The thing that keeps Flight from being elevated (again, sorry, can't help it) above a mere actors' vehicle is ironically the thing that (outside of Mr. Washington's performance) the film is receiving the greatest accolades for:  John Gatins script.  It's not a BAD script, but it plays sort of like a TV movie of the week, where an estranged husband and father battles addictions.  At times, it verges on melodrama.  Especially when Whip invades his family's home.  And it tackles a "serious issue", but in a way that is fairly easy and sanitized compared to the life paths of most "addicts" that I have known.  Whip is presented his "rock bottom" in a courtroom on a shiny silver platter.  In real life, that experience is usually a lot more messy.
      Mr. Zemeckis should be happy with his film overall, however.  He indeed demonstrated that as a director he could still pull powerful performances out of live actors.  He did not create the kind of wholly original take on the world that he did in films like Forrest Gump, Back To The Future, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but maybe that will be next time out.
     Technically, the film is sound.  The special effects sequence is brief, but seamless.  Ditto for the most impressive work done by the sound department.  This is also a pretty well shot picture, one of cinematographer Don Burgess's stronger efforts.
     Flight is a GOOD film but far from a great one.  Maybe you like shameless "message movies" more than I do, but a Best Picture nod for this flick would have been akin to the slot that was taken by The Blind Side a few years back.  That being said, Denzel is every bit as good in this as Sandy was in that, so maybe you should check it out after all.  3 1/2 of 5 stars.

Of Snubs and Triumphs

     Okay, so the Academy's nomination announcements were far more shocking than usual.  Best Director alone almost gave me a heart attack.  Forgive me for not posting some immediate reaction, but it took me a minute to get my head back on straight.  I decided to attack these nominations in the most traditional manner, regardless of what an unconventional race it has turned into.   So...without further ado, here are thirteen winners, seventeen losers, and one who did  both.  Let's get hoppin...

13 Big Winners

  13.  Kon-Tiki - This Norwegian adventure flick was ranked about eighth in buzz out of the nine films on the Academy's Foreign Language Film short list.  It still doesn't have a chance in hell of beating Amour, but the nomination is a triumph in itself.
  12. The Sound Team from Argo - The film was considered an outside shot for either sound category, and it managed to score nods in both.  The movie needed SOME good news this week.
  11. Pirates!  Band of Misfits - This Aardman studios production managed to squeeze out both Rise of the Guardians and all four G-Kids movies to grab the fifth slot in Animated Feature.  Maybe AMPAS was trying to correct themselves for snubbing the far better Aardman film Arthur Christmas in this category last year.
  10. 5 Broken Cameras - This was one of the lowest profile documentaries still eligible for a nod.  Many a documentary that flies below everyone's radar up to the day of nominations turns around and wins it all, so who knows.
  9. The Snow White Story - Not only did Mirror Mirror grab a half expected nod in Costume Design, but Snow White and the Huntsman snagged quite unanticipated recognition in both Costume and Visual Effects.  Gooo Snow!
  8. Jackie Weaver - It's not like she unseated some presumed lock to get her nomination, but she was far from the most buzzed about contender.  Still, I had a sneaking suspicion that this could be a possibility, leading me to place her in my Best Supporting Actress Wild Card slot.  This is the Australian actress,s second nomination, having come out of nowhere the first time for Animal Kingdom.
  7. Anna Karenina - Mixed critical reception may have killed this movie's Best Picture hopes early on in the game, but it still managed to pull off four tech nods, which should still be enough to at least give DVD returns an "Oscar boost".
  6. John Gatins - The Flight scripter managed to squeeze out a nod ahead of more buzzed about (and, in my opinion, stronger) scripts for The Master and Looper.
  5. The Silver Linings Playbook - Everyone expected this film to do well with Picture and Screenplay nods in addition at least a couple of acting nominations, but FOUR acting nominations plus Director and Editing were real wish fulfillment for the picture's fans, making it one of the presumed Best Picture front runners.
  4. Joachin Phoenix - Everyone was holding their breath to see if the Academy would hold Phoenix's big mouth against him and leave him out of the Best Actor race this year.  Thank goodness they didn't, because his performance was definitely one of 2012's best.  His comments about the awards race HAVE probably dashed any hopes he had of WINNING, but at least he's (mostly) been forgiven.
  3. Amour - It's been a long time since a Foreign Language Film broke into the Best Picture race, but pundits have been playing with the idea that director Haneke's latest would do just that, and it did.  Not only that, it secured nods for Director, Screenplay, Actress, and Foreign Language Film.
  2. Steven Spielberg and Lincoln - With Affleck and Bigelow both out of the running, it would seem that Spielberg's win for Director (and, most likely, the film's for Picture) are all but assured.  However, it is still early, and Life of Pi is looking stronger all the time.
  1. Benh Zeitlen and Beasts of the Southern Wild - After the snubs at SAG and the Globes, every prognosticator and their brother began to slowly but surely eliminate Beasts from ANY consideration at the Oscars this year.  Not only did it pull out the Picture, Actress, and Screenplay nods that I and a few other true believers never stopped predicting, but it pulled out a Best Directing nomination that even I had totally given up on.  I have never been happier to get one of my predictions WRONG!  Granted, I would have loved to have seen the film receive much deserved recognition in Score and Cinematography, but I'll take what I can get in the year of...

Seventeen (mostly) Regrettable Losers
  17.  A bevy of Best Supporting Actress Hopefuls - The fifth slot in this race was WIDE open, but by my tabulations, at least five other ladies were ahead of Ms. Weaver in buzz.  They were...Maggie Smith - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Nicole Kidman - The Paperboy, Ann Dowd - Compliance, Samantha
Barks - Les Miserables, and Judi Dench - Skyfall.  While I'm sure none of these ladies were counting on getting into this highly competitive race, they still have my condolences.
  16. Hitchcock - No one was expecting this movie to be an awards juggernaut at this point, but I'm sure they were hoping for SOMETHING beyond Make-Up and Hairstyling.
  15. Nepotism - Bryce Dallas Howard (offspring of Ron) failed to secure a Best Live Action Short nod for her shortlisted piece:  When You Find Me.
  14. The Master - I suppose it could have been a lot worse (Phoenix did get his actor nod), and we all suspected that a picture nod was out.  Still, there were a host of technical nods (score, costume, production design, etc.) that this meticulously made film missed out on.
  13. Cloud Atlas - We all knew that above the line nods were probably out of the question, but nothing?  This was one of the most ambitious films of the year, and it was technically sound no matter what else you thought about it.
  12. Sharen Davis - It must hurt to have your worthy costuming work on Django Unchained passed over for the overly showy outfits of Mirror Mirror.  If your name was erroneously leaked to the press as a nominee, it must be even worse.
  11. Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson's little mini-masterpiece may have landed a screenplay nod, but I'm sure they were hoping for a little more (like the Best Picture nod they must have JUST missed).
  10. Rian Johnson - Looper might have been the best screenplay of the year period, and this young auteur lost a nod to Flight?
  9. Marion Cotillard - She is rapidly becoming one of those actresses that everyone predicts every year, who never gets nominated.  Rust and Bone did not  break this trend.
  8. The Songs of Brave - With Skyfall and Les Miserables in the hunt, no one was expecting a win here, but everyone was expecting an Original Song nod for Pixar.  Didn't happen.
  7. The Intouchables - This was supposed to be Amour's top competition in Foreign Language Film:  top U.S. and world box office, backed by the Weinsteins...not to be.
  6. G-Kids - This Indie animation distributor has managed to slip into the Animated Feature race at the last second for two years running.  That streak is now broken as From Up On Poppy Hill, The Painting, The Rabbi's Cat, and Zarafa all failed to make the cut.
  5. Leonardo DiCaprio - Like Cotillard, he is turning into the perpetual bridesmaid of the Oscars.  Still, they had to go with five guys who are already former winners over Leo?
  4. Katherine Bigelow - Yeah, she just won Best Director last time out, but she has won the MOST accolades from critics groups and didn't even get a nomination here.
  3. John Hawkes - So, everybody knew that we had six strong contenders for Best Actor and only five slots.  However, if there was one performance (outside of Day-Lewis in Lincoln) that everyone thought was a lock in the category, it was John Hawkes in The Sessions.  It just goes to show:  nobody knows anything.
  2. The Dark Knight Rises - This is one of the year's best films.  We had all accepted the fact that it was probably out of the running for anything above  the line due to its subject matter and unfortunate connection to the Aurora shooting, but come on Academy!  No tech nods?  A TOTAL shut out?  Someday we will look back and laugh at Oscar on this one, I promise you.
  1. Ben Affleck - I don't even know what to say.  I was still predicting Mr. Affleck to WIN best director this year.  Sorry, Ben, better luck next time.

And One That Did Both
  The Weinstein Company - WIN:  Two Best Picture slots and half the Acting nominations.
                                           LOSE:  Documentary, Foreign Language, Song (for Lawless), and most of the tech awards.

     Stay tuned for analysis and handicapping of all the major categories starting soon and running right up to the big day.
                                                                                       Froggy

Related Posts:  Nov/Dec Oscar Buzz and Predictions: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (preview), Musical Techs (Score and Song), Noisy Techs (Sound Editing and Sound Mixing), Pretty People Techs (Hairstyling and Make-up & Costume), Pretty Picture Techs (Production Design and Cinematography), Finishing Touch Techs, Toons of Any Length (Animated Short and Animated Feature), Docs of Any Length (Documentary Feature and Documentary Short), Screenplays (Adapted and Original), Supporting Performances, Actor and Actress, Foreign Films (and Live Action Shorts), Conclusion (Picture and Director), I Think You "Argo"ing to Love It!, Bernie! On a Ledge of Misfits (Pirates! Band of Misfits review), Being Margaret's Mirror (Mirror Mirror review), The Best Huntsman's Shadow (Snow White and the Huntsman and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel reviews), Can You "Master" Your Nature?, Twist Until You Are Loopey! (Looper review), Best That the Summer Wields (Beasts of the Southern Wild review),
23? You Don't Play Like a Sequel Over 2! (Skyfall review), Cloudy Connections (Cloud Atlas review),
Promarlius Kingdom (Moonrise Kingdom review), Elena's Brave Law (Brave and Lawless reviews), Acting Master Classes in Private "Sessions", The Dark Knight Transcends, Final Pre-Nomination Oscar Predictions

Final Pre-Nomination Oscar Predictions

     With the announcement of this year's Academy Award nominations less than 24 hours away, here is my final word on the matter.  For each category, I list my ACTUAL predictions first, followed by an Alternate (the film most likely to be nominated in place of one of my picks), a Wild Card pick (something that the buzz does not support at all, but I feel COULD slide in as a surprise nod), and For Your Consideration pick (something with NO chance at being nominated, but that I feel deserves it more than some of the ones that will).  Let's begin:


Best Picture
     The trick here is figuring out what the buzz is telling us about how MANY nominees we will have in the mix.  I have inserted breaks in the top ten wherever the buzz indicates a possible cut-off exists.
  1. Argo
  2. Lincoln
  3. Zero Dark Thirty
  4. Les Miserables
  5. Life of Pi
  6. Silver Linings Playbook
  7. Django Unchained
  8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
  9. Moonrise Kingdom
  10. Amour
   Alternate: Skyfall
  Wild Card: The Intouchables
  For Your Consideration: The Sound of My Voice

Best Director
  1. Ben Affleck - Argo
  2. Steven Spielberg - Lincoln
  3. Katherine Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty
  4. Ang Lee - Life of Pi
  5. David O Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
   Alternate: Tom Hooper - Les Miserables
  Wild Card: Michael Haneke - Amour
  For Your Consideration - Tom Tykwer & the Wachowskis - Cloud Atlas

Best Actor
  1.  Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
  2.  John Hawkes - The Sessions
  3.  Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
  4.  Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
  5.  Denzel Washington - Flight
  Alternate: Joachin Phoenix - The Master
  Wild Card: Jamie Foxx - Django Unchained
  For Your Consideration: Suraj Sharma - Life of Pi, Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Looper

Best Actress
  1.  Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
  2.  Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
  3.  Naomi Watts - The Impossible
  4.  Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
  5.  Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone
  Alternate: Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
  Wild Card: Rachel Weisz - The Deep Blue Sea
  For Your Consideration:  Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises

Best Supporting Actor
  1. Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
  2. Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
  3. Robert DeNiro - Silver Linings Playbook
  4. Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained
  5. Alan Arkin - Argo
   Alternate:  Matthew MacConaughey - Magic Mike
  Wild Card: Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
  For Your Consideration:  Mikkel Boe Folsgaard - A Royal Affair

Best Supporting Actress
  1. Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
  2. Sally Field - Lincoln
  3. Helen Hunt - Sessions
  4. Amy Adams - The Master
  5. Maggie Smith - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
  Alternate: Ann Dowd - Compliance
  Wild Card: Jackie Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook
  For Your Consideration: Doona Bae - Cloud Atlas

Best Original Screenplay
  1. Django Unchained
  2. Moonrise Kingdom
  3. The Master
  4. Zero Dark Thirty
  5. Looper
  Alternate: Flight
  Wild Card: Middle of Nowhere
  For Your Consideration: The Cabin in the Woods


Best Adapted Screenplay
  1. Lincoln
  2. Argo
  3. Silver Linings Playbook
  4. Life of Pi
  5. Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Alternate: Perks of Being a Wallflower
  Wild Card: The Sessions
  For Your Consideration: Cloud Atlas

Best Animated Feature
  1. Frankenweenie
  2. Paranorman
  3. Brave
  4. The Painting
  5. Wreck-It Ralph
  Alternate: Rise of the Guardians
  Wild Card: The Rabbi's Cat
  For Your Consideration: A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman

Best Foreign Language Film
  1. Amour (Austria)
  2. The Intouchables (France)
  3. A Royal Affair (Denmark)
  4. War Witch (Canada)
  5. No (Chile)
  Alternate: Beyond the Hills (Romania)
  Wild Card: Kon-Tiki (Norway)
  For Your Consideration: Elena (Russia)

Best Documentary
  1. Searching For Sugar Man
  2. How To Survive a Plague
  3. The Imposter
  4. The Gatekeepers
  5. The House I Live In
  Alternate: The Invisible War
  Wild Card: This Is Not a Film
  For Your Consideration: Marley

Best Cinematography
  1. Life of Pi
  2. Skyfall
  3. Lincoln
  4. Django Unchained
  5. Les Miserables
  Alternate:  The Master
  Wild Card: Beasts of the Southern Wild
  For Your Consideration: The Dark Knight Rises


Best Costume
  1. Anna Karenina
  2. Les Miserables
  3. Lincoln
  4. Django Unchained
  5. Cloud Atlas
  Alternate: Mirror Mirror
  Wild Card: A Royal Affair
  For Your Consideration: Moonrise Kingdom

Best Editing
  1. Argo
  2. Zero Dark Thirty
  3. Lincoln
  4. Life of Pi
  5. Les Miserables
  Alternate: Silver Linings Playbook
  Wild Card: Skyfall
  For Your Consideration: Cloud Atlas

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
  1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  2. Lincoln
  3. Les Miserables
  Alternate: Hitchcock
  Wild Card: Looper
  For Your Consideration: Cloud Atlas

Best Music (Original Score)
  1. Lincoln
  2. Life of Pi
  3. The Master
  4. Beasts of the Southern Wild
  5. Argo
  Alternate: Cloud Atlas
  Wild Card: Zero Dark Thirty
  For Your Consideration: Moonrise Kingdom

Best Music (Original Song)
  1. Les Miserables - Suddenly
  2. Skyfall - Skyfall
  3. Brave - Learn Me Right
  4. Django Unchained - Ancora Qui
  5. Life of Pi - Pi's Lullaby
  Alternate: Paul Williams Is Still Alive - Still Alive
  Wild Card: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Song of the Lonely Mountain, Frankenweenie - Strange Love
  For Your Consideration: Any of the excellent disqualified work from Lawless

Best Production Design
  1. Les Miserables
  2. Anna Karenina
  3. Lincoln
  4.The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  5. Life of Pi
  Alternate: Cloud Atlas
  Wild Card: Argo
  For Your Consideration: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Sound Editing
  1. Zero Dark Thirty
  2. Skyfall
  3. The Dark Knight Rises
  4. The Avengers
  5. Life of Pi
  Alternate: Lincoln
  Wild Card: The Impossible
   For Your Consideration: The Cabin In the Woods

Best Sound Mixing
  1. Les Miserables
  2. Zero Dark Thirty
  3. Skyfall
  4. Life of Pi
  5. The Dark Knight Rises
  Alternate: Lincoln
  Wild Card: The Impossible
   For Your Consideration:  The Grey


Best Visual Effects
  1. Life of Pi
  2. Cloud Atlas
  3. The Avengers
  4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  5. The Dark Knight Rises
  Alternate:  Prometheus
  Wild Card:  Skyfall
   For Your Consideration:  The Cabin In the Woods


Best Animated Short
  1. Paperman
  2. The Eagleman Stag
  3. Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
  4. Adam and Dog
  5. Combustible
  Alternate: Dripped
  Wild Card: Tram
 

Best Documentary Short
  1. The Education of Mohammed Hussein
  2. Open Heart
  3. Mondays at Racine
  4. Innocente
  5. Kings Point
   Alternate: Redemption
  Wild Card: Paraiso

Best Live Action Short
  1. Death of a Shadow
  2. Curfew
  3. When You Find Me
  4. 9 Meter
  5. When You Find Me
  Alternate: Asad
  Wild Card: The Night Shift Belongs To The Stars
 
     And in a few hours it will all be over.  I ran short of time to post the buzz list final tallies, so I'll work them into my analysis after they are announced tomorrow.  I have butterflies...


Related Posts:  coming soon (I ran out of time)

Dec Oscar Buzz and Predictions - Screenplays

Original Screenplay

     As always we'll start with the buzz...

  1.(1) The Master

  2.(5) Zero Dark Thirty

  3.(2) Moonrise Kingdom

  4.(3) Django Unchained

  5.(4) Amour

  6. Looper

  7. Flight

  8. Promised Land 

  9. Middle of Nowhere

  10.(6) Seven Psychopaths

  Leaving the Rankings:  Brave, Hyde Park On Hudson, Inside Llewyn Davis, Magic Mike
     It's becoming very clear who the top contenders are here.  I see my top three picks as locks with four...maybe five...films fighting it out for the remaining three slots.
  1. Django Unchained...With the screenplay win from the National Board of Review, Globe and Critics Choice nods, generally good notices, and Tarantino prestige, I have to think this is the surest contender and might be this film's best chance at a win.
  2. Moonrise Kingdom...Wes Anderson may have missed his nod at the Globes, but not at the Critic's Choice or Spirit awards and he feels overdue for some recognition.
  3. Zero Dark Thirty...Although this film definitely feels like a lock for a nomination (with Critic's Choice and Globe nods already under its belt), Mark Boal did just win for the Hurt Locker, so I'm not seeing a win here...yet.
  4. The Master...This film's chances with Oscar in general are hurting at the moment, but I still think it gets in here as it did at the Critic's Choice.
  5. Looper...Besides BEING one of the best screenplays of the year, this film is gaining momentum quickly, starting with a surprise nod from the Critic's Choice Awards.

  6. Amour...Pundits seem to love the idea that this film will break out of Foreign Language Film, and its acclaim IS high, but it doesn't have any major wins or nods for screenplay specifically, so we'll have to wait and see.
  7. Middle of Nowhere...If any film were to emerge as a top contender at the last second, it would be this one.
  8. Flight...Yeah, it got a Critic's Choice nom but enthusiasm for this film outside of the Best Actor race is waning.
  9. Promised Land...The Academy is very fond of Matt Damon and the lack of awards attention thus far COULD just be from lack of exposure.
  10. The Cabin in the Woods...This is probably wishful thinking on my part but this script has gotten some love from minor critic's groups and that is more than anyone was expecting.


Adapted Screenplay
     First, the buzz...
  1.(1) Lincoln
  2.(2) Argo
  3.(7) Silver Linings Playbook
  4.(3) Beasts of the Southern Wild
  5.(5) Life of Pi

  6.(6) Les Miserables
  7. The Sessions
  8.(4) Anna Karenina
  9. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
  10. Cloud Atlas
  Leaving the Rankings:  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Quartet, On the Road
     I can't really argue with the buzz rankings too much here...
  1. Silver Linings Playbook...All of the top three films here are locks, and all three got nods at the Critic's Choice and Golden Globes.  Silver also got an Indie Spirit nod, which might mean nothing, except that in early WINS, Russell's screenplay took the National Board of Review and the D.C. Area Film Critics, which just edges out...
  2. Argo...which won Chris Terrio the Los Angeles Film Critics, which just edges out...
  3. Lincoln...which won Tony Kushner the screenplay award from the Boston Film Critics.  All three should have no difficulty securing nods and would seem at this point to be each other's only real competition for the win.  The other two slots?  Well...
  4. Life of Pi...David Magee got a Critic's Choice nod here, and the film is highly likely to get a Best Picture nod, so I'm going to say it's probably next, but far less secure.
  5. Beasts of the Southern Wild...Behn Zeitlen's brilliant screenplay has not been singled out exactly, but this young auteur has been winning almost every "Promising New Filmmaker" award that any critics group has flung around.  I still retain hope that the Academy will be more open to this film than the Globes and SAG (which might have shown more support if the film had not been eliminated from consideration before voting began).  Hence I'm giving it this last slot for now, but stiff competition remains in...

  6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower...Perks got an unexpected nod at the Critic's choice, and recognizing writer/director Stephen Chbosky (who also wrote the source novel) in this category could be a nice way of honoring a film that many feel has been given less attention that it deserved.
  7. Les Miserables...No major mentions for screenplay, but the film is sure to garner a host of nominations.  There is always the possibility that this will be one.
  8. The Sessions...This film was presumed to be a strong contender, but early critics group awards and major nominations have eluded Ben Llewyn thus far...
  9. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel...This movie seems to be popping up in all sorts of unexpected places lately, so who knows...
  10. Cloud Atlas...Well, we all know that this late in the season number ten is my personal For Your Consideration slot.

     I'm going to catch up on the buzz for a bit and then I'll be back to cover Supporting Actress/Actor.
                                                                                     Froggy

Related Posts:  Nov/Dec Oscar Buzz and Predictions: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (preview), Musical Techs (Score and Song), Noisy Techs (Sound Editing and Sound Mixing), Pretty People Techs (Hairstyling and Make-up & Costume), Pretty Picture Techs (Production Design and Cinematography), Finishing Touch Techs, Toons of Any Length (Animated Short and Animated Feature), Docs of Any Length (Documentary Feature and Documentary Short), Can You "Master" Your Nature?, Promarlius Kingdom (Moonrise Kingdom review), Twist Until You Are Loopey? (Looper review), I Think You "Argo"ing to Love It!, Best That The Summer Wields? (Beasts of the Southern Wild review), The Cabin With the Goods,
Acting Master Classes in Private "Sessions", Cloudy Connections (Cloud Atlas review), Sept/Oct Oscar Buzz and Predictions - Screenplays

Promarlius Kingdom

     These DVD reviews include a modern day fable of the innocence of youth, a cynical science fiction take on the meaning of life, and a powerful documentary about a musical innovator who became the international voice of a nation.  That voice was...

  Marley - I have never been a huge fan of reggae music.  I definitely had an appreciation for Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the basic knowledge of ten or fifteen of their best known songs.  A few of them I have always considered pretty great songs.  So my level of interest going into this nearly two and a half hour biodoc was questionable and I feel I was prepared to judge the movie on its own merits since I wasn't really rooting for or against it.
     Director Kevin MacDonald was a successful documentarian (Touching the Void, 2003), who made a promising foray into narrative cinema (The Last King of Scotland, 2006) that might have lasted a little too long (The Eagle, 2011).  I am happy to report that Marley is a triumphant return to documentary film making, a real pleasure to watch.
     Admittedly, the first hour does seem to ramble a little, and did not captivate me nearly as much as the latter half of the film did.  However, I'm not sure that the end of the film would have packed as much punch with less set up.  If you did not see HOW humble Mr. Marley's beginnings were you wouldn't appreciate how much he overcame to become the man he did.
     Marley is an entrancing picture by the end, one that clearly indicates what was important about this man.  He did not become just the most eminent representative of his genre of music, but of a religion, and a nation.  I never really appreciated how much of an effect he had on the world.  If you are a fan, chances are it is already on your must see list.  If it's not, unless you just DETEST reggae, I would unreservedly recommend checking it out.  4 1/2 of 5 stars.

    Moonrise Kingdom - The works of Wes Anderson run a little hot and cold with me, but I think this may be his best feature (well, certainly, LIVE action feature) since The Royal Tennenbaums.  I'm not sure exactly what it was that made this one click for me.  It did have the perfect ensemble supporting cast of adults, who were all pretty equally excellent.  If I did have to pick one stand out it would probably be Bill Murray, but he does have a couple of unfair advantages.  "Moonrise" being his fifth collaboration with director Anderson, Murray has had a lot of practice with the conventions of the film maker's private universe.  Moreover, it almost seems that the world inside Anderson's head is one in which everyone speaks and behaves in a way very similar to Murray's signature persona:  dry humor and intense dispassion.
     Most of Anderson's pictures tend to be star-studded affairs, and it was sort of refreshing to see two relative unknowns (Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) lead this film's cast.  They could easily have been true creatures of the film's world, newly hatched and quirky by nature.
     The look of this film is very unique, with a sepia tone to all the visual elements.  Robert D. Yeoman's cinematography work is really excellent here.  He and Anderson work together to create numerous little tableau's in the film, moments that call to mind sources as divergent as The Last Supper and The Shawshank Redemption.  Alexandre Desplat's scoring is brilliant as usual, enhancing the mood of each scene without overpowering the story.
     My only complaint with the film is that, for some reason, it started to drag for me in the last half hour or so.  Maybe the novelty of this little world and its inhabitants began to wear off a little, maybe the film's thematic development never quite came together for me.  I'm not sure.
     Moonrise Kingdom is a serious contender in several awards races this year, Original Screenplay probably being its strongest category.  It could crack Best Picture, Score, or Cinematography as well.  It may well be deserving of a nod in Production Design, but actually getting one seems a bit far fetched at present.  Though this film did not quite reach the heights of Royal Tennenbaums or Rushmore, it came very close, a sort of light to "Royal"'s relative darkness.  4 1/2 of 5*

  Prometheus - Maybe I  went into this one with greater expectations than was fair, but you have too forgive me on that point.  A prequel to Alien?  By an Oscar winning director (Ridley Scott), who had already made the first (and only the first) film in the franchise over forty years ago?  Throw in three powerful lead performers, and a story centered around the origins of mankind and what's not to like?  Well, "like" is pretty much all I could muster in the way of enthusiasm.
    Of aforementioned three leads, only Fassbender really impresses, as the politely sinister android David.  This is Noomi Rapace's first English language feature, so perhaps we must be a little lenient on her faltering accent, Theron suffers from comparison to her performance in Snow White and the Huntsman.  Again, expectations.
     Basically, Prometheus has this great concept and set-up, but completely fails to utilize these in a sustainable way.  It boasts some impressive visual effects, and all of the craft elements are commendable, but the script fails to deliver on its initial promise.  3 of 5*

Related articles: Sept. Oscar Buzz and Predictions - The Techs: Part 1, Part 2, The Genres, Screenplays, Supporting Performers, Directors, and Picture, The Best Huntsman's Shadow, (Snow White and the Huntsman review)

Can You Master Your Nature?

     I've just had the most extraordinary three day personal film festival.  I saw eight films including my third, fourth, and fifth five star productions for the year (and two four and a half star pictures).  In rapid succession, I saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Snow White and the Huntsmen, Dark Shadows, The Master, Argo, Marley, Looper, and Moonrise Kingdom.  Now, I have to start churning out some reviews before they (and the set of three DVD reviews I was already due to write) all start getting mixed up in my head.  How strange, then, that the one I'm going to start with is the one that I feel the least prepared to write about after a single viewing.
     Many pictures reveal hidden meanings and layers upon multiple viewings, but every now and then you see a film that you know you were completely unable to absorb completely the first time out.  That's why I watched The Tree of Life three times through before I returned the DVD.  It took that much exposure to really grasp the film.  I felt that way when I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild in the theater earlier this year.  I knew the moment that it ended that the first half of the film would make a lot more sense thematically after seeing how it ended, and the end would make more sense after seeing the first part again.  Still waiting.  This is exactly how I felt as I left the theater at the end of The Master.
     Paul Thomas Anderson is an amazing auteur.  It is almost impossible to believe that this is only his sixth film.  It lives up to its predecessors in every way.  His attention to detail, nuance, and tone is always deliberate and precise.  His ability to draw character out of allegory and allegory out of character is nearly unmatched, comparable to Altman.  Anderson never insults the intelligence of his audience, leaving some of the work up to the viewer.  This, of course, turns some viewers off.  Those who appreciate this kind of challenge, however, will find themselves richly rewarded for their keen attention.
     The look of this picture is exquisite.  High praise is in order for cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., production designers David Crank and Jack Fisk, and costumer Mark Bridges.  Johnny Greenwood's score was sort of erratic and a bit jarring.  I don't know if it will be at all the Academy's thing, but I thought that it did an excellent job of punctuating the action and drama without calling undue attention to itself.
     Which brings us to the actors.  Anderson has a real talent for large ensemble casts.  But while many fine performances were given by actors in smaller roles (Jesse Plemons, Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek, and Laura Dern), this film focused apologetically upon the three figures at its dramatic center.  They are almost id, ego, and super-ego.
     We meet Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell first.  Phoenix is almost unrecognizable inside the Freddie character.  He is a beast of a man, simian in poster, primitive in his reactions, and totally lacking in self control.  Everything about the famously eccentric Mr. Phoenix's performance conveys this:  the tone and laziness of diction with which he speaks, the way he holds his face, the way he looks down or away from people when he speaks to them, and everything about the way he moves and positions his body.  It is the best performance I have ever seen from this actor and deserves every bit of praise that has previously been heaped upon it.
     His polar (and we do mean polar) opposite in this trinity is Amy Adams as Peggy Dodd.  She is one cool character, all poise and reason.  You see glimpses of the fire underneath, but only what she wants you to see.  In The Fighter, Adams showed she had range beyond sweetness and innocence, but she was still essentially a brassy little girl.  Here, she shows that she can play a sophisticated woman, one with morally murky motivations, one who can master the Master.  Again, my favorite performance by this actress ever.
     Finally, you have the man caught between them, Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd.  He is certainly charismatic as the would be cult leader, and at first seems as polished and controlled as his wife, but you can tell as the film progresses that there is something deep inside him that is very much like Freddy.  I can't wait to re watch this powerful performance at a later date and see what clues I missed to this double nature in the first half of the movie.
      As I said before, I'm still sorting out the film thematically.  Perhaps I'll find an excuse to go into greater detail on that later in the season, after a second viewing.  Much of the film, however, was very similar to Beasts of the Southern Wild except flipped on its head.  Whereas Hushpuppy was raised to accept her animal nature and place within the natural world, Lancaster tries to teach Freddy to separate himself from the animal kingdom and rely on pure detached intellect.  It doesn't work for Freddy, and it doesn't seem to really be working for Lancaster.  In fact, you wonder at times which of them is failing to teach the other what they really need to know.
     This film could prove to be too weird for the Academy, but its hard to imagine it not DESERVING Best Picture and Director kudos.  Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, and Original Screenplay still seem like no-brainers for this film.  All of the craft categories I mentioned above could be in play as well as Editing if Picture and Director come through.
      This film may prove to be too dark or cerebral for some tastes, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable, enriching, and tightly crafted.  Anderson's legacy as a brilliant auteur is intact, and some very talented performers have shown us sides of themselves we've never had the pleasure of viewing before.  I left the theater very pleased.  5 of 5 stars.

Related posts:  Best the the Summer Wields? (review of Beasts of the Southern Wild), Sept. Oscar Buzz and Predictions - The Techs: Part 1, Part 2, Screenplays, Supporting Performers, Best Actor and Actress, Directors, and Picture

Sept Oscar Buzz and Predictions - Screenplays

Adapted Screenplay
     This category is usually populated almost entirely by Best Picture contenders, and I'm sure that this year will be no exception.  As always, previous rankings appear in parenthesis.  Buzz surrounds...
  1.(1) Lincoln
  2.(3) Argo
  3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
  4.(4) Anna Karenina
  5.(6) Life of Pi

  6.(2) Les Miserables
  7.(7) The Silver Linings Playbook
  8.(5) The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey
  9. Quartet
  10.(8) On The Road
  Leaving the Rankings:  The Great Gatsby, Gangster Squad
     Although I'm seeing a script more like...
  1. The Silver Linings Playbook - David O Russell is already respected by the Academy (even though he has no previous nominations in the writing categories), and the positive buzz out of Toronto has been deafening.  Oh...and the Weinsteins are distributing with no other strong horse in this race.
  2. Beasts of the Southern Wild - Behn Zeitlen and Lucy Alibar have not one previous Academy Award nomination between them, but they do have one of the critical hits of the year, one that already scored multiple wins at both Sundance and Cannes.  Oh, and it's this wonderfully creative little allegory, too.
  3. Argo - Also seems very close to a lock at this point, even if writer Chris Terrio is another Oscar virgin.  Buzz is huge, and reviews coming out of Toronto are almost unanimously positive.
  4. Life of Pi - David Magee does have 1 previous nomination from the AMPAS under his belt (for Finding Neverland), and the novel was widely considered impossible to adapt to film.  If he pulls it off impressively, I say he's in.
  5. Promised Land - It's making a late entry into the awards season for some good reason, I assure you.  Matt Damon and John Krasinski wrote the screenplay and starred in the film.  That often tickles Oscar's fancy, as it did the year that Damon won for Good Will Hunting.  It would also be fun to see Ben and Matt up against each other's films in multiple categories.  A little like Brad and George last year, but less focused on one category.

  6. Cloud Atlas - I'm still holding on to hope here.  I know the festival response has been mixed, but I still think this might be more of a contender than anyone expected.  The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer all collaborated on the script.  None of them have ever been nominated.
  7. The Sessions - This film has had buzz in several categories ever since Sundance, and Ben Levin's script is supposed to be quite good, so who knows?
  8. Les Miserables - William Nicholson has two previous nominations, and I'm still expecting the film to be big, but musicals do tend to lose out sometimes in screenplay.
  9. Anna Karenina - Oscar winner and two time nominee Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love, Brazil) handles the screenplay duties, but early response has been so mixed that I'm not feeling as confident as I once was.
  10. Lincoln - I know, it's almost ridiculously cynical the way I'm treating this film. One time nominee Tony Kushner (Munich) wrote this one, and it might well be fantastic, but I'm remaining officially skeptical...for now.


Original Screenplay
     It's a little bit weird this year that all the big name writers and here rather than in Adapted, but that's certainly the way it seems at the moment. The buzz bestows...
  1.(2) The Master
  2.(6) Moonrise Kingdom
  3.(1) Django Unchained
  4. Amour
  5.(3) Zero Dark Thirty

  6.(10) Seven Psychopaths
  7.(7) Brave
  8. Hyde Park On Hudson
  9.(9) Inside Llewyn Davis
  10. Magic Mike
  Leaving the Rankings:  The Sessions, Beasts of the Southern Wild, To Rome With Love
     It's pretty tough to argue with most of the conventional wisdom here, but I read it more like...
  1. The Master - Paul Thomas Anderson has been nominated three times in the screenplay categories (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood) and never won. There is definitely some perception of an overdue factor at play here and the film is already well on its way to being on of the top reviewed pictures of the season. If it opens with any kind of box office success, it may well be completely unstoppable.
  2. Moonrise Kingdom - This is the sort of film that could easily get a screenplay nod even if it doesn't get one for Best Picture.  It is written by Roman Coppola and director Wes Anderson who has one previous nomination for The Royal Tennenbaums.  Another of the best reviewed films of the year so far.
  3. Amour - Auteur Michael Haneke has never been nominated (well, The White Ribbon was up for Foreign Language Film a few years ago, but technically that was a nomination for Austria), but he has a lot of admirers out there, and in the Academy.  This film is currently the toast of the international film community in a way that suggests it could easily break out of the Foreign Language category and this would be the easiest place for it to do so.
  4. Django Unchained - It's Tarantino, and Weinstein is obviously confident that it will be awards friendly Tarantino to at least some extent.  Quentin already has an Oscar win in this category (for Pulp Fiction) and another nomination under his belt (for Inglourious Basterds), so why bet against one of America's best writer/directors, still in his prime?
  5. Inside Llewyn Davis - With five nominations for Screenplay, it's not wise to doubt the Coen brothers.  They may have won twice, but it appears increasingly as if the Academy has dubbed them the twenty first century's answer to Woody Allen.

  6. Zero Dark Thirty - Yes, Mark Boal won last time out for The Hurt Locker, but he is still relatively inexperienced and it's the rare screen writer that goes two for two, especially so early on in their careers.
  7. Seven Psychopaths - Martin McDonough has been nominated once before for In Bruges and the early word is very encouraging.  If some little indie picture outside of the top races slides in this year, this one seems most likely.
  8. Magic Mike - What seemed a very unlikely contender exceeded all expectations.  Reid Carolin has no previous nods, but if this film breaks into Best Supporting Actor, it could score here as well.
  9. Ruby Sparks - The Academy loves actors turned writer or director, and that could work in Zoe Kazan's favor.
  10. Flight - John Gatins's dramatic work may prove too sentimental, or it could surprise us all.  He has no previous nominations.

       Which breaks us into the top eight categories.  Up next weekend?  The acting categories.  Now I must tabulate new buzz...
                                                                           Froggy

Related posts:  September Oscar Buzz and Predictions - The Genres, The Techs: Part One, Part 2, Awards Season Hits the Next Leg, Best That the Summer Wields (Beasts of the Southern Wild review), June Oscar Buzz and Predictions - The Screenplays