Tonight, the great and good of Hollywood will convene to celebrate the best of filmmaking in 2013 at the 86th Annual Academy Awards, which will be hosted for the second time by Ellen DeGeneres (hooray!). It has become a tradition for me to predict the nominations and the winners in the main six categories (the four acting categories, Best Director and Best Picture). I've done this since 2003 with varying degrees of success. So, without further ado, here are my predictions for who will win.
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave)
Nyong'o's stunning performance as slave girl Patsey gives added heart to 12 Years A Slave, and it's made even more impressive for the fact that it's her first feature film role. However, there's a chance that the award might go to Jennifer Lawrence (who won the Golden Globe and BAFTA for her performance in American Hustle). Whilst Lawrence's performance is very powerful, I found Nyong'o's performance more emotionally affecting and she would be a very deserving winner.
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Leto's been the stand-out winner throughout the awards season for his fierce yet fragile performance as transgender woman Rayon. Leto provides a great foil to McConaughey's boorishness, giving Dallas Buyers Club a real emotional heart, and I will be very surprised if any other name is called out.
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Similarly, I will also be gobsmacked if anyone other than Blanchett gets named Best Actress for her breathtaking turn in Blue Jasmine. Ever since I saw the film back in October, her turn as the neurotic, glacial Jasmine has stayed with me and I even stated when we did the Review Of 2013 that I thought she would win. In a category dominated by acting royalty- Streep, Dench- Blanchett stands head-and-shoulders above them. Like Leto, she's been the runaway winner throughout the awards season and totally deserves to win.
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Who ever thought I'd be saying this? Matthew McConaughey is pretty much locked in to win the Best Actor Oscar for his sterling turn as Ron Woodroof. Anyone who can portray a racist, homophobic redneck and have you rooting for him to succeed is doing something pretty special. Whilst it would be nice to see Chiwetel Ejiofor to win (as his performance in 12 Years A Slave is just superb), I think it's going to go to McConaughey.
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
Despite my reservations about some of the script decisions in the film, there's no taking away from the fact that Gravity is a technical tour-de-force- the amazing opening sequence done in two single takes, the zero-gravity effects- and for that reason, Cuaron deserves to win.
Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave
Again, this has been the stand-out Best Picture winner throughout awards season, so I'm fully expecting it to win the top prize. 12 Years A Slave is a powerful film, one to be respected rather than enjoyed though due to its unflinching portrayal of the harshness of slavery. It's a film full of strong performances and is shot with a striking visual style.
Last year, I got a clean sweep of 6 out of 6. With no false modesty, I'm confident on 3 of these, maybe 4. I think Best Supporting Actress may be open for debate, as might Best Picture. The assumption is that it's 12 Years A Slave's to lose, but you can never really tell until the golden envelope is opened.
I'll update the blog on Monday March 3rd with all the results and my thoughts on the ceremony
Tez
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