And the Oscar goes to....

Confession: I love award shows. Maybe this makes me a little shallow and a little too "of the world" or some other not great quality but I can't help it. 

I'm not completely sure what it is about them that I love but I do. It isn't that I am star struck or that I like seeing a bunch of rich people dress all fancy or hear them botch an acceptance speech (cough cough Jodie Foster at the globes cough cough). Maybe it is that I just like seeing the people and nominees I like win, I don't know. 

Although if I had to bet I would say it is just my competitive side coming out. I like picking the winner. I like being right (that would also probably be the shallow/slightly arrogant side coming out) and yelling that my pick got ripped off when they lose. It is almost like a sport to me. But all of this is just my rambling.

After seeing Silver Linings Playbook with my former roommate Caroline, we were discussing the Oscars and she suggested I write a blog about it. So I am.

I started writing this and it started getting really long so I've divided it up into a couple of posts. 

Disclaimer: I have not seen all the films and some of the categories I'm going to skip because, really, how am I supposed to pick a film editor. We will just say my default pick is Les Miserable because I'm a little obsessed with it. 

Best Picture
The Nominees: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty. 

My pick: Les Miserables

I think Les Miserables is the top choice because it is phenomenal. If you have not seen it stop reading and go now. But more than just my obvious bias, I picked Les Mis because it is held in such high regard in the theater world that it was a huge risk for all those involved in making it and they knew it would be held to the highest standard. It is not Mama Mia. It was bad and the world moved on. Some people, who must be tone deaf, loved it. Had Les Mis been poorly done, it would have been disastrous; all of the names of those involved would be mud! But what really pushed it over the top was that it was not simply good, it was incredible. A magnificent film adaptation of a legendary production.


Although Les Mis is my pick, it is not however a shoe in. I think this is probably the hardest category, as it should be. There are lots of nominees and, unlike other award shows, they are all lumped into one. Like I said, I haven't seen all of these but I think there are some other clear front runners: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Lincoln. 

Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild are definitely the wild cards. I have not seen either of these but I am always wary of films like these. To be really honest, I had not even heard of Amour until I saw it listed as a nominee. However, I think it is a front runner because the Academy likes foreign films in America. As for Beasts of the Southern Wild, I've seen trailers, previews, and interviews and heard reviews. The reviews are mostly outstanding but that's not why I picked it. It is artsy and different and the Academy likes that (i.e. The Artist last year) and it certainly helps that it has been well received. 

As for Lincoln, it is a great film, Daniel Day-Lewis is Abraham Lincoln, and Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones both do a good job. But, it just isn't over the top. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, I will probably buy it when it comes out, which is saying something in the era of Netflix and Red Box, but I probably won't be counting down the days until it comes out and be at Target that day to get it, like I will be with Les Mis. 

Zero Dark Thirty is a toss up for me. I have not seen it and do not intend to see it because of some of the controversies surrounding it (although the day Osama Bin Ladin was killed I jumped up and down and celebrated like a 4 year old in a bounce house at a birthday party). Personally, I do not think it should even be a front runner but reality is that it probably should be, primarily because of political and historical reasons rather than the quality of the film. 

After telling this to my friend Caroline, she reminded that The Hurt Locker was similar and won several years ago (2010). Which is true, but, as the song says, "the times they are a changing." I think that the major difference is that The Hurt Locker was made several years ago, earlier in the War on Terrorism. Although Zero Dark Thirty is a different, but similar, story, it is the same war and polls from the election showed that Americans are tired of it, no matter what the political opinions surrounding it are. However, unlike the election, the American people aren't voting, the Academy is, and therefore I'm ruling it a toss up (but am secretly rooting against it). 

Ben Affleck in Argo

For the rest, I have seen some and not seen some. I'm sure all have their merits but they just don't strike me as Oscar winners. I did see Silver Linings Playbook and Argo. I liked both, although Argo is more my style than Silver Linings, but I would be shocked if they win.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor
Nominees: Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel Washington. 

Who I think will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Who I want to win: Hugh Jackman

Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln

Again, I'm a little biased. I loved Les Mis. But I have a case to make here. 

Both are incredible and deep down I wish they could share it. Like I said above, Daniel Day-Lewis is Abraham Lincoln. Everything you've ever heard about Lincoln Daniel Day-Lewis captures it. Every mannerism associated with Lincoln, he brings to life. The way he walks and talks and sits and grieves for our broken country,  is unreal. A similar performance would be Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in the Iron Lady. Both embody these historic figures. 

Hugh Jackman as Jean Val Jean In Les Miserables 

On the other hand, Hugh Jackman plays a legendary literary character. He pours incredible emotion into every word and every note he sings. He is my pick because I feel like his performance is critical to the overall success of the film by inspiring and enhancing the performance of the other actors and actresses. Whereas, I feel like Daniel Day-Lewis is the primary performer and the other actors and actresses, although good, don't quite live up to it. In the end I think Daniel Day-Lewis will walk away with it though because of the role he plays. When you see his performance, you compare him to Lincoln. When you see Hugh Jackman, you compare him to his past performances and other Jean Val Jean's you have seen. 

That's all for now. Feel free to comment. Check back later for more picks and be sure to watch the Academy Awards on February 24th at 7 pm est on ABC!!