Very Late Oscar (sort of) Predictions

Due to popular demand (LOL) will do some predictions for tonight but we all know that one movie could also sweep the awards which has become sort of annoying and well, yes, boring especially if you’re one of the many people that believe that movie not necessarily deserves all honors that have been collecting. I am one that thinks exactly that.

Don’t get me wrong movie is nice but IF I wanted to enjoy a silent movie there are so many that I can watch that are extremely superior to this year “popular” silent movie, so being silent is not the issue to deserve honors. Then think about performances, not bad in this movie but if I want to watch silent performances –based on expressions- there are SO many that will simply blow mine (and yours) mind, one fast example: think Chaplin. Then think tech specs, well yes in these elements The Artist is obviously superior to any silent movie, dah! So all the honors the movie has been collecting strongly suggest “nostalgia”, honoring “times that are long gone” and probably will never comeback –when cinema was kind of “innocent” and suddenly what started in USA spill its magic into UK and France as both Academies gave top honors to a movie that celebrates “old” Hollywood and tangentially “old world cinema”. Old is good this year in Hollywood and no surprise as just remember the average age of Academy members that vote in these awards or think Billy Crystal.

Well let’s get into looking at my crystal ball. To clarify, will win is what I predict will win; should win, is the one I think should win from nominees, and my vote goes to could come from nominees or any other movie that I believe was relevant in each category.

Best Picture
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Descendants
My Oscar goes to: I think I have not seen it yet… (let’s hope is Le Havre)

Best Animated Feature Film
Will Win: Rango
Should Win: Rango
My Oscar goes to: Un vie de chat (A cat in Paris) which I enjoy so much that seemed quite short in length.

Foreign Language Film
Will Win: A Separation
Should Win: A Separation
My Oscar goes to: Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) which is the best movie I have seen from past year up to today.

Directing
Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius
Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius – just for daring to do the movie
My Oscar goes to: Nuri Bilge Ceylan for returning to his marverlous style and doing an outstanding masterpiece

Actress in a Leading Role
Will Win: Viola Davis or Meryl Streep
Should Win: Michelle Williams
My Oscar goes to: Michelle Williams for her incredible performance as MM.

Unfortunately the Academy members will not dare to give Michelle Williams the Oscar this year just because she played a “sacred” icon and they will not give anyone a reward for playing a Hollywood icon. But you’ll see that her next good role will mean Oscar for her. Was reading about Rooney Mara nomination by some academy members, their reasoning is that they’re impressed by the “change” Mara went to become Lisbeth and as stated by many, it is OBVIOUS that none of those Academy members have seen Noomi Rapace doing the same role, but ignorance should not excuse their lack of world cinema exposure, sigh. Instead of Mara, great Tilda Swinton should have been nominated, period. I can’t give my Oscar to Meryl Streep as even if she has a good performance in The Iron Lady, she could not save the movie, gosh that was a really bad movie and I hate it.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Octavia Spencer
Should Win: Jessica Chastain for so many good roles in one year that’s truly amazing!
My Oscar goes to: yep, Jessica Chastain especially in Take Shelter but including all her other appearances.

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Win: Jean Dujardin
Should Win: George Clooney (if he’s going to be honored with Oscar then this is the role for which he should get the honor)
My Oscar goes to: as much as I think I could not think about one male performance that particularly impressed me; surprised me, ah! Brad Pitt in Moneyball. See Gosling was really good in Drive but I expect that performance from him, so it’s not surprising.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Christopher Plummer
Should Win: believe it or not, the best of the group is Jonah Hill
My Oscar goes to: not Plummer, he was the best in Beginners but his performance is not as good as Hill or Nolte, for example. One that impressed me was Albert Brooks in Drive, and I’m NO Brooks fan, but he was good.

Cinematography
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: NONE of the nominated and especially NOT The Tree of Life as its celebrated Big Bang too long scene looks and feels like MANY I have seen in Natgeo or similar TV channels.
My Oscar goes to: I’m very visual and the movie that gets my Oscar is Bal (Honey) that I know is too old for this year but truly deserves the top honor in the world. Okay this year stays in Turkey with Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia).

Writing Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: The Descendants
Should Win: The Descendants
My Oscar goes to: The Descendants

Writing Original Screenplay
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: A Separation
My Oscar goes to: A Separation for such a universal story so well developed.

Visual Effects
Will Win: no idea, but surely not the one I like
Should Win: The Planet of the Apes
My Oscar goes to: the outstanding visual effects in The Planet of the Apes that so effectively show amazing ape emotions by facial expressions. Great!

Film Editing
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Descendants or Moneyball

Art Direction
Will Win: no idea (but I predicted Hugo elsewhere)
Should Win: the only movie I have NOT seen Harry Potter

Sound Editing
Will Win: no idea but I predicted Hugo
Should Win: Drive

Sound Mixing
Will Win: no idea but predicted Hugo
Should Win: Transformers maybe? Is the only nominated film where sound is essential part of the movie.

Costume Design
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: Jane Eyre

Makeup
Will Win: The Iron Lady
Should Win: The Iron Lady

Music – Original Score
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Artist (music is very good in this movie)

Music – Original Song
Will Win: The Muppets or Rio (lol!)

Documentary
Will Win: Pina HAS TO WIN!
Should Win: Pina
My Oscar goes to: Pina (absolutely one of the best documentaries I have ever seen)

Short Film Live Action
Will Win: Pentecost
Should Win: The Shore

Short Film Animated
Will Win: La Luna
Should Win: maybe The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film Documentary
Will Win: no idea but let’s hope The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom wins
Should Win: Lucy Walker – she’s such a great filmmaker

So these are my “crazy” predictions for this year where fate says that The Artist could (and will) sweep all the awards in the world including the Oscars… don’t you think that France is really “sorry” for not sending The Artist as their foreign language film? Oops, now I remember that “silence” is not a foreign language for the Academy, lol! But one thing I’m absolutely sure, SILENCE is what many Hollywood films need nowadays.