Oscar Predictions 2014

As much as I'd love to live tweet the Oscars this year, other commitments as always stand in the way. Below are some of my predictions for the biggest award show in the business, along with a few preferences thrown in for a bit of perspective. 

Best Picture

American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Prediction: 12 Years a Slave

Preference: As Above

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Christian Bale (American Hustle)
Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Prediction: Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

Preference: As Above

One of the many categories that's just too close to call. As much as I'd like to see Leo finally win an Oscar, I think the degree of outrage surrounding The Wolf of Wall Street will keep him off the top spot. Christian Bale has been cast in better, most award worthy roles than that of gut busting Irving Rosenfeld. 

While we're on the subject of appearance, physicality wasn't the only transformation Matthew McConaughey made for Dallas Buyers Club. The True Detective star has completely reversed his romcom image to become probably the best actor around at the minute, which is why I would to see him get the Oscar, even if the legacy of Bruce Dern's career or the importance of Chiwetel Ejiofor's role in 12 Years a Slave do attract a certain amount of extra merit. 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Amy Adams (American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Prediction: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Preference: As Above 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Prediction: Michael Fassbender 

Preference: Jared Leto

Another tough category and until I seen Dallas Buyers Club I would have been rooting for Barkhad Abdi. I still think he is in with a good shot,but Jared Leto surprised me more than any of the other nominations as a convincing woman, transgender or otherwise. 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)
June Squibb (Nebraska)

Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

Preference: Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

I think these two have this category pretty well sown up between them. Jennifer Lawrence's tightly wound '70s housewife was one of the best characters in American Hustle, but as is the case with many aspects of 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'o's was much more important and certainly a much more difficult, haunting performance that will last long in the memory. 

Best Animated Feature

The Croods (Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco, Kristine Belson)
Despicable Me 2 (Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Chris Meledandri)
Ernest & Celestine (Benjamin Renner, Didier Brunner)
Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki)

Prediction: Frozen

Preference: As Above

Best Cinematography

The Grandmaster (Philippe Le Sourd)
Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Inside Llewyn Davis (Bruno Delbonnel)
Nebraska (Phedon Papamichael)
Prisoners (Roger A. Deakins)

Prediction: Emmanuel Lubezki
Preference: As Above

Best Directing

American Hustle (David O. Russell)
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
Nebraska (Alexander Payne)
12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)

Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón
Preference: As Above

Best Documentary Feature

The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer, Signe Byrge Sørensen)
Cutie and the Boxer (Zachary Heinzerling, Lydia Dean Pilcher)
Dirty Wars (Richard Rowley, Jeremy Scahill)
The Square (Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer)
20 Feet from Stardom (Nominees to be determined)

Prediction: The Act of Killing

Preference: As Above

Best Original Score

The Book Thief (John Williams)
Gravity (Steven Price)
Her (William Butler, Owen Pallett)
Philomena (Alexandre Desplat)
Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)

Prediction: Stephen Price - Gravity

Preference: As above

Best Adapted Screenplay

Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke)
Captain Phillips (Billy Ray)
Philomena (Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope)
12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)
The Wolf of Wall Street (Terence Winter)

Prediction: Philomena

Preference:12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave is the most important historical film this side of the millennium, and quite possibly of all time. It won't fade away into obscurity like other award winning films. 

Best Original Screenplay

American Hustle (Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell)
Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen)
Dallas Buyers Club (Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack)
Her (Spike Jonze)
Nebraska (Bob Nelson)

Prediction: Dallas Buyers Club

Preference: Her

Quite possibly the toughest one to call. The reason I have chosen Dallas Buyers Club is because it deals with so many issues that Americans are facing to this day, such as capitalistic nature of the health care system and the intolerance towards homosexual and transgender community. Even though I'm not American, the Awards committee are and these controversial matters are still discussed daily by both the American politicians and the American media. 

On a personal note, I'd love to see Spike Jonze's Her get recognition. I'm a sucker for a good old fashion love story and I was surprised at just how convincing this tale of boys-meets-girl with a post modern twist really was.