Academy Award Nominations post
I haven't even thought about my top ten list yet, but I do have thoughts on theirs. This is going to be a very long campaign season with the Olympics delaying the ceremony, so let's all hang in there and watch some good things. And SKATING OMG.
As usual, this is a selected set of commentary because even I don't care about the full list.
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
Solid list. Leto has the edge based on recent history, but Fassbender could swing it. The rest are good, but not on the same level. I might've axed Jonah Hill, too.
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
I don't yet have Jennifer Lawrence fatigue, but it's just going to be annoying for everyone on the Internet if she wins. I've seen all of these except for August: Osage County and it's a tough call, although I would love to see either Lupita Nyong'o or June Squibb get it. If there's any interest to be had in the award, it'll be one of those two.
Best Original Song
“Alone Yet Not Alone,” Alone Yet Not Alone, music by Bruce Broughton and lyric by Dennis Spiegel
“Happy,” Despicable Me 2, music and lyric by Pharrell Williams
“Let It Go,” Frozen, music and lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“The Moon Song,” Her, music by Karen O; lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen and lyric by Paul Hewson
THE COLD NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY brb gotta belt
Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine, written by Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club, written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Her, written by Spike Jonze
Nebraska, written by Bob Nelson
Nebraska or Her, please. Pretty please, just not American Hustle.
Best Director
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
I very deeply want to see Alfonso Cuaron take this.
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
While all of these (again, pending the last one) are fine and worthy performances, Cate Blanchett is a slam dunk choice this year. She was just a level above anything in that movie.
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
This category is where the drama is this year. There are easily three other names that could have been on the list without argument, and yet none would feel right as a substitute for the current five. I'd like to thank the Academy for skipping Robert Redford and giving me another completed category.
Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
CATEGORY COMPLETE. As to the winner, it's sort of a weird year in that there were a lot of high quality films, but none of them stands out to me as the clear best or favorite. I mean, let's be real, 12 Years a Slave is probably going to win and it probably should. In recognition of the year's quality, though, I'd like to see the top awards spread out among the candidates.
Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster, Philippe Le Sourd
Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki
Inside Llewyn Davis, Bruno Delbonnel
Nebraska, Phedon Papamichael
Prisoners, Roger A. Deakins
Who is this Grandmaster and how dare they break my combo? (Kidding, I hear it's great.)
All told, in my annual game of Oscar Pokemon (gotta catch 'em all), my count of completed categories stands at eight. With August: Osage County, I'll hit ten, which matches my mark last year. To exceed it, I'd need to see things that are either not in theatres or are not of interest to me, so I'm satisfied.
As usual, this is a selected set of commentary because even I don't care about the full list.
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
Solid list. Leto has the edge based on recent history, but Fassbender could swing it. The rest are good, but not on the same level. I might've axed Jonah Hill, too.
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
I don't yet have Jennifer Lawrence fatigue, but it's just going to be annoying for everyone on the Internet if she wins. I've seen all of these except for August: Osage County and it's a tough call, although I would love to see either Lupita Nyong'o or June Squibb get it. If there's any interest to be had in the award, it'll be one of those two.
Best Original Song
“Alone Yet Not Alone,” Alone Yet Not Alone, music by Bruce Broughton and lyric by Dennis Spiegel
“Happy,” Despicable Me 2, music and lyric by Pharrell Williams
“Let It Go,” Frozen, music and lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“The Moon Song,” Her, music by Karen O; lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen and lyric by Paul Hewson
THE COLD NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY brb gotta belt
Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle, written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine, written by Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club, written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Her, written by Spike Jonze
Nebraska, written by Bob Nelson
Nebraska or Her, please. Pretty please, just not American Hustle.
Best Director
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
I very deeply want to see Alfonso Cuaron take this.
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
While all of these (again, pending the last one) are fine and worthy performances, Cate Blanchett is a slam dunk choice this year. She was just a level above anything in that movie.
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
This category is where the drama is this year. There are easily three other names that could have been on the list without argument, and yet none would feel right as a substitute for the current five. I'd like to thank the Academy for skipping Robert Redford and giving me another completed category.
Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street
CATEGORY COMPLETE. As to the winner, it's sort of a weird year in that there were a lot of high quality films, but none of them stands out to me as the clear best or favorite. I mean, let's be real, 12 Years a Slave is probably going to win and it probably should. In recognition of the year's quality, though, I'd like to see the top awards spread out among the candidates.
Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster, Philippe Le Sourd
Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki
Inside Llewyn Davis, Bruno Delbonnel
Nebraska, Phedon Papamichael
Prisoners, Roger A. Deakins
Who is this Grandmaster and how dare they break my combo? (Kidding, I hear it's great.)
All told, in my annual game of Oscar Pokemon (gotta catch 'em all), my count of completed categories stands at eight. With August: Osage County, I'll hit ten, which matches my mark last year. To exceed it, I'd need to see things that are either not in theatres or are not of interest to me, so I'm satisfied.