2013 Oscar Picks and Predictions

Well it's that time of the year again and what better way to celebrate the mediocrity of  the
Academy Awards than to pick my own winners? So in this segment I'm going to be predicting who the winners will be and who I think SHOULD win, many of them will be different. Now as of now I've seen 7 of the 9 films nominated for best picture, the two I didn't see are Life of Pi and Amour, so obviously I can't account for those two. I'm also not gonna be covering the Best Short Films categories or Documentaries being that I haven't seen any of them. Okay, on to the ballot.

Best Visual Effects:
The Avengers
Prometheus
Snow White and The Huntsman
Life of Pi
The Hobbit
-What Should win: The Avengers
-What Will Win (probably): Life of Pi
Avengers definitely had the best effects and deserve to win for The Hulk alone. Life of Pi is a safer choice for the Academy and is also nominated for picture so this is kind of a shoo-win.

Best Original Song:
Chasing Ice (Before My Time)
Les Miserables (Suddenly)
Life of Pi (Pi's Lullaby)
Skyfall (Skyfall)
Ted (Everybody Needs A Best Friend)
-What Should Win: Skyfall
-What Will Win (probably): Skyfall
It already won the Golden Globe and out of everything it was the best original song. The only real competition it has is from Les Miserables.

Best Original Score:
Lincoln (John Williams)
Argo (Alexandre Desplat)
Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)
Skyfall (Thomas Newman)
-What Should Win: Lincoln
-What Will Win (probably): Life of Pi
Every year the Academy seems to pick a movie that is nominated for picture but won't win and give it all the technical awards. I have a feeling it's gonna be Life of Pi this year even though I feel the score in Lincoln was tremendous and John Williams hasn't won since Schindler's List, even though he's deserved it in several cases in my opinion.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling Design:
Les Miserable
The Hobbit
Hitchcock
-What Should Win: The Hobbit
-What Will Win (probably): The Hobbit
I'm giving the Academy credit here and hope that they're not complete idiots, even though they'd probably pick one of the other two.

Best Costume Design:
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Anna Karenina
Mirror Mirror
Snow White and The Huntsman
-What Should Win:Les Miserable
-What Will Win (probably): Les Miserables
 I don't really care either way what wins but if I had to guess it would be Les Miserables

Best Production Design:
Les Miserable
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit
-What Should Win: Les Miserables
-What Will Win (probably): Life of Pi
Again, it's technical so Pi will probably get it.

Best Editing:
Argo
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook
-What Should Win: Sliver Linings Playbook
-What Will Win (probably): Argo or Life of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook was very well put together and out of these is the best choice. Argo will probably give it a run for it's money and Life of Pi is a big contender for the technical as well.

Best Cinematography:
Skyfall
Lincoln
Anna Karenina
Life of Pi
Django Unchained
-What Should Win: Skyfall
-What Will Win (probably): ???
Personally I feel that Skyfall was, not only the best looking film of the year, but the best film of the year overall. This is a very tough category and I don't really think I could guess what will win. It would be awesome for Skyfall to get recognition but Django Unchained had some amazing cinematoraphy as well and Pi is always a tough contender too as is Lincoln. Could be anything.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Argo
Beasts of The Southern Wild
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
-What Should Win: Beasts of The Southern Wild
-What Will Win (probably): Silver Linings Playbook
Now a movie like Beasts of Southern Wild isn't really my thing but I can admit that it was done beautifully and that the writing was very well done. Silver Linings was great as well but Beasts had that extra something that really made the world, dialogue, and characters very memorable and fully realized.

Best Original Screenplay:
Zero Dark Thirty
Amour
Django Unchained
Flight
Moonrise Kingdom
-What Should Win: Django Unchained or Moonrise Kingdom
-What Will Win (probably): Zero Dark Thirty or Django Unchained
Both Django Unchained and Moonrise Kingdom were the most unique and well written works this year and they both deserve to win. However  Zero Dark Thirty is the safer, regular route that the Academy goes for. But Django did get the Golden Globe for writing and the last time Tarantino got the Globe he also went home with the Oscar for Pulp Fiction.

Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)
-Who Should Win: Anne Hathaway
-Who Will Win (probably): Anne Hathaway
She was one of the shining gems in the otherwise just- slightly- above- average Les Miserables and everyone has acknowledged it. She's a shoo-win.

Best Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Alan Arkin (Argo)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)
Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
-Who Should Win: Christoph Waltz
-Who Will Win (probably): Christoph Waltz
Now the Academy could surprise us and give it to Robert De Niro, who rightfully deserves it as well but Christoph Waltz was just fantastic and he really was the best of the year.

Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of The Southern Wild)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Naomi Watts (The Impossible)
-Who Should Win: Jessica Chastain
-Who Will Win (probably): Jessica Chastain
Her performance has been raved and she carried that entire movie herself, plan and simple.

Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper (silver Linings Playbook)
Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)
Daniel Day- Lewis (Lincoln)
Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)
Denzel Washington (Flight)
-Who Should Win: Hugh Jackman
-Who Will Win (probably): Daniel Day- Lewis
Jean Valjean was easily Hugh Jackman's best role and he finally deserves some recognition in his career. Daniel Day- Lewis was tremendous as always but it should really go to Jackman this time around.

Best Director:
Ang Lee (Life of Pi)
Michael Haneke (Amour)
Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)
Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of The Southern Wild)
-Who Should Win: Steven Spielberg or Benh Zeitlin
-Who Will Win (probably): Steven Spielberg
As I said before, Beasts of The Southern Wild wasn't necessarily my cup of brandy, however there are certain elements that definitely outshine every other film on this list namely writing, supporting acting, and directing. Now I wanted to recognize Zeitin because if I had to choose I would go with Spielberg personally even though technically Zeitin did a better job considering everything he had to do. But Spielberg is the master and it is completely clear in Lincoln just how good he is, and why he's my favorite director of all time.

Best Picture:
Amour
Life of Pi
Django Unchained
Lincoln
Argo
Zero Dark Thirty
Beasts of The Southern Wild
Les Miserables
Silver Linings Playbook
-What Should Win: Lincoln or Django Unchained
-What Will Win (probably): Lincoln
-What Truly Is The Best Movie Of 2012: Skyfall
I can't begin to describe how disappointing it is that Skyfall got snubbed for Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor because it deserved all three of those. Skyfall was a masterpiece and was able to shift the Bond franchise from fun action movies to deep internal conflicts of a character that was finally shown his full potential. And it's a crime that Javier Bardem wasn't recognized as Best Supporting because he was magnificent. But enough of my griping. Out of the films nominated Lincoln seems to be leading the race with good reason though I must say I would prefer to see Tarantino finally fully recognized by winning Best Picture.

Well those are my picks and Predictions for this year's Oscars. We shall see come February if I'm right on any counts.