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Columnist gives his Oscar predictions

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By Isaac Mathewson
It has been two weeks since the 2013 Academy Awards were announced and while I think it is a good list (with a few snubs like Tom Hanks for not getting a Best Actor nomination for either Captain Phillips or Saving Mr. Banks) it is difficult to decide who will win. Here are my predictions for this year’s Oscars judging by critical statistics, previous award ceremonies, and my own perspective, but only in the major categories.
Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o- 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts- August: Osage County
June Squibb- Nebraska
All of these actresses are fantastic in their roles. How do we narrow down who will win? Although Squibb and Nyong’o are great, they are not household names and their roles are not memorable enough to secure a win. Hawkins is very good in her role as Cate Blanchet’s sister in Blue Jasmine but not much has been said about her performance from other critics. Julia Roberts and Jennifer Lawrence are the highest contenders from this year and the most famous. While Roberts gives one of her best performances in years, the Oscar will probably go to Lawrence judging by her popularity and the acclaim the film and her performance have received.
Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper- American Hustle
Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill- The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto- Dallas Buyer’s Club
You couldn’t ask for a better list this year. While Abdi has received great acclaim for his performance, the film that was originally considered one of the year’s top Oscar contenders has sort of deteriorated in popularity in the months since it was released. Hill is great, but does not have the acclaim that the other actors have. Fassbender gives a ruthless performance in 12 Years a Slave and Bradley Cooper gives a funny and electric performance in American Hustle. However, the Academy just can’t overlook Leto as the transvestite roommate of Matthew McConaughey.
Best Actress
Amy Adams- American Hustle
Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock- Gravity
Judi Dench- Philomena
Meryl Streep- August: Osage County
All great choices, who will take home the big one? Judi Dench is a fantastic veteran actress and gives a powerful performance in her film, but there is just no love for it. Bullock doesn’t have much of a chance because the Academy never gives Oscars to actors in science fiction movies. Adams had a major chance with her role, but her chances seem slim going up against Streep, one of the greatest actresses in history. However, even she is in steady competition against Blanchett, who gave one of the best performances of her career in her film. While it is a tough choice, it will probably go to Blanchett, because I’m sure by now even the Academy is tired of nominating Streep over and over again.
Best Actor
Christian Bale- American Hustle
Bruce Dern- Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetal Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club
This is perhaps the best selection this year, as well as the hardest. While Dern is a veteran actor, and is fantastic in his role, there is not enough love for the film to secure the win. Ejiofer has no doubt received much acclaim for his performance, but the Academy usually does not give Oscars to foreign actors. DiCaprio is very memorable and so is Bale, but even their performances cannot top that of McConaughey, who just won the Golden Globe in the film in which he plays an AIDS patient, who illegally sells pain relievers to other patients.
Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle- David O’ Russell
Blue Jasmine- Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club- Craig Borten
Her– Spike Jonze
Nebraska- Alexander Payne
While all great choices, it’s difficult to narrow them down. Perhaps the two biggest candidates are Her and American Hustle. While Her won the Golden Globe, it should not be a surprise if American Hustle takes home the Oscar for its electric dialogue and story.
Best Adapted Screenplay
12 Years a Slave– John Ridley
Before Midnight- Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips– Billy Ray
Philomena– Steve Coogan
The Wolf of Wall Street– Terence Winter
Again, all great choices. While all of them are memorable films and have great dialogue, it will most likely go to 12 Years a Slave because of the buzz it has been getting.
Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity
Steve McQueen- 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne- Nebraska
David O. Russell- American Hustle
Martin Scorsese- The Wolf of Wall Street
While every director made a fantastic film, the Oscar this year will probably go to Cuaron, because of how influential his filmmaking is in Gravity.
Best Picture
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyer’s Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street
Most of these films don’t have a chance at winning. The two biggest candidates are 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle. Although the former is very powerful, the big one will go to American Hustle for its powerhouse writing and performances.
The 86th Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2014. Judging by the nominees, it should be a good show.
A&E, Christian DiMartino

Oscar Watch: Columnist Reacts to 2014 Academy Award Nominations

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By Christian DiMartino

When Chris Hemsworth announced the nominations for the 86th annual Academy Awards on Thursday, January 16, I was pretty much expecting disappointment. They never get it perfect. There is usually one big error with the nominations. But when they were announced, it was not frustration I felt, it was surprise. Pleasant surprise. Finally, FINALLY, they got it just about right. Sure, there were some questionable choices made, but for the most part this is a good list of nominees. American Hustle and Gravity lead the nominations with 10, and 12 Years a Slave is right behind it with 9. Here is a rundown of the major categories.

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity

Steve McQueen- 12 Years a Slave

Alexander Payne- Nebraska

David O. Russell- American Hustle

Martin Scorsese- The Wolf of Wall Street

After Ben Affleck was snubbed last year for directing Argo, this category was basically up in the air. But this year, there were no huge surprises. The biggest surprise here, and I did not think this would ever be said, is Martin Scorsese. The Wolf of Wall Street is a movie that is either worshipped or despised. The other directors nominated were expected(David O. Russell and two time Oscar-winner Alexander Payne cannot be stopped). The other directors in contention for the final slot were Spike Jonze for Her and Paul Greengrass for Captain Philips. But really, how could the legendary Scorsese get snubbed?

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle

Lupita Nyong’o- 12 Years a Slave

Julia Roberts- August: Osage County

June Squibb- Nebraska

My predictions all came true for this category. There was a lot of talk about Scarlett Johansson receiving a nomination for her excellent voice work in Her. But if Andy Serkis could not get nominated for The Lord of the Rings, it is only fair to leave her out too. 

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi- Captain Philips

Bradley Cooper- American Hustle

Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill- The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club

Abdi, Cooper, Fassbender, and Leto were pretty much guarantees. There was one other guarantee, Daniel Bruhl for the underrated Rush, who did not quite make the cut. Instead the final slot went to Jonah Hill, who was nominated two years ago for his overrated performance in Moneyball. Now, I’m not saying this because of my deep inner hatred for Hill, but Bruhl deserved that last slot. Maybe not the win, but at least the nomination. He owns every second of that movie. Yes, even more than the almighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Also, Sam Rockwell deserved recognition for the sadly overlooked indie The Way Way Back.

Best Actress

Amy Adams- American Hustle

Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock- Gravity

Judi Dench- Philomena

Meryl Streep- August: Osage County

There were a couple of big question marks here. I nailed this category also, but it was a close call. There is not a lot of love for August: Osage County, so it was unsure whether or not Streep would score her 18th Oscar nomination. She did. Then there was Amy Adams. There is plenty of love for American Hustle (the film has at least one actor nominated in each category), but the final slot belonged to the great Emma Thompson for her wonderful performance in Saving Mr. Banks. In the end, Thompson got left out. I’m not really happy about it, but in a year with such talent, not everyone can win.

Best Actor

Christian Bale- American Hustle

Bruce Dern- Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughay- Dallas Buyers Club

In the last category, I mentioned how someone was going to end up unhappy. Yeah, I spoke too soon. That was a guarantee with the best actor category, which has almost too many names in contention. The new and reborn McConaughay was a shoo-in, and so were Dern, Ejiofor, and Tom Hanks for Captain Philips. Since DiCaprio gets snubbed year after year, he was pretty much considered out (even after he won a Golden Globe), and there was not enough room for Bale. So, the final slot was set to go to Robert Redford’s overrated performance in the way-overrated survival tale All is Lost.

But as it turns out, none of that came true. Having my fingers crossed for DiCaprio finally came in handy. He finally scored his long awaited fourth Oscar nomination. Surprisingly, Hanks was left in the dark, which is a real shame. In the final ten minutes of Captain Philips alone, Hanks does his best work in nearly a decade. This is probably the most surprising snub. In all honesty though, the biggest snub, and this person was not even considered, was Hugh Jackman for Prisoners, the great movie that everyone forgot about. Jackman gave the performance of his career, and he was not even a contender.

Best Picture

12 Years a Slave                                     Her

American Hustle                                   Nebraska

Captain Philips                                    Philomena

Dallas Buyers Club                           The Wolf of Wall Street

Gravity

The Coen Brothers are an academy favorite, so it is sort of surprising that their latest, Inside Llewyn Davis, which got rave reviews, did not get nominated for best picture, let alone, original screenplay. The academy instead went with Dallas Buyers Club, a movie that is getting high appraise for its acting but nobody really loves it. So it is surprising to see it on the list. The biggest snub here, and it is one of the more critically acclaimed movies of the year, is Woody Allen’s latest masterpiece, Blue Jasmine. The film was nominated for three Oscars, but none of which were for best picture, which is a little ridiculous. This is his best film since Match Point back in 2005.

Overall, they did right for the most part. Sure, there were a few errors, but in a year this crammed with talent, they did a pretty good job. This is a good list of nominees. Hopefully they get it this right next year. 

A&E

Student provides news for upcoming movies this holiday season

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by Isaac Mathewson
As the year comes close to its end, many have been wondering what to expect from the world of cinema this holiday season.
As it is Oscar season, many have been making early predictions for this year’s Academy Awards and its Golden Globes. Before going that far, however, it is best to first start with what is being released.
1. American Hustle: With last year’s release of Silver Linings Playbook, it was only necessary that David O. Russell reunites the same cast from both it and The Fighter, in a film about a con man who is forced to work with an FBI agent. With Russell’s direction and first rate cast that includes Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence, this is sure to garner many Oscar nominations.
2. Saving Mr. Banks: It’s hard to say whether or not Tom Hanks will receive an Oscar nomination for his portrayal as a captain held hostage by Somali pirates in Captain Phillips, or as the man behind the mouse himself Walt Disney. Even if the answer is the former, it would not be surprising if Emma Thompson receives a nomination for her role as P.L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, who is not pleased with the changes made to her story.
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: No doubt this film will bring in huge amounts of cash at the box office and will please fans of the Middle Earth series. More to the point, however, is that this film, which is part two of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, is bigger than its predecessor and will feature Oscar worthy effects and it will introduce us to new characters, and even reintroduce us to a few old. Hello Legolas.
4. The Wolf of Wall Street: After stepping out of his realm with the family film Hugo, Martin Scorsese returns to the big screen alongside his frequent collaborator Leonardo Dicaprio in the film that tells the true story(with a dark comedic twist to it) of the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. With a cast that includes Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, and Rob Reiner, and a plot eerily similar to classic Scorsese films, this is sure to be one of Scorsese’s most entertaining films.
5. Lone Survivor: If the trailer’s calculations are correct, Peter Berg will redeem himself from the disastrous Battleship, with the story of one of the most significant operations during the War in Afghanistan. With a cast including Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana, and Emile Hirsch, this film may not earn the accolades of the previously listed films, but will hopefully give us an accurate depiction of the war and give emotional depth to the story.
While not as exciting as last year, these films will hopefully live up to the expectations of every film buff and bring about a decent competition for this year’s Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
A&E, Christian DiMartino

Columnist previews the final film releases of 2013

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By Christian DiMartino

2013 has had a fair amount of good movies (Side Effects, Disconnect), but an overpopulation of bad movies (Scary Movie V, Getaway). However, there is still hope. The year is wrapping up, and Oscar season is around the corner. Translation: Movies are going to get good again. Here is what to look forward to the rest of 2013. Sure, not all of them are going home with awards, but some of them are kind of a big deal (wink).

5. Gravity (Oct. 4, PG-13): Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is getting rave reviews (the movie is also) for her role as an astronaut stranded in outer space. How can a movie like this work? Not sure. According to early reviews, director Alfonso Cuaron’s film supposedly does work, and very well. Consider it a done deal.

4. American Hustle (Dec. 25, Not Yet Rated): David O’Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter) is on a role, and this just may be the one that sends him home with the gold. The first trailer looks terrific, and plus it brings back O’Russell’s finest alumni (Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence), so how can it go wrong?

3. Her (Dec. 18, Not Yet Rated): Here is a film that will receive plenty of judgment and controversy, and that alone is exciting. Joaquin Phoenix, after doing an amazing job as a psychotic drifter in The Master, plays a lonely guy who buys a talking computer and… falls in love with it. Strange? Oh yeah. But it is nice to see a daring movie every once in a while. Also, director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) is the king of strange movies, so it must be perfect. This is going to be the strangest movie of the year, possibly even the next 10, but I guarantee it will leave people talking for a while.

2. Anchorman: The Legend Continues (Dec. 20, Not Yet Rated): After many years of trying to get this movie made, Will Ferrell and co. have finally done it. Finally. Anchorman is one of the funniest movies ever, so the sequel better be worth the wait. The plot is unknown, but what is known is that numerous cameos (Tiny Fey, Meryl Streep, Kanye West, and more) are on the lineup. So, be there for Ron Bergundy this holiday season. He is kind of a big deal.

1. The Wolf of Wall Street (Nov. 15, Not Yet Rated): Wall Street movies are boring, but hopefully this one is far from it. Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors alive, rarely makes a bad movie. Same goes for Leonardo DiCaprio, who (fingers crossed) may finally get that fourth Oscar nomination. The trailer is fantastic, and it helps that Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” is blaring throughout. This could either be a Scorsese masterpiece, or a Scorsese letdown. I truly hope it is the first.

There are plenty of other films, including Nebraska, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Carrie, Thor: The Dark World, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, that did not quite make the cut. Hopefully, with these movies mentioned and whatever other Oscar hopefuls are out there, 2013 ends better than it began.