{"id":5255,"date":"2013-02-22T19:12:26","date_gmt":"2013-02-22T19:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/box1047.bluehost.com\/~sonicci2\/wordpress\/?p=5255"},"modified":"2015-08-22T13:23:52","modified_gmt":"2015-08-22T13:23:52","slug":"2012-final-oscar-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/2013\/02\/2012-final-oscar-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"2012 Final Oscar Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Snooch to the Nooch!<\/p>\n

Well, with the Oscars finally happening on Sunday, it’s now time for my final look at the nominees, and a look at my final predictions (all nominations listed in order of preference), and whether they’ve changed in the past month.<\/p>\n

Before I get to the festivities, though, an update on where my Top 10 Best and Favorites for 2012 stand now.<\/p>\n

Brian’s 10 Best Films of 2012<\/b>
\n1. “Argo”<\/i><\/a> (Ben Affleck)
\n2. “Moonrise Kingdom”<\/i><\/a> (Wes Anderson)
\n3. “Zero Dark Thirty”<\/i><\/a> (Kathryn Bigelow)
\n4. “The Hunger Games”<\/i><\/a> (Gary Ross)
\n5. “Searching for the Sugar Man”<\/i> (Malik Bendjelloul)
\n6. “Noctambulous”<\/i><\/a> (Kelvin C. Bias)
\n7. “The Cabin in the Woods”<\/i><\/a> (Drew Goddard)
\n8. “Lincoln”<\/i><\/a> (Steven Spielberg)
\n9. “Familiar”<\/i><\/a> (Richard Powell)
\n10. “Marvel’s The Avengers”<\/i><\/a> (Joss Whedon)<\/p>\n

Brian’s 10 Favorite Films of 2012<\/b>
\n1. “Marvel’s The Avengers”<\/i><\/a> (Joss Whedon)
\n2. “Moonrise Kingdom”<\/i><\/a> (Wes Anderson)
\n3. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”<\/i><\/a> (Stephen Chbosky)
\n4. “Silver Linings Playbook”<\/i><\/a> (David O. Russell)
\n5. “Cloud Atlas”<\/i><\/a> (Andy and Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer)
\n6. “The Cabin in the Woods”<\/i><\/a> (Drew Goddard)
\n7. “Pitch Perfect”<\/i><\/a> (Jason Moore)
\n8. “The Hunger Games”<\/i><\/a> (Gary Ross)
\n9. “The Dark Knight Rises”<\/i><\/a> (Christopher Nolan)
\n10. “Bully”<\/i><\/a> (Lee Hirsch)<\/p>\n

Viva la Resistance!<\/p>\n

Brian Skutle
\nwww.sonic-cinema.com<\/a>
\nwww.myspace.com\/brianskutle<\/a>
\nwww.myspace.com\/cinemanouveau<\/a><\/p>\n

Best Picture<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zero Dark Thirty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amour\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Nine:<\/b> “Argo”; “Moonrise Kingdom”; “Zero Dark Thirty”; “The Hunger Games”; “Searching for the Sugar Man”; “Noctambulous”; “The Cabin in the Woods”; “Lincoln”; “Marvel’s The Avengers”<\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick:<\/b> “Argo”<\/p>\n

Oscar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick:<\/b> “Argo”<\/i>. Without a Best Director nomination, it’s always possible “Lincoln,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” or “Life of Pi” could take the top prize, but I’m guessing Ben Affleck’s great true story thriller will become only the fourth Best Picture winner that wasn’t nominated for its director, as well. And honestly, it couldn’t happen to a better film.<\/p>\n

Best Director<\/u><\/b>
\nSteven Spielberg, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nBenh Zeitlin, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nDavid O. Russell, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nMichael Haneke, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amour”<\/i><\/a>
\nAng Lee, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> Ben Affleck, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Wes Anderson, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Andy and Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Juan Antonio Bayona, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> Benh Zeitlin<\/i>. With non-nominee Ben Affleck cleaning up the pre-Oscar awards this past month, Best Director is put in play in some intriguing ways. With the exception of Haneke, who will likely win Foreign Language Film, I can see a scenario where the remaining four can each win. But I’m going to go with first-time director Zeitlin, who was a surprise nominee, and whose film, I’m guessing, has deep support within the Academy. True, I probably shouldn’t be so quick to bet against previous winners Spielberg and Lee, whose films led in overall nominees, but with Affleck out of the picture, anything can happen.<\/p>\n

Best Actor<\/u><\/b>
\nDaniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”<\/i><\/a>
\nDenzel Washington, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Flight\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nHugh Jackman, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nJoaquin Phoenix, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Master\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nBradley Cooper, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> Daniel Day-Lewis, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Denzel Washington, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Flight\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Jared Gilman, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Hugh Jackman, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Joaquin Phoenix, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Master\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> Daniel Day-Lewis<\/i>. His third Oscar, and second in five years, is a guaranteed victory for “Lincoln” at this point.<\/p>\n

Best Actress<\/u><\/b>
\nJennifer Lawrence, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nQuvenzhan\u00c3\u00a9 Wallis, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nJessica Chastain, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zero Dark Thirty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nEmmanuelle Riva, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amour”<\/i><\/a>
\nNaomi Watts, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> Jennifer Lawrence, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d & \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Quvenzhan\u00c3\u00a9 Wallis, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Kara Hayward, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Aubrey Plaza, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Safety Not Guaranteed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> Jennifer Lawrence<\/i>. With Chastain and “Zero Dark Thirty” losing steam late in the game, the stars have aligned for Lawrence, nominated for the second time in three years as Best Actress, to win for her radiant and foul-mouthed performance in “Silver Linings Playbook,” although don’t be too shocked if Wallis or Riva sneak up on her.<\/p>\n

Best Supporting Actor<\/u><\/b>
\nChristoph Waltz, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nTommy Lee Jones, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nPhilip Seymour Hoffman, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Master\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nRobert DeNiro, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nAlan Arkin, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> Leonardo DiCaprio, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Tom Holland, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Russ Camarda, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Night Never Sleeps\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Dwight Henry, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Jim Broadbent, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> Tommy Lee Jones<\/i>. This is one of the rare years in which an acting category, this late in the race, could go one of five ways; there are plausible scenarios in which each actor could win. But I’m going to go with Jones, not only for giving one of his best performances since his first Oscar win nearly 20 years ago, but also because of how deep the support for “Lincoln,” which may not be a lock for Best Picture, is.<\/p>\n

Best Supporting Actress<\/u><\/b>
\nAnne Hathaway, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nSally Field, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nJacki Weaver, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nAmy Adams, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Master\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\nHelen Hunt, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Sessions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> Doona Bae, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Anne Hathaway, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d & \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Dark Knight Rises\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Kelly Reilly, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Flight\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Shirley MacLaine, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bernie\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Judi Dench, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> Anne Hathaway, “Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> Anne Hathaway<\/i>. It might be the only major win for “Les Miserables” of the evening, but damn, is it a deserving one. Ms. Hathaway has shone on Oscar night before, but this time, it’ll be as a winner.<\/p>\n

Best Original Screenplay<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zero Dark Thirty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Mark Boal)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Flight\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (John Gatins)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amour\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Michael Haneke)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Quentin Tarantino)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Safety Not Guaranteed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Derek Connolly); “Zero Dark Thirty” (Mark Boal); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Noctambulous\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Kelvin C. Bias); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Flight\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (John Gatins)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Moonrise Kingdom” (Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola)<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Django Unchained”<\/i>. This is a very tough one to predict. The WGA went with “Zero Dark Thirty,” and believe me, Boal is completely worthy of winning his second Oscar in four years, but the optimist in me wants to say the Academy will reward the delightfully original “Kingdom.” But I think the Academy will go with unpredictability and give Tarantino his second writing Oscar for his crazy revisionist history epic.<\/p>\n

Best Adapted Screenplay<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Chris Terrio)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Tony Kushner)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (David O. Russell)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (David Magee)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Chris Terrio); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Tony Kushner); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Gary Ross, Billy Ray, Suzanne Collins); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Perks of Being a Wallflower\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Stephen Chbosky)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Chris Terrio)<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Argo”<\/i>. “Lincoln” should be winning here because of Tony Kushner’s smart, engrossing storytelling of a narrative that could have bored the audience to tears, but I have a feeling “Argo,” which might be making some history Sunday, will leap over it for it’s tense, entertaining true story.<\/p>\n

Before I get to the music categories, a word. Despite my not having seen a couple of the nominated films, I have been able to listen to all of the nominated scores and songs, so I am able to rank these according to personal preference. -Brian Skutle<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Best Original Score<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Thomas Newman)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Alexandre Desplat)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Anna Karenina\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Dario Marianelli)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (John Williams)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Mychael Danna)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Jonny Greenwood, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Master\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Thomas Newman, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Alexandre Desplat, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zero Dark Thirty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d & \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; Hans Zimmer, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Dark Knight Rises\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Skyfall” (Thomas Newman)<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Life of Pi”<\/i>. This was already a frustrating year for me with this category, but the chances of “Pi,” and first-time nominee Danna, winning, and the lack of some truly deserving, original scores, is disappointing. Don’t get me wrong: Danna is wholly deserving as a composer (he’s impressed me previously with “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Tideland,” and “Moneyball”), but, while his score for “Pi” is very good, it just didn’t have the impact of some of these other nominees. Still, I can definitely be happy for Danna winning, even if I’d love to see Newman or Desplat win more.<\/p>\n

Best Original Song<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Suddenly\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Sch\u00c3\u00b6nberg, Herbert Kretzmer)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Everybody Needs A Best Friend\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ted\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Walter Murphy, Seth MacFarlane)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Before My Time\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chasing Ice\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (J. Ralph)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Lullaby\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Mychael Danna, Bombay Jayashri)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Adele, Paul Epworth); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ancora Qui\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Elisa Toffoli, Ennio Morricone); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Into the Open Air\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Brave\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Alex Mandel); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Abraham\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Daughter\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Win Butler, Regine Chassagne & T Bone Burnett); \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Who Did That To You?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (John Stephens, Paul Epworth)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Adele, Paul Epworth)<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Skyfall”<\/i>. I don’t know how any Bond theme has never won this category, but that drought will end this year thanks to Adele’s great title song.<\/p>\n

Best Animated Feature<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Brave\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Frankenweenie\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Paranorman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Pirates! Band of Misfits\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wreck-It-Ralph\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Brave\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Frankenweenie\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Secret World of Arrietty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Paranorman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; “The Pirates! Band of Misfits”<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Brave”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Wreck-It-Ralph”<\/i>. Sadly, I have yet to see Rich Moore’s acclaimed winter hit, but the big box-office, along with critical kudos, make it a big winner over the rest of this impressive list.<\/p>\n

Best Foreign Language Film<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Amour\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a> (Austria)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kon-Tiki\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Norway) (Haven’t Seen)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Chile) (Haven’t Seen)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153A Royal Affair\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Denmark) (Haven’t Seen)
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153War Witch\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Canada) (Haven’t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top, Um, One:<\/b> “Amour”<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Amour” (It’s hard to go with anything else when you’ve only seen one of the nominees.)<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Amour”<\/i>. It’s a Best Picture nominee, so I wouldn’t expect anything else here.<\/p>\n

Best Documentary Feature<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Searching For the Sugar Man\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Invisible War\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u01535 Broken Cameras\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How to Survive A Plague\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Gatekeepers”<\/i> (Haven’t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> “Searching for the Sugar Man”; “The Invisible War”; “Marley”; “5 Broken Cameras”; “How to Survive a Plague”<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Searching for the Sugar Man”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Searching for the Sugar Man”<\/i>. As I got caught up with this year’s nominees, I found out just how great this year was for documentaries. In a category of powerful social docs, I think the surprising, remarkable true story of “Sugar Man”– one of the best documentaries ever, in my opinion –will win out.<\/p>\n

Best Visual Effects<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Marvel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s The Avengers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Prometheus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Snow White and the Huntsman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian’s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Marvel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s The Avengers\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Prometheus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Life of Pi”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Life of Pi”<\/i>. Admittedly, I can see “The Avengers,” the year’s biggest box-office hit, taking this one, but I’m thinking that, as with “Hugo” last year, the Academy will go with the Best Picture nominated, and equally-stunning, “Life of Pi.”<\/p>\n

Best Sound Mixing<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Les Miserables”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Les Miserables”<\/i>. If a musical is in, chances are, it’s going to win, and since they did something never tried before, and recorded the singing live, it’s hard to imagine “Les Miserables” won’t be out “Life of Pi” and “Lincoln” here.<\/p>\n

Best Sound Editing<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zero Dark Thirty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; “Zero Dark Thirty”; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Zero Dark Thirty”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Zero Dark Thirty”<\/i>. “Life of Pi” is a possibility, but military dramas tend to win here, and I think “Zero Dark Thirty” will, deservingly, continue that trend.<\/p>\n

Best Cinematography<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Anna Karenina\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Django Unchained\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Skyfall\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Beasts of the Southern Wild\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Life of Pi”<\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Life of Pi”<\/i>. “Skyfall,” and the never won master, Roger Deakins, could sneak by for the best-looking Bond in ages, but I’m going to guess “Life of Pi,” with its triumphant use of 3D, takes the win.<\/p>\n

Best Film Editing<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zero Dark Thirty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Silver Linings Playbook\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; “Zero Dark Thirty”; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Argo\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Zero Dark Thirty”<\/p>\n

Oscar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick:<\/b> “Zero Dark Thirty”<\/i>. I’m really torn on this one. The not-nominated “Cloud Atlas” aside, both “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty” are the year’s finest examples of film editing resulting in fluid storytelling, and since “Argo” will, very likely, win Best Picture, I don’t really want to bet against it here. But for that final raid on bin Laden’s compound alone, I can’t imagine the Academy not choosing “Zero Dark Thirty” over “Argo.”<\/p>\n

Best Production Design<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life of Pi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Anna Karenina\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Moonrise Kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables”<\/p>\n

Oscar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick:<\/b> “Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables”<\/i>. In a race of Best Picture nominees, the impeccably art directed “Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables” beats out “Lincoln,” although I can see “The Hobbit” sneaking past both.<\/p>\n

Best Makeup & Hair Styling<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hitchcock\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Three:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Les Miserables” <\/p>\n

Oscar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick:<\/b> “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”<\/i>. “Les Miserables” might win simply because it’s a Best Picture nominee, but thinking about it, I have a feeling the Academy as a whole will recognize the continued excellence of the work WETA has done in returning to Middle Earth for “The Hobbit.”<\/p>\n

Best Costume Design<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mirror Mirror\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Snow White and the Huntsman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/a>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Anna Karenina\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> (Haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Seen)<\/p>\n

Brian\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Top Five:<\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Hunger Games\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cloud Atlas\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Les Miserables\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mirror Mirror\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brian’s Pick:<\/b> “Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables”<\/p>\n

Oscar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Pick:<\/b> “Mirror Mirror”<\/i>. A Best Picture nomination helps, but the extravagant duds in the year’s first Snow White film will likely beat out the more traditionally-period “Les Mis\u00c3\u00a9rables,” “Lincoln,” and “Anna Karenina.”<\/p>\n

Here are the three awards those most devoted to movies care about. I haven’t seen many of these, so all these are just guesses.<\/i><\/p>\n

Best Short Film- Live Action<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Asad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Buzkashi Boys\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Curfew\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Henry\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)”<\/i><\/p>\n

Best Short Film- Animated<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Adam and Dog\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Fresh Guacamole\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Head over Heels\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maggie Simpson in \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Longest Daycare\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Paperman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Paperman”<\/i><\/p>\n

Best Documentary Short Subject<\/u><\/b>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Inocente\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kings Point\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mondays at Racine\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Open Heart\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i>
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Redemption\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n

Oscar’s Pick:<\/b> “Redemption”<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Snooch to the Nooch! Well, with the Oscars finally happening on Sunday, it’s now time for my final look at the nominees, and a look at my final predictions (all nominations listed in order of preference), and whether they’ve changed in the past month. Before I get to the festivities, though, an update on where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-news-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5255"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5872,"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5255\/revisions\/5872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonic-cinema.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}