My 2014 Oscar Predictions

I have to apologize for my sporadic blogs these days, I have been uncharacteristically busy these last couple of months, that I actually had to work through the Holidays (during a family trip abroad). But we all have to make a living somehow, right? Anyway, I actually had a few hours of free time this Saturday morning, and I thought that it would be a great time to catch up on my Blogging.

 

What better subject to start 2014 than the Oscars right? I know more than a few people out there who hate this iconic Hollywood tradition with a passion.  But even the Academy's most stauch critics cannot deny that it is a global phenomena and that it is still the most anticipated award event for Cinema in the whole world.

 

As a filmmaker, I still celebrate the Oscars and look forward to the ceremony as an annual global tradition to celebrate the filmmaking skills at the most biggest and most financially successful "dream factory" in the world (at least in this era)-- Hollywood.  Like a forbbiden fruit, Hollywood still beckons  to filmmakers from all over the world, as the ultimate arena where they can test their skills against the world's best.  Hey, the Oscars is actually the oldest "Reality" program on TV.

 

So let the battle... I mean contest begin!

 

Here are my personal picks for 2014: 

 

BEST PICTURE

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers club

Gravity - winner

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

12 Years a Slave

The Wolf of Wall Street

 

DIRECTING

David O. Russell

Alfonso Cuarón - winner

Alexander Payne

Steve McQueen

Martin Scorsese

BEST ACTOR

Christain Bale

Bruce Dern

Leonardo Di Caprio - winner

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Matthew McConaughay

 

BEST ACTRESS

Amy Adams

Kate Blanchett

Sandra Bullock - winner

Judi Dench

Meryl Streep

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi

Bradley Cooper

Micheal Fassbender

Jonah Hill - winner

Jared Leto

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins

Jennifer Lawrence - winner

Lupita Nyong'o

Julia Roberts

June Squibb

 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Philippe Le Sourd

Emmanuel Lubezki - winner

Bruno Delbonnel

Phedon Papamichael

Roger A. Deakins

 

ANIMATED FEATURE

The Croods

Despicable Me 2

Ernest & Celestine

Frozen - winner

The Wind Rises

 

These are my picks for the winners in the top categories: Gravity is a shoo-in for best picture; For best director, Alfonso Cuarón should win for the sheer technical brilliance of Gravity; For best actor, Leonardo Di Caprio should win because of his brilliant/over the top performance, and since he has been snubbed by the Academy for so long, but they might give it to Matthew or Christian; For best actress, Sandra Bullock is a shoo-in, but Meryl Streep should get the Oscar; For supporting actor, Jonah Hill was so entertaining, but they might give it to Bradley or Jared, with Barkhad as a dark horse; For supporting actress, Jennifer or Julia, with Lubpita as a possible surprise; For cinematography it should be Emmanuel Lubezki for the sheer technical brilliance of Gravity; Do we even have to discuss Frozen?

 

There you go, my predictions for this year's Oscar race. Let's see how I fare:)