Oscar Predictions 2013

I may be blinded by my love of ARGO and DJANGO UNCHAINED but I still found a way to make some predictions that don't have those two films winning everything...

BEST PICTURE

Will win: ARGO
Should win: ARGO or DJANGO UNCHAINED

***Should NOT have been nominated: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK


BEST DIRECTOR

Will win: Steven Spielberg, LINCOLN

**SHOULD have been nominated: Ben Affleck, ARGO & Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED


BEST ACTOR

Duh: Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN

**Should have been nominated: Jamie Foxx, DJANGO UNCHAINED & Jack Black, BERNIE


BEST ACTRESS

Will win: Jennifer Lawrence, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Possible surprise winner: Emmanuelle Riva, AMOUR


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Will win: Robert De Niro, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Should win: Christoph Waltz, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Possible upset winner: Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN

**Should have been nominated: Samuel L. Jackson, DJANGO UNCHAINED & Michael Fassbender, PROMETHEUS


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Duh: Anne Hathaway, LES MISÉRABLES

**Should have been nominated: Juno Temple, KILLER JOE


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Will win: FRANKENWEENIE
Should win: FRANKENWEENIE
Possible surprise winner: BRAVE

Honorable Mention: THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS


BEST FOREIGN FILM

Will win: AMOUR


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will win: DJANGO UNCHAINED
Should win: DJANGO UNCHAINED or MOONRISE KINGDOM
Possible upset winner: ZERO DARK THIRTY

***Should NOT have been nominated: FLIGHT

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will win: ARGO
SHOULD win: ARGO
Possible upset winner: LINCOLN


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Will win: ANNA KARENINA
Should win: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY


BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Will win: ANNA KARENINA


BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Duh: ‘Skyfall’ from SKYFALL


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Will win: LIFE OF PI

**Should have been nominated: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD


BEST DOCUMENTARY

Will win: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
Possible surprise winner: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Will win: LIFE OF PI
Possible surprise winner: DJANGO UNCHAINED


BEST FILM EDITING

Will win: ARGO
Possible surprise winner: LINCOLN


BEST MAKEUP

Will win: THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
Possible surprise winner: LES MISÉRABLES


BEST SOUND EDITING

Will win: SKYFALL
Possible upset winner: ZERO DARK THIRTY


BEST SOUND MIXING

Will win: LES MISÉRABLES
Possible surprise winner: LIFE OF PI


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Will win: LIFE OF PI
Just happy to be nominated: MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS


BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Will win: INOCENTE
Possible surprise winner: OPEN HEART


BEST ANIMATED SHORT 

Will win: PAPERMAN
Possible surprise winner: ADAM AND DOG


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Will win: DEATH OF A SHADOW (Dood van een Schaduw)
Should win: DEATH OF A SHADOW or ASAD
Possible surprise winner: CURFEW


BEST USE OF FAKE BLOOD (not a real category)

Will win: DJANGO UNCHAINED

Killer Joe

William Friedkin directed the crap out of Killer Joe. It is hard not to appreciate the way he smushed together dynamic humor and appalling images. Killer Joe is laugh-out-loud funny. And not that sort of uncomfortable laughter you might do when you see a stranger (or friend) trip and fall. You know, the laughter that comes when you aren’t sure if the stranger (or friend) is seriously injured or not? It’s not that laughter. It’s the laughter that comes from real comedic timing and delivery on the part of an outstanding ensemble cast.

Emile Hirsch plays Chris a drug dealer from a north Texas town who gets himself into a financial bind when his mom steals his supply. His solution? Hire a contract killer, Joe played by Matthew McConaughey, to kill his mom so he can collect on her life insurance policy. Oh gosh, will this plan go off without a hitch? I’m not sure if I’m giving too much a way, but no. Things will not go off without a hitch. Not even close. The story is ridiculous and highly entertaining. And Hirsch, who I’ve only every referred to before as Speed, was excellent in his role in this silly/violent/silly plotline. And as far as McConaughey is concerned, I’m beginning to think he plays himself in every movie he is in, Killer Joe is no exception. And contrary to how that might initially sound, I actually mean that as a compliment…

The compliments don’t end with the two of them. I have appreciated Thomas Haden Church for a long time now. I am ready for others to love him as much I do. This movie may help with this. He plays Ansel, Chris’ dimwitted father. He is amazing. No one can play dumb like he can. And his splotchy facial hair is so hideous that I can’t help but be proud of his commitment to the role. Ansel is married to his second wife, Sharla played by good ol’ Gina Gershon. That woman knows how to play a tramp. She is a contemptible character in the film. But for as vile as Sharla is, she does not deserve the treatment she receives from Joe in the film. And I have saved the best for last, Dottie. Juno Temple plays her and oh, how she plays her. There is something sad and yet beautiful about her character. She is complex and powerful even though she has the outward appearance of a weak and childish girl. If I didn’t know that she was from England, I would have thought that she was born and bred in Texas. Temple has talent oozing out her pores. And if you have any question about her pores you can see just about all of them in this film. She is not shy about baring it all.

If you are shy about people baring it all then Killer Joe will not be your cup of tea. Also, the film is dark, disturbing, and has the potential to offend great masses of people. Killer Joe is rated NC17. This could be because the rating system is completely inconsistent, unpredictable, and unfair. It could also be because of the pesky graphic violence and nudity. But none of the violence or nudity seemed out of place or excessive. Of course, if you go into this film expecting male frontal nudity and women beating up men, you will be let down. Don’t let that dissuade you from seeing the film though. All of the violence in the film felt incredibly real. It is a fact that it’s just more common in life that we hear about men hitting other men and women and not so much women beating on other women or men. And for some reason people find naked women less offensive than naked men. The film takes advantage of these two facts. Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention the fried chicken in this film. Although I already won’t eat fried chicken, if I did before this film I would think twice about eating it after this film. I will leave it at that.