Looking to the Stars: The Oscars

This Thursday January 16th,  our curious movie going minds will find out who and what will be nominated for the 2014 Oscars. This of course is very exciting. The Oscars will be held on March 2nd this year which is about a month and a half away. There has been a lot of speculation to who and which movies will get the nominations and the win. In this article I just wanted to discuss what movies I think will get nominated for Best Picture and who will when Best Director. I’m sure your dying to know who has the best chance and which movie has best chance.

Now, as you probably know in the last few years the Oscars have allowed themselves to nominate up to 10 movies for Best Picture. They do not have to nominate 10, but if they want to they have the ability. My list will be made under the assumption that they will nominate 10 pictures.

1. 12 Years a Slave

2. American Hustle

3. Gravity

4. Her

4. The Wolf of Wall Street

5. Blue Jasmine

6. Inside Llewyn Davis

7. Dallas Buyers Club

8. Fruitvale Station

9. Nebraska

10. Philomena

You may have noticed there was a tie that is because I feel Wolf of Wall Street and Her have an equal chance of getting nominations. Her is a brilliant depiction of man’s dependence on technology which is so fitting for the time we live in now. Also they both have superb acting. Now of course this all just speculation, but I think the obvious front-runner is 12 Years a Slave. People love to see a brutal accurate depiction on things like slavery and the holocaust specifically because they are such dark points in the worlds past and12 Years a Slave might be the Schindler’s List  of slavery and of the 21st century. If the Golden Globes have alluded to anything for the upcoming Oscars I believe they show American Hustle has a great chance. I also believe that Gravity won’t win, but has a better chance than all the names below it due to the amazing special effects, tone and Sandra Bullocks performance. I think Dallas Buyers Club made its way to the list due to the recent wins Golden Globe wins of Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Also with Leonardo DiCaprio Golden Globe win for The Wolf Of Wall Street also might give it a better chance of winning which i don’t think will with the competition. I hope the Oscars will not allow itself to forget about Fruitvale Station due to the power of the film And controversy of the true story. Hollywood loves films like Nebraska, Philomena and Inside Llewyn Davis which I think almost guarantees a them a nomination of some sort, but of course I don’t think they should expect any huge wins.

I would say the Director race which only allows 5 nominees will be a tough race too.

1. Alfonso Cuarón ( Gravity)

2. Steve McQueen ( 12 Years a Slave)

3. David O. Russell  (American Hustle)

4. Spike Jonze (Her)

4. Woody Allen ( Blue Jasmine)

5. Ethan Coen & Joel Coen ( Inside Llewyn Davis)

I felt the need to add another tie because I think Spike Jonze vision of the near future was just as great as Woody Allen’s take on a depressed socialite. I however think Alfonso Cuarón has the best chance to win due to the beautiful job he did with Gravity and the style and awe-factor it conveyed to the audience. I would say Steve McQueen has a very good chance also with his great brutal direction he took with 12 Years a Slave.   David O’ Russell has good chance of getting nominated definitely for American Hustle especially after the success at the Golden Globes. Woody Allen and Ethan & Joel Coen have about an equal chance with their low-budget dramas that will probably strike the hearts of academy voters. I believe these films and directors all have very good chance and many are almost guaranteed to get nominated. We will see how many of my predictions are right.