A complete biased prediction O7.

Laura Mooney
Arts Editor | ote-arts@unbc.ca

ith the king of all award shows rapidly approaching, the film industries best and

brightest are prepared to battle it out at the 86th annual Academy Awards. Airing
on Sunday 2 March 2014, host Ellen DeGeneres will once again lead the audience through
a night honouring achievements in filmmaking, where those films that are the most

deserving will take home the coveted golden man to place on actors', directors’, and all of
the forgotten support staff's mantles. While the upcoming night is exciting for us film buffs,

speculating about who will be those lucky few to take home the award is even more fun.

For months now, everyone from high
class news reporters to gossip columnists
have cast their vote as to who will be the
top winners come Oscar night, and for
once, there is quite the deviation between
preferences. So in order to join in on the
Oscar prediction fun and to provide a
helpful guide for readers on Oscar night,
here is a completely biased look at the
nominees and who will (or should) win the
academy award.

First let us start with the supporters,

actors and actresses that is. While being
nominated for best supporting actor or
actress kind of seems like the “oh yeah,
they were in that movie too” award, this
usually uneventful category has been
stirring up a bit of drama this year, with
the two supporting actress front runners,
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) and
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) nearly neck
and neck, What this basically means is that
throughout the award season, these two
nominees have both collected a handful

of awards each; Lawrence got the Golden
Globe and Nyong'o got the SAG, so the clues
as to will win the Oscar are still up in the
air. Typically in the past, those who win the
Golden Globe go on to win the Oscar, but
this year may not be so straightforward.
While Lawrence's performance as Christian
Bale's jaded ex-wife in American Hustle was
good, when compared to her Oscar winning

performance in last year The Silver Linings
Playbook, it honestly falls a bit flat. There is
no doubt that the young actress has talent,
but in this year’s case the award will most
likely go to Nyong'o simply for the political
aspect and the sheer passion she put into
her role as Patsey, a woman in the time of
slavery. As for best supporting actor, 30
Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto has it
in the bag for his turn as a gay transvestite
in Dallas Buyers Club. Seriously, if you

have not yet experienced this film, drop
everything and see it now simply for Leto's
performance.

Next is the much more concrete category
of best actor and actress in a leading

role. Without question, the award for
best actress will, and should, go to Cate
Blanchett for her role as a ruined socialite
who suffered a severe mental breakdown.
The world already knew that Blanchett was
a fabulous actress, but there is something
about this role that solidifies that fact.
The scenes in which a broken Blanchett is
sitting on a bench talking to herself, still
in her designers clothing from her past
life, are heartbreaking. Seriously, give this
woman all of the Oscars, just hand them
over.

Now best actor is a bit more complicated,
and here is where the matters of personal
preference begin to show in this year’s

Oscar season. While many are rooting for
Chiwetel Ejiofor, with his performance as
Soloman Northrup in 12 Years a Slave, the
only award he has taken home so far has
been the BAFTA, which admittedly is not
the best indicator for the Oscar winner. The
other clear favourite to win is Leonardo
DeCaprio with his performance as the
raucous Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall
Street. Although DeCaprio is long over due
for an academy award, and even though

his performance was incredibly good, he is
up against some stiff competition this year.
At this point, if he wins, it would just feel

as though the academy was giving him the
award to make up for the one he should
have won back in 2007 for The Departed.

So does anyone remember when Matthew
McConaughey was just known as that
creepy older guy who cat-called at young
girls in Dazed and Confused? Me neither. As
of this year that image has been completely
erased and Matthew McConnoisseur

was born. With his turn as a straight,
homophobic cowboy who finds out he has
AIDS in Dallas Buyers Club, McConaughey is
my personal favourite and looks as though
he stands a good chance at winning after
proving he can perform in a drama like a
champion.

Best director? Alfonso Cuaron, no questions
asked. Gravity was beautifully shot, and was
a visual masterpiece (but that is about it).

Cuaron will win.

Finally the big one. The king of all
categories, the champion of the night.

The award for best motion picture. With a
whopping nine nominees, the best picture
category is always the most debated and
surprising category of the year. With some
of the nominees seeming as though they
are only there to be fillers (here is looking
at you Captain Phillips), the race for the
award is only between a few contenders.
For months now critics have been claiming
that American Hustle will claim the prize
without question, but after watching the
movie, it really makes me question those
critics' sanity, as well as why the film is
even in the category in the first place. Sure,
American Hustle is a good movie, but Oscar-
worthy? I do not think so. Instead, due to
its dramatic nature, political message, and
overall amazingness, 12 Years a Slave should
be the one to win for best picture. Although
secretly I am rooting for the epic man and
machine romance film Her, but I will admit
that one is a bit of a long shot.

So when Oscar night arrives, gather around
the television, cheer on your favourites,
make your predictions, and know that ina
mere week’s time, all of these films will be
long forgotten.