The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science has geared up for February by unveiling the annual poster for its Oscar ceremony (see above). And, judging by the poster, it looks as if the theme of the broadcast will be to appeal to a broad range of viewers, whether they go for romance (Gone With the Wind / Casablanca), musicals (The Sound of Music), action-drama (Gladiator), westerns (Giant), crime-drama (The Godfather), or whimsical tales of friendship and life lessons (Driving Miss Daisy / Forrest Gump).
This is a fine angle to take in that these films kindle a warm, nostalgic feeling of past Best Picture winners (with the exception of Giant) and showcase the variety of genres that have taken home the most coveted honor. It’s also a fine angle to try to bleach from our minds the debacle of last year’s ceremony. I don’t want to harp on its failed attempt to reach a younger generation, nor do I want to discuss once more the blatant indifference that oozed from the hosts and presenters as each slowly realized the cesspool they’d agreed to wade through. However, if you’d like to check out a full, unadulterated, rant, please do: here.
The new poster also reminds us that about a month from now, on January 24th, this year’s nominations will be announced. And, as we similarly gear up for the awards and compile our Oscar pools, it’s good to keep in mind those we feel just might take home the gold.
Although this year began as a paltry one for film, the last six months have delivered some quality pictures and made this potential Oscar race a bit tighter than in previous years. The Artist has become a sentimental shoe-in and “reminds us why we go to movies in the first place” – if I could steal a sentiment from Rob Cotto. Likewise, we’ve got a potentially stacked Best Actress race: Streep could win her third; Close already has five punches on her nomination card, and six is typically where it gets cashed in (see Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon); Viola Davis was solid in The Help; Michelle Williams is that consistent actress who could become the next “it” girl. On the Actor side, Michael Fassbender has been in quite a lot this year, but Shame might have been his best – though it carries the stigma of an NC-17 rating; Clooney has been solid for years and might just deserve Oscar number two; DiCaprio is gunning for nomination number 4; Jean Dujardin performed entirely through action without words.
So, working with some insight, some educated guessing, and some passion for movies, here are a few guesses from those of us at Gladiators:
Rob Cotto
Best Actor – Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Actress – Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Supporting Actor – Christopher Plummer (The Beginners)
Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Best Director – Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Picture – The Artist
Darkhorses – Michael Fassbender (Shame) and Carey Mulligan (Shame)
Charles Arcella
Best Actor – Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Actress – Kirsten Dunst, (Melancholia)
Supporting Actor – Ben Kingsley (Hugo)
Supporting Actress – Viola Davis (The Help)
Best Director – Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Picture – Hugo
Darkhorses – Steven Soderbergh (Contagion) Christoph Waltz (Carnage)
Dustin Freeley
Best Actor – Michael Fassbender (Shame)
Best Actress – Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Supporting Actor – Christopher Plummer (The Beginners)
Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Director – Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Picture – The Artist
Darkhorses – Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)
