TMTB Predicts the 86th Academy Awards

BEST PICTURE

1. American Hustle
2. Captain Phillips
3. Dallas Buyers Club
4. Gravity
5. Her
6. Nebraska
7. Philomena
8. 12 Years A Slave
9. The Wolf of Wall Street

Who Will Win: 12 Years A Slave, Gravity

Who Should Win: 12 Years A Slave, Gravity

Who Could Win: The Wolf of Wall Street

Who Got Snubbed: Prisoners, Blue is the Warmest Color, Only God Forgives

Really, this race is down to either 12 Years A Slave or Gravity, with respect to the other nominees. And either film would be worthy of the statue. Gravity is the most technologically advanced film to date. Not only that, it’s probably the years most entertaining as well. By the same token, 12 Years A Slave is a brilliant work displaying humanity vs. humanity. In the end, it can go either way and I wouldn’t really mind. Others, who have more opinionated thoughts and anger issues will think otherwise. Both are great works, in their own rights.

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

1. American Hustle, David O. Russell
2. Gravity, Alfonso Cuarón
3. Nebraska, Alexander Payne
4. 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen
5. The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese

Who Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón

Who Should Win: Steve McQueen

Who Could Win: Martin Scorsese

Who Got Snubbed: Harmony Korine, Nicolas Winding-Refn

This is another toss up. It could be Cuarón . It could be McQueen. Distantly it could possibly be Scorsese. Everyone in this category has earned their nomination, and quite a few deserve a nod as well.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

1. Christian Bale, American Hustle
2. Bruce Dern, Nebraska
3. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
4. Chiwetel Ejofor, 12 Years A Slave
5. Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Who Will Win: Matthew McConaughey

Who Should Win: Matthew McConaughey

Who Could Win: Leonardo DiCaprio

Who Got Snubbed: Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix

I’m a full supporter of the McConaissance. For an actor who for years was a rom-com punchline to become a dark force in dramas is an incredibly bold career shift that has paid off. His haunting performance as Ron Woodroof is one of the most emotional you could see in 2013. But what about Leo? His performance as scummy NY stock broker Jordan Belfort is the best of his career. And considering he has been snubbed many times by the academy over the years, is this statue his finally?

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

1. Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
2. Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
3. Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave
4. Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Who Will Win: Jared Leto

Who Should Win: Jared Leto

Who Could Win: Michael Fassbender

Who Got Snubbed: Hugh Jackman

This is an easy choice for the most part. Jared Leto was simply devastating as Rayon, a transgender woman who acts as the buffer for Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. If there is one person in this category who can really give Mr. Leto a run for the statue is Michael Fassbender’s hellish slave owner in 12 Years A Slave.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

1. Amy Adams, American Hustle
2. Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
3. Sandra Bullock, Gravity
4. Judi Dench, Philomena
5. Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett

Who Should Win: ?

Who Could Win: Sandra Bullock

Who Got Snubbed: Scarlett Johansson, Adèle Exarchopoulos

Every year, when the nominations come out, I always end up looking at the leading/supporting actress category and I think… why the hell have I not seen any of these performances? Seriously, the only performance I’ve seen is Sandy B’s gut-wrencher in Gravity. I can only expect brilliance from the other wonderful women… although I consider Meryl Streep one of the most over-rated actresses. Anyways- it looks like Cate Blanchett is this years front-runner.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

1. Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
2. Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
3. Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave
4. Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
5. June Squibb, Nebraska

Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence

Who Should Win: Lupita Nyong’o

Who Could Win: Lupita Nyong’o

Who Got Snubbed: Léa Seydoux

I still have hope that Lupita Nyong’o can take home this trophy. But the Jennifer Lawrence love train is pretty strong. Not saying she doesn’t deserve it, because as I stated earlier I haven’t seen American Hustle, but I question whether I could be any better than Ms. Nyong’o.

Who do you think will or should win? Who got snubbed?

Five Best Films of 2013

*As of January 25, 2014. In no order. To be expanded upon.

• Gravity– Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Rated PG-13/UK: 12A. 91 minutes.

While the scientific community was twitching over the trivial, the cinema-going public was in awe of Alfonso Cuarón’s latest work. A simple enough story, humanity verses itself and nature, where Sandy Bullock represents humanity and satellite debris in space represents nature. But this minimalist film hold you firmly in its grasp for 90 minutes and only after allows you to take a moment to catch your breath. Director Cuarón, already established as a greatly visionary director with films like Children of Men, has produced a film that is years ahead of its time.

• 12 Years A Slave– Directed by Steve McQueen. Rated R/UK: 15. 133 minutes.

There is no doubt that over the years of recent cinema that the dark corner of American slavery and segregation has been explored frequently. But what sets Shame director Steve McQueen’s apart from those other films is the blunt and nakedness of the subject. 12 Years is a brutal, authentic, and unflinching account of Solomon Northup, A free man turned slave who fought back to regain his humanity. Many have focused on the brutal aspects of this film, but the real power of McQueen is his ability to showcase ugliness without the need of “shock value”.

• Wolf of Wall Street– Directed by Martin Scorsese. Rated R/UK:18. 180 minutes.

A lot of people have complained that this film glorifies excess and immorality. Personally, I don’t. I think Scorsese was trying to point out the absurdity of Jordan Belfort’s debauchery. But regardless of what you think, there is no denying that the latest from the legendary director is three coke-fueled hours of hilarious/satirical fun. The story of a fast and loose Wall Street swindler is Scorsese’s best film since his gangster opus Goodfellas, which shares one or two similarities with Wolf. Could this be the year that DiCaprio takes home a Best Actor Oscar? I think so.

• Only God Forgives– Directed by Nicolas Winding-Refn. Rated R/UK: 18. 90 minutes.

Not a film for the faint of heart, Winding-Refn’s gritty and blood-stained Only God Forgives split the cinephiles this year. Many liked it. Many found it too abstract. Either way you lean, the scope and beauty of Winding-Refn’s scope is dirty and beautiful. More Valhalla Rising than Drive in structure, this tale of deplorable characters on both sides of a murder doesn’t shy with making you comfortable.

• Prisoners– Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Rated R/UK: 15. 153 minutes.

While not the best, Prisoners is in fact my favorite film this year. Not the best, but the most fun. Well, as much fun as child abduction can be. But over the last few years there has been something missing from the thriller genre- thrills. This film does, and so much more. The story is always churning and changing the perspective of who did what. It is also a showcase for the talents of Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman, both sadly snubbed of Academy Award recognition. As was this film.

Up next, are The Five Worst Films of 2013…

My 2013 Oscar Picks.

BEST PICTURE

1. Amour
2. Argo
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
4. Django Unchained
5. Les Misérables
6. Life of Pi
7. Lincoln
8. Silver Linings Playbook
9. Zero Dark Thirty

Who Will Win: Argo

Who Should Win: Argo

Who Could Win: Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook

Who Got Snubbed: The Dark Knight Rises, The Master, Looper

This years race has gotten interesting. If you would have asked me when the nominee were named this year, I wouldn’t have given Argo much of a chance, especially since Mr. Affleck was snubbed for the Directing category. I really thought Lincoln was going to take this category, which would have been a shame because I personally thought it wasn’t all that entertaining. Same thing with Life of Pi. But can Silver Linings Playbook, which seems to have captured the heart of critics and movie-goers alike (including me), pull off an upset? We’ll see, eh?

DIRECTING

1. Ang Lee, Life of Pi
2. Benh Zeitlin, Beast of the Southern Wild
3. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
4. Michael Haneke, Amour
5. Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Who Will Win: Steven Spielberg

Who Should Win: Ben Affleck (Argo)

Who Could Win: David O. Russell

Who Got Snubbed: Ben Affleck (Argo), Rian Johnson (Looper), Christoper Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

There is a chance Argo may not take home the Best Picture trophy, But Ben Affleck hands down will take home the dire- oh, wait, he wasn’t nominated. Which is a bit crazy to me. There’s no reason for him not to be. His directing is superb in Argo. But that’s not going to happen. So I guess Spielberg is taking home the statue, even though David O. Russell is more deserving.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

1. Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
2. Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
3. Denzel Washington, Flight
4. Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
5. Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

Who Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis

Who Should Win: Bradley Cooper

Who Could Win: Denzel Washington

Who Got Snubbed: Daniel Craig (Skyfall)

If I haven’t made it apparent yet, I found Lincoln to be a mediocre film. But I will concede that Daniel Day-Lewis is very good in the role of the 16th President. Better than Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook? No, not really. But Lewis has been the favorite in all the other awards shows this year. And if the Academy is anything, it likes to play it safe in its selections.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

1. Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
2. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
3. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
4. Naomi Watts, The Impossible
5. Quvenzhane Wallis, Beast of the Southern Wild

Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence

Who Should Win: Jennifer Lawrence

Who Could Win: Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts

Who Got Snubbed: ?

For whatever reason, every year this category is the biggest mystery for me because I never seem to have a chance to see the films these amazing ladies have starred in sadly. The only two I have seen are Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook. Of the two I would pick Lawrence, who is pure electricity this year.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

1. Alan Arkin, Argo
2. Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
4. Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
5. Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Who Will Win: Robert De Niro

Who Should Win: Robert De Niro

Who Could Win: Any of them

Who Got Snubbed: Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)

This is going to be the most interesting category of the night to me. There is no predictability here. Anyone can take home the statue, and worthy of it too. But I think De Niro will be the one walking away with it. In one of his best performances in years, how could he not? The only thing that would have made it more interesting is if Leo DiCaprio has received a nod.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

1. Amy Adams, The Master
2. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
3. Helen Hunt, The Sessions
4. Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
5. Sally Fields, Lincoln

Who Will Win: Anne Hathaway

Who Should Win: Anne Hathaway

Who Could Win: Anne Hathaway

Who Got Snubbed: Kerry Washington (Django Unchained)

How did Sally Fields get a nomination? I mean that was probably the worst aspect of Lincoln for me. As I said, The Academy likes to play it safe. Any who, Anne Hathaway will win this category and rightly so. Her heartbreaking and fearless rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” is enough to cement her brief but brilliant performance in Les Miserables as a win.

Well, that’s it- the six big categories. There are a few others that have my interest as well like the short film category but I save that for the Twittercast. If you want to hear my thoughts and comments on the 85th Oscars you can follow my Twitter, @KevinAE. Then again you could just enjoy this celebration of film without my probable annoying Tweets.

The Buffalo Predicts the Oscars.

This years Oscar nominations were rather disappointing. Not that many of the nominee’s didn’t deserve their nomination. It’s the people and films that were snubbed. Many career-defining performances that was simply dismissed by the Academy. Shame really.So for the third time for this site, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty and choose who I believe will win this years statue. A little less enthusiastically this time around though.

BEST  PICTURE

1. The Artist
2. The Descendents
   
3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly close
4. The Help
5. Hugo
6. Midnight in Paris
7. Moneyball
8. The Tree of Life
9. War Horse

Who will win: The Artist

Who should win: The Artist

Who could win: The Descendents, The Help

Who got snubbed: Drive, 50/50

Really? Only nine best picture nominations? It feels like the Academy purposefully tried to stick it to someone. My guess? Nicolas Winding-Refn’s L.A. noir Drive. That would have made this race rather closer to me. That would have presented The Artist more competition, respectfully. The popularity of The Help could maybe give it a chance. Another head contender is George Clooney’s The Descendents.

DIRECTING

1. Martin Scorsese, Hugo
2. Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
3. Terrance Malick, The Tree of Life
4. Alexander Payne, The Descendents
   
5. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Who will win: Michel Hazanavicius

Who should win: Michel Hazanavicius

Who could win: Alexander Payne, Martin Scorsese

Who got snubbed: Nicolas Winding-Refn (Drive), Steven Spielberg (War Horse)

Another win for The Artist. Pretty clean-cut here I believe.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

1. George Clooney, The Descendents
2. Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. Brad Pitt, Moneyball
4. Demian Bichir, A Better Life
5. Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Who will win: Jean Dujardin

Who should win: George Clooney

Who could win: George Clooney, Brad Pitt

Who got snubbed: Michael Fassbender (Shame), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Joesph Gordon-Levitt (50/50)

Always a difficult category to make a decision for, this was more difficult for the simple fact that I’ve only seen two out of five performances. A victim of regional access to many small releases, I never got to see A Better Life, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Descendents (Ok, that one may be my fault), or Fassbender’s overlooked Shame. I did get to sneak a few scenes from The Descendents the short time my local had it.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

1. Gleen Close, Albert Nobbs
2. Viola Davis, The Help
3. Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
4. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
5. Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Who will win: Viola Davis

Who should win: Meryl Streep

Who could win: Meryl Streep

Who got snubbed: Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Viola Davis was great in The Help. Best actress great? Nope. And even though I feel Meryl Streep is a rather overrated actress, she was brilliant in The Iron Lady. Honestly it could go either way for both of these actresses in this category.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

1. Christopher Plummer, Beginners
   
2. Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
3. Nick Nolte, Warrior
4. Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
5. Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Who will win: Christopher Plummer

Who should win: Albert Brooks

Who could win: ?

Who got snubbed: Albert Brooks (Drive)

This category would have clearly went to Albert Brooks. I mean, what wankers chose Jonah Hill’s somewhat forgettable performance over Brooks? But since that isn’t an option, I’m only going on what I’ve heard. Again, didn’t get to see most of the films in this category.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

1. Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
2. Jessica Chastain, The Help
3. Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
4. Berenice Bejo, The Artist
5. Octavia Spencer, The Help

Who will win: Octavia Spencer

Who should win: Berenice Bejo

Who could win: Melissa McCarthy

Who got snubbed: Carey Mulligan (Drive)

Again, I believe this is another win for The Help cast. Am I just missing the greatness of their performances? I found Octavia Spencer’s performance pretty good, but not Oscar nomination good. That goes for the film itself. It’s good yet somewhat overrated. Berenice Bejo could snag the win though. I found her performance to be the most brilliant of this group of lovely ladies.

These are my predictions for the six main categories.  As usual, I have a watchful eye on nearly all the categories. And I will still be doing my annoying and expressive Oscar Tweet-A-Long. I look forward to you joining me on that night. A night of celebrating film.

A Few Thoughts On… The 2011 Oscars.

Hollywood’s biggest night of the year turned out to be a mediocre and disappointing one at best. This year I predicted in 7 of the major categories who I think would win and ended up with a record of 4-7. A big difference from last year when I went 6-6 (Next year I plan on making predictions in all 24 categories). Did I just make poor choices? No, I just believe the statues went to the wrong people.

The first mistake of the night was in the Supporting Actress category. I was confused as Melissa Leo’s name was called out instead of more deserving nominees such as Hailee Steinfeld or Helena Bonham Carter. Her role in the fighter was impressive, just not award impressive. And not to mention the fact that she took out ads promoting herself in the category.

Then there was the Directing winner. I believe Tom Hooper to be a talented director but best director? No. I still find The king’s Speech to be the better film, David Fincher was the far better director for The Social Network. And, even though I have said it before, it bares repeating: Christopher Nolan should have woke up next to the statue this morning. I thought it would have been great if he had a Zoolander moment last night and went up to receive the award.

For me the most disappointing category of the night was Best Documentary Feature. I think it’s a shame that Banksy didn’t win with Exit Through the Gift Shop just because he would only accept the award if his identify remained secret. But there were  better choices than inside Job. Josh Fox’s Gasland for example, or even Restrepo.

As for the night itself, there was nothing special about it. James Franco seems tense and uncomfortable as host while Anne Hatheway was exciting and energetic. But there were some memorable moments. Leo’s F-bomb. Franco in a dress. Kirk Douglas hamming it up. Downey Jr. and Law bantering. All great stuff but it still equalled out to a mediocre night on the pink- I mean red carpet. 

Just a suggestion: Kirk Douglas/ Robert Downey Jr. as host next year.

My 2011 Oscar Nomination Picks

The Oscars. For most people it’s about watching celebrities walking down the red carpet looking glamorous. But there is something deeper to it. It’s a time to reflect upon the past year in film. Unlike last year where I was 100% percent on my choices (Which was good, considering I went 6-6), this year I’m less so.

So I’m happy to say, welcome to the second annual “The Buffalo Picks the Oscars”. Or something like that.

Best Picture

1. Black Swan      6. The Kid’s Are All Right

2.The Fighter       7. The King’s Speech

3. Inception         8. The Social Network

4. 127 Hours       9. Toy Story 3

5. True Grit         10. Winter’s Bone

Who Will Win: The King’s Speech

Who Should Win: The King’s Speech

Who could Win: The Social Network, Black Swan

You may be asking… didn’t you pick The Social Network as the best film of 2010? And you would be correct, I did. But unfortunately I never got the chance to see The King’s Speech in theaters last year. I can honestly say that If I were to revise my “Best of…” list right now, that film would knock The Social Network down to the second prize spot. But in truth they both are remarkable films and if either one were to win, they would both deserve it.

Documentary Feature

1. Exit Through The Gift Shop

2. Gasland

3. inside Job

4. Restrepo

5. Waste Land

Who Will Win: Exit Through The Gift Shop

Who Should Win: Exit Through The Gift Shop

Who Could Win: Gasland, Restrepo

This Category is going to be the most interesting to me because I don’t have a clear thought on who will actually win it. I believe Banksy’s fantastic street art doc has the best chance to take home a trophy. But the antics of the anonymous artist may be off-putting to voters. Other likely choices are Josh Fox’s examination of the natural gas corporations in Gasland and the military film Restrepo.

Directing

1. Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

2. David o. Russell, The Fighter

3. Tom Hopper, The King’s Speech

4. David Fincher, The Social Network

5. Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit

Who Will Win: David Fincher

Who Should Win: Christopher Nolan

Who Could Win: Darren Aronofsky

If you are wondering why I listed Christopher Nolan as the man who should win best director since he was not chosen as a nominee, it’s simple: He should win. Inception was the best directed film of this past year and I believe he was unfairly snubbed just because some people have a beef with him. Just goes to show that award politics are as strong as ever.

Actor In A Leading Role

1. Javier Bardem, Biutiful

2. Jeff Bridges, True Grit

3. Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

4. Clon Firth, The King’s Speech

5. James Franco, 127 Hours

Who Will Win: Colin Firth

Who Should Win: Colin Firth

Who Could Win: Jesse Eisenberg

I’m pretty sure Colin Firth’s performance as stammering King George VI is the obvious choice for the statue. For a role as brave to portray as this one, I believe the brilliant Firth deserves some recognition. The only person who could possibly dethrone him is Jesse Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg.

Actor In A Supporting Role

1. Christian Bale, The Fighter

2. John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone

3. Jeremy Renner, The Town

4. Mark Ruffalo, The Kid’s Are All Right

5. Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Who Will Win: Christian Bale

Who Should Win: Geoffrey Rush

Who Could Win: Mark Ruffalo

For some reason, many people have a soft spot for Christian Bale’s portrayal of a drug addict in The Fighter. I do not. Truthfully I find his performance to comical, obnoxious and unbelievable at times. I found Geoffrey Rush’s Lionel Logue much better.

Actress In A Leading Role

1. Annette Bening, The Kid’s Are All Right

2. Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole

3. Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone

4. Natalie Portman, Black Swan

5. Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Who Will Win: Natalie Portman

Who Should Win: Natalie Portman

 Who Could Win: Annette Bening

If there was one woman who poured everything into a performance, it would be Natalie Portman in Black Swan. Nothing more really needs to be said.

Actress In A Supporting Role

1. Amy Adams, The Fighter

2. Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech

3. Melissa Leo, The Fighter

4. Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

5. Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Who Will Win: Hailee Steinfeld

Who Should Win: Helena Bonham Carter

Who Could Win: Hailee Steinfeld, Helena Bonham Carter

This race seems to be down to two fantastic ladies. The new comer Hailee Steinfeld and my personal choice as the better performance, Helena Bonham Carter. As with the best picture category, if either of them win the statue then I would agree with it.

So these are my choices for the best of the best, now to hear yours. Leave them below if you would be so kind.

 

My 2010 Oscar Picks

The Academy Awards: A celebration of excellence in the art of film making. A celebration that happens once a year in which we look back on what was good about the previous year and award those who exceled above everyone else. Here are my predictions for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards; A list of who will win, who should win, and who could win.

BEST PICTURE

1. The Hurt Locker  2. Inglourious Basterds

3. Avatar                  4. An Education

5. Precious              6. Up In The Air

7. Up                       8. A Serious Man

9. The Blind Side   10. District 9

WHO WILL WIN: The Hurt Locker

WHO SHOULD WIN: Inglourious Basterds

WHO COULD WIN: Inglourious Basterds, Avatar

Seriously, If the Academy had not expanded The Best Picture category to ten, the five movies that would have been picked would be The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Avatar, Up In The Air, and Precious.  The Hurt Locker is the favorite to win but Avatar could swoop in for the win while Tarantino’s Basterds could scalp the rest of the competition and take home the prize.

BEST ACTOR

1. Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

2. George Clooney, Up In The Air

3. Colin Firth, A Single Man

4. Morgan Freeman, Invictus

5. Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

WHO WILL WIN: Jeff Bridges

WHO SHOULD WIN: Jeff Bridges

WHO COULD WIN: George Clooney

This is Jeff Bridges award hands down. His performance in Crazy Heart outshines the rest of the nominees performances by a mile. The only competition he could face is George Clooney.

BEST ACTRESS

1. Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

2. Carey Mulligan, An Education

3. Helen Mirren, The Last Station

4. Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

5. Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

WHO WILL WIN: Sandra Bullock

WHO SHOULD WIN: Carey Mulligan

WHO COULD WIN: Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe

I admittedly haven’t seen An Education. I have seen the trailer for it and I was so impressed with Carey Mulligan’s performance that I think she should win the Oscar. While Sandra Bullock performance in The Blind Side was impressive, I would really like to see the young Mulligan take home the statue. Another young actress who could come away with gold is Gabourey Sidibe.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1.Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

2. Matt Damon, Invictus

3. Woody Harrelson, The Messanger

4. Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

5. Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

WHO WILL WIN: Christoph Waltz

WHO SHOULD WIN: Christoph Waltz

WHO COULD WIN: Christoph Waltz

‘Nuff Said.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Penelope Cruz, Nine

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

3. Mo’ Nique, Precious

4. Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air

5. Vera Farmiga, Up In The Air

WHO WILL WIN: Mo’ Nique

WHO SHOULD WIN: Maggie Gyllenhaal

WHO COULD WIN: Vera Fermiga

I have not seen Precious. I have not seen Up In The Air. And I most certainly will never see Nine. Out of all these nominees, I have only seen Maggie Gyllenhaal’s amazing performance in Crazy Heart so this category is a shot in the dark for me.

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

2. James Cameron, Avatar

3. Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

4. Lee Danials, Precious

Jason Reitman, Up In The Air

WHO WILL WIN: Kathryn Bigelow

WHO SHOULD WIN: Quentin Tarantino

WHO COULD WIN: Quentin Tarantino, Jason Reitman

Sorry Cameron, If you had named your film How To Steal Billions of Dollars From the World, then you may of had a slight chance at winning best director. This category is essentially the same as the Best Picture category.

What are your Oscar picks? What films and actors do you think got snubbed this year (Ex: Sam Rockwell in Moon). Leave your thoughts and comments below.