I hadn't been this excited to hear an announcement since George Michael publicly came out because for years I had hoped, then assumed, which led to dread, and ultimately heartache when hearing the news. But thanks to the Academy Awards nomination announcement, I think I'd rather hear that all of my pretend boyfriends are in fact not playing for my team. Why the long face, you ask? (In my head, anyone reading this has just seen my face drop in disappointment). To answer, I'm used to the Oscar's getting it wrong but this year was just a slap in the face to the industry itself. Not only did they refuse to admit the genius that is Leonardo DiCaprio but they also failed to accept that Ben Affleck is one of their brightest stars. But I'll get to the explanations later; let's start with the nominees who are most likely to win in "The Big Five" categories.
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis. Let's face it, no one has a chance against him. He's Daniel Day-Lewis.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence or Jessica Chastain. Both have received Golden Globes for their roles and honestly it can go either way.
Best Director: David O. Russell. As much as I want to see Ang Lee take it, I feel like David has the more likely chance to win.
Best Picture: Argo. Hands down.
Best Writing- Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell
Best Writing- Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
And as for the supporting roles, my bets are as follows:
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway
Snubs:
1.
Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Supporting Actor- Django Unchained
This is the second year in a row: For the 2012 Oscar's, I was beyond surprised that Leonardo DiCaprio was not nominated for his captivating performance in
J. Edgar. And once again I am shocked and appalled (although I'm told that you can't be both but you get my drift) that Leo has once again been looked over by the Academy. What is it going to take for them to realize that he's the most formidable star that they have? Maybe that's it; maybe the industry is too intimidated by his talent. I mean here's a guy who, as
Details perfectly stated, has never been apart of "no big-budget franchises, no rom-coms, not even a true action movie" in his 20 year career span. But with recent reports of Leonardo wanting to take a break from acting, I'm curious to see how the box offices hold up without him. After all, he is their standing one-name reigning superstar. And that's saying the least.
2.
Matt Damon and John Krasinski for Best Original Screenplay- Promised Land
I don't care what some critics thought,
Promised Land was a solid film. The acting was exceptional, the direction was fluid (NO LOVE FOR GUS!?), and the story was easy to follow. When I discovered that the screenplay was written by
Jason Bourne Matt Damon and
Jim Halpert John Krasinski, I was elated. Not only did these two keep me interested while watching, but they managed to recreate a Ben and Matt momentum* that hadn't been around since... well, Ben and Matt. Yet their entire film as a whole received no love from the Academy.
*Ben and Matt Momentum: Two friends who write a script together and find success in doing so.
3.
Javier Bardem for Best Supporting Actor- Skyfall
Never in the 50 year Bond history has a villain been as endearing and yet unnerving as the character Raoul Silva was in
Skyfall. As the heavy, he was expected to create fear into the protagonists and the audience as well. But anyone who watched the film was enraptured by his slow dictation, the switch from general calm to impulsive behavior, his flirty nature, and his justified purpose. I haven't been this entertained by a bad guy since Heath Ledger outperformed his cast in The Dark Knight as The Joker. This was a performance that was deserving of an Oscar.
4.
Ezra Miller for Best Supporting Actor- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was the classic coming-of-age story for my generation, it's up there with
The Sandlot screenplay. What the Stephen Chbosky novel provided was a blueprint for those difficult teenage years and the extenuating experiences that awaited you. So seeing his film rendition of his story scared me initially; I didn't want the book that guided my teenage years to be ruined. But it did not disappoint and frankly this generation should be thankful for it. It's the 2012 version of
The Breakfast Club, meaning that in 20 years it won't be as understandable to that generation of kids but it will be appreciated. Moving on, Ezra Miller was the standout star to me. He wasn't playing your token gay high schooler that is almost always shown onscreen (the scared victim or the overly flamboyant), he was comfortable in his skin which made him cool. He wasn't the most popular but he also didn't use his sexual orientation as a crutch. Being gay didn't define him and that is truly hard to find in queer characters today. With that being said, Ezra Miller is one to look out for. The Academy may not have admitted that this year but we'll hear his name announced in the future.
5.
Matthew McConaughey for Best Supporting Actor- Magic Mike
I'm positive that Matthew McConaughey will never play a character like Dallas again. This was his shining moment, in my humble opinion. As a supporting actor in the film, he stole the thunder in every scene he was in. Now it's important to note that a scene stealer is likely to not have been written as such, but if the actor takes the time to bring life to that character then this is the result of doing so. And Mr. McConaughey was the reason that
Magic Mike was as stimulating as it was, pun intended. While I am not shocked that he wasn't nominated (because I'm assuming that the Academy members are prudes), I think that the risk of nominating him would have made the Oscar's feel more modern. But hey, what do I know? And seriously, when was the last time a stripper was nominated? I'll leave you e-nerds to figure that one out.
6.
Ewan McGregor for Best Lead Actor- The Impossible
A heartbreaking film,
The Impossible left no dry eyes in the theater. It was just enough devastation to make a grown man cry with an inspirational conclusion that forced every parent to go home and hug their children. And at the helm of this perfect cinematic journey was Ewan McGregor, who stopped at nothing to find his remaining family members. As the daughter to an incredibly courageous father, this hit home for me. I related to the story and felt every emotion that the characters were feeling. That is how a film is supposed to affect a viewer. And that's why I can't fathom how this performance was overlooked. As happy as I am for Naomi Watts being recognized, I believe that Ewan deserved some Oscar love as well.
7.
Ben Affleck for Best Director- Argo
Next to Leo, Ben's snub as Best Director was one of the biggest upsets this year. The actor/writer/director has had a few hiccups in his career but who hasn't? To fall down on your face means that you're more aware of your steps next time. That's what Ben Affleck has been doing: taking his time and being careful/selective in terms of choosing his projects.
Argo is a frontrunner in winning Best Picture and that's thanks to Ben's vision. But I don't need to tell you that, his Critic's Choice and Golden Globe win speaks for itself. I'm visualizing the Academy members kicking themselves repeatedly for this mistake. And it's a big one to chew.
8.
John Hawkes for Best Lead Actor- The Sessions
I understand that the Best Actor category only includes five names but I think that one of the five should've been John Hawkes. If you haven't seen
The Sessions already, I encourage you to do so. I've been recommending this movie to all of my friends because it's one of last year's best. The suggestion is solely thanks to John Hawkes performance as a paraplegic man who wants to lose his virginity. Hawkes is convincing from the moment the film begins to the last few minutes. I can list two of the Best Actor nominees that underperformed John but I'll keep that to myself and let you decide on your own if Mr. Hawkes was snubbed.
9.
Samuel L. Jackson for Best Supporting Actor- Django Unchained
Django Unchained was my favorite film that was released this past December. The controversy surrounding this film's subject matter made me a bit hesitant. But anytime a
review states that a film is "is crazily entertaining, brazenly irresponsible and also ethically serious in a way that is entirely consistent with its playfulness", you know you have to go experience it for yourself. So I sat in the theater and waited for my stomach to turn. And then Leonardo DiCaprio came onscreen and I was utterly disgusted. But Samuel L. Jackson took the cake as Stephen, the head of the house slaves who has an undying loyalty to his master. For such a serious topic as slavery, Samuel found a way to make the audience laugh repeatedly. And there is a silent rule about laughing during a movie in which humans are being tortured; it's not to be done. But my fellow moviegoers found themselves at a crossroad because he was just too hilarious to ignore. If you can make an audience have an internal struggle and leave the theater feeling bad for enjoying themselves, then you're golden in my book.
10.
Quentin Tarantino for Best Director- Django Unchained
*
See Numbers 1 and 9
Other notable snubs:
1. Paul Thomas Anderson for Best Director-The Master
2. Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director-Zero Dark Thirty
3. Gus van Sant for Best Director-Promised Land
Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the Academy's thanks to Seth MacFarlene hosting the awards ceremony. I also can't wait to see the James Bond films receive a tribute for five decades of being bad asses. But still, a part of me wants to protest the 2013 Oscar's but I refuse to let these snubs be the reason I don't support the tremendous year we had in film.
Until next year...
-
Amber Noblés, better known as Bekky Boo
I won't Leo, I won't.
