Breaking Down the 2013 Best Actress Race

This Oscar season has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable races in recent history. While it seems that Argo, Daniel Day-Lewis and Anne Hathaway now look like sure things in their respective categories, there are a few races that remain a serious horse race. The two biggest question marks are the Best Supporting Actor race where a different contender has won in each of the precursors (Tommy Lee Jones, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Christoph Waltz) and the Best Actress Race which has been a serious catfight between Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence. Today, I will take a look at the latter race which could end up with a truly surprising winner.
When the race began in earnest last fall, the word was that Jennifer Lawrence would win hands down for her wonderful, emotionally naked work in Silver Linings Playbook. However, that was before the very secretive Zero Dark Thirty finally began screening and Jessica Chastain’s fierce, intelligent and controlled performance wowed critics and audiences. Both women have won a number of pre-cursors that have put them squarely in a duel for the Oscar win. Among the biggest wins, Lawrence took home the Golden Globe (Musical/Comedy), Critic’s Choice (Actress in a Comedy Film) and the all-important SAG Award while Chastain grabbed a Golden Globe (Drama) and the overall Critic’s Choice Award for Best Actress.
They are both up for the BAFTA Award this evening as well. I’d say Chastain has the edge there as her film received more nominations from the British Academy and they tend to honor more “important” films and performances. For example, last year Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) took home the Best Actress BAFTA over Viola Davis (The Help) after Davis had just won the SAG Award… I could see the same turnover happen here for Chastain. If that happens, then Chastain could follow Streep’s path to an Oscar victory.
Both Chastain and Lawrence have several factors working in their favor. Both women are attractive young actresses with a “babe factor” that the Academy loves, reaching a peak in their careers which has helped actresses like Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicole Kidman to take home the big prize in the past. Both are also previous nominees. Chastain was nominated last year for Supporting Actress for The Help while Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress two years ago for Winter’s Bone. Plus, both have worked the awards circuit like a pro this season.
Where they differ is in their “industry status”. While Lawrence is now a bona-fide box office star with The Hunger Games franchise, Chastain is seen as the more serious actress with a bigger body of lauded work. She could’ve received Oscar noms for practically all of her seven films released in 2011 and Chastain is also building box office clout with hits ZD30, The Help and Mama. It just seems like it may be too “early” in Lawrence’s career to give her Hollywood’s highest honor while Chastain seems to have “earned” it more. So, with all of that said, I’m going out on a limb and giving the edge to Chastain for the win.
However there remains one big obstacle in their way. They both will have to fend off another critical favorite, French icon Emmanuelle Riva for her harrowing and physically demanding work as a woman suffering from Dementia at the end of her life in Amour. This performance could be the real key to this Oscar race. Riva could easily usurp both of them at the BAFTAs and set the stage for a crazy three-way fight on Oscar night.
As for the final two nominees, Quevanzhane Wallis should be thrilled she got a nomination in the first place for her debut performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild over more deserving heavy weights like Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone) and Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), and while she was amazing in The Impossible, and I’d love to see her win, Naomi Watts will probably be an also ran. (No worries though Naomi, you should be back in the race next year for playing Princess Diana!)
To sum up, it’s a serious race this year. Lawrence and Chastain are in the best position to win with Riva as a potential spoiler. And if there is crazy vote splitting, maybe Watts can sneak in. Yet, I’m still betting on Chastain. See if I’m right Sunday night February 24th when the Oscars air on ABC.

They’re Here~ My Big Bold 2013 Golden Globe WINNER Predictions!

Sunday night brings what NBC claims is the biggest party of the year in Hollywood, The Golden Globe Awards and no doubt, it’s always a good time. This year the hosts are the brilliant and hysterical Tina Fey and Amy Poehler who are also nominees. I can’t wait to see what they bring to the show that often favors big stars as its winners…. So, just who do I think will take home the golden hardware and who actually deserves to? Take a look at my predictions below and watch the Golden Globes Sunday night on NBC.

My BIG BOLD Golden Globe WINNER Predictions~

FILM

Best Picture (Drama)
Argo, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty
Will win: Argo
Should win: Zero Dark Thirty
~ spoiler: Lincoln

Best Actor (Drama)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Richard Gere (Arbitrage), John Hawkes (The Sessions), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)
Will & Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis
~ spoiler: Denzel Washington

Best Actress (Drama)
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Marion Cotillard (Rust & Bone), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Rachel Weisz (Deep Blue Sea)
Will & Should win: Jessica Chastain
~spoiler: Naomi Watts

Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
The Best Marigold Hotel, Les Miseralbes, Moonrise Kingdom, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, SIlver Linings Playbook
Will & Should win: Les Miserables
~ spoiler: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor (Musical or Comedy):
Jack Black (Bernie), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Ewan McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Bill Murray (Hyde Park on Hudson)
Will & Should win: Hugh Jackman
~ spoiler: Bradley Cooper

Best Actress (Musical or Comedy):
Emily Blunt (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Maggie Smith (Quartet), Meryl Streep (Hope Springs)
Will win: Jennifer Lawrence
Should win: Meryl Streep or Maggie Smith
~ spoiler: Maggie Smith

Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin (Argo), Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Should win: Tommy Lee Jones
~ spoiler: Christoph Watlz

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Will & Should win: Anne Hathaway
~ Spoiler: no one. She deservedly has it in the bag.

Best Director:
Ben Affleck (Argo), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Will win: Ben Affleck
Should win: Kathryn Bigelow
~ Spoiler: Steven Spielberg

Best Screenplay:
Argo, Django Unchained, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty
Will & Should win: Lincoln
~ spoiler: Django Unchained

Best Score:
Anna Karenina, Argo, Cloud Atlas, Life of Pi, Lincoln
Will & Should win: Lincoln
~ Spoiler: Anna Karenina

Best Original Song:
“For You” (Act of Valor), “Not Running Anymore” (Stand Up Guys), “Safe & Sound” (The Hunger Games), “Suddenly” (Les Miserables), “Skyfall” (Skyfall)
Will & Should win: “Skfyall” (yay, Adele)
~ spoiler: “Suddenly”

Best Animated Film:
Brave, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, Rise of the Guardians, Wreck It Raph
Will win: Rise of the Guardians
Should win: Wreck It Ralph
~ spoiler: Frankenweenie

Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour, A Royal Affair, The Intouchables, Kon-Tiki, Rust & Bone
Will win: Amour
Should win: The Intouchables
~ spoiler: The Intouchables

TV:

Drama Series:
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Homeland, The Newsroom
Will & Should win: Homeland
~ spoiler: Downton Abbey (remember this is the FOREIGN press and Downton is all about the Brits!)

Best Actor Drama:
Steven Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Damian Lewis (Homeland)
Will win: Damian Lewis
Should win: Bryan Cranston
~ Spoiler: Jeff Daniels

Best Actress Drama:
Connie Britton (Nashville), Glenn Close (Damages), Clare Danes (Homeland), Michelle Dockrey (Downton Abbey), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes
~ spoiler: Michelle Dockrey (this category rarely has repeat winners and since Danes won last year, Dockrey could prevail)

Best Musical or Comedy Series:
The Big Bang Theory, Episodes, Girls, Modern Family, Smash
Will & Should win: Modern Family
~ spoiler: Smash

Best Actor Musical or Comedy:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Louis CK (Louie), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Will win: Louis CK
Should win: Matt LeBlanc
~ Spoiler: Jim Parsons

Best Actress Musical or Comedy:
Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Veep), Lena Dunham (Girls), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)
Will win: Julia Louis Dreyfuss
Should win: Amy Poehler
~ spoiler: Lena Dunham

TV Movie or Miniseries:
Game Change, The Girl, Hatfields & McCoys, The Hour, Political Animals
Will & Should win: Game Change
~ spoiler: Political Animals (and wouldn’t that be fun?!)

Best Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Kevin Costner (Hatfields & McCoys), Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock), Woody Harrelson (Game Change), Toby Jones (The Girl), Clive Owen (Hemingway & Gelhorn)
Will win: Kevin Costner
Should win: Woody Harrleson
~ spoiler: Benedict Cumberpatch

Best Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gelhorn), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum), Sienna Miller (The Girl), Julianne Moore (Game Change), Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals)
Will & Should win: Julianne Moore
~ spoiler: Jessica Lange

Best Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries/Drama Series or Musical/Comedy Series:
Max Greenfield (New Girl), Ed Harris (Game Change), Danny Huston (Magic City), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will win: Mandy Patinkin
Should win: Max Greenfield
~ spoiler: Ed Harris

Best Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries/Drama Series or Musical/Comedy Series:

Hayden Panitierre (Nashville), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife), Sarah Paulson (Game Change), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)

Will & Should win: Maggie Smith

~ spoiler: Sofia Vergara

 

“Lincoln” and “Les Mis” Lead the BAFTA Noms

Lincoln continues its run as the Oscar front-runner as it pulled in 10 BAFTA nominations this morning ahead of Les Miserables and Life of Pi with 9 each and Skyfall with 8 (including Javier Bardem and Judi Dench in the Supporting Actor categories). The big surprise was the snub of Lincoln and Les Mis directors Steven Spielberg and Tom Hooper who both missed the cut… In fact, the story of the day is actually the other people snubbed by the British academy. Getting no love this morning were Denzel Washington, Naomi Watts, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert DeNiro who all didn’t make the cut…. So just who did? Take a look at the full list below which featured a surprisingly strong showing for Anna Karenina and a huge shocker with Ben Affleck in the Best Actor category. Winners will be announced just before the Oscar ceremony next month.

2013 BAFTA Award Nominations~

BEST FILM:
Argo
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST BRITISH FILM:
Anna Karenina
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Seven Psychopaths
Skyfall

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
AMOUR Michael Haneke, Margaret Ménégoz
HEADHUNTERS Morten Tyldum, Marianne Gray, Asle Vatn
THE HUNT Thomas Vinterberg, Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Morten Kaufmann
RUST AND BONE Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
UNTOUCHABLE Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, Laurent Zeitoun
DOCUMENTARY
THE IMPOSTER Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
MARLEY Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCULLIN David Morris, Jacqui Morris
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
WEST OF MEMPHIS Amy Berg
ANIMATED FILM
BRAVE Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
FRANKENWEENIE Tim Burton
PARANORMAN Sam Fell, Chris Butler
DIRECTOR
AMOUR Michael Haneke
ARGO Ben Affleck
DJANGO UNCHAINED Quentin Tarantino
LIFE OF PI Ang Lee
ZERO DARK THIRTY Kathryn Bigelow
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMOUR Michael Haneke
DJANGO UNCHAINED Quentin Tarantino
THE MASTER Paul Thomas Anderson
MOONRISE KINGDOM Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
ZERO DARK THIRTY Mark Boal
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ARGO Chris Terrio
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
LIFE OF PI David Magee
LINCOLN Tony Kushner
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK David O. Russell
LEADING ACTOR
BEN AFFLECK Argo
BRADLEY COOPER Silver Linings Playbook
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS Lincoln
HUGH JACKMAN Les Misérables
JOAQUIN PHOENIX The Master
LEADING ACTRESS
EMMANUELLE RIVA Amour
HELEN MIRREN Hitchcock
JENNIFER LAWRENCE Silver Linings Playbook
JESSICA CHASTAIN Zero Dark Thirty
MARION COTILLARD Rust and Bone
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALAN ARKIN Argo
CHRISTOPH WALTZ Django Unchained
JAVIER BARDEM Skyfall
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Master
TOMMY LEE JONES Lincoln
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS The Master
ANNE HATHAWAY Les Misérables
HELEN HUNT The Sessions
JUDI DENCH Skyfall
SALLY FIELD Lincoln
ORIGINAL MUSIC
ANNA KARENINA Dario Marianelli
ARGO Alexandre Desplat
LIFE OF PI Mychael Danna
LINCOLN John Williams
SKYFALL Thomas Newman

CINEMATOGRAPHY
ANNA KARENINA Seamus McGarvey
LES MISÉRABLES Danny Cohen
LIFE OF PI Claudio Miranda
LINCOLN Janusz Kaminski
SKYFALL Roger Deakins
EDITING
ARGO William Goldenberg
DJANGO UNCHAINED Fred Raskin
LIFE OF PI Tim Squyres
SKYFALL Stuart Baird
ZERO DARK THIRTY Dylan Tichenor, William Goldenberg
PRODUCTION DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
LES MISÉRABLES Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson
LIFE OF PI David Gropman, Anna Pinnock
LINCOLN Rick Carter, Jim Erickson
SKYFALL Dennis Gassner, Anna Pinnock
COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA Jacqueline Durran
GREAT EXPECTATIONS Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
LES MISÉRABLES Paco Delgado
LINCOLN Joanna Johnston
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN Colleen Atwood
MAKE UP & HAIR
ANNA KARENINA Ivana Primorac
HITCHCOCK Julie Hewett, Martin Samuel, Howard Berger
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Peter Swords King, Richard Taylor, Rick Findlater
LES MISÉRABLES Lisa Westcott
LINCOLN Lois Burwell, Kay Georgiou
SOUND
DJANGO UNCHAINED Mark Ulano, Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti, Wylie Stateman
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Tony Johnson, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, Brent Burge, Chris Ward
LES MISÉRABLES Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Jonathan Allen, Lee Walpole, John Warhurst
LIFE OF PI Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, Ron Bartlett, D. M. Hemphill
SKYFALL Stuart Wilson, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, Per Hallberg, Karen Baker Landers
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Peter Bebb, Andrew Lockley
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
LIFE OF PI Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer
MARVEL AVENGERS ASSEMBLE Nominees TBC
PROMETHEUS Richard Stammers, Charley Henley, Trevor Wood, Paul Butterworth
SHORT ANIMATION
HERE TO FALL Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’M FINE THANKS Eamonn O’Neill
THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
SHORT FILM
THE CURSE Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
GOOD NIGHT Muriel d’Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
SWIMMER Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
TUMULT Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
THE VOORMAN PROBLEM Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
ELIZABETH OLSEN
ANDREA RISEBOROUGH
SURAJ SHARMA
JUNO TEMPLE
ALICIA VIKANDER

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
BART LAYTON (Director), DIMITRI DOGANIS (Producer) The Imposter
DAVID MORRIS (Director), JACQUI MORRIS (Director/Producer) McCullin
DEXTER FLETCHER (Director/Writer), DANNY KING (Writer) Wild Bill
JAMES BOBIN (Director) The Muppets
TINA GHARAVI (Director/Writer) I Am Nasrine

The SAG Award Noms Highlight “Les Miserables”, “Lincoln” and Maggie Smith!

The Oscar front-runners heard their names a lot at this morning’s SAG Award Nominations with Lincoln, Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook all nabbing four nominations, but one actor grabbed four nominations as well. That actor is Oscar/Emmy/Golden Globe winner and acting icon Maggie Smith who is in the running in 4 races: Actress Drama Series (Downton Abbey), Drama Series Ensemble (Downton Abbey), Supporting Actress Film (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Film Ensemble (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). The next most nominated actor was Emmy winner Bryan Cranston who is up for 3 awards: Actor Drama Series (Breaking Bad), Drama Series Ensemble (Breaking Bad), and Film Ensemble (Argo)… There was only one real big surprise in the film race as Nicole Kidman broke through in the Supporting Actress category for the polarizing film The Paperboy. She’s also nominated for Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries for Hemingway & Gelhorn…. Due to such a crowded year, there were some big omissions including Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams (The Master~ hello, I tell ya they are in trouble come Oscar time, especially Joaquin), Ewan MacGregor (The Impossible), Richard Gere (Arbitrage), Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock), Eddie Redmayne & Samantha Barks (Les Miserables) and Keira Knightley (Anna Karenina). Also absent was the entire cast of Django Unchained, but that’s what you get for not sending voters screeners and having your screening like the day before ballots were due and many of them not even being let into the screening in favor of execs and reporters. Bad move Weinstein… And an FYI~ the great little star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Quevanzhane Wallis was ineligible because that film was a non-union (i.e.: non-SAG) production.
On the TV side, Homeland, Downton Abbey grabbed 3 nominations apiece while Modern Family led the race with 4 nominations. Interestingly, the only actor nominated on the Drama side from a network series is Juliana Marguiles from The Good Wife. Uh oh, the networks better work a littler harder on their development side before the drama category completely goes to cable… At least they still did well on the Comedy side…. For more on all the nominations and the ceremony which airs on TBS/TNT in January, head to the SAG website here and check out all the nominations below.

TV:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi (“Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson”) – Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Bryan Cranston (“Walter White”) – Breaking Bad (AMC)
Jeff Daniels (“Will McAvoy”) – The Newsroom (HBO)
Jon Hamm (“Don Draper”) – Mad Men (AMC)
Damian Lewis (“Nicholas Brody”) – Homeland (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Claire Danes (“Carrie Mathison”) – Homeland (Showtime)
Michelle Dockery (“Lady Mary Crawley”) – Downton Abbey (PBS)
Jessica Lange (“Sister Jude”) – American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Julianna Margulies (“Alicia Florrick”) – The Good Wife (CBS)
Maggie Smith (“Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham”) – Downton Abbey (PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (“Jack Donaghy”) – 30 Rock (NBC)
Ty Burrell (“Phil Dunphy”) – Modern Family (ABC)
Louis C.K. (“Louie”) – Louie (FX)
Jim Parsons (“Sheldon Cooper”) – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Eric Stonestreet (“Cameron Tucker”) – Modern Family (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco (“Jackie Peyton”) – Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Tina Fey (“Liz Lemon”) – 30 Rock (NBC)
Amy Poehler (“Leslie Knope”) – Parks and Recreations (NBC)
Sofia Vergara (“Gloria Delgado-Pritchett”) – Modern Family (ABC)
Betty White (“Elka Ostrovsky”) – Hot in Cleveland (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downtown Abbey (PBS)
Homeland (Showtime)
Mad Men (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
The Office (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Costner (“‘Devil Anse’ Hatfield”) – Hatfields & McCoys (History)
Woody Harrelson (“Steve Schmidt”) – Game Change (HBO)
Ed Harris (“John McCain”) – Game Change (HBO)
Clive Owen (“Ernest Hemingway”) – Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)
Bill Paxton (“Randall McCoy”) – Hatfields & McCoys (History)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Nicole Kidman “Martha Gellhorn”) – Hemingway & Gellhorn (HBO)
Julianne Moore (“Sarah Palin”) – Game Change (HBO)
Charlotte Rampling (“Eva Delectorskaya”) – Restless (Sundance Channel)
Sigourney Weaver (“Elaine Barrish Hammond”) – Political Animals(USA)
Alfre Woodward (“Ouiser”) – Steel Magnolias (Lifetime)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Sons of Anarchy (FX)
The Walking Dead AMC)

FILM:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper (“Pat”) – Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Daniel Day-Lewis (“Abraham Lincoln”) – Lincoln (Touchstone Pictures)
John Hawkes (“Mark”) – The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)
Hugh Jackman (“Jean Valjean”) – Les Misérables (Universal Pictures)
Denzel Washington (“Whip Whitaker”) – Flight (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain (“Maya”) – Zero Dark Thirty (Columbia Pictures)
Marion Cotillard (“Stephanie”) – Rust and Bone (Sony Pictures Classics)
Jennifer Lawrence (“Tiffany”) – Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Helen Mirren (“Alma Reville”) – Hitchcock (Fox Searchlight)
Naomi Watts (“Maria”) – The Impossible (Summit Entertainment)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Alan Arkin (“Lester Siegel”) – Argo (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Javier Bardem (“Silva”) – “SKYFALL” (Columbia Pictures)
Robert De Niro (“Pat, Sr.”) – Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Lancaster Dodd”) – The Master (The Weinstein Company)
Tommy Lee Jones (“Thaddeus Stevens”) – Lincoln (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Sally Field (“Mary Todd Lincoln”) – Lincoln (Touchstone Pictures)
Anne Hathaway (“Fantine”) – Les Misérables (Universal Pictures)
Helen Hunt (“Cheryl”) – The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)
Nicole Kidman (“Charlotte Bless”) – The Paperboy (Millennium Entertainment)
Maggie Smith (“Muriel Donnelly”) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Fox Searchlight)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Bourne Legacy
The Dark Knight Rises
Les Misérables
Skyfall

“The Impossible” Could Pull Off the Improbable at the Oscars

So far this Oscar season, most of the talk has been about a number of big films that fit the Awards season bill in practically every way: Argo, Lincoln, Les Miserables and The Silver Linings Playbook. There are also several smaller films that are making some big noise like The Sessions, Beasts of the Southern Wild and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. While all of those pictures will likely score some several nominations, one film be a strong dark horse and land a host of nominations, the tsunami disaster picture and ultimate story of improbable survival, The Impossible. The film, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona,  is incredibly harrowing and gut wrenching but it’s also inspiring, beautiful and fantastic. The Impossible follows the true story of one family that is caught up in the devastating Indonesian tsunami in 2004 that took the lives of over 100,000 people. Naomi Watts and Ewan MacGregor star as the parents of three sons who struggle to survive after the tsunami hits. Watts and MacGregor both give incredible performances that should put them at the forefront of the Best Actress and Supporting Actor races, but we might see newcomer Tom Holland in the Supporting Actor race as well. Playing their oldest son, Holland is simply astonishing and should have a very bright future in Hollywood. The film should contend in many different categories and won’t leave a dry eye in the house. I highly recommend it and I gave it an “A” grade. Check it out when it hits theaters in December and take a look at what Oscars I think the film should contend for and the trailer below. It could end up being a big spoiler in this year’s race.

Oscar chances for The Impossible~

Likely Noms:
Best Picture
Best Actress (Naomi Watts)
Best Supporting Actor (Ewan MacGregor)
Best Visual Effects

Good Shot:
Best Director (Juan Antonio Bayona)
Best Cinematography
Best Original Score
Best Sound

Other Possible Nods:
Best Supporting Actor (Tom Holland)
Best Editing
Best Production Design

The Impossible trailer

Will “J Edgar” finally Land Leo an Oscar?

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most talented and bankable actors in Hollywood who pretty much has the world in his hands. What he doesn’t have in his little fingers is a golden statue named Oscar. Despite three previous nominations for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator and Blood Diamond, Leo has gone home empty-handed every time. However, that all may change with his next big movie, the biopic of J Edgar Hoover, J. Edgar, directed by five time Oscar winner Clint Eastwood. The film takes on this iconic man’s story as he embodied the face of law enforcement for decades running the FBI and becoming a very powerful and controversial figure, not to mention having a very secret private life. And that private life will be explored as well including his rumored romantic relationship with coworker and confidante Clyde Tolson played by Armie Hammer (The Social Network). The film also stars some heavy hitters including Oscar winner Judi Dench and Oscar nominee Naomi Watts plus Josh Lucas, Jeffrey Donovan and Ken Howard. Watch for the film to play into the Oscar race in practically every field from costumes, to score, writing, direction and of course performances when it opens on November 9th. And now, the first trailer has hit the web. Take a look at Leo in J. Edgar below and let me know if you think the fourth time will be his Oscar charm.

J. Edgar

Naomi Watts & Sean Penn vs. Billy Baldwin & Cindy Crawford

Oscar nominee Naomi Watts and two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn are about to take on 90′s stud Billy Baldwin and supermodel Cindy Crawford for the ultimate bragging rights to the title Fair Game. You see Baldwin and Crawford, in her cinematic debut, starred in a pretty dreadful 90′s action thriller entitled Fair Game while Penn and Watts’ upcoming new thriller also bears the same name. That’s where the comparisons end though as the 2010 Game has award worthy aspirations as it tackles the true life story of ex-CIA operative Valerie Plame who was exposed publicly after her husband stirred up trouble with the Bush administration when accusing them of bending the truth about weapons of mass destruction. This political drama with action elements is directed by Douglas Liman who previously explored warring husband and wife spies in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It looks like a strong film that could put these revered actors back in the awards race. As for the other Fair Game, the only awards it was in contention for were The 1995 Razzies where it contended in three races. You can watch that one on dvd and then compare the two when the new film hits theatres on Nov. 5.

Fair Game 2010 trailer

Fair Game 1995 trailer