MATEO AND RICKY'S 2013 OSCAR PICKS!

BY MATEO MORENO AND RICKY JONES

It's OSCAR TIME AGAIN!  Sunday will mark the 85th Annual Academy Awards and our writers Mateo Moreno and Ricky Jones are going head to head, picking their winners and telling the other how stupid they are for not going with their decision.  So here we go!

Best Motion Picture

• Amour
• Argo - WILL (Mateo)  WILL & SHOULD (Ricky)
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Django Unchained
• Les Miserables - SHOULD (Mateo)
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty

MATEO: The scope and sheer Achievement in making this epic musical (in my opinion the best movie musical in years) should have earned Les Mis the award. But with all the support of Argo after not securing a Best Director, it's become the clear front runner. 

RICKY:  Well, Mateo I will say that it is nice to see some Les Mis love for someone.  For some reason, there are so many haters of the film.  Sure, Russell Crowe's voice was not up to par but think of all the good it did for movie musicals.  With only two exceptions, Les Mis was filled with wonderful acotor/singers.  There was numerous moments that are like a master class in how to act a song.  As for Best Picture, ARGO deserves all the love it has been getting.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie.  It is by far my favorite film of the year and I am confident the Academy will agree. 

Achievement In Directing

• Ang Lee, Life of Pi - SHOULD(M)  SHOULD (R)
• Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
• David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
• Michael Haneke, Amour
• Steven Spielberg, Lincoln - WILL (R and M)

MATEO: Ang Lee made a once thought of unfilmmable novel and made a stunning movie. Some moments literally took my breath away and it used 3D technology in the very best ways. But Spielburg is so respected and he did do a wonderful job here. Since Best Picture wont go his way, I'm betting he'll collect here. 

RICKY:  It's a toss up between Ang Lee and Spielberg.  If Affleck was included, there would be a clear winner.  He deserved nominations for not only Argo but also for The Town and Gone Baby Gone.  Hopefully, this will be a lesson to the Academy and it will only be a matter of time before one of the best directors working today gets his award. In my opinon,  Ang Lee is a master of his craft.  Look at all the movies he has done: Brokeback Mountain, The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger. All the them are completely different and he isn't afraid to try to give us something new.  Spielberg is a living legend. The look of Lincoln was beautiful.  The cast is a Who's Who of Hollywood and some many of them get a moment to shine.  At least for me, the film had pacing problems and threated the audience as if they were all history buffs.  Maybe its just me but there were times I was a little lost here and there.  But it is leading in nominations, and if Argo is gonna get the love I'm sure it will get, the Academy is going to give a least couple awards to Lincoln. It's hard to bet against Spielberg so I'll go with him. 

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

• Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln - SHOULD & WILL (R AND M)
• Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
• Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
• Denzel Washington, Flight

MATEO: This is the easiest category to predict. Day-Lewis is stunning, as usual, so bet that he'll make Oscar history by becoming the first actor to win 3 Best Actor trophies. 

RICKY:  Yup, this isnt even going to be close.  We all knew Day-Lewis would win from the moment we saw the first picture of him on set.  Because it is so predictable, I would love it if Phoenix would take it.  I haven't been able to see The Master yet but all the buzz on his performance has been incredible.  But since he was publicly discussed about how he doesnt care about the award (hell, he may not even show up), there is no chance of this happening.

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

• Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
• Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook - SHOULD & WILL(R AND M)
• Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
• Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Naomi Watts, The Impossible

MATEO: Her performance was unanimously praised and actors are the biggest supporters of this film (and it has many). She's wonderful here in a role that, in less capable hands, might have turned shrill & unlivable. She was neither.

RICKY:  This is a tough one to call.  I wouldn't be surprised if Emmanuelle Riva won but she hasn't had any momentum with pervious awards. Chastain did solid work but her nomination will be her award.  I may be one of the only people who think Siliver Linings is the most overrated movie of the year but I did really enjoyed Jenifer Lawerence's performance. I'm going to agree and say Katniss Evendeen will be victorious.

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

• Alan Arkin, Argo
• Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook - SHOULD & WILL(M) WILL (R)
• Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
• Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained SHOULD (R)

MATEO: This is tough because Tommy Lee Jones is so great in Lincoln. But the combination of his rather unlikable off screen personality and DeNiro doing what many feel is "return to form" should push him over the edge.

RICKY: Hmmmmmm. Which old, white man will win for second time?  Arkin gave the exact same performace he has given before.  DeNiro has one brief moment where he should some range.  He shed a couple tears in that one scene but the rest of the time he just played a football obssessed father.  This is a role he could have done in his sleep.  The fact that these two actors are nominated instead of the wonderful work from Leonardo Dicaprio, Samuel Jackson, Brain Cranston, and maybe even Zero Dark Thirty's Jason Clarke is oh so lame.  But Deniro hasn't won an Oscar since Raging Bull so they give it to him and I will be pissed.

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

• Amy Adams, The Master
• Sally Field, Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables - SHOULD & WILL (M R)
• Helen Hunt, The Sessions
• Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

MATEO: Her heartbreaking turn in Les Mis has not gone unnoticed.  She's won nearly every major award and will continue the trend here.

RICKY:  Sorry to rant yet again about Silver Linings but why is Jacki Weaver nominated?  I just don't get it.  Anne Hathaway will continue her winning streak and will accept her award in her fake "oh I can't believe I won" way and will be rude to her waiter at the after party.  It would be hilarious if Sally Field would be the surprise of the night and take it from her. Just hilarious.  But all jokes aside, Hathaway gives an emotionally vulnerable performance and deserves the win.

MATEO: We GET IT!  You didn't like Silver Linings!  Moving on now...

Best Animated Feature Film

• Brave - WILL (M)
• Frankenweenie
• ParaNorman
• The Pirates! Band of Misfits
• Wreck-It Ralph - SHOULD(M) WILL AND SHOULD (R)

MATEO: I'm a big Pixar fan, but the humor & originality of "Ralph" shouldn't go unnoticed.  But Pixar's only lost this race once (Cars lost to Happy Feet) and Brave is much stronger than that feature. Expect Pixar gold again.

RICKY:  Oh how wrong you are, my friend.  Wreck It Ralph will win.

Original Screenplay

• Armour, Michael Haneke
• Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino SHOULD AND WILL(R)
• Flight, John Gatins
• Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola - SHOULD (M)
• Zero Dark Thirty, Mark Boal - WILL (M)

MATEO: The weird, strange, wonderful world of Wes Anderson is on fantastic display here and almost all of his efforts should have won this prize. But I'd put my money, controversy or not, to Mark Bowl's human and powerful script.

RICKY:  I had very mixed feelings about Zero Dark Thirty.  The last hour of the film when they find Bin Laden's safe house was very impressive.  But until that, I couldn't help thinking how much I want to go home and watch Homeland instead.  It has a shot of winning but my pick will go to the great Tarantino.  It's one of his best screenplays.  Hell, he deserves the win for the skull scene alone.

Adapted Screenplay

• Argo, Chris Terrio WILL (R)
• Beasts of the Southern Wild, Lucy Alibar and Behn Zeitlin
• Life of Pi, David Magee
• Lincoln, Tony Kushner - SHOULD & WILL (R)
• Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell

MATEO: There's some push for Argo & Silver Linings but Kushner's poetic and riveting screenplay should come in first.

RICKY:  I'm going out of a limb here but I'm calling for an Argo win.  Kushner is the frontrunner and it would be great if he were to win.  But if Argo wins Best Picture, it's going to need to win a few other awards on the way.  I'd be fine with this choice.

Best Foreign-Language Film

• Amour - Austria - SHOULD & WILL WIN. (R AND M)
• Kon-Tiki - Norway
• No - Chile
• A Royal Affair - Denmark
• War Witch - Canada

MATEO: Though Amour was, I feel, far too incredibly sad for my taste, it is a beautiful piece of filmmaking with touching performances by all three leads.

RICKY:  The Academy clearly loves this film so I don't see any way it loses.

Original Score

• Anna Karenina, Dario Marinelli
• Argo, Alexandre Desplat
• Life of Pi, Mychael Danna WILL (R)
• Lincoln, John Williams - SHOULD & WILL (M) SHOULD (R)
• Skyfall, Thomas Newman

MATEO: Williams,s last win was in '93 for Schindler's List.  I mean its just science. 

RICKY:  John Williams' score is gorgeous and I'd love to see him win. But I bet Life of Pi will take it.

Original Song

• "Before My Time," J. Ralph, Chasing Ice
• "Everybody Needs A Best Friend," Walter Murphy and Seth McFarlane, Ted
• "Pi's Lullaby," Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri, Life of Pi
• "Suddenly," Claude-Michael Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boulil, Les Misérables
• "Skyfall," Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth, Skyfall - SHOULD & WILL (R & M)

MATEO: Les Mis crew, it just ain't your year. This is the best bond theme in AGES.

RICKY:  No question about it.  Adele better be working on her speech. 

Acheivement in Production Design

• Anna Karenina
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Les Misérables 
• Life of Pi - SHOULD & WILL (M & R)
• Lincoln

RICKy:  It is possible that Les Mis could win but it's more likely the breathtaking Life of Pi will take it. 

Achievement in Cinematography

• Anna Karenina, Seamus McGarvey
• Django Unchained, Robert Richardson
• Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda - SHOULD & WILL (M AND R)
• Lincoln, Joanna Kaminski
• Skyfall, Roger Deakins

RICKY:  Life of Pi was one of the most visually enchanting films in years.  I will say though that I wish Prometheus was included in the nominees.  Although the movie has many haters, I thought it's cinematography was just as stunning as Pi's.

Acheivement in Costume Design

• Anna Karenina, Jacqueline Durran
• Les Misérables, Paco Delgado - SHOULD & WILL (M AND R)
• Lincoln, Joanna Johnston
• Mirror Mirror, Eiko Ishioka
• Snow White and the Huntsmans, Colleen Atwood

RICKY: Anna Karenina could sneak in there but I doubt it.

Best Documentary Feature

• 5 Broken Cameras
• The Gatekeepers
• How to Survive a Plague - SHOULD (M)
• The Invisible War
• Searching for Sugar Man - WILL (M & R) 

Achievement in Film Editing

• Argo WILL AND SHOULD (R)
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Silver Linings Playbook - SHOULD (M)
• Zero Dark Thirty - WILL (M)

RICKY: Again, if Argo wins Best Picture it'll probably take this award as well. 

Achievement in Makup & Hairstyling

• Hitchcock
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Les Misérables -SHOULD & WILL (M & R)

Achievement in Sound Editing

• Argo
• Django Unchained
• Life of Pi
• Skyfall
• Zero Dark Thirty - SHOULD & WILL (M & R)

Achievement in Sound Mixing

• Argo
• Les Misérables SHOULD & WILL (R)
• Life of Pi 
• Lincoln
• Skyfall - SHOULD & WILL (M)

RICKY:  Tough call but I predict that the Oscars will show some love for the live singing on set for Les Mis. 

Achievement in Visual Effects

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• Life of Pi - SHOULD & WILL
• Marvel's The Avengers
• Prometheus
• Snow White and the Huntsman

MATEO: No special effect this year was more impressive than Richard Parker. Fact. 

RICKY: Agreed.

ANIMATED SHORT

"Adam and Dog"

"Fresh Guacamole"

"Head Over Heels"

"Maggie Simpson in the Longest Daycare"

"Paperman" - SHOULD AND WILL (R & M)

RICKY:  Paperman's simple and heartwarming short made me actually care about an Oscar category I usually don't get excited about.