And The Oscar Goes To…
It's that time again - when we look into our crystal ball and predict who's going to take home an Academy Award.
Rex FeaturesThe Wolf of Wall Street
Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey & Margot Robbie
What’s It All About? Money, and lots of it. This is the true story of the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, as he becomes involved in financial corruption and the mob.
And The Oscar Goes To… Yet again, we ask: “Will it be Leo’s year?” He’s certainly been snubbed enough by the Academy. That said, Martin Scorsese is also in with a chance for Best Director and Kanye West might sneak in a nomination for Best Original Song, courtesy of his track Black Skinhead.
Grace of Monaco
Stars Nicole Kidman, Frank Langella & Derek Jacobi
What’s It All About? The biopic follows Grace Kelly’s marriage crisis in the early 1960s and how she struggled transforming herself from a Hollywood film star into Princess Grace of Monaco. Expect glamour and gorgeous dresses a-plenty.And The Oscar Goes To… There haven’t been many press screenings of this movie yet so the jury is well and truly out. Saying that, Nicole Kidman could be up for a second Best Actress Oscar.
12 Years A Slave
Stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender & Benedict Cumberbatch
What’s It All About? It’s the 1850s, Solomon Northup is a free man, until he’s kidnapped and sold into slavery. The 12 years that follows sees him trying to escape the hand he’s been dealt and get back to the life he was born into.And The Oscar Goes To… This film won the top prize at the Toronto Film Festival so we’re considering placing a bet on it getting the Best Film gong, not to mention Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.
Philomena
Stars Steve Coogan & Judi Dench
What’s It All About? Don’t expect any Alan Partridge-style comedy here, Steve Coogan stars as a political journalist writing about an Irish woman’s search for the son she was forced to abandon. Laughs and tears aplenty.And The Oscar Goes To… Anything with Judi Dench in is automatically fast-tracked to the top of the Oscars pile and we think she may score a Best Actress nomination (if not win) for this flick.
The Railway Man
Stars Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman & Jeremy Irvine
What’s It All About? Eric and Patti meet on a train and marry. But all is not well; Eric is haunted by the memory of his treatment as a prisoner of war on WWII’s so-called “Death Railway”. When it’s discovered the man who tortured him is still alive, Eric is faced with the decision of whether or not to face his demons once and for all.
And The Oscar Goes To… Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman are Oscar faves and both are in with a chance in the acting categories in 2014.
Dallas Buyers Club
Stars Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto & Jennifer Garner
What’s It All About? Occasionally funny and always poignant, the Dallas Buyers Club follows cowboy-turned HIV sufferer Ron Woodroof as he takes on the US medical establishment, seeking alternative remedies to help control his disease. There’s particular subtlety in the uneasy relationship between Ron and his doctor, played by Jennifer Garner.And The Oscar Goes To… Matthew McConaughey has never had an Oscar nomination but all that might be about to change. Jared Leto, who stars as his transgender accomplice Rayon could be getting a Best Supporting Actor nod as well.
Rex FeaturesMandela: A Long Walk To Freedom
Stars Idris Elba & Naomie Harris
What’s It All About? The name of this film says it all – but this is a biopic with a difference. The realism is impressive, not only were real crowds used for many of the scenes, but Idris Elba was often put in a situation and told to speak as Mandela would have done. Even the man himself was fooled; the 95-year-old apparently said “Is that me?” when he saw the film footage. And surely there’s no higher praise.
And The Oscar Goes To… Idris Elba for Best Actor, not to mention the entire cast and crew for Best Film.
Labor Day
Stars Kate Winslet, Tobey Maguire & Josh Brolin
What’s It All About? If you can get past this film’s slight weirdness (there’s an epic 15-minute peach pie-making scene), there’s a very good story going on here: escaped convict Josh Brolin takes single parent Kate Winslet hostage after hitching a ride with her. But then she falls in love with him. We told you it was bizarre.And The Oscar Goes To… Josh Brolin for Best Actor and Kate Winslet for Best Actress, but only if the Academy judges are feeling in a quirky kinda mood.
Gravity
Stars Sandra Bullock & George Clooney
What’s It All About? Don’t be put off by the space theme, this movie has gravity (sorry). After being involved in an accident, a medical engineer and astronaut are left adrift in space with only each other and their wits left to rely on if they want to stay alive.
And The Oscar Goes To… The word is that Sandra Bullock may make it Oscar No2 after impressing film critics at early press screenings.
August: Osage County
Stars Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis & Abigail Breslin
What’s It All About? No wonder half of Hollywood wanted to be in the movie – there’s enough dysfunction in the Weston family to go around. An alcoholic father, a cancer-ridden mother, a pot-smoking fiancé and a runaway daughter are just a few of the juicy roles that this Oklahoma family throw up.
And The Oscar Goes To… Despite the acting talent, it’s Meryl Streep who shines in this but will she win another (her fourth) Oscar or will she let someone else have a go?
Rex FeaturesInside Llewyn Davis
Stars Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Justin Timberlake & Oscar Isaac
What’s It All About? A week is all you need to get an idea of the life of Llewyn Davis – and it’s not all that fun. A young singer struggles to make ends meet as his folk songs don’t prove a hit and his girlfriend announces she’s pregnant. Plus, he’s become the unwilling guardian of a ginger cat.And The Oscar Goes To… The film’s music, set to be released as two albums, is likely to feature in the music categories, while the Cohen Brothers may receive a nod for their Adapted Screenplay.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Stars Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig & Sean Penn
What’s It All About? An office worker creates a fantasy world of adventure to survive the daily grind and win the heart of a co-worker. It’s the ultimate escape from the typical 9 to 5, with plenty of Ben Stiller’s own unique sense of humour.
And The Oscar Goes To… Kristen Wiig is being talked about in connection with the Actress awards but this film might sneak in a Cinematography nomination too.
Rex FeaturesAmerican Hustle
Stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper & Robert De Niro
What’s It All About? Worth watching, if only for the 70s hairstyles (Bradley Cooper’s perm and Jennifer Lawrence’s beehive are particularly hilare), this film follows two con men who are forced to work for the FBI and turn over their accomplices. In terms of casting this is The Fighter meets Silver Linings Playbook.And The Oscar Goes To… The cast of this movie must have a dozen Oscars already between them so if one of them doesn’t make an appearance in the acting categories we’ll be very much surprised.
The Counsellor
Stars Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem & Michael Fassbender
What’s It All About? A lawyer gets involved in a drug trafficking ring, only to (guess what?) find himself in over his head when things go wrong. But this film, written by No Country For Old Men’s Cormac McCarthy, is a twist on the classic good-guy-gone-bad.
And The Oscar Goes To… If there was an Oscar for Best Hair, Brad Pitt should get it but, otherwise, Michael Fassbender deserves to be nominated for Best Actor and Ridley Scott for Best Director.
Rex FeaturesThe Monuments Men
Stars Matt Damon, George Clooney, Cate Blanchett & Bill Murray
What’s It All About? George Clooney and Matt Damon are no stranger to WWII movies and their latest sees them uniting against Hitler’s forces to recover pieces of art stolen by the Nazis before Hitler gets his hands on them.
And The Oscar Goes To… With such an ensemble cast, surely a Best Film nomination is a possibility?
Foxcatcher
Stars Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller & Steve Carell
What’s It All About? As you’d expect from a Channing Tatum flick, there’s plenty of abs action in this story of Olympic Wrestling Champion Mark Schultz, but it doesn’t come without a dose of heartbreak. Moving performances all round mean this isn’t just a film about the muscles.And The Oscar Goes To… Steve Carell as a paranoid schizophrenic and Mark Ruffalo as Mark Schultz’s brother might have to fight this one out in the Best Supporting Actor categories.
Her
Stars Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Scarlett Johansson & Amy Adams
What’s It All About? Lonely writer falls for his operating system, called Samantha. It might sound crazy but this Spike Jonze film is made credible thanks to the amazing performances of Scarlett Johansson (albeit just using her voice) and Joaquin Phoenix.And The Oscar Goes To… Joaquin Phoenix should be a shoe-in for Best Actor.
Rex FeaturesCaptain Phillips
Stars Tom Hanks & Barkhad Abdi
What’s It All About? Tom Hanks is back being brave as he stars as Richard Phillips, the captain of a cargo ship, hijacked by Somali pirates in the middle of the ocean. What makes this film particularly impressive is that it’s actually true.
And The Oscar Goes To… Tom Hanks for Best Actor (well, it won’t be his first time on that stage, will it?)
The Fifth Estate
Stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Dan Stevens & Daniel Brühl
What’s It All About? There’s been so much fuss surrounded this Julian Assange biopic, we’d be amazed if you’re still clueless, but, in case you’ve been hiding under a rock, the flick follows Wikileaks’ quest to expose the world’s corruption. The strength of this movie is that it doesn’t attempt to offer an opinion on the whole Assange drama, or as Benedict Cumberbatch so excellently puts it: "It doesn't create heroes or villains, this film, it just offers a very balanced view on very complex issues and very complex characters.”
And The Oscar Goes To… It’s going to be interesting to see how the Academy takes this anti-establishment movie but Benny C should get an Oscar nom in our opinion.
Rex FeaturesBlue Jasmine
Stars Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins & Alec Baldwin
What’s It All About? Woody Allen’s latest flick centres on Jasmine, an elegant Manhattanite who’s forced to move in with her (much poorer) sister in San Francisco, when her businessman husband is found guilty of tax evasion. Much comedy and pathos ensue as Jasmine struggles with mental breakdown and attempts to climb back on the society ladder by marrying a rich diplomat. Classic Woody.
And The Oscar Goes To… Cate Blanchett for Best Actress and Woody Allen for Best Original Screenplay (FYI - he’s already won it six times).
Rush
Stars Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Daniel Brühl and Olivia Wilde
What’s It All About? James Hunt is a party-loving British playboy, who uses his sheer nerve to beat his F1 opponents on the race track; Niki Lauda is an exacting German, up early practising on the race track to avoid any potential risk. Their contrasting styles and personalities “drive” their ambition and careers, but it doesn’t come without a cost.
And The Oscar Goes To… Ron Howard is being talked-about for the Director category, while Daniel Brühl could be up for Best Actor.
