And the Oscar Goes to...

We have arrived, my friends, at the 84th Annual Academy Awards and in a few short hours we will know who Hollywood considers to be the best of the best. This is the final event and I for one can barely contain my excitement! I have seen ALL of the pictures nominated for Best Picture and quite a few more but I will only predict the categories that I am confortable with (besides, what is the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing...anyone?)  Anyway, I have narrowed it down to who I feel is most deserving and why although this year has been one of the toughest to call. Without further ado, my predictions for this year's Oscars are:

Best Picture

It is one of the most celebrated films this year with the critics but still not many have ventured out to see a "silent film" writing it off as old fashioned and boring without actually giving it a chance. There loss, I say, but that school of thinking would be the only thing stopping The Artist from completing its tour de force this season.  

Best Actor

Jean Dujardin in The Artist

Exquisite does not even begin to describe Dujardin's performance as the fallen silent film star George Valentin. His ability to communicate everything without use of language is in itself Oscar worthy but that he also teaches us how us simply superb. The only one that could take this away from him is George Clooney for The Descendants. His portrayal of Matt King as he struggled through unimaginable circumstances with humor and what remained of his dignity was honest and oddly refreshing. These two have been neck and neck all season so regardless of who wins, it will be interesting just to see who will cross the finish line.

Best Actress

Viola Davis in The Help

Where do I begin? Viola Davis is beyond a doubt one of the most amazing actresses of our time. In The Help, she spoke the truth through Aiblene with power, dignity, and incredible humility and gave what I believe is the performance of her career. It's the kind of thing you felt when you saw it, like you were seeing a character be brought to life for the first time. It's almost haunting and will stay with me probably forever - for that alone, I believe she deserves every award she is nominated for this season. Meryl Streep is the best actress of our generation, no argument there, and I have yet to see The Iron Lady. However, I find it hard to believe that anyone can top what Ms. Davis did. It is her time and hopefully the Academy can see that.

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

This is one of those categories where ALL the nominees were phenomenal so seriously, how can you choose between Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, and Terrence Malick?? I had a hard time because what each of them did was so different and equally wonderful but I chose Hazanavicius because of how hard it must have been to bring us The Artist. It is a silent film, after all, but he was able to transcend that genre entirely (he made it to the Oscars didn't he?) If I had to choose someone else it would be Scorsese for his incredibly impressive technical masterpiece Hugo. 

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Heartwarming and charming as ever, Christopher Plummer shows in both the film and in real life, age should never inhibit you from getting what you deserve. I loved Beginners and really felt it slipped under the radar with many people but as Plummer shows, it's never to late to make a lasting impression.  I will say that I thought Kenneth Branagh was superb as Lawrence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn and had it not been for Plummer, the Oscar would be his.

Best Supporting Actress 

Octavia Spencer in The Help

Octavia's portrayal of Minny Jackson in The Help was the perfect ying to Viola Davis' yang. She was everything a supporting actress should be while still shining in her own right. Without a doubt, she was that sassy, back-talking but fiercely loyal Minny who stole our hearts and said everything we were thinking. An honorable mention should go to Jessica Chastain who played Celia in The Help, giving an sweet, beautifully innocent performance.

Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki for The Tree of Life

What really made this film the mind-blowing, hard-to-wrap-your-head-around-it-because-it's-so-visually-demanding experience that it was was indeed the cinematography and the Academy would have to be asleep not to think so. Still, crazier things have happened so in that case, my vote would go to Hugo although there might be a dark horse War Horse (sorry I had to.)  

Best Art Direction

Oh, Hugo, you will probably win every technical award this year, starting with this one, and you deserve it. I was both impressed and delighted by everything I saw and will not be surprised if you rack up quite a few, seeing as you have the most nods. Your biggest competition will be War Horse, I believe because it, too, accomplished some amazing technical feats. 

Best Original Screenplay

If there were such thing as a sure thing, this would be it. Besides the fact that he already has won almost every award this year in this category, Woody Allen's prose shines through his characters in a way that really is, well, Oscar worthy.

Best Adapted Screenplay

This one came out of left field (Ok, I'll stop) but I really feel strongly about Moneyball. Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin really worked at this and there was a good while when it looked liked this would not be made. Maybe this is me just cheering for the underdog but hey, sometimes they do win. 

Best Original Score

When there are no words, music can say it all. In no other film this year was this put to the test and proven correct. Ludovic Bource's score was essentially the narrator of a beautiful story and as this is his first nomination - I say job well done!

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That's it, my darlings! I'm off to get some champagne and hors d'oeuvres for my Oscar bash. I will be tweeting throughout the night so keep up on @themixxchic! Here's to what will be a fantastic night!!

Cheers,

the mixx chic