Brenda's Oscar Bets for Academy Awards 2013

  Brenda’s 2013 Oscar Bets for Best film and Leading Actor...

Seth MacFarlane Oscar Host 2013

With the arrival of the 85^th Academy Awards today, Sunday February 24, 2013, a tight race is imminent, with no one film positioned as front runner to gather all the hardware.  This makes for an unpredictable, enjoyable evening, with surprises in the wings. A heavy political emphasis sets the stage this year fostered with the content highlighting political clashes, uprising, conflict, battle, and triumph.

BEST MOTION PICTURE-FILM 

Nominees: "Amour” “Argo”“Beasts of the Southern Wild” “Django Unchained” “Les Misérables” “Life of Pi”“Lincoln” “Silver Linings Playbook”

I see a four-way toss up between Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, and Silver Linings Playbook.  Such a close call between these films, however may surmise the quandry is the Academy's preference for historical depiction, and  an overall  more serious presentation, (Lincoln, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty) versus a more fun cinematic experience raising attention to challenges faced with mental illness, in Silver Linings Playbook.”

My pick: ARGO 

This is the film that moved me the most this year. The final half hour sequence was so spell-binding, that you had to remember to breathe, the tension was so thick. Accolades for Ben Affleck  who accomplished superb work both directing, and taking on the lead role in this film.
 
LEADING  ACTOR
Nominees:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Joaquin Pheonix,The Master
Christopher Waltz, Flight

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis is exceptional in his characterization of Abraham Lincoln.

From his physical depiction, to the voice, to the magnitude of his uncanny  resemblance of Lincoln, Day-Lewis  is captivating. The lengthy verbal sectors he delivers are poignant, soft-spoken, yet conveyed with a passion for change, unwavering thoughout the drama.

Hugh Jackman

 Hugh Jackman, as Jean Valjean, sings  brilliantly throughout his role, in the classic lead for the film, Les Misérables. Jackman's conviction and emotion were outstanding.  He drastically transformed himself, in order to garner realism for his part, losing significant body weight, looking  the emanciated, strained the long time prisoner was portraying. His committment to live, eat, and breathe this role was obvious, and was rewarded with a career-high performance. Go Hugh Go!

My pick:
Daniel Day-Lewis
 Ahhhh! I am struggling with this one...totally admired them both in their extremely different and challenging roles and they each performed with precision. My sentimental pick is Hugh Jackman and I hope he wins the Oscar, however, I feel  the Academy will select Daniel Day-Lewis.