Stephen didn't have to persuade me to play Lincoln but I had to persuade him that perhaps if I was going do it that Lincoln shouldn't be a musical.
Oscar Winners 2013
I didn’t watch the Oscars ceremony. By all
accounts I was lucky, as it seems Seth McFarlane went down like a bag of cold
sick (although, "I
would argue that the actor who really got inside Lincoln's head was John Wilkes
Booth" is quite a good line). Bring back
Letterman.
By my reckoning I go 11 picks right out of
24. Pretty piss-poor, though I make no apologies for my randomness and lack of
“professional” insight.
Argo seemed to gather up an unstoppable
momentum over the last six weeks or so and the Affleck director nomination snub
only appeared to spur its underdog status on. My bet on Lincoln was for the
Hollywood love of prestige and importance, but I probably underestimated the
extent to which many found it slightly dull. That, and Spielberg fatigue. And,
Hollywood loves nothing more than films that validate Hollywood (Argo makes
them heroes!)
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening
was Christoph Waltz’s Best Supporting Actor victory for Django Unchained. I
don’t think many thought a return visit to a showy, charismatic supporting part
in a Tarantino film would yield further dividends and the actor seemed slightly
taken aback too.
Best Picture
Winner: Argo
I called Lincoln. Clooney gets yet another Oscar in yet another category.
Best Director
Winner: Ang
Lee
My guess for Spielberg proved significantly
out (Lincoln went home with 2, not the 5 I suggested). Nikki Finke would have
us believe the Academy hates Steven, although she’s never short of hyperbole.
I’ll readily admit to not expecting Lee, mainly because he’s already bagged a
statue. Although, looking at the other contenders, who’d have been next in line
if Spielberg was ruled out. The other three were definitely outsiders.
Best Actor
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis
As expected by all and sundry.
Best Actress
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence
Again, as expected. There was some talk of
Emmanuelle Riva but giving it to someone because they are old is a fickle as
the same decision because they are young. It’s the Jessica Tandy factor.
Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Christoph
Waltz
I’d settled on De Niro, although I didn’t
think he really deserved it. This category desperately needs a few nominees who
aren’t previous winders next time round.
Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Anne
Hathaway
Curiously, I’d blanked that I picked Field
from this field. I think it was Hathaway saturation (which, in respect of Lincoln, is considered one of
the reasons for Argo’s resurgence).
Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Django
Unchained
This, I didn’t expect. I went for Amour; I don’t think Flight and Moonrise Kingdom ever seriously had a shot and I ruled out Django for the same reason as Zero Dark Thirty; controversy. I guess
Tarantino shut my butt down there.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner:
Argo
I
had it as the runner-up to Lincoln;
it’s been accused of the same fast and loose treatment of history as ZD30 but has the benefit of obscurity
and comedy.
Best Editing
Winner: Argo
My sole
ZD30 pick was this one; while I did have Argo in an editing category, it
was for Sound Editing.
Best Cinematography
Winner: Life of Pi
No contention here, and my pick (although I
prefer the work on Skyfall).
Best Art Direction
Winner: Lincoln
Wouldn’t you know it? Of all the areas I
picked Lincoln, this wasn’t one.
Best Costume Design
Winner: Anna Karenina
A fizzling adaptation as this was, the
costumes were very natty (but, then, so was the Art Direction).
Best Make-up
Winner: Les Miserables
Not a lot of debate necessary for this one.
Best Visual Effects
Winner: Life of Pi
Nor this. There’s added resonance to this
win, with the issues surrounding Rhythm
& Hues problems.
Best Sound
Winner: Les
Miserables
Didn’t see that coming. I went for Argo.
Best Sound Editing
Winner: Skyfall
& Zero Dark Thirty
TWO winner and I couldn’t get either
right!!
Best Original Score
Winner: Life
of Pi
I found this score derivative, but it
repearted its Globes success. Shame Skyfall didn’t get recognition.
Best Original Song
Winner: Skyfall
It didn’t crumb-o at the last hurdle.
Best Animated Feature
Winner: Brave
I went for the safe choice and it proved
correct; Wreck-It-Ralph would have been a bit too hip for the Academy.
Best Foreign Language Picture
Winner: Amour
A shoe-in.
Best Documentary Feature
Winner: Searching for Sugar Man
It did
seem most likely; popular and uncontroversial.
Best Documentary Short
Winner: Inocente
I hadn’t a clue.
Best Animated Short
Winner: Paperman
The one that had Disney marketing behind it
won. Surprise.
Best Live Action Short
Winner: Curfew
Who knew?
Lincoln – 2 (I predicted 5)
Silver Linings Playbook – 1 (predicted 2)
Life of Pi – 4 (predicted 2)
Amour – 1 (precited 2)
Argo -3 (predicted 2)
Anna Karenina – 1 (predicted 2)
Skyfall – 2 (predicted 2)
Zero Dark Thirty – 1 (predicted 1)
Les Miserables – 3 (predicted 1)
Django Unchained – 2 (predicted 0)