If I Picked the Winners

This post should not be mistaken for who I think WILL win the Oscars. This post lists who would win if I were to hand out the Oscars. Granted, there is personal bias based upon my like, or dislike, of films or actors. Also, I haven't seen all of the films with nominations, so some are out of the race for no fault of their own. Nonetheless, here are my winners.

Best Supporting Actor - Every single actor in this category has previously won an Oscar, so the field is quite leveled. My Oscar would go to De Niro. He delivers his best performance since 1997 (Wag the Dog and Jackie Brown) and his turn as a dad with mental illness and gambling problems was genuine, heartfelt, and very unlike most of De Niro's roles.

Best Supporting Actress - I didn't see Les Mis, so I can't give it to Hathaway. I wouldn't want her to have it anyway, as she annoys me greatly. After flipping a coin, and in a nod to my wife, I will give it to Amy Adams.

Best Actress - Wallis is so young, I am afraid if I gave the award to her it might ruin her like it did Tatum O'Neal. While I'd love to award Jennifer Lawrence here for her work in Winter's Bone, Jessica Chastain deserves the award. Looks like "gingers" have the edge in the female categories this year.

Best Actor - While DDL has all but sandwiched this Oscar between his other two, I would give this to Phoenix for his mesmerizing turn as Freddie Quell in the oddly, uneven The Master. This performance is unlike anything on screen this year.

Best Director - This was actually the hardest to choose. If Affleck would have been a nominee, it would have been his to lose. So, I guess I would give it to Russell. No, make that Ang Lee. Scratch that, I feel rebellious and I will go with Zeitlin.

Best Original Screenplay - Since Moonrise Kingdom was all but shut out of the Oscars, it wins here. An original, quirky story of young love in a world in which we grew up in and yearned to grow up in as well. It was quite magical.

Best Adapted Screenplay - Poetry may not be my favorite genre of literature, but while watching Beasts of the Southern Wild I felt as if I were viewing a poem, a beautiful poem. Therefore it edges past Argo.

Best Cinematography - Django Unchained gallops away as a winner, predominantly because I am a sucker for westerns, especially westerns with snow scenes. The film might have been too long, but it was beautiful to watch, even during scenes of discomfort.

Best Documentary - How to Survive a Plague gets the Oscar in my book, merely because it was the only nominee I saw in this category. I did, however, see another documentary, although it wasn't nominated, The Queen of Versailles.

Best Picture - Argo gets a slight nod over Beasts of the Southern Wild. Argo had just about everything you'd want in a great film, except for recognition for Affleck with a director's nod. I actually can't wait to see this film again.