If Napoli Picked the Winners...and a Loser.

Author: Michael Napol

Two weeks until the Oscars. It is definitely one of the most interesting races I've seen since I started watching. 

Like every year we see our fair share of "favorite to win" scenario, this year is no exception. Daniel Day-Lewis, Anne Hathaway, and Life of Pi. All names you will most likely hear on Oscar night winning their respected categories.

As I write this review, the 6000 member Academy are voting and submitting their ballots for the best of the year.

Of course we never know how the Academy votes. Sometimes we predetermine how things will turn out. But sometimes they tend to surprise us. Some for the good and others...well you get the idea. 

Now you can go to any awards obsessed site to get your odds on what will win best makeup. Frankly,  people have made this a sport out of it. Every detail carefully thought out. BUT, I'm not going to give you my prediction on who will win. I will tell you who I would vote for if I was an Academy member. This would be my ballot.

Best Picture

Who Should Win: Life of Pi

Runner Up: Zero Dark Thirty

Snubbed: Skyfall, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom

For those who have seen my top ten of 2012, I chose Kathryn Bigelow's gripping Zero Dark Thirty as the best film of the year. Though the film is one of the best political thrillers in recent memory;Having performances, writing, and editing at the top of it's form, when it came down to handing the title of Best Picture, somehow Ang Lee's Life of Pi kept coming back to me. 

Though Zero Dark Thirty is a neatly constructed film, Life of Pi takes the scope and beauty of film as art and goes above and beyond. It's a true cinematic experience. A book that is considered unfilmable, becomes a beautiful tale of a boy's journey against nature, God (in Pi's case Gods), and of course Richard Parker. It's a blend of music, image and heart that only filmmakers of true passion can handle. Also, I think many people tend to forget that this was rated PG. This film is for everyone. It allows all people to be apart of Pi's spiritual journey through the seas. Not many movies do that anymore.

My personal ranking:

1. Life of Pi

2. Zero Dark Thirty

3. Beasts of the Southern Wild

4. Argo

5. Silver Linings Playbook

6. Lincoln

7. Amour

8. Les Miserables

9. Django Unchained

Best Actor

My choice: Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

This one was a no brainer. Watching Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, I was witnessing the performance of the year. 

Never before have I seen a character that is so unpredictable. A man that is the master of his own domain. He plays Freddie Quell,  a sex obsessed alcoholic veteran trying to adapt back to society post WWII.  The only things that he has learned is to act out of nature. A true human "animal". He comes across Lancaster Dodd, a leader of a following called "The Cause" which endorses redemption and self purification. Dodd and Quell often clash, which leads to the best scenes of year.  It could be argued that Quell is lost, I believe that he lives by what he knows. This is a man that doesn't need help, but toys with the idea of enlightenment, but falls back to his barbaric ways. Beyond Quell's leering stares in the camera, we can see Phoenix showing parts of himself. Someone who goes against the normal. Someone who is left out of the pack. Life imitates art. 

I give praise to the other nominated actors. Bradley Cooper for his comedic turn as a bi-polar man looking for his silver lining. Denzel Washington still proving to be one of our best actors and his work in Flight was one to remember. Daniel Day-Lewis captured our imaginations by playing the 16th president. Although I do feel that it was a bit of a distanced performance. Then there is Hugh Jackman, with whom I felt gave the least compelling performance as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. It was hard to attach to his character within the first half of the film and then the film shifts to the revolution and he takes a bit of a back seat. Although his final scene was the best scene in the film. Kudos to him.

The best actor race is probably one of the best groups this year. Every performance is worthy of a nomination. The real let down of this race was that there were easily three, four other actors are equally worthy of a nomination as well. It's a case of too many to choice from. John Hawkes was a favorite for a nomination, but sadly he was the one that got left out for his excellent work in The Sessions. Although he was not a huge name, Tom Holland in The Impossible was one the key reasons of the films power. It's very rare that a child actor can have charisma that matches Naomi Watts. I wish he got more attention.

Runner Up: Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Snubbed: John Hawkes - The Sessions; Tom Halland - The Impossible

Best Actress

My Choice: Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild

This year all five actress have turned in stunning work. But when I started to think about my choice. I was stuck between Jessica Chastain's work in Zero Dark Thirty or Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild.

I chose Wallis for a very specific reason. Five years old at the time the film was made, she managed to intrigue us with her cuteness, but at the same time show us how child views the world. Where Chastain leads the way to Bin Laden, we ultimately know the end of the story and that our success is seen through her. Wallis is unaware of the mysteries of life and the creatures that inhabit it. Her character Hushpuppy learns about the world just as we learn about hers.

It is very rare that child actor can take a role and make it their own. Their presence as an actor should overshadow them being a child. She holds her own in scenes with her father played by the effective Dwight Henry. Their relationship is her guide to life. A life where survival and family is the only way. A world where you can be kicked aside and outcasted, and with that being able to take care of yourself. Now there is some controversy on whether she was truly acting and how she was directed by Ben Zeitlin. But who cares, I believed her.

As for the other nominees, they have my respect and admiration. Jessica Chastain is truly becoming one of the best actresses of our generation. I have loved every role she has been in and I truly hope she will be invited back more to the Oscars. Naomi Watts in any other year, would have my vote for her role in The Impossible. Emmanuelle Riva is a respected veteran getting recognized in a critically hailed film. I admit, Amour is the only nominated film I did not see. Jennifer Lawrence is in the same vain as Chastain. Her body work is continuing to grow with one great role after another. BUT, this is not the role to award her for. Yes, she is funny and outshines Cooper and DeNiro in a few scenes, but her character was so forced. It's a good role, but not an Oscar winning role.

Runner Up: Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Snubbed: Emayatzy Corinealdi - Middle of Nowhere

Best Supporting Actor

My choice: Robert DeNiro - Silver Linings Playbook

Well, we have a category where ALL the nominees have won an Oscar. That's pretty cool, but at the same time there could have been room for the likes of newcomers like Dwight Henry, Matthew McConaughey and John Goodman. But we have these fine gentlemen who all have the respect of Hollywood. But who would I want to see win?

Now Alan Arkin was a nice supporting role in Argo, but an Oscar winning role? Not in my book. Christoph Waltz is the lead role in Django Unchained. How he got to supporting is beyond me. It's too similar to his Oscar winning role in Inglorious Bastards. Tommy Lee Jones gives a surprising turn as Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln. Though the role is a bit one note. And there are moments where we see the good naturedness of Jones. Finally, it can be argued that Philip Seymour Hoffman was a lead in The Master, but there are many scenes Phoenix holds the reigns of the film and Hoffamn takes the backseat. He is one of my favorite actors and its great to see him turn in another Oscar caliber performance.

Which leads to my choice. Now it can be said that Robert DeNiro hasn't been in a good film for sometime now. I can argue that he hasn't picked the best films, but he as an actor still shines in most of his roles. Most notably the very underrated performance in Everybody's Fine (check it out!). But in Silver Linings Playbook, it's the perfect blend of drama and comedy, the latter is what he's been leaning towards lately. He is just wonderful in this movie.

As Pat Solitano Sr., DeNiro hits the right cords with trying to connect with his bi-polar son, Bradley Cooper, as well as maintaing his own impulsive, erratic behavior. It shows how he could have influenced his son in his habits. The scene where he comes to a revelation about not being the best father. It's the DeNiro we longed for. I'm ecstatic about seeing him being nominated for an Oscar. He could be going for his third Oscar. He rightfully deserves it. He's DeNiro!

Runner Up: Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Snubbed: Dwight Henry - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Supporting Actress

My choice: Helen Hunt - The Sessions

Supporting Actress is usually a category where we get some surprise wins. Maybe if the Academy played their cards right, they would vote for Helen Hunt in her moving performance in The Sessions over Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables.

Out of the five nominees, Hunt's performance was the one that really struck a cord with me. As a woman who is confident with her sexuality, she is also a woman who is insecure with her own life. It's not something we learn from the get go. It took the second viewing to understand how her job is her way of connecting with people. At home she is a stable mother, but she longs for connection from a higher power. What that is I don't know. She finds it in Mark O'Brien. He is a man who is physically unable to connect, but can connect in the most personal passionate of ways. Through poetry, humor and wit.  They are the ideal partner in all of us.

Now, what the real mastery of her performance is obvious. She bares it all. One of the true wonders of The Sessions is that it never builds to a moment where we sexually view Helen Hunt. She is sexy in her confidence. Her patience. Not many actresses will not even dare to show skin. Helen Hunt shows her soul. Behind a beautiful woman, lies a hidden soul.

My second choice would be Amy Adams in The Master. It's something I have never seen from Adams. She's stern, somewhat creepy and dominant over her husband sometimes. Sally Field has fun with her role as Mary Todd Lincoln. Anne Hathaway, I personally think is the most overrated performance of the year. Yes she has an impressive number in Les Miserables, but the role is so minimal that I didn't seem to care about her character. Plus people say how great of her it was to cut her hair. Really? Hunt had the braver role in my eyes. And then there's Jacki Weaver for Silver Linings Playbook. Why? 

Runner Up: Amy Adams - The Master

Snubbed: Maggie Smith - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Worst Nomination: Django Unchained for Best Picture

Out of all the nominated films in all 24 categories, Django Unchained for Best Picture, is my choice for the worst nomination. It came down to either this or Jacki Weaver's nomination for Supporting Actress for Silver Linings Playbook. A role that is not memorable and that doesn't require much from the respected Weaver, who impressed us all in her nominated role in Animal Kingdom. But I digress.

The nomination for Django Unchained is a bit baffling. This a movie that I felt lacked inspiration and character. Many are citing this as one of Tarantino's best. I think he needs to stop making his "homage" films. The film draws so much attention to itself in its' camerawork, editing, performance and writing. It came off as self indulgent.

I know it has gotten much critical acclaim and box office, but to me I did not find the movie entertaining and overall very disappointing. I respect the Academy for taking chances this year. But for Best Picture, why didn't they choose films of integrity like The Master or Moonrise Kingdom? Or on  the other hand, go for a box office hit like the brilliant Skyfall, that managed to have the same amount of nominations as Django?

Well there you have it. My Oscar ballot in the major categories. Who would you pick as your winner? What was the worst nomination? Comment and let's discuss!

Only two week until the Oscars!!