Oscar Predictions | 2013 Academy Awards

The 85th Academy Awards

In light of tomorrow's nominations for the 85th Academy Awards (airing Sunday, February 24th), i, like many avid fans, flee to the bloggersphere to shine light on my own personal favourites of the year which i deem worthy of an award or two. And while i've already dotted down my top ten of 2012, not everything i fell head over heels for will undoubtedly make the cut. Still, i understand the general ethics of the Academy, and while every year appears to fall short for myself, those who win are obviously deserving -- for the most.

Whilst i garnered a hefty list of favourites from 2012 -- ranging from the consensually loved to the odd guilty pleasure -- this is a mere estimation and frank guessing game on my behalf of the categories that stand firm as the most popular -- Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress etc.

Best Picture

Life of Pi

Zero Dark Thirty

Argo

Les Misérables

Lincoln

Wild Card: Silver Linings Playbook, The Impossible, The Master, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Political thrillers Argo and Zero Dark Thirty are obvious contendors; deftly made, mostly ballsy -- the latter standing firmer for past Best Director winner Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker"), whereas Lincoln is a shoe-in. Les Misérables has the general consensus whilst Life of Pi has my vote.

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Ben Affleck, "Argo"

Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"

Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"

Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Master"

Wild Card: Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"; Tom Hooper, "Les Misérables"; J.A. Bayona, "The Impossible"

Toted as his best film in decades, i'd certify Spielberg as a candidate for Best Director, whereas the Academy's fondness of Bigelow is also an almost definite. Affleck and Lee a truly deserving for their entries, whilst Anderson borders on Wild Card territory -- personally i wasn't at all fond of The Master, but understandably, it's well made.

Bayona's undoubtable efforts to transcend The Impossible from the average disaster flick makes him in line with Spielberg as my most wanted.

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

Hugh Jackman, "Les Misérables"

Jean-Louis Trintignant, "Amour"

John Hawkes, "The Sessions"

Wild Card: Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Anthony Hopkins, "Hitchcock"; Denzel Washington, "Flight"

Day-Lewis, Phoenix and Hawkes are a shoe-in, whilst Jackman's a deserving though bordered possibility. If anyone was to swoop in under our rader, it would be Cooper for Silver Linings, and with Helen Mirren receiving critical praise for her turn in Hitchcock, it seems absurd Hopkins wouldn't receive the same buzz.

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Naomi Watts, "The Impossible"

Quevenzhane Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Marion Cotillard, "Rust and Bone"

Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Wild Card: Helen Mirren, "Hitchcock"; Keira Knightley, "Anna Karenina"

Chastain's ballsy performance certifies her, whilst Watts' natural and heartbreaking turn as a tsunami survivor demands a nomination -- Cotillard almost parallels this, though not quite as deserving as Watts, in my opinion. Lawrence is a favourite, though if anything was to push her through a mere possible, it would be for the film she's attached to.

Mirren could easily swoop in, whilst Knightley is simply a hope that will most probably not be heard.

Best Supporting Actor

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"

Javier Bardem, "Skyfall"

Leonardo DiCaprio, "Django Unchained"

Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"

Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Wild Card: Christophe Waltz, "Django Unchained"; Samuel L Jackson, "Django Unchained"; Matthew McConaughey, "Magic Mike"

Django Unchained owns this category, though DiCaprio, i'm sure, is in for the slot. Christophe Waltz could easily swipe the position away from Bardem for Skyfall, but really i'd rather the latter -- this is my  predictions, god-dammit! Jones and De Niro are definites.

McConaughey's here for the sheer hope he gets his kit off.

Best Supporting Actress

Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"

Amy Adams, "The Master"

Judi Dench, "Skyfall"

Ann Dowd, "Compliance"

Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"

Wild Card: Nicole Kidman, "The Paperboy", Sally Field, "Lincoln"

I'm almost certain for my top five nominations, though if anyone would swipe one, it'd be Sally Field from Ann Dowd, more so for the general rawness of Compliance -- and the fact that near nobody over the seas has seen it yet, myself included.

Adams, a firm favourite of myself and the Academy, joins Dench and Hathaway as definites.

Best Animated Feature

Brave

The Pirates: Band of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

ParaNorman

Frankenweenie

If there's even five nominated.

Wild Card: Hotel Transylvania, Rise of the Guardians

Barely an extensive guess at this year's Academy Award nominations, but these are the ones i most look forward to. Undoubtedly, like many years passed, these will be wrong, but we shall find out later this week.

The nominations for the 85th Academy Awards screens tonight, January 10th, and the ceremony itself will be held on February 24th.