Movies Ltd

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the southern Wild

> If it’s really about an achievement in acting, I can see only one around here and that’s the phenomenal work by the then 6 year old Nazie Wallis in Beasts of the southern Wild. The reason why she won’t win is because an oscar at this tender age can really direct her career but most importantly her childhood all the way down south, and I don’t mean it geographically at all. Her SAG exclusion is a strong disadvantage plus the wholly unsubstantiated gossip that her performance was fabricated by Benh Zeitlin’s fantastic direction. Really? Well, I know of an even better one: The three actors who were nominated for The Master just directed themselves. Naomi Watts should be extremely happy to be here, especially blocking Marion Cotillard’s way to her second nod for Rust and Bone. She campaigned hard, her and Hellen Mirren (Hitchcock) who would be a much more worthy nominee. 85 year old Emmanuelle-mon Amour Riva has her birthday on February 24th. If Amour could pull off a The Pianist, I could see a Director-Screenplay-Riva trio win happening. You know, I might be the only ONE that could envisage this.

> Inescapably, this brings us down to the JLaw-JChas shootout, but let’s be honest: Lawrence is carrying the whole film on her sassy shoulders whereas Zero Dark Thirty is nothing but a Boal/Bigelow stint (in that name order). Lawrence is the Hunger Games star, while Chastain is heading horror subgenre efforts like Mama. In spite some off-kilter remarks (the “I won Meryl” (First Wives Club rip off) joke and a mediocrely written opening monologue in her fist SNL gig) Jennifer will pull this off and may drag some more Silver Linings Playbook wins along with her triumph.

> Oscar Trivia: Marlee Matlin was 21 years old when she became the youngest best actress winner ever for Children of a Lesser God. Lawrence is just one year older. Riva is already the oldest actress nominee ever and if won, the oldest winner, beating Jessica Tandy’s record of winning for Driving Miss Daisy at the age of 80. Keisha Knight-Hughes was the youngest nominee for playing in The Whale Rider as a 13 year old. Quvenzhané Wallis just shuttered this record this year.

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

> Now that’s a race to behold; in the most accurately technical sense, P.S. Hoffman and Christoph Waltz clearly don’t belong here. They both are predominantly leading performances that were played down by the Weinstein company to get out of the respective J. Foxx (kidding me? His role was… silent) and J.Phoenix noms’ way. Either of these two should win hands down, probably giving Hoffman the edge, if one could pay attention to sirens which suggest that Waltz is just playing another version of himself in real life (lol). The official frontrunner however remains Tommy Lee Jones that excels as Thaddeus Stevens in Spielbergs’ LUKEWARM Lincoln.  I’d die to watch his appalled face once again in the ceremony, repeating his t-shirt stamp appearance at the Golden Globes. Arkin, at his 78, represents a great supporting cast that really gave Argo the edge (plus the Best Ensemble SAG award), although I’d rather have John Goodman included here instead. That leaves Bobby DeNiro, twice awarded for Godfather 2 (1974) and Raging Bull (1980) over 30 years ago. 6 times nominated, he’s the real comeback kid in the category. If Silver Linings peaks (its belated wide release is giving it a near $100M box office oscar boost) on time, then it’s DeNiro chance to join Daniel Day Lewis’s league, and more than rightfully so.

> Oscar Trivia: The oldest guy winning is Christopher Plummer, 82, for last year’s Beginners. DeNiro’s last oscar bid was over 20 years ago for Cape Fear (1991). Note that it’s the first time in Oscars’ history that every single one of the five nominees is a past winner.

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master

> It’s gonna be easy as one-two-three for Hath and her tonsils-porn sing along I dreamed a dream number in Les Miserables. She’s justifiably the best thing around a thunderous, hyperbolic and showy production made for the musical’s aficionados and only. She’s quite lousy as an award acceptance speaker but who cares. Everybody feels ultra- sympathetic towards her after her disastrous experience as an Oscars’ hostess alongside the man named James Franco (lol). Amy Adams should win after four nods in a decade but it’s not happening this time. Helen Hunt is pulling a lead performance going supporting trick, but The Sessions didn’t fare as well as it was initially (Sundance) predicted. The third Aussie in the acting categories this year (count: Jackman, Watts…) Jackie Weaver marked the first time in 30 years (last time it was Reds in 1980) and just 14th in Oscars altogether that a film has nominees in all 4 acting categories. She has no chance at winning as now I have begun to wonder if Silver Linings can really break through the Argo-Lincoln wall. Last but not least, veteran Sally Field held her own as Lincoln's troubled presidential wife. Can see do it? Well, if Lincoln swept, in the sense that this would mean winning Picture-Director-Screenplay-Actor-Supp. Actor, the answer should be YES.

> Oscar Trivia: If Sally Field won, it would signify her third oscar win in equal number of bids. She has previously won for Norma Ray and Places in the Heart. Hence you can imagine a night when Daniel Day Lewis, Robert DeNiro and Sally Field join simultaneously the three time oscar winners’ club.

Follow me on twitter: @TakisGaris. Let me take this opportunity to openly challenge my comrade zerVo for an oscartastic podcast take down. That would be great fun – let’s just see how my Greek are holding up! Up next: the Best Picture – Best Director – Best Screenplay(s) Race. Don’t miss out- be the very first to guess this whole darn conundrum right!

gaRis