Molo's Official Oscar Prediction and Musings

Shit, the Oscars are tonight.  And even though I'm in middle-of-nowhere Wyoming, I'll probably watch 'em.  Or at least part of them.  I mean we should all be excite Billy Crystal is back, right?  Does anyone under 30 even have any idea who Billy Crystal is?  When was his last movie?  1997?   Well, no matter. 

So this year, the best film I saw, hands down, was Drive.  And it seems to have been shut out from the Awards. (except for Sound editing...whatevs)  What a bunch of crap!  Should have gotten nominations for picture, for actor (Gosling) and definitely for supporting actor in Albert Brooks. 

Not nominating Brooks for supporting role was the biggest snub this year, hands down.  But the Academy rarely picks the best films for it's awards, so really, this is just par for the course.  At least they did nominate Tree of Life, which was probably my second fav movie from this year.  

Of course I hardly saw a damn thing, so take this all with a big lump of salt, m'kay?  As always, I'm only looking at the categories that folks give a damn about. 

Best Picture:  The Artist, Hugo, Tree of Life, The Help (sigh), Moneyball, Midnight in Paris (i couldn't stand the first 20 minutes) , The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (rolls eyes), and War Horse (barf).  

The Aritst will win because critics love it, it references hollywood history, and is a romp - it is deserving.  Tree of Life should win and I'm not just saying that because is the only nominated film I have seen; Malick's films are full of wonder and life, and this is no exception.  Of course Drive was the best film last year. 


Best Director:  The Artist - Michael Hazansomething , Tree of Life - Malick, Hugo - Scorsese, The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen. 

Tough call this year, I don't think they will feel obligated to give Scorsese or Allen any make-up Oscars (like a make-up call in sports, when Scorsese won for The Departed, it was a kind of make-up/lifetime achievement pick for getting slighted for so many great films in the past).  Malick is the most deserving of an Oscar, but he's been such a rogue for so long, it's hard to imagine them giving him the statue.  So I'm going with the new guy Micheal Hazanavicius. 

Best Actress :  Glen Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (the Help), Rooney Mara (dragon tattoo), Meryl Streep (the Iron Lady), and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn). 

I haven't seen any of these films.  But I think the Academy will go with....Glen Close.  I'd go with Michelle Williams, but that's because I have a crush on her.

Best Actor:  Clooney (the descendants), Damien Bichir (A better Life), Brad Pitt (moneyball), Gary Oldman (tinker tailor sailor spy), and Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

Clooney's going to win.  Although Gary Oldman has a shot.  Again, I haven't seen any of these movies.  You all are probably wondering if I saw anything last year, and why do I think I deserve to comment on films if I don't hardly see any?  Well screw you!  This is my blog, I'll do what I want.  And Clooney will win.  Everyone loves him and they love Hawaii.  Unlike Brad Pitt and baseball, which everyone hates.  They wont give it to an actor with no actual lines and probably not enough people saw A Better Life to give it to Bichir.

Best Supporting Actress:  Berenice Bejo (the Artist), Jessica Chastain (the Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTear (Albert Nobbs), and Octavia Spencer (the Help)

Well, the 2 ladies from The Help will cancel each other out.  It's like choosing DWade and Lebron for MVP - the both plan on the same team, so they steal each others votes (although Lebron is a shoe in this year).  Again, probably not for the silent film...i have no idea about Janet McTear....but I'm going with the most unlikely choice -  Melissa McCarthy - who saved the very overrated Bridesmaids (really , is a film that is pretty much just based on potty humor and cliches all that deserving of all the success?  Yes, yes, it's great to see a group of women making the vulgar jokes for a change, but the jokes were all the same - it was the same low brow humor, that's all.  Any who, McCarthy saved that movie for me.)

Best Supporting Actor:  Albert Brooks for Drive!  Oh wait, he wasn't nominated.  We do have Kenneth Branaugh (my week with marilyn), Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), Nick Nolte (warrior),Jonah Hill, no less (moneyball), and Christopher Plummer (beginners)

This is the most fun group of nominations, despite the lack of Albert Brooks.  Jonah Hill?  No kidding?  He has been fantastic in most everything he's done, especially Superbad, so I guess I'm not surprised....then we've got Max von Sydow himself, the legendary von Sydow.  I can quote his entire scene form Conan the Barbarian....but I digress....and Nick Nolte for one of the most over-the-top, hammy Nick Cage-esq roles I have ever seen, in the highly underrated film Warrior.  At one point his character gets way drunk and is reciting lines from Moby Dick at the top of his lungs as he listens to it on tape in his bathrobe...fantastic stuff.  I hope they give it to him.  But I think they'll give it to Christopher Plummer, who was excellent in Beginners.

Okay, let's just whip through a few other picks and be done with this nonsense:

Best Animated:  Rango
Best Cinematography:  Tree of Life - hands down.
Art Direction:  The Artist
Costumes:  The Artist
Screenplay (adapted):  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Screenplay (original):  A Separation
 and then there's more but I'm spent.