rikumovie

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
John Hawkes – The Sessions
Hugh Jackman – Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix – The Master
Denzel Washington – Flight

WILL - Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
SHOULD - Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

No offense to a number of talented actors here, but nobody embodied the role quite like Daniel Day-Lewis. He became President Lincoln with all his faults and mannerisms. In another year...if you took Day-Lewis out of this  category, this might have been an interesting throwdown. Cooper delivers probably his best performance of his career. Hawkes continues a fantastic run of great performances. Phoenix is amazing as the student in a film where the acting is better than the film. Denzel is steady as usual and Hugh proves he can do it all. But make no mistake...this will go home with Daniel Day-Lewis.

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard – Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva – Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts – The Impossible

WILL - Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
SHOULD - Jessica Chastain / Jennifer Lawrence

Lawrence delivers on her young promise in the amazing Silver Linings Playbook and was probably in the lead for the award right up until Zero Dark Thirty was seen. Chastain goes through an amazing transformation and her dogged determination shines in Zero Dark Thirty. But there are some wildcards here....Quvenzhane is loved by our group and Naomi Watts is amazing in The Impossible.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin – Argo
Javier Bardem – Skyfall
Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln
Matthew McConaughey – Magic Mike

WILL - ??? (Matthew McConaughey)
SHOULD - ??? (a six way tie?)

This and the next category (Supporting Actress) gave me fits before I sent my ballot in. I can make an amazing case for everyone nominated. Alan Arkin was absolutely wonderful as a director of a fake movie (but was John Goodman just as good there). Javier Bardem gave us a Bond villain we all could agree on; he nailed it. Robert De Niro's face as he tries to calm the out of control Bradley Cooper down in Silver Linings showed pain and we felt it with him. Philip Seymour Hoffman delivered a mast acting class in his role in The Master. Tommy Lee Jones killed his role in Lincoln and was able to elicit all the right emotions, at the right time. Matthew McConaughey was even campaigned for by Steven Soderbergh. I'm still conflicted, I'll be as interested as anyone on Thursday night to see this winner.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – The Master
Judi Dench – Skyfall
Ann Dowd – Compliance
Sally Field – Lincoln
Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables
Helen Hunt – The Sessions

WILL - Amy Adams, The Master
SHOULD - ??? (Amy Adams)

Like actor, I really like all of the nominated performances. I think the most likely play here is the group comes down to Amy Adams and Sally Field. The others either weren't campaigned hard enough or have other minor factors that will work against them. But like Supporting Actor I liked everyone here....man I'm conflicted!

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck – Argo
Kathryn Bigelow – Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper – Les Miserables
Ang Lee – Life of Pi
David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg – Lincoln

WILL - Ben Affleck
SHOULD - Ben Affleck

Call it a hunch...nothing more. When we are at this point in the night...none of these films are in the "It was a pleasure just to be nominated category"...all could win. See them all!

BEST PICTURE

Argo

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

The Master

Moonrise Kingdom

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

WILL - Argo/Lincoln/Zero Dark Thirty
SHOULD - Argo

Look - Argo was my top film on my list last year...and it made that for a reason. I just re-watched my top 4 Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and I'm still happy with my decision. Though I would feel happy for ANY of those titles to walk away a winner.

I'm ready for tomorrow night...are you? The CW at 8/7CT will be results central. Sure I'll live tweet and post some thoughts...but stay tuned...it will be a fun ride!

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS 
Elle Fanning – Ginger and Rosa
Kara Hayward – Moonrise Kingdom
Tom Holland – The Impossible
Logan Lerman – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Suraj Sharma – Life of Pi
Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

SHOULD - Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
WILL - Quvenzhane Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild

The first real new brainer in this group. Such a good performance that it is talked about in the grand scheme for an acting award period. Though really solid performances abound here, it is Quvenzhane's to take home. I was particualry fond of Logan Lerman in The Perks of Being a Wildflower and Tom Holland in The Impossible. Hold the film on their shoulders type of performances that just worked.

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

WILL - Les Miserables
SHOULD - Argo

Look, Argo was an ensemble film. Without all of the small roles working at their peak, this wouldn't be such a great film. There are a lot of people who wan to get some awards the way of Les Miz, so I thinik that they may carry the category...but it SHOULD be Argo.

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Looper
Skyfall

WILL - The Dark Knight Rises
SHOULD - The Dark Knight Rises

There are a number of films that this group will want to award this to. I see a camp heavy behind Skyfall and there are the amazing fans of The Avengers. I think from start to finish The Dark Knight Rises is the favorite here. (Looper will win in the Sci/Fi Horror cat).

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Christian Bale – The Dark Knight Rises
Daniel Craig – Skyfall
Robert Downey Jr. – The Avengers
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Looper
Jake Gyllenhaal – End of Watch

WILL - Daniel Craig, Skyfall
SHOULD - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Looper

I really like Looper and it gets even better with every thought I make about it. The story is out of sight amazing and the performances sell it like nothing else. I also REally REALLY like End of Watch. Personally I liked Michael Pena there, but Jake is really good as well.

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Emily Blunt – Looper
Gina Carano – Haywire
Judi Dench – Skyfall
Anne Hathaway – The Dark Knight Rises
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games

Will -- Who knows? Anne Hathaway
Should - Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence

Ok, so I'm torn here. I think our group will go Hathaway's way as a combined award here and with Les Miz. It's not the way it should go, but I think that will be it. Lawrence really worked in The Hunger Games and Gina Carano was a revelation in Haywire (though obviously raw). Plus -- Emily Blunt ... well I've already professed my love for Looper....so she's got that going for her.

BEST COMEDY
Bernie
Silver Linings Playbook
Ted
This Is 40
21 Jump Street

WILL - Silver Linings Playbook
SHOULD - Ted/21 Jump Street

Look...true comedy is really hard -- Comedies, when they miss, end up on worst of the year lists. And when they hit, they should be rewarded as well. I think the group goes Silver Linings Playbook...even though I wouldn't really call that a comedy per se. Funny at times, yes,... but there is more drama there than anything. To me, Ted and 21 Jump Street brought the belly laughs out of me. Those two films are both very deserving, and I hope one of them pull an upset.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jack Black – Bernie
Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
Paul Rudd – This Is 40
Channing Tatum – 21 Jump Street
Mark Wahlberg – Ted

WILL - Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
SHOULD - Bradley Cooper / Channing Tatum

Bradley Cooper had the best performance in this category. But Tatum may be a winner because of his popularity in the category. I've got to believe that Cooper is the winner though.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Mila Kunis – Ted
Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
Shirley MacLaine – Bernie
Leslie Mann – This Is 40
Rebel Wilson – Pitch Perfect

WILL - Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
SHOULD - Jennifer Lawrence / Rebel Wilson

I just rewatched Pitch Perfect and Rebel Wilson will win this award someday if she continues. She's absolutely hysterical in her role as "Fat Amy". But it is consinderably smaller than the role of Jennifer Lawrence and Lawrence's role is really career changing. I love them both PLUS -- Leslie Man, Mila Kunis and Shirley MacLaine -- if I attended this year I'd want to search these actresses out!

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
Cabin in the Woods
Looper
Prometheus

WILL - Looper
SHOULD - Looper

Looper was just a crazy good Sci-Fi ride. The film is pulled together by a tight script - hence the nomination for Rian Johnson in the screenplay category. To me, there is one standout film here. Cabin in the Woods is a fun treatment...and a fun film. But I don't think it's as good as Looper. And Prometheus seems to have a love/hate relationship out there...so much so that I can't see it winning.

And there are some of the fun things that we have to offer...TUNE IN to The CW on Thursday night to see who wins, and who is excited after being nominated for Oscar that morning.

Tomorrow: The Biggies!