Chip’s Take

Here we go again! Nine Best Pictures and only five Best Directors leaving four films that directed themselves. The days of team player directors who shared responsibilities like Michael Curtiz and John Sturges are long gone, so what’s going on here?

While it’s a simple matter to remove the four films in question, they should have never been nominated in the first place. After all this is the Academy Awards not a college football playoff system where “the more the merrier” is how they do things.

No matter. I have my picks and my preferences and, just as in years past, many of them are not the same. In fact this year, none of them are. They are as follows…

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave. My Preference: Bruce Dern for Nebraska.

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock for Gravity. My Preference: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine.

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyer’s Club. My Preference: Michael Fassbender for 12 Years A Slave.

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyongo for 12 Years A Slave. My Preference: June Squibb for Nebraska.

Best Director: Steve McQueen for 12 Years A Slave. My Preference: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity.

Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave. My Preference: Nebraska.

Michelle’s Take

Seconding Chip’s thoughts on having nine nominated films for Best Motion Picture of The Year, this change (instituted a couple of years ago) seems to have been done purely for the financial cache and bragging rights that come to the studios and distributors who have films nominated in this category. Well, it’s that or someone just wanted to make the Oscar telecast even longer… no, that’s probably not it.

With the exception of a few odd snubs, the nominations were fairly straightforward and predictable, but that’s not to say without merit. For me, the most memorable performance among the nominees was Michael Fassbender’s as Master Epps in 12 Years A Slave. His performance is layered, nuanced, and as riveting as it is disturbing.

Of the films nominated for awards this year, here’s who I think will win versus who I’d like to see take home the gold statuette.

Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club. My Preference: This is a tough one, but … Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years A Slave.

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock for Gravity. My Preference: Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine.

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club. My Preference: Michael Fassbender for 12 Years A Slave.

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years A Slave. My Preference: June Squib for Nebraska.

Best Director: Steve McQueen for 12 Years A Slave. My Preference: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity.

Best Picture: 12 Years A Slave. My Preference: 12 Years A Slave.