One Year in Advance: 2013 Oscar Predictions

Best Picture:
1. The Monuments Men
2. The Wolf of Wall Street
3. Twelve Years a Slave
4. Nebraska
5. Gravity
6. Labor Day
7. Foxcatcher
8. Inside Llewyn Davis
9. Before Midnight
10. Saving Mr. Banks
- The Counselor
- Fruitvale
- August: Osage County
- Captain Phillips
- Mud

Best Actor:
1. Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
2. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Twelve Years a Slave
3. Matthew McConaughey, The Dallas Buyers Club
4. Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
5. Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale
- George Clooney, The Monuments Men
- Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
- Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks
- Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
- Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
- Christian Bale, Out of the Furnace
- Benedict Cumberbatch, The Fifth Estate
- Michael Fassbender, The Counselor
- Forrest Whitaker, The Butler

Best Actress:
1. Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
2. Sandra Bullock, Gravity
3. Nicole Kidman, Grace of Monaco
4. Naomi Watts, Diana
5. Kate Winslet, Labor Day
- Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
- Emma Thompsan, Saving Mr. Banks
- Carey Mulligan, The Great Gatsby
- Jennifer Lawrence, Serena
- Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha

Best Supporting Actor:
1. Bruce Dern, Nebraska
2. Josh Brolin, Labor Day
3. Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
4. Joaquin Phoenix, Lowlife
5. Brad Pitt, The Counselor
- Phillip Seymour Hoffman, A Most Wanted Man
- George Clooney, Gravity
- Woody Harrelson, Out of the Furnace
- Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher
- Jean Dujardin, The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale
2. Cate Blanchett, The Monuments Men
3. Margo Martindale, August: Osage County
4. Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
5. Carey Mulligan, Inside Llewyn Davis
- Marion Cotillard, Lowlife
- Adepero Oduye, Twelve Years a Slave
- Penelope Cruz, The Counselor
- Vanessa Redgrace, Foxcatcher
- Zoe Saldana, Out of the Furnace

2012 Oscar Predictions

2012 Oscar Predictions:
Okay, I'll finally commit to these predictions. Jesus Christ, this year is so unpredictable. It's stressing me out.
If you want to see what the [other, ha!] experts are predicting, you can look at this feature on Metacritic.

Best Picture
1. Argo
2. Lincoln
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4. Life of Pi
5. Zero Dark Thirty
6. Amour
7. Les Miserables
8. Django Unchained
9. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Will Win: Argo
Could Win: none
Should Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director
1. Ang Lee, Life of Pi
2. Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
3. Michael Haneke, Amour
4. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
5. Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Will Win: Ang Lee
Could Win: Michael Haneke or Steven Spielberg or David O. Russell
Should Win: Michael Haneke

Best Actor
1. Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
2. Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
3. Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
4. Denzel Washington, Flight
5. Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Could Win: none
Should Win: Joaquin Phoenix

Best Actress
1. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
2. Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
3. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
4. Quevenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
5. Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Will Win: Emmanuelle Riva
Could Win: Jennifer Lawrence
Should Win: Emmanuelle Riva

Best Supporting Actor
1. Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
2. Robert de Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
3. Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
4. Alan Arkin, Argo
5. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Will Win: Robert de Niro
Could Win: Tommy Lee Jones or Christoph Waltz
Should Win: Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Best Supporting Actress
1. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
2. Sally Field, Lincoln
3. Helen Hunt, The Sessions
4. Amy Adams, The Master
5. Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Will/Should Win: Anne Hathaway
Could Win: none

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Chris Terrio, Argo
2. Tony Kushner, Lincoln
3. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
4. David Magee, Life of Pi
5. Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Will Win: Chris Terrio
Could Win: Tony Kushner or David O. Russell
Should Win: Tony Kushner

Best Original Screenplay
1. Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
2. Michael Haneke, Amour
3. Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
4. Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
5. John Gatins, Flight
Will/Should Win: Mark Boal
Could Win: Michael Haneke or Quentin Tarantino

Best Cinematography
1. Life of Pi
2. Skyfall
3. Anna Karenina
4. Lincoln
5. Django Unchained
Will Win: Life of Pi
Could Win: Skyfall
Should Win: Anna Karenina

Best Costume Design
1. Anna Karenina
2. Les Miserables
3. Lincoln
4. Mirror Mirror
5. Snow White and the Huntsman
Will Win: Anna Karenina
Could Win: Les Miserables
Should Win: Mirror Mirror

Best Film Editing
1. Argo
2. Zero Dark Thirty
3. Life of Pi
4. Lincoln
5. Silver Linings Playbook
Will Win: Argo
Could/Should Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Les Miserables
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. Hitchcock
Will Win: Les Miserables
Could Win: The Hobbit or Hitchcock
Should Win: The Hobbit (I guess?)

Best Original Score
1. Life of Pi
2. Argo
3. Lincoln
4. Skyfall
5. Anna Karenina
Will/Should Win: Life of Pi
Could Win: Argo or Lincoln

Best Original Song
1. "Skyfall," Skyfall
2. "Suddenly," Les Miserables
3. "Everybody Needs a Best Friend," Ted
4. "Pi's Lullaby," Life of Pi
5. "Before My Time," Chasing Ice
Will/Should Win: "Skyfall"
Could Win: none

Best Production Design
1. Anna Karenina
2. Les Miserables
3. Lincoln
4. Life of Pi
5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Will Win: Les Miserables
Could Win: Anna Karenina or Lincoln or Life of Pi
Should Win: Anna Karenina

Best Sound Editing
1. Life of Pi
2. Skyfall
3. Argo
4. Zero Dark Thirty
5. Django Unchained
Will Win: Argo
Could Win: Life or Pi or Skyfall or Zero Dark Thirty
Should Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Sound Mixing
1. Les Miserables
2. Skyfall
3. Life of Pi
4. Argo
5. Lincoln
Will/Should Win: Les Miserables
Could Win: Argo or Skyfall or Life or Pi

Best Visual Effects
1. Life of Pi
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. Marvel's The Avengers
4. Prometheus
5. Snow White and the Huntsman
Will/Should Win: Life of Pi
Could Win: none

Best Animated Feature Film
1. Wreck-It-Ralph
2. Brave
3. Frankenweenie
4. ParaNorman
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Will Win: Wreck-It-Ralph
Could Win: Brave
Should Win: ParaNorman

Best Documentary Feature
1. Searching for Sugar Man
2. The Invisible War
3. The Gatekeepers
4. 5 Broken Cameras
5. How to Survive a Plague
Will Win: Searching for Sugar Man
Could Win: none
Should Win: How to Survive a Plague

Best Foreign Language Film
1. Amour
2. No
3. A Royal Affair
4. Kon-Tiki
5. War Witch
Will/Should Win: Amour
Could Win: none

Best Short - Animated
1. Paperman
2. Adam and Dog
3. Head Over Heels
4. Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"
5. Fresh Guacamole
Will/Should Win: Paperman
Could Win: Adam and Dog

Best Documentary Short
1. Open Heart
2. Inocente
3. Mondays at Rachine
4. King's Point
5. Redemption
Will/Should Win: Inocente
Could Win: Open Heart or Mondays at Rachine

Best Short - Live Action
1. Curfew
2. Buzkashi Boys
3. Asad
4. Death of a Shadow
5. Henry
Will Win: Buzkashi Boys
Could Win: Curfew or Asad
Should Win: Curfew

My 2012 Oscar Ballot 2012:
These would be my nominations if I voted for the Oscars (aka my Best-of-the-Year list for 2012)

Best Picture
1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. Amour
3. Argo
4. Skyfall
5. Moonrise Kingdom
6. 21 Jump Street
7. How to Survive a Plague
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
9. Looper
10. Magic Mike
Runners Up: Damsels in Distress, The Queen of Versailles, Middle of Nowhere
Honorable Mentions: Arbitrage; Bernie, The Gatekeepers, The Gatekeepers, End of Watch
Movies I Liked Much More Than I Thought I Would: Pitch Perfect; For a Good Time, Call...; Chronicle; The Grey; Haywire
Movies I Thought I Would Love but Just Simply Liked: The Master, Holy Motors, Marvel's The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Silver Linings Playbook
Movies I Thought I Would Love but Just Simply Disliked: Friends With Kids, Prometheus, Seven Psychopaths, Savages, Snow White and the Huntsman

Best Director
1. Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
2. Michael Haneke, Amour
3. Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
4. Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
5. Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
Runners Up: Leos Carax, Holy Motors; Ava DuVernay, Middle of Nowhere; Whit Stillman, Damsels in Distress
Honorable Mentions: Rian Johnson, Looper; Sarah Pauley, Take this Waltz; Richard Linklater, Bernie; Nicholas Jarecki, Arbitrage; Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike

Best Actor
1. Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
2. Denis Lavant, Holy Motors
3. Jean-Louis Trintignant, Amour
4. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
5. Matthias Schoenaerts, Rust and Bone
Runners Up: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln; Jack Black, Bernie;  Richard Gere, Arbitrage
Honorable Mentions: Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables; Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook; Anders Danielsen Lie, Oslo, August 31st; Liam Neeson, The Grey; Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Actress
1. Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
2. Quevenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
3. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
4. Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
5. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed
Runners Up: Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere; Ann Dowd, Compliance; Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Honorable Mentions: Michelle Williams, Take this Waltz; Helen Hunt, The Sessions; Nina Hoss, Barbara; Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook; Alicia Vikander, A Royal Affair

Best Supporting Actor
1. Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild
2. Javier Bardem, Skyfall
3. Michael Fassbender, Prometheus
4. Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
5. Michael Peña, End of Watch
Runners Up: Tom Hiddleston, The Deep Blue Sea; Mikkel Boe Folsgaard, A Royal Affair; David Oyelowo, Middle of Nowhere
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Redmayne, Les Miserables; Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln; Jason Clarke, Zero Dark Thirty; Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower; John Goodman, Flight

Best Supporting Actress
1. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
2. Amy Adams, The Master
3. Lorraine Toussaint, Middle of Nowhere
4. Sally Field, Lincoln
5. Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises
Runners Up: Salma Hayek, Savages; Susan Sarandon, Arbitrage; Edwina Finley, Middle of Nowhere; 
Honorable Mentions: Jennifer Ehle, Zero Dark Thirty; Brit Marling, Arbitrage; Charlize Theron, Snow White and the Huntsman; Sarah Silverman, Take this Waltz; Isabelle Huppert, Amour; Emily Blunt, Looper

Best Original Screenplay
1. Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
2. Michael Haneke, Amour
3. Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
4. Rian Johnson, Looper
5. Ava DuVernay, Middle of Nowhere
Runners Up: Whit Stillman, Damsels in Distress; Nicholas Jarecki, Arbitrage; Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Honorable Mentions: David Ayer, End of Watch; Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master; Chris Butler, ParaNorman; Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Tony Kushner, Lincoln
2. Benh Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar, Beasts of the Southern Wild
3. Chris Terrio, Argo
4. Richard Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth, Bernie
5. Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Runners Up: Jose Rivera, On the Road; David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook; Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan, Skyfall
Honorable Mentions: Rasmus Heisterberg and Nikolaj Arcel, A Royal Affair; Pedro Peirano, No; Joachim Trier, Oslo, August 31st; Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill, 21 Jump Street; John Gatins, Flight

2012 Oscar Nomination Predictions

So, tomorrow morning the Oscar nominations for last year are announced. I know, already! The big story this year is that nominations are announced two weeks earlier than they have been in the past. So this means that this year's nominations could potentially be more unpredictable than usual because lazy Academy voters won't have Critics choice winners, Golden Globe winners, and guild nominees to tell them whom to vote for. This also means that the voters had two weeks less to watch their DVD screeners, so smaller movies (Amour, Compliance, etc.) might be left off the list in favor of the more high profile releases (Argo, Lincoln, etc.). Anyway! Here's what I'm thinking:

Just so you know!
DGA = Directors Guild
PGA = Producers Guild
SAG = Screen Actors Guild
WGA = Writers Guild
BAFTA = British Academy
BFCA = Broadcast Film Credits
GG = Golden Globes
NBR = National Board of Review
NYFCC = New York Film Critics
LAFCA = Los Angeles Film Critics
NSFC = National Society of Film Critics

Best Picture
1. Lincoln (DGA-N, PGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
2. Argo (DGA-N, PGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
3. Zero Dark Thirty (DGA-N, PGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NBR-W, NYFCC-W)
4. Life of Pi (DGA-N, PGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
5. Les Miserables (DGA-N, PGA-N, BAFTA-N, SAG-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
6. Silver Linings Playbook (PGA-N, SAG-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
7. Django Unchained (PGA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild (PGA-N, BFCA-N)
If there are nine: 9. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (SAG-N, GG-N)
If there are ten: 10. Amour (LAFCA-W, NSFC-W)
Backups: Moonrise Kingdom (PGA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N), Skyfall (PGA-N), The Master (BFCA-N)
Wildcard: The Impossible

Best Director
1. Steven Spielberg, Lincoln (DGA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
2. Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty (DGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NYFCC-W, NBR-W)
3. Ben Affleck, Argo (DGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
4. Ang Lee, Life of Pi (DGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
5. David O. Russell (BFCA-N)
Backups: Michael Haneke, Amour (BAFTA-N, NSFC-W); Tom Hooper, Les Miserables (DGA-N, BFCA-N); Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained (BAFTA-N, GG-N); Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master (LAFCA-W)

Best Actor
1. Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NYFCC-W, NSFC-W)
2. Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
3. Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NBR-W)
4. John Hawkes, The Sessions (SAG-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
5. Denzel Washington, Flight (SAG-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
Backup: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master (BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, LAFCA-W)
Wildcards: Richard Gere, Arbitrage (GG-N); Anthony Hopkins, Hitchcock

Best Actress
1. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, LAFCA-W)
2. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NBR-W)
3. Naomi Watts, The Impossible (SAG-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
4. Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
5. Quevenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild (BFCA-N)
Backups: Helen Mirren, Hitchcok (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, GG-N); Emmanuelle Riva, Amour (BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, LAFCA-W, NSFC-W)
Wildcards: Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea (GG-N, NYFCC-W); Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina; Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Best Supporting Actor
1. Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
2. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
3. Alan Arkin, Argo (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
4. Robert de Niro, Silver Linings Playbook (SAG-N, BFCA-N)
5. Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained (BAFTA-N, GG-N)
Backups: Javier Bardem, Skyfall (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N); Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained (GG-N, NBR-W); Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike (BFCA-N, NYFCC-W, NSFC-W)
Wildcards: Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild (LAFCA-W); Eddie Redmayne, Les Miserables

Best Supporting Actress
1. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
2. Sally Field, Lincoln (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NYFCC-W)
3. Helen Hunt, The Sessions (SAG-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
4. Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (SAG-N)
5. Ann Dowd, Compliance (BFCA-N, NBR-W)
Backups: Amy Adams, The Master (BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, LAFCA-W, NSFC-W); Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy (SAG-N, GG-N); Judi Dench, Skyfall (BAFTA-N, BFCA-N)
Wildcard: Samantha Barks, Les Miserables

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Tony Kushner, John Logan, and Paul Webb, Lincoln (WGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, NYFCC-W, NSFC-W, NBR-W)
2. Chris Terrio, Argo (WGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N, LAFCA-W)
3. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook (WGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N, GG-N)
4. Benh Zeitlin and Luci Alibar, Beasts of the Southern Wild (BAFTA-N)
5. Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (WGA-N
Backups: David Magee, Life of Pi (WGA-N, BAFTA-N, BFCA-N), William Nicholson, Les Miserables
Wildcard: Ben Lewin, The Sessions

Best Cinematography
1. Life of Pi
2. Skyfall
3. Lincoln
4. Anna Karenina
5. Zero Dark Thirty
Backups: Les Miserables, The Master, Django Unchained
Wildcards: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Dark Knight Rises, Cloud Atlas

Best Costume Design
1. Anna Karenina
2. Lincoln
3. Les Miserables
4. Django Unchained
5. Argo
Backups: Snow White and the Huntsman, A Royal Affair, Mirror Mirror
Wildcards: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Best Film Editing
1. Argo
2. Lincoln
3. Zero Dark Thirty
4. Skyfall
5. Life of Pi
Backups: Silver Linings Playbook, Les Miserables
Wildcards: The Dark Knight Rises, Cloud Atlas

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Lincoln
2. Les Miserables
3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Backups: Hitchcock, Men in Black 3

Best Original Score
1. Lincoln
2. Life of Pi
3. Argo
4. Anna Karenina
5. The Master
Backups: Skyfall, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Cloud Atlas, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Original Song
1. "Skyfall," Skyfall
2. "Suddenly," Les Miserables
3. "Pi's Lullaby," Life of Pi
4. "Still Alive," Paul Williams is Still Alive
5. "Learn Me Right," Brave
Backups: "Ancora Qui," Django Unchained; "Breath of Life," Snow White and the Huntsman; "100 Black Coffins," Django Unchained; "Not Running Anymore," Stand Up Guys

Best Production Design
1. Lincoln
2. Les Miserables
3. Anna Karenina
4. Argo
5. Life of Pi
Backups: Skyfall, Django Unchained, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Wildcards: Cloud Atlas, Prometheus

Best Sound Editing
1. Skyfall
2. Les Miserables
3. Life of Pi
4. Zero Dark Thirty
5. Django Unchained
Backups: Lincoln, Brave, Argo, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus

Best Sound Mixing
1. Skyfall
2. Les Miserables
3. Life of Pi
4. Zero Dark Thirty
5. Lincoln
Backups: Django Unchained, Argo, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus

Best Visual Effects
1. Life of Pi
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. The Avengers
4. The Dark Knight Rises
5. Prometheus
Backups: Cloud Atlas, Skyfall, Snow White and the Huntsman

Best Animated Feature
1. Wreck-It-Ralph
2. Brave
3. Frankenweenie
4. ParaNorman
5. The Painting
Backups: The Rabbi's Cat, Rise of the Guardians, Zarafa

Best Documentary Feature
1. Searching for Sugar Man
2. The Gatekeepers
3. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
4. How to Survive a Plague
5. Chasing Ice
Backups: Bully, Detropia, The Imposter, The House I Live In, 5 Broken Camera

Best Foreign Language Film
1. Amour (Austria)
2. The Intouchables (France)
3. A Royal Affair (Denmark)
4. Kon-Tiki (Norway)
5. No (Chile)
Backups: War Witch (Canada), Sister (Switzerland), The Deep (Iceland)

Best Animated Short
1. Paperman
2. Combustible
3. The Eagleman Stag
4. Tram
5. Dripped
Backups: Adam and Dog, Head Over Heels, The Fall of the House of Usher, Fresh Guacamole, Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"

Best Documentary Short
1. The Education of Mohammed Hussein
2. Paraiso
3. Open Heart
4. Kings Point
5. Mondays at Racine
Backups: Inocente, The Perfect Fit, Remeption

Best Live Action Short
1. Salar
2. Asad
3. Buzkashi Boys
4. Kiruna-Kigali
5. Doon van een Schaduw (Death of a Shadow)
Backups: A Fabrica (The Factory), Curfew, The Night Belongs to the Stars, Henry, 9meter

Just for Fun - 2013 Oscar Predictions

Predicting the Oscars one year in an advance is probably the most fun thing to do during Awards Season. Once December rolls around and you start to know pretty much how everything will go, it starts to get real boring for three months. It's so much fun to see movies come out of nowhere or movies with a lot of promise on paper completely fail in the end. Two years ago, the movies with the most promise, The Social Network, Inception, True Grit, The Fighter, and The King's Speech, actually managed to live up to expectations, but countless numbers of early frontrunners in the past (The Lovely Bones, Invictus, Nine, Sweeney Todd, Dreamgirls, etc.) have not.

I made my first Year in Advance last year and I correctly predicted War Horse, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Descendants, and Hugo, but I was dead wrong about J. Edgar, The Ides of March, A Dangerous Method, Super 8, and Like Crazy. I also accurately predicted George Clooney, Gary Oldman, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Michelle Williams, Rooney Mara, and Viola Davis (although I had her in supporting), Christopher Plummer, and Jessica Chastain (although I had her for The Tree of Life)

That being said, there was no way I saw The Artist coming, so I can't wait to see how wrong I am in eleven months!

2012 Oscar Predictions as of March 1st

Best Picture

1. The Master

2. Les Miserables

3. Lincoln

4. Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Film

5.The Dark Knight Rises

6. Brave

7. The Great Gatsby

8. Django Unchained

9. The Surrogate

10. Argo

Alternates: Life of Pi, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Gravity

Other Possibilities: Hyde Park on Hudson, Anna Karenina, The Wettest County, The Place Beyond the Pines, Great Expectations, The Silver Linings Playbook, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Cogan's Trade, Gangster Squad, Untitled Terrence Malick Project, Prometheus, Dark Shadows, Moonrise Kingdom (plus Inside Llewyn Davis if it gets released in 2012)

Best Actor

1. John Hawkes, The Surrogate

2. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

3. Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson

4. Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

5. Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Alternates: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Great Gatsby; Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained; Clint Eastwood, Trouble With the Curve; Bradley Cooper, The Silver Linings Playbook;

Other Possibilities: Tom Hardy, Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Film (or The Wettest County); Ryan Gosling, The Place Beyond the Pines (or Only God Forgives or Gangster Squad); Brad Pitt, Cogan's Trade; George Clooney, Gravity (plus Oscar Isaac in Inside Llweyn Davis if it's not 2013)

Best Actress

1. Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina

2. Sandra Bullock, Gravity

3. Helen Hunt, The Surrogate

4. Anne Hathway, Les Miserables (supporting?)

5. Viola Davis, Won't Back Down

Alternates: Carey Mulligan, The Great Gatsby (supporting?); Laura Linney, Hyde Park on Hudson; Andrea Riseborough, Shadow Dancer; Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

Other Possibilities: Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild; Rooney Mara, Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Film; Amy Adams, Trouble With the Curve (supporting?); Rachel McAdams, Untitled Terrence Malick Project; Amanda Seyfried, Lovelace; Kristen Wiig, Imogene; (plus Meryl Streep in August: Osage Country if it's not 2013)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

2. Russell Crowe, Les Miserables

3. Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

4. Bryan Cranston, Argo

5. Sean Penn, Gangster Squad

Alternates: Guy Pearce, The Wettest County; John Goodman, Argo; Ian McKellen, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; Joel Edgerton, The Great Gatsby (or Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Film)

Other Possibilities: Tom Hardy, The Dark Knight Rises; Domnhal Gleeson, Anna Karenina; David Straitharn, Lincoln; Jackie Earle Haley, Lincoln; Bradley Cooper, The Place Beyond the Pines; Tobey Maguire, The Great Gatsby; Jude Law, Anna Karenina; Ray Liotta, Cogan's Trade; Robert de Niro, The Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actress

1. Jessica Chastain, The Wettest County (or Untitled Terrence Malick Project or Untitled Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Film or Tar or Mama)

2. Amy Adams, The Master (or Trouble With the Curve)

3. Vanessa Redgrave, Song for Marion

4. Sally Field, Lincoln (lead?)

5. Carey Mulligan, The Great Gatsby (lead?)

Alternates: Samantha Barks, Les Miserables; Isla Fisher, The Great Gatsby; Olivia Williams, Hyde Park on Hudson; Kerry Washington, Django Unchained

Other Possibilities: Helena Bonham Carter, Les Miserables (or Dark Shadows or Great Expectations); Jennifer Lawrence, The Silver Linings Playbook; Kelley MacDonald, Anna Karenina; Emma Stone, Gangster Squad; Blake Lively, Savages; Michelle Pfeiffer, Dark Shadows; Frances McDormand, Moonrise Kingdom; Tilda Swinton, Moonrise Kingdom (and Carey Mulligan in Inside Llweyn Davis if it's not 2013)

2011 Oscar Predictions

Let's get it out of the way: Yes, this year's Oscar race is boring. The movies are boring and we pretty much already know who's going to win the eight major categories (Picture, Director, the acting categories, and the screenplay categories).

That being said, it's not that much different from any other year. Yes, there's no King's Speech vs. Social Network or Hurt Locker vs. Avatar suspense like the last two years. But there is real suspense when it comes to several below-the-line categories, especially Cinematography, Costume Design, the sound categories, Visual Effects, Documentary, and the shorts. The big question on my mind is if The Artist can sweep, like Slumdog Millionaire in 2008 with 8 wins or follow recent winners like The King's Speech, No Country For Old Men, and The Departed and only have four wins. Last year I predicted The King Speech would win do a mini-sweep, and I was totally wrong. So I'm reluctant to give The Artist more than 5 wins.

Keep in mind, predicting the Oscars is never as easy as people as people make it out to be. Usually "experts" or people who obsess as much as I do usually end up scoring somewhere between 16 to 18 correct predictions out of 24 categories. The best prediction entered by a user on Metacritic's online contest last year scored 20/24. So there's plenty of uncertainty going in to tonight's ceremony.

Best Picture

1. The Artist

2. The Descendants

3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

4. The Help

5. Hugo

6. Midnight in Paris

7. Moneyball

8. The Tree of Life

9. War Horse

Will Win: The Artist

Could Win: none
Should Win: Moneyball

The Artist wins. End of story.

Best Director

1. Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

2. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

3. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

4. Alexander Payne, The Descendants

5. Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Will/Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius

Could Win: Martin Scorsese (unlikely)

There's a minuscule chance that Martin Scorsese could steal this award from Michel Hazanavicius, but I seriously doubt it.

Best Actor

1. Demien Bichir, A Better Life

2. George Clooney, The Descendants

3. Jean Dujardin, The Artist

4. Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

5. Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Will Win: Jean Dujardin

Could Win: George Clooney

Should Win: Brad Pitt

This is the only category one of the eight major categories with any amount of suspense. George Clooney was the frontrunner here for several months, until Jean Dujardin won the SAG and the BAFTA. I was kind of disappointed when Dujardin won the SAG because I've been predicting a surprise win for him here all season, and now he's actually the frontrunner. A couple of experts are still holding onto Clooney, but I would be seriously surprised if Dujardin didn't win.

Best Actress
1. Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

2. Viola Davis, The Help

3. Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

4. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

5. Michelle Williams

Will Win: Viola Davis

Could Win: Meryl Streep (unlikely)

Should Win: Michelle Williams

Even though it seems Meryl Streep has been campaigning harder than she normally does this year, Viola Davis has been the frontrunner since the beginning, especially since she's the only nominee in a Best Picture nominee, she's the most sympathetic character, and she'll be only the second black Best Actress winner ever. Plus she's absolutely killing it with her acceptance speeches. This award is hers.

Best Supporting Actor

1. Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

2. Jonah Hill, Moneyball

3. Nick Nolte, Warrior

4. Christopher Plummer, Beginners

5. Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Will/Should Win: Christopher Plummer

Could Win: none

A couple of people have been floating around the idea that Max von Sydow could win this award, but I don't buy it. Christopher Plummer, no contest.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Berenice Bejo, The Artist

2. Jessica Chastain, The Help

3. Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

4. Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

5. Octavia Spencer, The Help

Will Win: Octavia Spencer

Could Win: none

Should Win: Jessica Chastain

Octavia Spencer. End of story.

Best Original Screenplay

1. Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

2. J. C. Chandor, Margin Call

3. Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

4. Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

5. Annie Mumulo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids

Will Win: Woody Allen

Could Win: Michel Hazanavicius (unlikely)

Should Win: Asghar Farhadi

Woody Allen has had this award in the bag for months, especially since Midnight in Paris is his most successful movie ever. I guess Michel Hazanavicius could still win, but I doubt it.

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. George Clooney and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March

2. John Logan, Hugo

3. Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

4. Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants

5. Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

Will Win: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash

Could/Should Win: Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

For a while I thought Moneyball was the frontrunner in this category, but ever since Jean Dujardin became the Best Actor frontrunner over George Clooney, I felt The Descendants has to win this category to get its only award of the night. I still wouldn't be totally surprised if Moneyball or Hugo pulled an upset in this category, but I think it's basically a done deal.

Best Art Direction

1. The Artist

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II

3. Hugo

4. Midnight in Paris

5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Will Win: Hugo

Could Win: Harry Potter or The Artist (unlikely)

Should Win: n/a (I stopped watching Harry Potters movies...)

I'm still uncertain about how many awards Hugo will win, but this is the closet it has to being a lock in any category. If The Artist sweeps the ceremony, I guess it could maybe win this award, too, but I seriously doubt it. I think Harry Potter has more of a chance, especially since a Harry Potter film has been nominated in this category three times in the past, and they may want to award it for being the last in the series. I still give Hugo about a 95% shot in this category, though.

Best Cinematography

1. The Artist

2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

3. Hugo

4. The Tree of Life

5. War Horse

Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: The Tree of Life or The Artist

Should Win: The Tree of Life

Emmanuel Lubezki's stunning cinematography is the frontrunner in this category, but this category doesn't often go to the film that actually has the best cinematography. Past winners have included Inception (over True Grit), Avatar (over The White Ribbon), There Will Be Blood (over The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), and Pan's Labyrinth (over Children of Men). It seems voters usually vote for whatever film they think looks the best in this category. This is would almost certainly be the only win for The Tree of Life, and a film hasn't won Best Cinematography without winning any other Oscar since Legends of the Fall in 1994. Again, The Artist could win here if it sweeps the night, but a black and white movie hasn't won this award since Schindler's List in 1993. I feel somewhat confident about my prediction that Hugo will win, but The Tree of Life's cinematography may prove to be too glaring to ignore.

Best Costume Design

1. Anonymous

2. The Artist

3. Hugo

4. Jane Eyre

5. W.E.

Will Win: Jane Eyre

Could Win: any

Should Win: n/a (I didn't see Anonymous or W.E.... and I fell asleep in Jane Eyre)

This is the technical category I'm most confused about and the prediction I'm least confident about. I could make an argument for any one of the five nominees winning. This category often has a mind of its own and doesn't mind giving the award to movies with no other nominations or with bad reviews, including the past five winners, Alice in Wonderland, The Young Victoria, The Duchess, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and Marie Antoinette. This category loves Elizabethan films, which gives the edge to Anonymous, but more often than not they go with a female-centered movie, which gives the edge to Jane Eyre or W.E. I think the terrible reviews may be too much for Madonna's W.E. to overcome, which leaves Jane Eyre for the win. I would definitely not count out The Artist if it makes a sweep or Hugo because Hugo's costume designer, Sandy Powell, has already won three Oscars in the past. Hmm...

Best Film Editing

1. The Artist

2. The Descendants

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

4. Hugo

5. Moneyball

Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo

Should Win: Moneyball

This category has coincided with Best Picture 11 times in the past 20 years. If it doesn't coincide, it usually goes to a movie with editing too glaring to ignore or with several other technical prizes, such as The Social Network, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Aviator, Traffic, and The Matrix. Both Moneyball and The Descendants likely don't have enough support to triumph in this category. Although The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has strong editing, it doesn't stand a chance since it will almost certainly win no other award and no film has won Best Film Editing with any other Oscar since Bullitt in 1968. That leaves The Artist vs. Hugo. Since Hugo's main problem as a film is the disconnect between its first half and its second half, I'm going with The Artist.

Best Makeup
1. Albert Nobbs

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II

3. The Iron Lady

Will Win: The Iron Lady

Could Win: Harry Potter (unlikely)
Should Win: n/a (again, I stopped watching Harry Potter movies)

I guess Harry Potter could win to recognize the series as a whole, but I'm about 99% certain The Iron Lady is the lock in this category.

Best Original Score

1. The Adventures of Tintin

2. The Artist

3. Hugo

4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

5. War Horse

Will Win: The Artist

Could Win: War Horse (unlikely)

Should Win: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I'm still confused as to why The Academy felt the need to give John Williams his 46th and 47th nominations for Tintin and War Horse, but this is The Artist's award to lose since its score is all you hear when you watch it.

Best Original Song

1. "Man or Muppet," The Muppets

2. "Real in Rio," Rio
Will Win: "Man or Muppet"
Could Win: "Real in Rio"

Should Win: n/a (Didn't see Rio)

Jesus Christ, this category is a joke. I don't think The Muppets completely has this category in the bag, but I also don't really care... Let's call it 60/40 in favor of The Muppets.

Best Sound Editing

1. Drive

2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

3. Hugo

4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

5. War Horse

Will Win: War Horse
Could Win: Hugo
Should Win: n/a (I don't watch Transformers movies)

Best Sound Mixing

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

2. Hugo

3. Moneyball

4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

5. War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Could Win: War Horse

Should Win: n/a

I really think both sound categories are between Hugo and War Horse. I've been going back and forth about these two categories for weeks. I should probably just stick to the fact that Hugo is the frontrunner in both these categories, but that movie is just so much more visual than it is auditory. I think people are just picking it because they think it's going to win a lot of technical prizes, but I can't ignore the fact that The Academy loves war movies in these categories (past winners include The Hurt Locker, Letters From Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, and Saving Private Ryan). When they do split, they're more liking to give Sound Editing (which basically means sound effects) to a loud movie like War Horse, and Sound Mixing (which basically means the mixture of all the sound effects in the movie with the music and the dialogue) often goes to a movie they just seem to like a lot (like Slumdog Millionaire or Gladiator). I can't deny the fact that Hugo has a lot more heat behind its campaign than War Horse does, though, so I'm just going to pick War Horse for Editing and Hugo for Mixing and hopefully I at least get one out of two right,

Best Visual Efffects

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II

2. Hugo

3, Transformers: Dark of the Moon

4. Real Steel

5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Will Win: Hugo

Could Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Should Win: n/a (I only saw Hugo and Planet of the Apes)

I feel like this may be most foolish prediction, since Rise of the Planet of the Apes is certainly the frontrunner in this category. Even though I read numerous reports saying Planet of the Apes had ground-breaking visual effects, I didn't really notice it when I watched it. Then I read a statistic that said that no film has won this category when only nominated in this category since Death Becomes Her in 1992. This leads me to believe that Hugo will surprise come Sunday night, but I may be dead wrong. We'll see!

Best Documentary

1. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

2. Hell and Back Again

3. Pina

4. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

5. Undefeated

Will Win: Undefeated
Could Win: any!

Should Win: n/a (I only saw Pina)

Aside from Costume Design, this is the only category where I really have no idea who's going to win and it could be any one of the five. This is one of the few categories where voters are only allowed to vote once they've seen all five nominees in a theatrical setting. Since this process favors older non-working Academy members who have the time to see all five nominees in the theater, their choices can often differ from mainstream popular opinion. Paradise Lost is supposedly the frontrunner this category because of the importance it played in real life events, but I feel slightly weird about a sequel and a movie that an HBO film that only played in theaters for one qualifying week in the outskirts of LA. Pina is the most high-profile nominee in the running, but I feel like it's a performance piece first and a documentary second, so it seems weird for it to win. Not to mention, this category regularly tends towards serious political themes and away from arts and entertainment. I don't really know anything about Hell and Back Again or If a Tree Falls, but they feel sort of random to me. That leaves Undefeated, which is supposedly really emotionally gratifying, which is always a plus in this category. I really have no idea about this category, though.

Best Foreign Language Film

1. Bullhead

2. Footnote

3. In Darkness

4. Monsieur Lazhar

5. A Separation

Will Win: A Separation

Could Win: Monseiur Lazhar (more likely) or In Darkness or Footnote (less likely)

Should Win: n/a (I only saw A Separation)

A Separation won the Best Foreign Language prize at countless critics groups and awards shows throughout this awards season. Like Documentary Feature, this category also requires that voters see all five nominees theatrically, which produces even more ridiculously insane results than the Documentary Feature category. Recent examples of random films that beat critical favorites in the recent past include The Secret in Their Eyes (over A Prophet and The White Ribbon), Departures (over Waltz with Bashir and The Class), The Lives of Others (over Pan's Labyrinth), Totsi (over Paradise Now), and No Man's Land (over Amelie). Needless to say, I'm reluctant to believe that this award will actually go to the most deserving nominee this year. I do believe that A Separation is accessible enough in its themes and exciting enough to overcome older Academy members' bias towards bold world filmmaking and win the award this year. I'm not as confident as I'd love to be, though.

Best Animated Feature

1. A Cat in Paris

2. Chico and Rita

3. Kung Fu Panda 2

4. Puss in Boots

5. Rango

Will Win: Rango

Could Win: none

Should Win: n/a (I didn't get to see A Cat in Paris)

Rango wins. End of story.

Best Animated Short

1. Dimanche/Sunday

2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

3. La Luna

4. A Morning Stroll

5. Wild Life

Will Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Could Win: La Luna or A Morning Stroll (likely) or Wild Life (unlikely)

Should Win: n/a (I'm always too lazy to watch the shorts)

The shorts categories are always so difficult to predict. Sometimes it seems like they just blindly choose the winners. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is supposedly the frontrunner, but I've seen several predictions for La Luna or A Morning Stroll. We'll see!

Best Documentary Short

1. The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement

2. God is the Bigger Elvis

3. Incident in New Baghdad

4. Saving Face

5. The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Will Win: Saving Face

Could Win: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom or God is the New Baghdad

Should Win: n/a

Again, it's anyone's guess. It seems to be a split between the journalistic Saving Face and the artistic Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. I wouldn't count out them choosing God is the Bigger Elvis, since it's famous Academy member Dolores Hart.

Best Live Action Short
1. Pentecost

2. Raju

3. The Shore

4. Time Freak

5. Tuba Atlantic

Will Win: Pentecost

Could Win: The Shore or Tuba Atlantic

Should Win: n/a

The experts are split between The Short and Tuba Atlantic, but since this category had a surprising comedic short win last year, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict Pentecost, the only comedy of all the 5 nominees, for the win.

Best of 2011

Every year I like to finalize my Best of the Year list for movies on the same weekend of the Oscars, since it takes forever for me to catch up with all the movies that get released in December and I can pretend this is what my Oscar ballot (for nominations) would look like. I still have about ten to fifteen foreign films on my list that I was too lazy to watch by today's deadline, but I did manage to watch around 85 movies this year. The one movie I regret not seeing in New York was Margaret (Anna Paquin and Jeannine Berlin are supposed to be great in it), since it never expanded to Miami. Oh well! I do have to say that although this year is a pretty shitty year for awards movies (especially compared to last year, which had great movies like The Social Network, Black Swan, Winter's Bone, The Kids Are All Right, and The Fighter), I really love the top 15 movies on my list. This year also wasn't great for Hollywood movies, animated movies, or documentaries, so my lists are pretty heavily dominated by indie and foreign film festival entries. Here are my lists...

Best Picture

1. A Separation

2. Drive

3. Weekend

4. Bridesmaids

5. Beginners

6. Melancholia

7. Moneyball

8. The Interrupters

9. Shame

10. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Runners Up: We Need to Talk About Kevin, Poetry, Certified Copy, Take Shelter, Pina

Honorable Mentions: Hugo, The Artist, Pariah, We Were Here, Bull Cunningham New York, Young Adult, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Skin I Live In, Heartbeats, Miss Bala

Biggest Dissapointments: Midnight in Paris; The Muppets; Carnage; Super 8; Crazy, Stupid, Love; The Descendants

Best Director

1. Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

2. Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive

3. Lars van Trier, Melancholia

4. Mike Mills, Beginners

5. Steve McQueen, Shame

Runners Up: Lynne Ramsay, We Need to Talk About Kevin; Abbas Kiarostami, Certified Copy; Andrew Haigh, Weekend; Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist; Bennett Miller, Moneyball

Honorable Mentions: Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter; Martin Scorsese, Hugo; Dee Rees, Pariah; Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene; Pedro Almodovar, The Skin I Live In

Best Actor

1. Michael Fassbender, Shame

2. Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

3. Brad Pitt, Moneyball

4. Tom Cullen, Weekend

5. Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Runners Up: Woody Harrelson, Rampart; Ewan McGregor, Beginners; Ryan Gosling, Drive; Brendan Gleeson, The Guard; Chris New, Weekend

Honorable Mentions: Demian Bichir, A Better Life; Peyman Moaadi, A Separation; Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Steve Coogan, The Trip; Peter Mullan, Tyrannosaur

Best Actress

1. Juliette Binoche, Certified Copy

2. Jeong-hie Yun, Poetry

3. Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia

4. Adepero Oduye, Pariah

5. Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Runners Up: Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur; Charlize Theron, Young Adult; Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene; Kristen Wigg, Bridesmaids; Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Honorable Mentions: Viola Davis, The Help; Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melancholia; Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady; Leila Hatami, A Separation; Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Best Supporting Actor

1. Christopher Plummer, Beginners

2. Albert Brooks, Drive

3. Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life

4. Ezra Miller, We Need to Talk About Kevin

5. John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Runners Up: Patton Oswalt, Young Adult; Chris O'Dowd, Bridesmaids; Chris Parnell, Pariah; Shahab Hosseini, A Separation; Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn;

Honorable Mentions: Rob Brydon, The Trip; Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Ides of March; Bruce Greenwood, Meek's Cutoff; Corey Stall, Midnight in Paris; Ben Kinglsey, Hugo

Best Supporting Actress

1. Sareh Bayat, A Separation

2. Carey Mulligan, Shame

3. Vanessa Redgrave, Coriolanus

4. Jessica Chastain, The Help

5. Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Runners Up: Sarina Farhadi, A Separation; Octavia Spencer, The Help; Angelica Houston, 50/50; Melanie Laurent, Beginners; Kim Wayans, Pariah

Honorable Mentions: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants; Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids; Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter; Berenice Bejo, The Artist; Evan Rachel Wood, The Ides of March

Best Original Screenplay

1. Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

2. Andrew Haigh, Weekend

3. Mike Mills, Beginners

4. Abbas Kiarostami, Certified Copy

5. Annie Mumulo and Kristen Wigg, Bridesmaids

Runners Up: Diablo Cody, Young Adult; Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter; Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen, Shame; John Logan, Gore Verbinski, and James Ward Brykit, Rango

Honorable Mentions: Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene; Dee Rees, Pariah; John Michael McDonagh, The Guard; Will Reiser, 50/50

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

2. Hossein Amini, Drive

3. Pedro Almodovar, The Skin I Live In

4. Bridget O'Connor and Peter Strong, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

5. Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Runners Up: George Clooney and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March; Christopher Hampton, A Dangerous Method; John Logan, Hugo