Final Oscar Predictions!

The nominations are tomorrow, and with this year being all over the place, we can honestly quote Lawrence of Arabia... "Nothing is written."

BEST PICTURE:
1. Lincoln
Breaking the bank and breaking nomination records, Spielberg is back and with a vengeance.
2. Argo
Free of controversy currently, and was in attendance at every guild thing, like Lincoln.
3. Zero Dark Thirty
Strong critical praise and has been the film getting more love than Argo, but Argo is more well-liked.
4. Les Miserables
Makes the Academy feel warm and fuzzy. Based on a musical that's based on classic literature, and the acting branches love it.
5. Silver Linings Playbook
Actors love it, writers love it, and the direction is perfect.
6. Life of Pi
A visual treat that has a bold vision that is well-told. Thumbs up.
7. Django Unchained
It's a work of near-perfection. The supporting performances are off the charts, and the film's script is richer than Spielberg's current bank account.
8. Moonrise Kingdom
It has surprisingly a lot of necessary stops required for a nomination. Great cast for the acting branch to chew on, and great script for the writers to envy.
9. Beasts of the Southern Wild
The little indie that could.
10. The Master
I still think this film has got what it takes to sneak in. I'm making a bold prediction, which is something I missed last year (Extremely Loud). There is an audience for this film, and the audience will vote for this.

BEST DIRECTOR:
1. Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
2. Ben Affleck, Argo
3. Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
4. Ang Lee, Life of Pi
5. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR:
1. Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
2. Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
3. Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
4. John Hawkes, The Sessions
5. Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
I think Phoenix is going to squeak in over Denzel, especially since Flight has nothing going for it besides Washington's performance. The audience for The Master is going to vote for Phoenix, giving him the nomination.

BEST ACTRESS:
1. Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
2. Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
3. Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
4. Naomi Watts, The Impossible
5. Emanuelle Riva, Amour
I absolutely adore Jess Chastain and her repertoire of work, and hope she wins. She is going to win... a nomination.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
1. Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
2. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
3. Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
5. Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Waltz and DiCaprio were amazing in their parts, and Bardem was the best thing in the near-perfect Skyfall. I mean, Bardem got a nomination for BIUTIFUL! Also, Arkin has yet to win any critics groups prizes, if that's any indicator.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
1. Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
2. Sally Field, Lincoln
3. Amy Adams, The Master 
4. Helen Hunt, The Sessions
5. Judi Dench, Skyfall
Skyfall has picked up a lot of steam in the past weeks. Judi Dench recently got a BAFTA nomination, and I don't think Milennium has the capabilities to send out too many Paperboy screeners.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
1. Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
2. Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
3. Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
4. Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
5. Michael Haneke, Amour
Would love Looper to sneak in.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
1. Tony Kushner, Lincoln
2. Chris Terrio, Argo
3. David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
4. Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
5. Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Screenplay categories are perfect for littler films to get recognized, like Perks and Beasts.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
1. Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi
2. Janusz Kaminski, Lincoln
3. Robert Richardson, Django Unchained
4. Roger Deakins, Skyfall
5. Mihai Malimare Jr, The Master
I hate to leave off Zero Dark Thirty, but the Academy loves themselves some Robby Richardson. I mean, he did beat Emmanuel Lubezki last year.

BEST EDITING:
1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. Argo
3. Life of Pi
4. Lincoln
5. Skyfall

Check back tomorrow for complete list of winners, and perhaps a nomination rant... we'll see.