Oscar Opinions: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

One of the best war films ever made. Yeah, I went there.

QUICK OPINION:
Zero Dark Thirty is a flawless film that never bored for a second, and never ceased from being the lest bit exciting. Jessica Chastain cut the nice Ms. O'brien out of herself and dominated this film. Boal wrote Maya as one of the most interesting and best characters on the screen in a long time, maybe a character to define the decade (like Aaron Sorkin's Mark Zuckerberg.). Bigelow seemed in control of the entire film, and she and her time blew every expectation of the film out of the water.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
Jessica Chastain's Maya was my favorite performance of the year, so that one is obviously getting to be #1 here. Props to up-and-comer Jason Clarke for holding his own in the first half, a human being that understands the stress of war, despite the man on the outside. (Think Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker). Another great performance in a great film.

BEST MOMENT:
30 minutes into the film, when a certain scene involving a bus comes to pass, the film just sucked me in. I can't put a finger on my favorite scene. It's all great. I'll stop singing my praises and ask you (the readers) to see this before (or after) Oscar Sunday. Just see it.

Even if you don't like it, it is definitely thought-provoking.

Oscar Nomination thoughts.

YOU'LL WIN AGAIN
SOMEDAY

YOU'LL WIN AGAIN
SOMEDAY, TOO

Most Americans go to school, especially in the teenage years. I am currently a teenage school lad, so I have to work from 7:00-3:00. The nominations were announced at 7:30, so I chose to listen to the YouTube livestream in the library. When you only listen to audio, your mind can play tricks on you. You can mistake words. Like Benh and Ben.

A simple explanation: I was listening to the nominations, and the last nominee announced was Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild. I, of course, first heard the word Ben, so I assumed "Oh, Ben Affleck, Argo." But Zeitlin was added on to the name, and all became clear: THE BENH ZEITLIN, THE KID WITH A CAMERA THAT MADE A FILM FOR $180K. Wow. I was more shocked by the inclusions than the exclusions. I then realized Bigelow and Affleck were snubbed for their political thrillers, and instead two independent films with little known actresses made it in.

BEST PICTURE:

LIKE A BOSS #YOLO

I really, really wanted The Master to get in. Alas, it didn't, but the nominees this year were very good. Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild both were on my top 10, albeit, the bottom. I pined for Les Miserables not getting not nominated, and I wish Moonrise was nominated. Moonrise was picking up steam toward the end of the race, and so was Skyfall.

BEST ACTOR:
Joaquin made it in. It was a good lineup.

BEST ACTRESS:
No real shocks, unless you count Marion Cotillard not making it in as a 'shock'.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
It's a bummer Leo DiCaprio didn't get in, but the Academy did nominated the better Django performance: Christoph Waltz. There were no real surprises, but I wish Bardem got one for Skyfall.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
There were only really 4 contenders for this one, so Jacki Weaver making it in didn't come with too much surprise. Again, no real surprises.

BEST DIRECTOR: 
Where as the acting categories were not that surprising, the directing category was the bulk of all surprises. I really wish Bigelow got nominated for her masterpiece Zero Dark Thirty over Benh Zeitlin's Beasts.

THE SCREENPLAYS:
In the beginning of the season, I thought The Master would win Best Original Screenplay. Instead, it failed to get nominated, being cut out by Flight. Bummer, but that was probably the only surprise in the whole category. Adapted was predictable, unless you consider The Perks of Being a Wallflower as a lock.

Iowa Film Critics reward Lincoln!

Best Film: “Lincoln”

Other nominees: “Silver Linings Playbook”; “Zero Dark Thirty”

Best Director: Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”

Other nominees: Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Tom Hooper, “Les Miserables”

Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, “Lincoln”

Other nominees: Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”; John Hawkes, “The Sessions”

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”

Other nominees: Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”; Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”

Other nominees: Alan Arkin, “Argo”; Robert DeNiro, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”

Other nominees: Amy Adams, “The Master”; Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”

Best Animated Film: “Brave”

Other nominees: “ParaNorman,” “Wreck-It Ralph”

Best Film That Has Yet to Open In Iowa: “Amour”

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)- The best film of 2012, and the best war film since Private Ryan. (4 Stars)

this post is part of 'The Watchlist Chronicles'. To learn more, click here.

 Zero Dark Thirty is the best film of 2012, by a landslide. It is a well-paced, directed, acted, written, scored... well, its great at everything it does. It nearly pushes 3 hours, but it never bores for a minute.

DGA Nominee predictions!

DGA announces tomorrow, and despite it being so close to announcement day, they still remain crucial.

1. Spielberg, Lincoln
2. Affleck, Argo
3. Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
4. Lee, Life of Pi

5 is a tough cookie. The DGA will probably nominate O. Russell for Silver Linings because they usually aren't as sentimental as the Academy. They nominated Dark Knight, Academy chose The Reader. Just because O. Russell will be nominated here at the DGA's doesn't mean he will at the Oscars. Gods (or any other god believed by Piscene Molitor Patel,) will he does.

Zero Dark Thirty and The Master cover Vancouver

Winners via Hitfix,

Best Film
"Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Supporting Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, "The Master"

Best Screenplay
"Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Foreign Language Film
"Holy Motors"

Best Documentary
"Searching for Sugar Man"

Best Canadian Film
"Rebelle" (a.k.a. "War Witch")

Best Director of a Canadian Film
Panos Cosmatos, "Beyond the Black Rainbow"

Best Actor in a Canadian Film
Michael Rogers, "Beyond the Black Rainbow"

Best Actress in a Canadian Film
Rachel Mwanza, "Rebelle"

Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film
"Serge Kanyinda, "Rebelle"

Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film
Sarah Gadon, "Cosmopolis"

Best Canadian Documentary
"The World Before Her"

Best British Columbia Film
"Beyond the Black Rainbow"

Ian Caddell Award for Achievement
Alan Franey, Vancouver International Film Festival

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Amour wins Best Film, The Master takes 4 prizes, including Best Actor... all at LAFCA!

This is the first critics group that did not give the top prize to Zero Dark Thirty, and I'm extremely happy with The Master winning 4 prizes. Also, Skyfall won an award, and The Dark Knight Rises got a mention. Awesome.

(Oddly, Lincoln and Life of Pi) both got shut out.

Best Picture
"Amour"
(Runner-up: "The Master")

Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
(Runner-up: Denis Lavant, "Holy Motors")

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook" and Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour" (tie)

Best Supporting Actor
Dwight Henry, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
(Runner-up: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, "The Master"
(Runner-up: Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables" and "The Dark Knight Rises")

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Master"
(Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty")

Best Screenplay
Chris Terrio, "Argo"
(Runner-up: David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, "Skyfall"
(Runner-up: Mihai Malaimare Jr., "The Master")

Washington Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) nominees!

Skyfall nominations!

Best Film:

Argo

Les Misérables

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director:

Ben Affleck (Argo)

Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)

Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Tom Hooper (Les Misérables)

Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Best Actor:

Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

John Hawkes (The Sessions)

Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables)

Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

Denzel Washington (Flight)

Best Actress:

Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone)

Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)

Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)

National Board of Review announces the Top 10 films of the year.

Zero Dark Thirty has won, defying expectations.
(I mean, I thought it was Argo/Les Mis!)

Best Film:  ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED

Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

MORE AFTER THE JUMP:

NYFCC winners! Zero Dark Thirty takes the big prize!

I'm afraid a bombed my predictions. BOMBED. The Master took home nothing, but Zero Dark Thirty won at least. Full winners below.

(Also, The Master will win LAFCA. Just a prediction.)

Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln,
Best Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea (WOW! Big (pleasant) surprise!)
Best S. Actor: Matthew McCougney, Magic Mike and Bernie (NYFCC loves multiple roles in a single year)
Best S. Actress: Sally Field, Lincoln (They liked her, they really really liked her)
Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner, Lincoln
Best Cinematography: Zero Dark Thirty
Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie 
Best Foreign Film: Amour