2013 Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actress Nomination Predictions!

So there's two big contenders, and the rest is just filler to round out the five.

1. Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

It's her big debut, but a powerful one. As Patsy, the apple of Epps' eye, she is the epitome of slave dehumanization. It's a powerful performance, worthy of a win I guess. Actually, there is a below the line contender that should take the cake...

2. Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

It doesn't hurt to be Hollywood's it girl, but Jennifer Lawrence steals the show in what is the best performance of the film. Also she won the Golden Globe. She and Nyong'o are the two leading winner contenders, in the two leading film winner contenders.

3. June Squibb, Nebraska

Like Emma Thompson, this is a crotchety lady performance, but this one steals scenes likes no other. June Squibb's graveyard scene is the stuff Oscar dreams are made of.

4. Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler

Remember when she was a leading contender? What doesn't work with her role is that it's neither emotionally engaging nor characterized well... but the fact that she's Oprah really helps with her campaign. She isn't always making the ballots, i.e. Golden Globes.

5. Scarlett Johansson, Her

You know what? It's come down between Julia Roberts (August: Osage County) and Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), but I've picked Scarlett Johansson. It's the greatest voice performance of all time, and blows all supporting performances this year out of the water. She's been nominated for many critics groups, and I think we might be looking at a bit of a surprise come tomorrow. IDK, I just really loved Her.

Yea, if Johansson doesn't make it (and probably won't), don't count out Roberts and Hawkins.

Her- Movie Review by Sean Wu

Finally, I can shut the book on 2013. And there is no better way to cap out the year with Her, the best film of 2013. As a whole, this bizarrely beautiful Spike Jonze love story is so perfect because of three scenes:

First, after Joaquin Phoenix's mopey Theodore Twombly meets his OS, he brings her to work to help him proofread his letters he's ghostwriting. His system Samantha reads them out loud at first, and Theodore tells her she doesn't have to. She responds with an unenthusiastic and somewhat disappointed okay. An awkward silence falls occurs, and Theodore tells her that she can. She responds with an enthusiastic and jovial "Okay!"

The scene, on paper, sounds good. But on the screen, it's beautiful. Scarlett Johansson performs so brilliantly with just her voice alone, my heart honestly melted at the moment she said the second "Okay!". Maybe because the OS voice is so human and so familiar that I was able to relate to Samantha on a human level.

LAFCA predictions!

Tomorrow the LAFCA is announcing their winners. This is the third of the big four critics groups, the first two being NYFCC (New York) and NBR (National Board of Review, where Her upset with a best picture win). Who'll win? Let's predict!

When it comes down to Best Picture, LAFCA chooses films that happen to be highly critically acclaimed, many times leaning toward the foreign side. Last year, Amour broke Zero Dark Thirty's streak, and The Master settled with Best Director and Picture runner-up. For the critically acclaimed film, I'm going to predict 12 Years a Slave, because it is still the film to beat, and for foreign, I will predict Blue is the Warmest Color.

Best Director and Picture correlate usually, so I'll say Steve McQueen will win the director prize, and Abdellatif Kechiche on his tail. I predict McConaughey to win again for Dallas Buyers Club, and Chiwetel Ejiofer being his alternate. Best Actress will go to Adele Exarchopolous, because the LAFCA has an odd tendency to side with foreign performances when it comes to the Best Actress category, including wins for 2008's Seraphine and 2009's Mother. For an alternate, I'll say Sandra Bullock in Gravity.


Supporting Actor will go to Michael Fassbender for his tremendous work in 12 Years a Slave or maybe Jared Leto, and Supporting AcHer, and Lupita Nyong'o settling for second. To reward the best film of the year, Before Midnight will probably take the screenplay prize (it sure deserves it!). Foreign Film will definitely go to Blue is the Warmest Color. A complete, uncluttered list of predictions are below.
tress will go to Scarlett Johansson for

Best Film
12 Years a Slave (alt. Blue is the Warmest Color)
Best Director
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave (alt. Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue is the Warmest Color)
Best Actor
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club (alt. Chiwetel Ejiofer, 12 Years a Slave)
Best Actress
Adele Exarchopolous, Blue is the Warmest Color (alt. Sandra Bullock, Gravity)
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave (alt. Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Supporting Actress
Scarlett Johansson, Her (alt. Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave)
Best Screenplay
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight (alt. Spike Jonze, Her)
Best Foreign Film
Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue is the Warmest Color (alt. Paolo Sorrentio, The Great Beauty)
Best Cinematography
Bruno Del Bonnel, Inside Llewyn Davis (alt. Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity)
Best Documentary
The Act of Killing (alt. Stories We Tell)
Best Editing
Gravity (alt. The Wolf of Wall Street)
Best Music Score
Arcade Fire, Her (alt. Steven Price, Gravity)
Best Animated Film
Hayao Miyazaki, The Wind Rises (alt. Frozen)
New Generation
Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

2013 Rome Film Festival winners!

The 9th Rome Film Festival concluded, and this year marks a very unusual and possibly deserving recognition. The winner for Best Actress at this year's fest is the glamorous Scarlett Johansson, whose face is never seen in the film Her. Instead, she is the voice of a computer operating system. The road for Oscar with Johansson began at NYFF, and it looks like she can only go up from here.

In other news, Out of the Furnace won a prize, and so did Dallas Buyers Club. I predict in a couple years that the Rome Film Festival will be proclaimed as one of the big fests. Full list of winners below.

Golden Marc’Aurelio Award for Best Film: Tir by Alberto Fasulo
Best Director Award: Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Sebunsu kodo (Seventh Code)
Special Jury Prize: Quod Erat Demonstrandum by Andrei Gruzsniczk
Best Actor Award: Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Actress Award: Scarlett Johansson for Her
Award for Emerging Actor or Actress: the entire cast of Gass (Acrid)
Award for Best Technical Contribution: Koichi Takahashi for Sebunsu kodo(Seventh Code)
Award for Best Screenplay: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu for Ben o değilim (I Am Not Him)
Special Mention: Cui Jian for Lanse gutou (Blue Sky Bones)

Spike Jonze's latest: Her (2013)

I'm way too late for this, but it's better late than never: The spectacularly relevant trailer for Spike Jonze's latest: Her, with a Joaquin Phoenix, and a particularly attractive female supporting cast.

Trailer below:

Best Supporting Actress predictions.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
1. Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables
Like J. Law for Silver Linings Playbook, Anne Hathaway's star power is going to help her get the gold. Once nominated, and not hated for hosting the Oscars, and I have adamantly stated that Les Mis is not going home empty-handed... the stars are aligning for her win.

2. Amy Adams for The Master
Though praise for her performance is muted due to Hoffman and Phoenix, Weinstein will push Adams for the nomination. Star power, and being nominated four times before does not hurt. If Les Mis falls, expect Adams for the win.

3. Helen Hunt for The Sessions
This film is going to be difficult for the Academy. A main subject in the film is sex, which was a big no-no last year (Shame anyone?), so it seems Fox Searchlight is trying to market it as a comedy. Helen's role is quite clearly a lead, but it seems Fox doesn't even have faith in itself. Hopefully the Supporting Actress nom goes through.

4. Sally Field for Lincoln
Even if her role is not that meaty, the Academy will nominate her. They like her, they really really like her.

5. Scarlett Johansson for Hitchcock
It seems I am probably one of the most adamant supporters of Hitchcock, mainly because I think that it might be something special. Others are predicting Maggie Smith for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, but that film was from May, and Fox might be busy pushing Helen Hunt for The Sessions. ScarJo has the star power and the younger voters of the Academy will give their vote to her.

Check back tomorrow for Best Supporting Actor
predictions. While your at it, why don't you guys find out why the Academy really likes Sally Field.

'Hitchcock' stills

New stills from Hitchcock. ScarJo as Janet Leigh? The teenager and film fan inside me is conflicted. In a good way.