Next Years Oscar Nominees

So with Eddie Murphy announced as host and Brett Ratner is the producer of the event what of the films that will be competing for the big prize come next year? Although it is only September I've decided to give my initial thoughts on what the Best Picture Nominees will be although I may revise it come December. I'm going on the presumption that there will be ten nominees however there are rumblings that there will be between five and ten which will just confuse the bejsus out of everyone. Without further ado here we go...

The Artist

Michel Hazanvicus' almost silent movie has been gaining awards buzz ever since lead actor Jean Dujardin won the Best Actor award in Cannes. It is certainly different and will appeal to the older members of the Academy who like a film that hark back to the silent movie days in Hollywood. I can see the main reason preventing the film's rise will be its lack of star power and its lack of a relevant theme. However the plus points count out the negative ones and I reckon this will definitely get a spot in the final nomination list.


The Descendants 

Alexander Payne has recently specialised in comedy drama films about sad looking men going on life defining journeys and both About Schmidt and Sidways have been nominated and won Oscars. Couple this with the fact that Academy favourite George Clooney is once again a favourite to feature in the Best Actor category. The only problem I have with the film featuring here is that there are several indie life affirming films coming out around the same time and this spot could easily be taken by We Bought a Zoo or Young Adult however the odds seem to be in the favour of Payne's film, at least for now.


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 

Stephen Daldry, Tom Hanks, 9/11 and an acclaimed source material should definitely add up to Oscar gold. Daldry's last two features - The Hours and The Reader have both been nominated for Best Picture and Hanks has had five Oscar nominations and two wins. Then there's the story of a young boy searching for the lock that fits the key that his father, who died in 9/11, left to him. In fact this may be a little too saccahrine for the Academy's taste but it definitely seems to me that this one appeals to the patriotic academy voters.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 

Blockbusters don't tend to fare well at the Oscars especially if they're part of a franchise. However occasionally an Inception or a Lord of the Rings slips through the net and goes on to get a nomination. It is no secret that the Warner Bros. team are mounting a campaign to get the final film in the Potter series to be recognised at the Oscars presumably as a way of honouring the Potter films as one. The obvious disadvantages are that this isn't a 'serious' film and more than that it is seen as a film aimed predominantdly at children. For me it just depends how strong the campaign is and more importantly how many films will be in the running for Best Picture this year.

The Ides of March 

George Clooney's fourth film as director is picking up as much buzz as his second, Good Night and Good Luck, a film for which he recieved a Best Director and Best Picture nomination. With a cast featuring the red-hot Ryan Gosling and dependable supporting men Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti this looks set to be one of the major favourites for the Best Picture category. Clooney is an expert at politicking and if one of his films gets in this year I think it will be The Ides of The Descendants however the main problem here could be the split of votes between this and another predominantly male drama on the list. 

The Iron Lady 

Harvey Weinstein strikes again. The man behind some of the bigges Oscar campaigns of the last fifteen years has bought the US distrbution rights to this Margaret Thatcher biopic. This sees the second teaming up star Meryl Streep and director Phyllida Law after their frivolity in Mamma Mia this is much more of a serious subject. What worries me here is that the yanks love a monarch but do they love a prime minister and one that wasn't particularly likeable. I'm sure Weinstein will weave his magic once more and Meryl will definitely be in that Best Actress pool but then there's no surprise there. 

J. Edgar 

Of the two biopics jostling for Oscar contention, Eastwood's film about former law enforcement chief J. Edgar Hoover may just have the edge over Meryl and Thatcher. The main reason for this is the film is said to have a stunning lead performance by Leonardo DiCaprio which could finally bag him the Best Actor Oscar. Although it is true that one biopic may cancel out the other and neither will feature in this year's list it is much more likely that Clint might pick up a third Oscar for a film that he has directed.

Midnight in Paris 

Like with Harry Potter, the people behind Woody Allen's latest film are really pushing for this to be his first film nominated for Best Picture since Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986. To its credit Midnight in Paris is a perfectly made and is full of while questioning the love of nostalgia. While other Allen films have netted awards and nominations for its stars such as Dianne West, Mira Sorvino and Penelope Cruz, Midnight in Paris is much more of an ensemble piece. However at the same time will the Academy see Allen as past it now? I'm not sure how big the push will be for the award but with no real life issues to tackle or major names attached to it I fear that Midnight in Paris may just miss out on a nod.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 

Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of the classic cold war thriller has gained critical accolades and also might be the dark horse entry this year with the academy favouring old school stories like this. Gary Oldman's performance has been earmarked for an Oscar nod also and the fine supporting cast and Alfredson's superb direction also may be up for a few statuettes. However the film's main obstacle might be the split in votes between it and The Ides of March which both feature a majorly male cast talking a lot in rooms.

War Horse

War? What is it good for? Well for Steven Spielberg it usually means a Best Director Oscar having previously picked up them for Schindler's List and Saving Privae Ryan. It might also be good for seeing one of his films get in the nominated shortlisted for the first time since Munich in 2005. War Horse combines a popular story, with a  World War I Setting, a cute kid and an even cuter animal and some fine supporting players. Like with Harry Potter this could fine academy snobbery laundered upon it but I feel that Spielberg's film might just clinch it at the ceremony.

However I could be wrong and may well post an updated list at the beginning of next year along with some of the possible acting contenders.


I'm taking a bit of a break from the film blog at the moment but will be back at the end of the year with my Top 25 of 2011.