From New York to Indiana, what the critics think – chart built by Ali Deniz Şensöz
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No NBR?
No Guts. No Glory.
I’m in a dream world, but I would love for Maggie Smith to win another Oscar for “Quartet” or “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”.
Lincoln will win the best picture at the Oscars. It is a so called Academy movie. It has all the ingredients in place – DDL, Spielberg, Sally Field, Tony Kushner. But this time BD award will not go to Spielberg. They will give it to Bigelow which will be a fair decision based on the fact the directing is much better in ZDT.
My personal choice would be Benh Zeitlin or Michael Haneke getting the BD award this year. But sadly they will not most likely be nominated by the Academy.
@Zach You’re right. But that’s my wish.
Earlier:
Nov. 26, 2012
Mark Ruffalo on Naomi Watts in ‘The Impossible’
SAG Preview: Actors on Actors – Ruffalo on Watts
By Mark Ruffalo
Variety, The Vote
Naomi shows us once again how beautifully and honestly she can render tragedy into heroism. In the character of Maria, she shows us a woman who is both struggling with sacrificing a career for her three young sons and a longing for greater meaning.
There is a Christmas morning scene that feels devoid of family or the togetherness and becomes a free-for-all to open presents. The family is staying at a top resort surrounded by beauty and material wealth. All of these things experienced through the filter of Maria’s quiet emptiness and soul sickness. Naomi masterfully imparts Maria’s longing for something that not even she is able to articulate. Naomi does this in a look or a simple few words about her husband always being on his cell phone. She then turns her disappointment into a light-hearted laugh to cover her longing, to cast off any heaviness or discomfort. These things are subtle and nearly imperceptible to any other audience member, but to an actor they are admirable in their restraint, poise and intention.
What happens next is an epiphany through suffering. The scene with Naomi and her son (a fantastic Tom Holland) trying to survive in the torrents of the 2004 Thailand tsunami are heartbreaking, and we are swept up into the emotional honesty of a woman coming to terms with the loss of her children and family.
This is great and nearly impossible acting. Naomi takes us through this woman’s journey from modern malaise to the deepest and most meaningful parts of being human: our relationships to others in the world around us.
Naomi fills every moment onscreen with honesty and intention — one eye on the story and the other on credibility, and she is deeply in service to them both. She never backs away from what is difficult and she is never gratuitous or vain, which is incredibly refreshing and admirable. Naomi Watts is one of our acting treasures.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118062469/
@Zach You’re right. That’s my wish only.
Earlier:
Nov. 26, 2012
Mark Ruffalo on Naomi Watts in ‘The Impossible’
SAG Preview: Actors on Actors – Ruffalo on Watts
By Mark Ruffalo
Variety, The Vote
Naomi shows us once again how beautifully and honestly she can render tragedy into heroism. In the character of Maria, she shows us a woman who is both struggling with sacrificing a career for her three young sons and a longing for greater meaning.
There is a Christmas morning scene that feels devoid of family or the togetherness and becomes a free-for-all to open presents. The family is staying at a top resort surrounded by beauty and material wealth. All of these things experienced through the filter of Maria’s quiet emptiness and soul sickness. Naomi masterfully imparts Maria’s longing for something that not even she is able to articulate. Naomi does this in a look or a simple few words about her husband always being on his cell phone. She then turns her disappointment into a light-hearted laugh to cover her longing, to cast off any heaviness or discomfort. These things are subtle and nearly imperceptible to any other audience member, but to an actor they are admirable in their restraint, poise and intention.
What happens next is an epiphany through suffering. The scene with Naomi and her son (a fantastic Tom Holland) trying to survive in the torrents of the 2004 Thailand tsunami are heartbreaking, and we are swept up into the emotional honesty of a woman coming to terms with the loss of her children and family.
This is great and nearly impossible acting. Naomi takes us through this woman’s journey from modern malaise to the deepest and most meaningful parts of being human: our relationships to others in the world around us.
Naomi fills every moment onscreen with honesty and intention — one eye on the story and the other on credibility, and she is deeply in service to them both. She never backs away from what is difficult and she is never gratuitous or vain, which is incredibly refreshing and admirable. Naomi Watts is one of our acting treasures.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118062469/
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/mark-ruffalo-swept-away-by-naomi-watts-tsunami-survivor/story-fndo317g-1226525227393
What a wonderful year this is shaping up to be. I just hope the awards/winners get mixed up a bit and we don’t see the same winner over and over and over. By the time the Oscars roll around there are usually no surprises, and I’m starting to resent seeing the same person get up to claim yet another award.
Oh and to be a little picky ….if those are the KCFCC picks, which I believe they are….that should be Missouri, not Kansas.
You know what this chart tells us? It tells us that so far this year, there is no true consensus for Best Picture, or frankly, any category. I love to be surprised, and it makes for a much funner Awards Show. Once the nominations are announced however, I think categories will sharpen themselves and guessing becomes less needed.
I still think that Best Picture will come down to three movies:
1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. Lincoln
3. Argo
The one movie I think still has an outside chance of coming up and stealing the statue, and I would be very pleased by it is Django Unchained. For so long Quentin Tarantino has made great movies, and still, much like Martin Scorsese (until 2006/07 with The Departed), Quentin hasn’t come close. There was NO WAY that the Oscars were really going to vote for Pulp Fiction, even though I think it was the most deserving that year.
What a mess! WOOHOO!!! 😀
You posted the Satellites…why not the NBR, Leo is in this race!!
Since when did the Academy do their own research and NOT listen to buzzmakers?
Good that the Academy are doing their own research instead of listening to the buzz-makers.
The Oscar should go to Marion Cotillard or Naomi Watts, that is clear and critics must give them more attention
PLease don’t nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, say NO to child labor and child exploitation!
I think the same Zach, Marion Cotillard and Naomi Watts deserves the Academy Award nominations and the getting the award, I hope the Oscar goes to Marion or Naomi, because they did the best female performances of this year!!!
How many times do I have to say it, GIVE NAOMI WATTS THE FUCKING OSCAR! Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook is good, but she makes Diane Keaton in Annie Hall and Helen Hunt in As Good as It Gets look like Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice! And does Chastain have enough to work with in Zero Dark Thirty? Enough of women being vaunted to the top for all the wrong reasons – they are Miss Congeniality, they are the Best Dressed, they star in The Hunger Games, they “star” in the Best Picture, they appeared in 6 movies last year, their movie has the right politics. Why can’t it be about the performance? All season long we’ve been saying Best Actress sucks and yet Watts and Cotillard are doing challenging work, but they’re being pushed aside for a 6-year-old cutie and an 85-year-old cypher who have no chance of winning, let alone both being nominated. Enough.
Rant over!
Reese Witherspoon’s fan letter to Naomi Watts for ‘The Impossible’
Hi Naomi,
I know we don’t know each other well. I hope it’s ok that I am reaching out to you, because I simply could not contain my enthusiasm about your performance in The Impossible.
Wow. Just wow. I was blown away by the film. The story of survival and the incredible images of the tsunami and the performances of the entire cast were astounding. By far, one of the best films I have ever seen in my life.
I could not speak for 24 hours after seeing the film. It was more than a movie. It was a mediation on life and family and humanity. It was fortifying.
But the life-breath of the film is you.
Your brutal physical performance, the ferocity of your mothering spirit and the soul touching moments where you hold on to life with every part of your being were incredible.
Not since I saw Meryl Streep’s performance in Sophie’s Choice have I been so moved by an actress’s performance. It also reminded me of Sally Field’s Norma Rae as well. Such strength and absolute vulnerability in the same performance. A mother who is determined to teach her child what it means to be a good person even when facing her own mortality. You showed every side of Maria’s story.
If I have anything to do with it (and I will literally tap dance on Sunset Boulevard for you!), you will be holding every beautiful statue that exists by the end of February.
But more importantly, you have created a performance that will stand the test of time.
Congratulations. And thank you sharing your heart and soul so openly.
With respect,
Reese
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/12/18/consider-this-reese-witherspoons-fan-letter-to-naomi-watts-for-the-impossible/
Wow, a lot of these categories are wide open. Supporting actor in particular is all over the place. This could be a fun and unpredictable awards season.
*tips hat to Paddy*
I’ve been watching charts like these for years and I can’t remember another one being so colorful. With the exception of two categories, we might just have a race here.
Hear hear superkk. The Toronto picks were very good indeed, and it’s a more significant critics group than most of the other ones posted here today.
steve50 first linked us to it on the Original Screenplay Oscarwatch post earlier, but here’s my link anyway:
http://screenonscreen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/best-film-master-best-director-paul.html
The surprise is that Tommy Lee Jones hasn’t won more. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a chameleon, but this role? He’s won more for The Master than Joaquin Phoenix has, which in and of itself doesn’t say much since Best Actor is so crowded, but speaks to the popularity of PSH.
HOLY CRAP! can we post toronto? this whole week ive been thinking about how great it would be for gina gershon to get *some* sort of recognition. im literally in awe and im hoping that win was for her performance in killer joe. such an underrated performance…loved her in that movie<3
Anne Hathaway FTW!
i think “Ties” should be a box w/ a diagonal line splitting the two colors for the two actors/films.
and/or blanks should be its own color (like black).
Missing a few – I don’t have my list to hand but, off the top of my head, I know it’s missing African-American, NBR and today’s Austin and Florida
nice chart. Jessica Chastain seems so strong and also Riva. very competitive year.
James Franco declares his love for ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ : http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/12/17/consider-this-james-franco-on-the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/
When was the last time there was no consensus? It’s crazy this year and I’m loving it!!