Best Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Amour is a bit of a surprise since it did get a nod for Foreign Language Film. The Dark Knight Rises could have taken its place with Moonrise Kingdom slipping into the #10 spot.
Best Actor:
Bradley Cooper Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis Lincoln
Hugh Jackman Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix The Master
Denzel Washington Flight
Four of the five SAG nominees are present with Joaquin Phoenix replacing John Hawkes. While Phoenix was spot-on as a crude, despicable psychopath in The Master, is it a performance I'd want to see twice in my lifetime? No. Jack Black should have taken his spot for Bernie. Of these five, I'd say Day-Lewis is the favorite.
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts The Impossible
Three of the five SAG nominees are present with Riva and Wallis getting nods over Helen Mirren and Marion Cotillard. I wasn't a fan of Beasts of the Southern Wild and thought both Chastain's and Lawrence's performances were a bit overrated. The favorite here is anyone's guess.
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin Argo
Robert De Niro Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman The Master
Tommy Lee Jones Lincoln
Christoph Waltz Django Unchained
De Niro and Jones both gave nice performances but Arkin was, well Arkin, and Hoffman's character in The Master really wasn't that memorable. Javier Bardem should have taken one of their spots instead for Skyfall. Waltz shined in Django and should be the favorite here, but it will probably come down to Arkin and Jones.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams The Master
Sally Field Lincoln
Anne Hathaway Les Misérables
Helen Hunt The Sessions
Jacki Weaver Silver Linings Playbook
Liked Weaver in Playbook, thought Adams was bland in The Master and felt Field was a bit over the top at times in Lincoln. While Hathaway could mount a challenge, Field is the favorite here.
Directing
Michael Haneke Amour
Benh Zeitlin Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg Lincoln
David O. Russell Silver Linings Playbook
The most surprising category as only two of the DGA noms are present here - Lee and Spielberg. No Affleck, Bigelow or Hooper. I'd say Spielberg is the fav here but both Russell and Lee did great work and Amour seems to be gaining traction.
The Oscars air Sunday, February 24th on ABC. Check back Feb. 22 for my picks.
