Royce's Oscar Picks

Another year of Oscars.  I'll say again I don't usually care for Awards shows in general.  I rarely agree with who the snobs pick as winners.  Although last year I did like many of the winners.  I don't usually watch the show either.  Do we really need to see every little award (best sound mixing?) and long songs?  Make it a two hour extravaganza that everyone would love?  I generally wait for my friend Ted Cashin to watch it then read his recap the next day.  There is my old man rant for the day.

This year I saw six of the nine films nominated for Best Picture.  Only a couple I feel are truly deserving of the honor.  Here is my run down of the major nominees along with who I would pick to win and who it think will win.

Best Picture

12 Years a Slave-  I did not see this movie.  Honestly I have seen enough of this genre.  I know that time in our countries history was a bad time. Slavery was horrible and there were many very bad white people.  For me I have seen enough movies telling me this.  Just as the Holocaust was horrible I have seen enough movies showing me this.  I'm sure this is a touching movie and have seen the lead actor that no one can pronounce his name (Chiwetel Ejofor) in other films and liked him alot.   It's just not for me.

American Hustle- I have several friends the LOVED this movie.  Again, this was just not for me.  Seemed more of a parody of the 70s than actual real times.  For me the acting was very over the top and I didn't care for the story or the flow.  I can see how some would like this movie.  It wasn't for me.

Captain Phillips-  I liked this movie alot.  Tom Hanks is a great actor and this may be his best part so far.  Well made movie.  This is definitely one of the top five movies of the year and deserves the nomination.

Dallas Buyers Club- I did not see this movie.  Looking at the $20 million box office not many other people saw it either.  I know it's a big deal for Matthew McConaughey to lose 187 pounds for a part.  Wish I could go on his diet.  This was not a movie I had any interest in seeing.

Gravity- Visually one of the best movies to come down the pike in a while.  Acting was very good.  I liked this movie.

Her-  A very strange and sometimes disgusting movie.  I guess one could appreciate them pushing the envelope, but this is too strange.

Nebraska- I have never cared for black and white movies.  I don't get why director Alexander Payne deeded to shoot this boring low budget movie in black and white.  I rented this movie and gave it a good try.  Made it forty five minutes before boredom insisted I turn it off.

Philomena-  I see many, many movies every year and this is one I had not even heard of until the nominations came out.

The Wolf on Wall Street-  A terrible movie that the only claim to fame is setting the movie record for most F-bombs in averaging nearly four per minute.  This bloated three hour bomb has no business getting any nominations.  Did I hide my feelings on this?

Who I think should win-  Gravity or Captain Phillips

Who I think will win- 12 Years a slave seems to be on a roll.

Best Actor-

Christian Bale- I think Bale is a very good actor.  I just don't think he was that great in this movie.  I thought he was better in the movie Out of the Furnace. Here I mostly felt I was watching Batman in a fat suit (although he did gain the weight) and a bad comb over.

Bruce Dern- I also think Dern is a very good actor and probably deserved an award or two along the way.  Not for Nebraska.  He plays a cranky old man that has a mean wife and a good son.

Chiwetel Ejofor-  No idea how to pronounce his name but he is a very good actor.  I have liked him in everything I have seen him in.  I'm sure he is great here.

Matthew McConaughey- A good actor.  I'm sure he does a fine job as a guy with AIDS that tries to help other victims get drugs to help them live longer.

Leonardo DiCaprio- While I hated this movie I will admit DiCaprio did a good job playing a despicable stock broker with no redeeming values that never really pays for his crimes.

Who I think should win- Chiwetel Ejofor movie unseen.

Who I think will win- Matthew McConaughey.  The voters seem to be impressed with his weight loss even though almost no one saw this movie.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett-  I get it.  The academy loooooooooves Ms. Blanchett.   She is a decent actress that has made a career out of boring movies that no one sees.  I rented Blue Jasmine and was bored to tears.

Sandra Bullock- She does a fantastic job in Gravity.  I think she is head and shoulders above the class here.

Amy Adams-  I thought the best thing Amy did here is show cleavage.  She has been far better in other movies.

Judi Dench-  Another big Academy favorite.  Usually when I see one of her movies I know it's not one I'd be interested in.  She may be great here.  I'll never know.

Meryl Streep- She is a great actress.  Of that there is no doubt.  I heard August : Osage County was the downer movie of the year.  No one saw it.

Who I think should win-  Sandra Bullock in a walk

Who I think will win- Cate Blanchett.  She seems to be one they love.

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi-  He was very good as the terrorist trying to hijack a big ship.  Not sure how big a stretch it is for him.

Bradley Cooper- His perm was impressive I'll give you that.  Nothing else was award winning to me.

Michael Fassbender-  He is a good actor.  I like him.  I'm sure he was good in 12 Years a Slave.

Jonah Hill- The biggest farce in the awards.  He and his big fake teeth were like scratching on a chalkboard for me.

Jared Leto- I guess he dresses like a woman for the movie and the Academy was impressed.

Who I think should win- I would guess Michael Fassbender.

Who I think will win- As I said the Academy was impressed with the dress.  Leto

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins- I watched most of Blue Jasmine and I don't remember her at all.

Jennifer Lawrence-  The Academy seems to like Ms. Lawrence in a crazy way.  I don't.

Lupita Nyong'o- She is the talk of the town right now.

Julia Roberts- Julia is always good.  I'm sure she was here.

June Squbb- She plays the nagging wife on Nebraska.  I stand a better chance of winning this than she does.

Who I think should win- I would probably go with Julia Roberts

Who will probably win- Lupita Nyong'o seems to be on a roll.