Every woman, man and child in Hollywood is currently counting down to February 24, otherwise known as Oscar’s night.
Host Seth McFarlane is practicing jokes, the nominees are anxiously composing their acceptance speeches and the rest of us just want to know one thing — who will win?
Read on for our red-hot tips for the 85th Annual Academy Awards.
Best Picture:
Amour, Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi,
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty.
Our pick: Lincoln
This is always the hardest category to tip and 2013 is no exception with nine films vying for the coveted award. Argo, produced by Hollywood heavyweights Ben Affleck and George Clooney, is the current favourite after winning a Golden Globe and a SAG award. Les Miserables and Amour both took home Golden Globes as well.
So why are we tipping Lincoln? The film is about beloved American president Abraham Lincoln and his struggles to pass the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery in the United States. With a paltry 23 Oscar nominations between producers Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy we just have a feeling about this one.
Best director:
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook.
Our pick: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
This is Spielberg’s 15th Oscar nomination so it is no wonder he is currently the favourite to take out the Best Director award this year. Why does he get our vote? We’ve never heard of the other nominees. Simple.
Best actor:
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight.
Our pick: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln
Daniel Day-Lewis has already taken out the Golden Globe and SAG awards for male leading actor and bookmakers are only offering three cents to the dollar for bets on his Oscar win. While we would love for our Hugh to add an Oscar win to his Golden Globe for Les Miserables, Daniel Day-Lewis will be tough to beat come Oscars night.
Best actress :
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible.
Our pick: Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty
Though Jennifer Lawrence is currently the market favourite after taking home a Golden Globe and a SAG award, Jessica Chastain isn’t trailing too far behind her in the odds. Chastain also took home a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a CIA agent on the hunt for terrorist Osama Bin Laden and we smell Oscar gold.
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.
Our pick: Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln
Tommy Lee Jones took home the SAG award. Christoph Waltz took home the Golden Globe. They’re neck-and-neck but we’re tipping this Oscar year belongs to Lincoln.
Best supporting actress:
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook.
Our pick: Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables.
Anne Hathaway has already taken home a Golden Globe and a SAG award for her mesmerising performance in Les Miserables, making her the red-hot favourite. Bookmakers are offering just two cents in the dollar for her Oscar chances, making her all but unbeatable come Oscars night.
