We’ve spent the past year reviewing movies—now we’re weighing in on who we think deserves to win those little gold statues!
[best motion picture]
American Hustle:
This one gets my vote based on sheer entertainment value. The characters were kooky, and each actor was fabulous in the role. DW
12 Years A Slave:
The moral magnitude of the subject matter alone might not deserve the Oscar if the film were poorly made, but it was a masterpiece in every way. RK
Gravity:
Gravity was enthralling and tightly constructed, and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. TD
[best performance, lead actor]
Matthew Mc Conaughey for Dallas Buyers Club:
Hands-down. While painful to watch at times, McConaughey conveyed the determination, indignation and strength of a man who has found his mission in the face of death. DW
Chiwetel Ejofor for 12 Years A Slave:
Ejofor’s eyes reflected the horrors of slavery at every moment during his quietly commanding performance. RK
Christian Bale for American Hustle:
Bale touched my heart as a con man in love. TD
[best performance, lead actress]
Judi Dench for Philomena:
She steals your heart as she comes to terms with her long-ago life. She accepts the pain and reality of it with the grace of someone who embraces forgiveness and understands human frailty. DW
Sandra Bullock for Gravity:
The role demanded intense, imaginative physical acting, and Bullock more than convinced me she was an astronaut hurtling through space. RK
Meryl Streep for August: Osage County:
As she has with so many other roles, Streep disappeared into the character of Violet Weston, the acerbic, pill-popping Great Plains matriarch. SZ
Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine:
She was a pitch-perfect rendering of neurotic vulnerability. TD
[best supporting performance, actor]
Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club:
He was the most touching character on the screen this year, both vulnerable in his addictions and fearless in his determination to help his gay community. DW
Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave:
Cruel, capricious and more than a little crazy, Fassbender embodied the evil of slavery and the indifference of its perpetrators. RK
Bradley Cooper for American Hustle:
Can I start a write-in campaign for Jeremy Renner in American Hustle? He stole the show as a mayor trying to do right by his constituents. Since he was robbed of a nomination, I’ll vote for Bradley Cooper, who makes you smell the flop sweat of a man who’s desperately trying to prove himself. TD
[best supporting performance, actress]
Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle:
She showed an amazing grasp of life for a 23-year old, as the boozy and desperate wife who both is betrayed by and betrays her man while telling herself she’s done nothing wrong. DW
Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave:
The breakout performance of the year was surely Nyong’o’s tortured turn as an abused, yet joyful, enslaved girl. RK
Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle:
Thank gawd for Jennifer Lawrence and the science oven! TD
