The Oscars Seth McFarlane Entertained, but the Show Dragged

Everyone was nervous about Seth, and while his opening number started a bit slow, and got off to a bumpy start I think he did a great job as the emcee.  I am going to steal a line from my friend Karl who said "it was the perfect perfect blend of class and crass." The opening bit with Shatner was great, MacFarlane knows how to to bring that hilariously awkward pop culture reference into the mix.  Watching Channing Tatum, and Charlize Theron was magnetic, then see Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Daniel Radcliffe soft shoe was fun as well.

Throughout the show Seth throughout some jokes with edge relating to Lincoln's death (too soon), a Chris Brown/Rihanna joke, and one of the best jokes introducing Christopher Plummer with a Sound of Music joke.  Although Christopher Plummer gets this award shows Grumpy Old Man Award! In contrast opening the show and getting Tommy Lee Jones to laugh was hilarious, maybe expected, but brilliant.

Music was the central focus of the show, and paying tribute to the role music plays in film, and while it was fun to see Catherine Zeta Jones lip sync, Jennifer Hudson steal the night, the Lis Miserables cast sing better than they did in the film (except Russell Crowe), Shirley Bassey's tribute to Bond with Goldfinger, Adele, and Norah Jones singing their perspective Best Song nominees, and Babs paying tribute to the great Marvin Hamlisch. Whew, I got tired just typing that.

I think it was a bit tacky not having all the Best Song nominees performed on the show, have them all performed or none of them, and my money is on none of them.  I love Babs, and Marvin Hamlisch but this post in memoriam was not needed.  While I love movie music this lacked focus.  Oh how can I forget the awkward closing number, just say good night, some of us on the east coast have work in the morning.

Along with songs with no pay, the tribute to the Bond was wasted, and fell flat.  It was cool to see the clips of the different films, but what was the point?  The marketing on this was off the charts, but they did not reunite the Bonds after Shirley Bassey's number.  Having Adele perform later and not be connected to this made no sense.  Damn you Pierce Brosnan for backing out of this!

With the winners/presenters/speeches let's look at this from a Good, Bad, Ugly Perspective

The Good 

Ang Lee winning director (although I would have preferred Zeitlin), but his win was better than one for Spielberg.  Lee's film was a technical marvel and his direction was great.

The speech from Innocente was the best of evening, celebrating art.

Lincoln winning more than just one award for Daniel Day Lewis (Production Design as well)

Silver Linings Playbook only winning one award, and Harvey could not buy them anymore, including a win for DeNiro.

Speeches from Daniel Day Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence were good!  DDL had me tearing up because he seemed really appreciative, then had me in stitches when he talked about his and Meryl's freaky Friday with Margaret Thatcher in Lincoln.  Even though J-Law tripped you could tell just appreciative she was and, it was sweet to wish Emanuelle Riva a Happy Birthday!

Ted and Mark Wahlberg were the only entertaining duo who presented, glad he only did his Ted schtick, loved this!

The Bad 

The Django wins, sorry Waltz is a lead, and that is Quentin's worst screenplay (even worse than Jackie Brown)

Anne Hathaway's speech (and outfit) while her win isn't the worst (although Field or Hunt deserved it more) she had all this time to practice, and prep, but she just never nailed it, and I still am not a huge fan.

Most of the presenters who tried to do something were mediocre, I guess at Oscar if you can't hack it just present

The Ugly 

Zero Dark Thirty winning only one award in the sound category when it was the best film of the year

Les Miserables winning 3 Oscars!

Beasts of the Southern Wild going home empty handed, criminal

In a year with so much upset potential these awards were incredibly predictable, and boring, I got 23 out of 26 right (only missing Production Design, the Sound tie, and Documentary Short)

Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy were beyond lame, they will not be hosting anytime soon.

The Cool 

Having Michelle Obama present Best Picture with Jack Nicholson, may be one of the oddest/coolest things I have ever seen.

Ben's sheer genuine appreciation while accepting Best Picture, Grant Heslov is in the not cool category, we realize Argo was directed by Affleck, the Academy knows!!

I did not place Argo's win into any categories, because I like and respect the film, but I am not sure it fits within any of these categories.  

Academy Award Week 2013: The Conclusion, My Predictions

Best Picture 

Argo 

Amour

Beasts of the Southern Wild 

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

Life of Pi 

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

In past years Lincoln would have been the obvious choice, incredible pedigree, and film that feels important (director, screenwriter, composer etc).  Yet this year history is going to be made an a film without a director nomination is going to win for the fourth time in Academy history, and for the first time since 1989.  I think Argo winning is one of the biggest sure things of the night.  If a film was going to spoil, the only one with momentum is Silver Linings Playbook.

Will Win: Argo 

Should Win: Zero Dark Thirty

Spoiler (If any): Silver Linings Playbook

Best Lead Actor 

Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln

Bradley Cooper-Silver Linings Playbook

Hugh Jackman-Les Miserables

Joaquin Phoenix-The Master

Denzel Washington-Flight

I honestly do not have much to say about this category, DDL is the biggest lock for the win of the evening.

Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln

Should: Daniel Day-Lewis or Joaquin Phoenix

Best Lead Actress

Jessica Chastain-Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook

Emanuelle Riva-Amour

Quvenzhane Wallis-Beasts of the Southern Wild 

Naomi Watts-The Impossible 

Could be the hardest or one of the easiest categories to predict of the evening.  If you look at the precursor awards they are pretty evenly spread with one actress having the slight edge.  Jennifer Lawrence has the edge with SAG, and the Golden Globe.  SAG is the trump card.  Jessica Chastain won at BFCA, and the Golden Globes, and Emanuelle Riva won at BAFTA.  May the Odds be ever in Jennifer Lawrence favor!  Jennifer Lawrence seems like the safe bet, mainly because she has It girl status, great performance, and Harvey behind her.  Riva is the bigger spoiler, age and admiration for the film could help her.  I also think people are underestimating Chastain, and she has a real shot.  So who will win?  I am going to go with the predictable.

Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook

Should Win and Spoiler: Emanuelle Riva-Amour

Spoiler: Jessica Chastain-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Supporting Actor 

Alan Arkin

Robert DeNiro-Silver Linings Playbook

Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln 

Phillip Seymour Hoffman-The Master 

Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained

Please Click Here to see analysis: http://eternalthoughtsofkevinsmind.blogspot.com/2013/02/academy-award-week-2013-best-supporting.html

Will Win: Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained

Should Win: Tommy Lee Jones 

Spoiler: Robert DeNiro-Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams-The Master

Sally Field-Lincoln

Anne Hathaway-Les Miserable

Helen Hunt-The Sessions

Jacki Weaver-Silver Linings Playbook

This win and the win from Daniel Day-Lewis are the biggest sure things of the night!

Will Win: Anne Hathaway-Les Miserables

Best Director

Michael Haneke-Amour

Ang Lee-Life of Pi

David O. Russell-Silver Linings Playbook

Steven Spielberg-Lincoln

Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Please Click Here to See my Analysis http://eternalthoughtsofkevinsmind.blogspot.com/2013/02/academy-award-week-best-director-no.html

Will Win: Ang Lee-Life of Pi

Should Win: Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Souther Wild

Spoiler: David O. Russell

Best Adapted Screenplay

Argo

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Long ago it was thought Lincoln had a strong hold on this category, but turn out Lincoln may be running third here.  This is a race between Argo and Silver Linings Playbook.  I think Argo has this because it wont at the WGA, a major victory.  Silver Linings Playbook won this award at BAFTA though to so watch out!

Will Win: Argo 

Should Win: Lincoln

Spoiler: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Original Screenplay 

Amour

Django Unchained

Flight

Moonrise Kingdom

Zero Dark Thirty

Please Click Here to see my Analysis: http://eternalthoughtsofkevinsmind.blogspot.com/2013/02/academy-award-week-2013-best-original.html

Will Win: Django Unchained

Should Win: Moonrise Kingdom

Spoiler: Amour 

The Rest....

Best Foreign Language Film: Amour

Best Animated Feature: Brave

Best Documentary: Searching for Sugar Man

Best Production Design: Anna Karenina 

Best Cinematography: Life of Pi 

Best Costume Design: Anna Karenina 

Best Film Editing: Argo

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling-Les Miserables

Best Original Score: Life of Pi

Original Song: Skyfall

Best Sound Editing: Life of Pi

Best Sound Mixing: Les Miserables

Best Visual Effects: Life of Pi

Best Animated Short: Paperman

Best Documentary Short:  Open Heart

Best Live Action Short: Curfew 

Academy Award Week (2013): Best Supporting Actor....Are you Sure you are in the Right Place?

Throughout the years of Academy Awards performances are placed in acting categories by studios, the options are clearly lead vs. supporting.  Over the years people have bemoaned category fraud, and this year there are two specific cases of that extreme category fraud, Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in The Master.

Before I look at this year I am going to talk about this category, and category fraud over the years:

2010-Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech has an equal amount of screen time as lead contender and winner Colin Firth.

2008-Robert Downey Jr. was in most of the scenes in Tropic Thunder, but you could argue the "ensemble rule."  Phillip Seymour Hoffman was a central part in Doubt, and was by no means a supporting player.

2007-Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was in more of the film than Brad Pitt how he was considered a lead is one of the biggest pieces of category fraud.

2005-Jake Gyllenhaal was a co-lead in Brokeback Mountain, the film was about both Ennis and Jack.

These are just a handful of the different elements of category fraud in the last few years, and while there are still several men who should be considered supporting, the true "supporting" players never seem to win.  One could argue that many of the past few winners Christian Bale in The Fighter, and Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men could be considered lead performances.

So why does this happen?  Studios want to pack on the number of nominations, would these men have beat out any of the leads to get a nomination? Probably not meaning films would potentially have less or no nominations meaning some films would have less consideration to be viewed.by less people, think The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. People often also have this notion that you need more acting nominations to be successful.  Think Brokeback Mountain, but for some reason the critics out there have not had the balls to correct this category placement.

Who are the men guilty of this category fraud crime, why the Weinstein Company's Christoph Waltz from Django Unchained, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (once again) from The Master.  Both of these performances while not the center of their films are part of the central journey.

Django was obviously a story about Django (Jaime Foxx) and his bounty hunter companion Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz), the two were in the majority of the film. At the earliest part of award season Waltz was placed in the Supporting Actor category.  On November 8th the website goldderby.com reported Waltz would be campaigned in the lead category instead.  After the lead race became crowded the Weinstein Company switched Waltz back to supporting. 

Hoffman was guilty of category fraud for another Weinstein film four years ago, and he is back.  This is a simple case of them wanting to get as many nominations for this smaller film as possible.  Like with Doubt all three central characters are nominated, and ironically both have Amy Adams, and Hoffman.  This is not a case for just the Weinstein's, Warner Brothers, Focus Features, FOX are also guilty of this fraud.  Let's focus on this year's nominees and who may win the top prize.

And the nominees are...

Alan Arkin-Argo

Robert DeNiro-Silver Linings Playbook

Phillip Seymour Hoffman-The Master

Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln

Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained

This may be one of the tougher races to predict.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman took the early lead winning at the BFCA; he also won many critics groups awards.  Waltz gained momentum with a win at the Golden Globes, and BAFTA.  In the middle of Waltz's wins Tommy Lee Jones won SAG.  I think the power of Harvey Weinstein will guide the winner here, and my prediction all along has been Waltz the lead performance that steals the show.  Many are citing that DeNiro has the heart behind his performance and he has not won in years so he has more on his side, but he has not won a single award prior to this.  Maybe a James Coburn type deal?  Jones sour puss could also take the stage if they decide to throw more at Lincoln, but I think Lincoln seems a bit forgotten.  My gut is to go with the lead in supporting actor clothing.

Will Win: Christoph Waltz

Spoilers: Robert DeNiro, and Tommy Lee Jones

Oscar Roundup 2012: The Writer's Guild go for Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, and Searching for Sugar Man

While out to brunch yesterday I was talking with two friend who had went to the all day event showing half of the Best Picture nominees, put on by the movie theatre chain AMC.  They are not Academy voters, but I have this suspicion as avid film watchers their perspective is one similar to many people who are voting.  They were enamored Argo, and that was their favorite film.  In their words Argo was so good!  Not to the diminish their thoughts, but I think the complexity of Argo is minimal, and Oscar voters mostly older are going to pick a safer film for them.

Before I go further the next couple of thoughts are not a rant against Argo.  Argo is one of the best films of the year, the best no, but what has happened this season is what typically happens with the Best Picture race.  While Argo is not exactly a "safe" film to win, it is in fact a film glorifies Hollywood, for"saving the day."  Argo is a well made film, but how is it beating Lincoln in every area? In most years Lincoln would have steam rolled through this awards season, it's an important historical bio-pic, with an Academy Awards pedigree behind the film., Lincoln is even the highest grossing film.  All of these elements contribute in most years add up to Best Picture winner.

Now I have Argo ranked higher than Lincoln in my top ten list, Argo is ranked 5th, and Lincoln 9th.  Why is Argo on this journey to Oscar gold?  Was it really them snubbing Ben Affleck?  This can't be the only factor especially since Bigelow was an even bigger snub (in mu opinion) for Zero Dark Thirty.  Yet the snub has put Argo on a much different path than Zero Dark Thirty.  Zero Dark Thirty may have lost out more because of the torture controversy, but in the film cannon Zero Dark Thirty will always be seen as the strongest film of the year, Lincoln the shockingly ignored, and Argo will be seen as over rewarded.  Sorry Ben Affleck.

I am bringing things back to the intent of the post, right now I promise.  Argo won Best Adapted Screenplay over Lincoln.  I am still a bit shocked by this, and while I like the Argo script more, Lincoln's was the front runner in this category even through the Argo stampede at SAG.  I predicted Lincoln still, but I guess I was wrong, and I have to think all of these guilds really got together and sat down and all marked Argo.  Films rarely win almost every guild.  I am still a bit baffled at how this happened, but it has, and maybe some things are best left unexplained.

Zero Dark Thirty won for Best Original Screenplay, but was not up against it fiercest competition Amour and Django Unchained.  Which means predicting Best Original Screenplay like many categories is a massive crap shoot.  This category may actually end up being the award bone they throw at Zero Dark Thirty.

Throughout the years the Oscars always like to give most of the Best Picture nominees at least one win.  Last year 4 of the 9 went home empty handed, but one of those four only had two nominations, and one had three nominations, leaving the final two films with 6 nominations each.  Does this help Zero Dark Thirty, no namely because the film only scored five nominations much like Amour and Django's totals.

In the end the WGA Awards only tell us a few things, Argo has officially won Best Picture, Original Screenplay like other categories is a massive surprise, and Searching for Sugar Man will win Documentary feature.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Argo"
Screenplay by Chris Terrio
Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Zero Dark Thirty"
Written by Mark Boal

BEST DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
"Searching for Sugar Man"
Written by Malik Bendjelloul

Oscar Round 2012:ACE Eddies (Editors Guild Award) go to Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Brave, Breaking Bad, The Newsroom, and Nurse Jack

In the final build up leading up to the Oscar ceremony there are a few Guilds left to help try and shed some light on who will win at the Oscars.  The American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddies award is give out awards to the best in, you guessed it, editing in film in television.  The guild breaks down the film category into four categories drama, comedy/musical, animated feature, and documentary feature.

Last night's nominees were:

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic):

• Argo, William Goldenberg, A.C.E.
• Life of Pi, Tim Squyres, A.C.E.
• Lincoln, Michael Kahn, A.C.E.
• Skyfall, Stuart Baird, A.C.E.
• Zero Dark Thirty, Dylan Tichenor, A.C.E. and William Goldenberg, A.C.E.

(Comedy Musical, Documentary and Animated cats after the cut)

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Chris Gill
• Les Misérables, Melanie Ann Oliver & Chris Dickens, A.C.E.
• Moonrise Kingdom, Andrew Weisblum, A.C.E.
• Silver Linings Playbook, Jay Cassidy, A.C.E. & Crispin Struthers
• Ted, Jeff Freeman, A.C.E.

Best Edited Animated Feature Film

• Brave, Nicolas C. Smith, A.C.E.
• Frankenweenie, 
Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E. & Mark Solomon
• Rise of the Guardians, 
Joyce Arrastia
• Wreck-It Ralph, Tim Mertens

Best Edited Documentary Feature

• Samsara, Ron Fricke & Mark Magidson
• Searching for Sugar Man
. Malik Bendjelloul
• West of Memphis, Billy McMillin

The winners were Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Brave, and Searching for Sugar Man.  The next question does this help in predicting, or guessing what will happen next at the Oscars?  The answer unfortunately is not really. 

As we get closer to the Oscars one thing is certain the buzz around both the winners tonight is mounting, and these two films just may take home a good amount of the major awards.

In the feature film category both Argo, and Silver Linings Playbook were easily predicted winners here.   Argo will most likely win the editing award at the Academy Awards, Zero Dark Thirty was a threat at one point, but Argo's journey to Best Picture is preventing that win.  One thing is for certain you may end up hearing "And the Oscar goes to....Argo" or "And the Oscar goes to...Silver Linings Playbook" a lot on February 24th.  One of the other interesting elements are the constant standing ovations for Spielberg as he takes the stage.  Spielberg won film editor of the year last night.  Could Lincoln pull of the same achievement Braveheart did in 1995?

The next interesting category is Best Animated Feature, and while many folks are saying this award is up in the air, which there are many possibilities (except Pirates, and ParaNorman).  The race for this award seems to be between Brave, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frankenweenie.  I think Brave has a bigger lock on this than people are predicting, at the moment I think Wreck-It Ralph as the best odds, yet Brave keeps winning.  At the moment I am going to stick with my gut and say Brave wins.

In another world where no one is concerned with the Oscars....the television winners were as follows:

Best Edited Half-Hour Series for Television
"Nurse Jackie" - "Handle Your Scandal"
Gary Levy

Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television
"Breaking Bad" - "Gliding Over All”
Skip MacDonald, A.C.E.

Best Edited One-Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television
"The Newsroom" - "We Just Decided To (Pilot)"
Anne McCabe, A.C.E.

Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television
"Hemingway & Gellhorn"
Walter Murch, A.C.E.

Best Edited Non-Scripted Series
"Frozen Planet" - "To the Ends of the Earth"
Andy Netley & Sharon Gillooly

Oscar Roundup 2012: BAFTAs Leaves Some Oscar Categories Shaken and Stirred Up

Well stick a fork in the Best Picture category folks, Argo has won almost every major Best Picture Award (non-critics), and will be poised to be the first film to win without a director nomination since Driving Miss Daisy in 1989.  Argo won two other prizes at BAFTA, Best Director, and Best Editing.

Affleck winning the Director race across the board, and being snubbed by the Academy poses an interesting question in this category.  Who will win?  Oscar pundits can't use data to help predict this award, predictions have to be based on a hunch this year.  At the moment I think this is a two person race, but surprise surprise I do not think either of those people is Steven Spielberg.  I think the director race is going to be between Ang Lee for Life of Pi, and David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook.  Spielberg may have received thunderous applause at DGA, and he is not out of this race, but Lincoln has been snubbed across the board; he was not even nominated for BAFTA.  Lee is a well like director, and many are impressed with the directorial achievement of this film.  O. Russell is ahead of Spielberg in my book for several reasons, this is seen as a personal project for him (people know this) he also has Harvey behind him, and Harvey could push him for a win in this category because of Affleck's snub.

BAFTA added a little variety to the Best Actress category picking Emanuelle Riva to win over favorites Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence. This is a big win, and here's why.  Silver Linings Playbook did not receive many nominations from BAFTA, they only received two nominations, and while no one predicted O. Russell to win Adapted Screenplay, he did, another surprise.  If BAFTA liked the film enough they would have picked Lawrence.  Zero Dark Thirty took home no awards, and while Chastain could still win she is in third place in my book.  While Zero Dark is fading Silver Linings Playbook is gaining momentum, and Amour is clearly beloved.  Winning at BAFTA in this category is a pretty good sign for a win at Oscar, Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady, Natalie Portman in Black Swan, Marion Cotillard in La vie en Rose, and many more.  While this is not fool proof this gives Emanuelle Riva a massive bump in the voting season.  Look for her to surprise with a potential win.

BAFTA has added another interesting layer to the Best Supporting Actor category as well.  Christoph Waltz who won the Golden Globe, won at BAFTA here today.  Tommy Lee Jones won at SAG.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman won at the critics choice, so wins at the Oscars?  Several critics on Twitter have said it best Waltz is lead in a supporting category, which gives him the edge, and the Academy likes this type of performance.  Waltz could take this!  Django also won in Best Original Screenplay, and while Tarantino is not up for WGA, neither is its fiercest competitor Amour.  Look for Tarantino to win screenplay, making up for his loss for Inglorious Basterds in 2009.

The other big surprises is that Les Miserables won four trophies (Best Production Design, Best Make-Up/Hair, Best Sound, and Best Supporting Actress).  The film is a British production so I am not surprised it won these awards, but may not at the Oscars.  The other British film which scored big was Skyfall, which won for Best British Film, and Best Score (Thomas Newman).

Overall BAFTA seals the deal for wins by Argo (Best Picture, Best Editing), Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor), Anne Hathaway (Best Supporting Actress), Life of Pi (Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects), Anna Karenina (Best Costume Design), and Amour (Best Foreign Language Film), and the rest are up to the fate of the Oscar Gods.

BEST FILM

X - "Argo"

"Life of Pi"

"Lincoln"

"Les Misérables"

"Zero Dark Thirty"

BEST BRITISH FILM 

"Anna Karenina"

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

"Les Misérables"

"Seven Psychopaths"

X - "Skyfall"

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Haneke, "Amour"

X - Ben Affleck, "Argo"

Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"

Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"

Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"

BEST ACTOR 

Ben Affleck, "Argo"

Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"

X - Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"

Hugh Jackman, "Les Misérables"

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Marion Cotillard, "Rust and Bone"

Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"

Helen Mirren, "Hitchcock"

X - Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin, "Argo"

Javier Bardem, "Skyfall"

Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"

Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"

X - Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, "The Master"

Judi Dench, "Skyfall"

Sally Field, "Lincoln"

X - Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"

Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

"Amour"

X - "Django Unchained"

"The Master"

"Moonrise Kingdom"

"Zero Dark Thirty"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

"Argo"

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"

"Life of Pi" 

"Lincoln"

X - "Silver Linings Playbook"

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM 

X - "Amour"

"Headhunters"

"The Hunt"

"The Intouchables"

"Rust and Bone"

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

"The Imposter"

"Marley"

"McCullin"

X-"Searching for Sugar Man"

"West of Memphis"

BEST ANIMATED FILM 

X - "Brave"

"Frankenweenie"

"ParaNorman"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

"Anna Karenina"

"Life of Pi"

"Lincoln"

X - "Les Misérables"

"Skyfall"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

"Anna Karenina"

X - "Life of Pi"

"Lincoln"

"Les Misérables"

"Skyfall"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN 

X - "Anna Karenina"

"Great Expectations"

"Les Misérables"

"Lincoln"

"Snow White and the Huntsman"

BEST EDITING

X - "Argo"

"Django Unchained"

"Life of Pi"

"Skyfall"

"Zero Dark Thirty"

BEST MAKEUP & HAIR 

"Anna Karenina"

"Hitchcock"

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

"Lincoln"

X - "Les Misérables"

BEST SCORE

"Anna Karenina"

"Argo"

"Life of Pi"

"Lincoln"

X - "Skyfall"

BEST SOUND

"Django Unchained"

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

"Life of Pi"

X - "Les Misérables"

"Skyfall"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

"The Avengers"

"The Dark Knight Rises"

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

X - "Life of Pi"

"Prometheus"

BEST DEBUT BY BRITISH WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Thina Garavi (writer/director), "I Am Nasrine"

X - Bart Layton (writer) and Dimitri Doganis (producer), "The Imposter"

David Morris (director) and Jacqui Morris (director/producer), "McCullin"

James Bobin (director), "The Muppets"

Dexter Fletcher (writer/director) and Danny King (writer), "Wild Bill"

RISING STAR AWARD

Elizabeth Olsen

Andrea Riseborough

Suraj Sharma

X - Juno Temple

Alicia Vikander