Oscars 2014 Part II: The Nominations

     Here are my "Oscar" nominations. I already posted my Top Ten, so my Oscar Best Picture nominations are just the top half of that list, with the exception of 20 Feet From Stardom which is in the Documentary category and should win. I also think that the director of the Best Picture should win Best Director, although tonight there might be a split. I pick Steve McQueen for Best Director.
     There has been lots of discussion about how Matthew McConaughey has turned his career around by becoming a character actor. He is also one of the hardest working people in Hollywood. He was in Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, and Wolf of Wall Street in 2013, as well as in the HBO series True Detective. His partner in True Detective, Woody Harrelson, is also doing similar things. He appeared in, Now you See Me, Out of the Furnace, and Catching Fire in 2013. Another great character actor is Paul Giamatti who was memorable in 12 Years a Slave and Saving Mr. Banks, and even made an appearance on Downton Abbey. Amy Adams had three nice roles in Man of Steel, Her, and American Hustle. But, Benedict Cumberbatch is the champ, appearing in August: Osage County, Star Trek II, The Hobbit 2, 12 Years a Slave, and The Fifth Estate, as well as Sherlock on TV.
     I give three of the four acting prizes to 12 Years a Slave, with the indomitable Meryl Streep winning the other. She has been nominated 18 times now for Oscars, but has won only three. She is nominated for August: Osage County which was a play and allows lots of eating of the scenery. It had a great cast including Julia Roberts who is nominated for an Oscar also, and the ever present Cumberbatch.
     In Best Supporting Actress, I nominate Carey Mulligan for Llewyn Davis. She always stands out and steals all of her few scenes here. She was also one of the good things in The Great Gatsby which is forgotten in the Oscar nominations, except for Production and Costume Design. I also include Melanie Laurent for Best Supporting Actress. She was very memorable in Inglorious Basterds, and she is a great foil for Mark Ruffalo in Now You See Me. You may have noticed that I am dissing American Hustle, which is one of the most nominated films. I really loved Silver Lining Playbook, and American Hustle has almost the same creative team. But the new movie just doesn't have the characters you care about or the clean storyline of Playbook. I do nominate Jennifer Lawrence because she just blows away everyone on the screen in her few scenes in American Hustle.
     In Best Supporting Actor, I nominate Chris Cooper, who is always a great character actor and stands out in August as the only sane person. I also include Daniel Bruhl for Ron Howard's Formula One film, Rush, which was very good, but didn't go anywhere at the box office. But Bruhl was amazing as as Niki Lauda. It is worth seeing just for his performance. The other new name in the Best Supporting Actor category is Barkhad Abdi as the leader of the pirates in Captain Phillips, another good film left out of the Oscar nominations. He is quite amazing especially since it is his first acting role.
     My nominations, with the winners in Red, are listed below. Enjoy the show tonight...

Best Picture
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Her
3. Gravity
4. All is Lost
5. Now You See Me

Best Director
1. Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)
2. Spike Jonze (Her)
3. Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)
4. J.C. Chandor (All is Lost)
5. Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me)

Best Actor
1. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
2. Joaquin Phoenix (Her)
3. Robert Redford (All is Lost)
4. Daniel Brühl (Rush)
5. Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club + Mud + Wolf of Wall Street)
Honorable Mention: Tom Hanks (Saving Mister Banks + Captain Phillips), Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies), Bruce Dern (Nebraska)

Best Actress
1. Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)
2. Judi Dench (Philomena)
3. Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
4. Brie Larson (Short Term 12)
5. Emma Thompson (Saving Mister Banks)
Honorable Mention: Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha), Amy Adams (American Hustle), Shailene Woodley (The Spectacular Now), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
2. George Clooney (Gravity)
3. Chris Cooper (August Osage County)
4. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
5. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Honorable Mention: Paul Giamatti (Saving Mr. Banks + 12 Years a Slave), Jason Schwartzman (Saving Mr. Banks), Rob Corddry (Warm Bodies), Alan Rickman (The Butler), Benedict Cumberbatch (August Osage County + Hobbit 2 + 12 Years a Slave + Star Trek II + The Fifth Estate), Mark Ruffalo (Now You See Me), Will Forte (Nebraska)

Best Supporting Actress
1. Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
2. Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
3. Mélanie Laurent (Now You See Me)
4. June Squibb (Nebraska)
5. Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis + Great Gatsby)
Honorable Mention: Amy Adams (Her + Man of Steel), Julianne Nicholson (August Osage County), Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)