Best Picture – “American Hustle”
“American Hustle” is one of the few films that has it all. With an impeccable cast, rich script and brilliant direction, this film deserves to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Not often does a film like “American Hustle” come together so smoothly. The film’s message is simple: everyone has to hustle in order to live. Whether it’s a white lie here or grand theft there, hustling is what makes the world go round. Capturing this concept is what makes “American Hustle” the best film of 2013. With brilliant Oscar-worthy performances from Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle” stands as a gem in a sea of oftentimes poor Hollywood films.
Best Director – Alfonso Cuarón
If you ever see only one film in 3-D, it must be “Gravity.” For once, the 3-D glasses do not seem like a gimmick and actually enhance the film. Because the majority of the film takes place in the vast emptiness of space, the glasses add dimension to the weightlessness of objects and people as they float naturally in space. Director Alfonso Cuarón has created a stunning visual masterpiece. Most of the film is comprised of computer-generated imagery, but the viewer hardly notices or cares because the film is so well envisioned. Some of Cuarón’s best scenes are long, continuous shots of motion that feel more like a thrill ride than a film.
Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio
It seems almost impossible for Leonardo DiCaprio to still be without an Oscar after such a rich acting career. With the number of films he has appeared in throughout his career, as well as the critical acclaim many of these films have achieved, there isn’t a better time for DiCaprio to win an Oscar. In “The Wolf of Wall Street,” DiCaprio portrays Jordan Belfort, the scandalous, sex-crazed, drug-addled stockbroker. Few actors can truly become their characters, but DiCaprio is such an actor.
Best Actress – Sandra Bullock
While Sandra Bullock traveled to space for the first time as Dr. Ryan Stone in “Gravity,” this isn’t her first time traveling to the Academy Awards. Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in “The Blind Side” in 2010. Her performance in “Gravity” shines despite the fact that she plays one of the film’s very few characters, who is alone in space for the majority of the film. George Clooney co-starred in the film, but Bullock acts in the absence of other cast members throughout most of “Gravity.” Nevertheless, she was able to stay true to her role thoughout her emotional journey. However, the Academy cannot go without considering Meryl Streep for her performance in “August: Osage County,” making Streep a likely contender not too far behind Bullock.
Best Original Screenplay – “Her”
One of the many aspects that make humans unique is the ability to communicate and experience complicated emotions. “Her,” written by Spike Jonze, deconstructs what it means to be human in a surprisingly unconventional, romantic sci-fi film. The film takes place in a slightly futuristic Los Angeles. A man named Theodore Twombly, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with an intelligent Operating System named Samantha, played by the sultry voice of Scarlett Johansson. The film’s premise seems like a satire on the current obsession with constant connection to technology, but it’s actually more emotionally dense. The film asks big questions, and while it might not have answers, it is very unique and thought provoking.