Are the Oscars® Over Before They've Even Started?

Speculation has begun over which film will take Best Picture at this Sunday's Oscar® ceremony. Here are the nominees:

The Artist
War Horse
Tree of Life
Moneyball
Midnight in Paris
Hugo
The Help
Extremely Loud
The Descendants

Many people believe that The Artist is the clear frontrunner to win and while it may not be everyone's film of 2011, it's certainly the best film out of that list. What other film has managed to charm both critics and audiences alike? None. All of the films on this year's Best Picture list are adequate - apart from War Horse and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - both of which I have heard are horrendous and have no desire to see. They're all perfectly good, watcheable films - if you like that sort of thing. But not one of them blew my socks off. The Artist did.

Yet, having won so many awards already, it seems too easy to give The Artist Best Picture. Because let's face it - people love an underdog. And for a while, The Artist was. It was a little known film with a cast people hadn't seen before, a director whose name people couldn't pronounce and it was all in black and white! In an era of spectacle at the cinema, few would have thought it would do well. Then Harvey Weinstein got his hands on it and BOOM! The Artist became a global sensation.

But if it is time for The Artist to step down as king, who could take its place and grab the gong? Drive? We Need to Talk About Kevin? No - they didn't even make the shortlist. Arguably because of their controversial subject matter but maybe the powers that be just didn't like them.

At the 2011 Academy Awards, the list was a great one. It had a mix of genres, of styles and tastes. And each one offered something great.The films from last year were: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone. There's something for everyone in that list! There were front runners of course but any one of those films could have taken the crown. This year, it feels more like choosing the best of a bad bunch.

Will the American's love of baseball mean Moneyball takes it? Or perhaps their adoration for Martin Scorsese will persuade them to award Hugo with Best Picture. The cast did a brilliant job in The Help but will it win Best Picture? Unlikely.

Most of the major awards seem to be so unbearably predictable it almost seems unnecessary to have a ceremony at all. It might just be easier to give The Artist and Meryl Streep their awards by post and throw everyone a big party where they can speak for longer than 40 seconds and sob into a glass of wine, not a mini statue. It will most probably offer up something a little more controversial...

Will I still be checking out the highlights when I wake up on Monday morning? Of course I will. I can't wait to see what Billy Crystal has in store and what the ladies behind Bridesmaids make of their chance to present. I just wish the awards themselves got me as excited.

So who do you want to win Best Picture at the 2012 Academy Award Ceremony? Let me know in the comments below.

Oscar® Nominations 2012

The nominations are in and here's who I think SHOULD take the crown... whether or not they will remains to be seen. No surprise to see nothing for Tyrannosaur as it didn't reach the American audience. But sad to see no recognition for Andy Serkis's work in Rise of the Planet of the Apes or Michael Fassbender in ... well anything.

Leading the nominations list is Hugo with 11, closely followed by The Artist with 10. Moneyball and War Horse each have 6 and The Descendants has 5. 

Supporting Actress

There are some impressive candidates here but Bejo has to take the crown. Her work in Artist was funny, sensitive, restrained and theatrical. Perfection.

• Bérénice Bejo
• Jessica Chastain
• Melissa McCarthy
• Janet McTeer
• Octavia Spencer  

Supporting Actor 

Branagh as Laurence Olivier was perfect casting. Just brilliant to watch.

• Kenneth Branagh
• Jonah Hill
• Nick Nolte
• Christopher Plummer
• Max von Sydow 

Leading Actress
Well the Americans have clearly favoured their own here but it's an interesting mix and could be anybody's. Meryl Streep seems the most likely winner but Williams was so flawless in her portrayal of the tortured soul Marilyn Monroe, she deserves the recognition.

• Glenn Close
• Viola Davis
• Rooney Mara
• Meryl Streep
• Michelle Williams

Leading Actor

Gary Oldman was easily the best thing in a talented cast when Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy came out but Dujardin just pips him to the post for me with his performance in The Artist at every stage of his character's career from the incredible high to the terrifying lows.

• Demian Bichir
• George Clooney
• Jean Dujardin
• Gary Oldman
• Brad Pitt

Best Picture

I still don't see why Moneyball has made the cut and am yet to see The Descendants or Extremely Loud. The Help was a brilliant film and I just didn't "get" Tree of Life. It has to be The Artist for its originality and emotive style.

• The Artist
• Descendants
• Extremely Loud
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• Tree of Life
• War Horse 

For the full list of nominations go to the official website.