The Oscar Buzz - Best Direction and Best Picture Category Awards

Of all the categories carrying nominations for this tomorrow's 86th Academy Awards there are only a handful that the movie going public and the TV watching audience are really interested in - in my humble opinion! Counting down over the days leading upto the big Hollywood event, I have so far listed two per day that might capture your interest and for which you too might have something to say! Following on from yesterdays third instalment in this brief series, the focus now is on the closing Best Direction and Best Picture categories, and who and what will rise triumphant and cement greatness for all time.
BEST DIRECTION AWARD

• Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity
• Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave
• Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street
• Alexander Payne for Nebraska
• David O'Russell for American Hustle

As stated previously I have not yet seen 'Nebraska' so cannot comment here with any authority, but it would have to be said that from what I've read the smart money is not on Alexander Payne walking away with this one! As much as I liked 'American Hustle' I think against its competitors in this category that David O'Russell is a long shot too, leaving three. Here, for me it becomes avery close run thing. Martin Scorsese has been overlooked countless times before by the Academy and I do get a sense that this will not be his year either despite crafting a great story in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. Steve McQueen also delivered an historical epic tale based on a true story of hardship, endurance, hope and determination in '12 Years a Slave' and there is much to praise in this 1850's slave trade story that is award worthy, but, is it enough? I am torn with 'Gravity' and can't help thinking that the scale, enormity and spectacle of what Alfonso Cuaron delivered to our screens with 'Gravity' really transported the viewer to a place that for the vast majority of us is unattainable, but the story is real, grounded in fact, compelling, suspenseful, beautiful and dramatic, and so for me the Best Direction Award has to sit here.

BEST PICTURE AWARD

• The Wolf of Wall Street
• 12 Years a Slave
• Dallas Buyers Club
• Gravity
• American Hustle
• Captain Phillips
• Her
• Philomena
• Nebraska

Of the nine movies shown above I have seen the top six here, and it is out of this bunch that I think the winning film will come. All the smart money seems to be on '12 Years a Slave' and the historical fact, casting, and tone of this film is likely to garner the majority support for this category. For similar reasons 'Dallas Buyers Club' could also be up there as a winner and is a very worthy consideration. The others I feel, despite them being great movies for a whole host of reasons, are also rans and it will come down to these. And so it distils into two stories of 1) human slavery (the plague of the 19th Century) or 2) the plague of the 20th Century (medical slavery), and in the final analysis I think '12 Years a Slave' will walk away on the night the winner, and as such no great surprise.

But all that said over the last four days I could be completely wrong, and you may pick better than me. It's a lottery for us mere movie going public spending our hard earned shekels each week on our movie of choice, but it's fun, we enjoy the razzmatazz, the spectacle, the glitz, the glamour and the life less ordinary. Tune in your TV on Monday evening (AESDT) to see it all unfold and watch from the comfort of your armchair.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-