With the 85th Academy Awards nominations landing at 1:30PM GMT, movie buffs the world over are busy cramming in their last-minute predictions, as well as their theories about what's going to get snubbed, and what just might sneak into what is, as it is every year, a very crowded and competitive race. What's great this year is that there's no clear front-runner overall, which makes it all the more exciting and unpredictable, and also invites any number of actors and films to sneak into various categories and nab a surprise nomination. Here are 10 outside possibilities to watch for the Oscars.
Best Picture - Skyfall
Given how the latest James Bond film has been not only the highest-grossing Bond film of all time, but also the highest-grossing UK film ever, as well as garnering some of the best reviews of the franchise, there's bound to be plenty of Academy support for the film (especially from the UK quarter). I think many of us would be very glad about this.
Best Picture - The Intouchables
It is distinctly an outside possibility, but there are still those who suspect that the year seems somewhat without its ludicrous Best Picture nominee (a la The Blind Side or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close); that crowd-pleasing picture that has been a supreme commercial and critical hit. Though the film hasn't gained much momentum in this field, it could very well be the one to buff the field out, especially if we end up with 10 nominees this year.
Best Picture - Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom is one of the most acclaimed films of the year, and with its strong acting, great screenplay and visually sumptuous, spritely direction, might sneak in the Best Picture field as "the little indie that could", even if that spot is inexorably already taken up by Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Best Director - Michael Haneke
The enigmatic director of the devastating but challenging Amour might pull a Terence Malick this year, such that even if Amour doesn't make the Best Picture list, Haneke could very well sneak in there with a nod, given his general reverence in the Academy, and the ludicrously positive reviews the film has received.
Best Director - Paul Thomas Anderson
While it's unlikely that The Master will make the Best Picture slot, it's possible that the Director's branch, appreciating his uncompromising approach, could very well furnish the master filmmaker (pun intended) with a solitary Best Director nomination. It would only continue to cement the filmmaker as a singular director who goes to places others never will.
Best Actor - Jean-Louis Trintignant (Amour)
There's been massive acclaim for Amour's performances throughout the awards circuit, and given some of the more contentious nominees in this arena - Phoenix's decrying the Oscars, Flight not being that good, and Bradley Cooper still struggling to be taken seriously - Trintignant could very well surprise us all and sneak in here, even perhaps alongside Best Actress Emmanuelle Riva, which would be fantastic.
Best Actress - Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)
Best Actress is a very crowded field this year, and if the Academy are able to look past the fact that Hitchcock is a thoroughly mediocre film, they might seek to nominate Mirren, who admittedly delivers the one very strong performance in the film. She's broached perfectly between being an initially expected nominee, and then one whose prospects fell once the film actually started being seen by people.
Best Supporting Actor - Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike)
Guild support has been higher than expected for Matthew McConaughey from the outset for his delightful performance in Magic Mike, and the supporting categories are where the Academy tend to allow more "mainstream" fare to sneak in (Ledger/Downey both nominated in 2009). For his stripper honcho Dallas, McConaughey, who has had quite the year indeed, could earn his first nomination.
Best Supporting Actress - Judi Dench (Skyfall)
Judi Dench was easily the most emotionally resonant component of Sam Mendes' excellent Bond film, the lynch-pin who essentially contributes to much of the film's success. Dench has received some sparse nominations throughout the awards circuit, so there's definitely the possibility that she could appear hear as a commemoration of her sublime work on the Bond series.
Best Original Screenplay - Looper
Though this is already a crowded field, Looper was one of the most ingenious and original science fiction films in years; thus, Rian Johnson's screenplay might be rewarded with a nomination. This tends to be a category where outside candidates and smart indie flicks get nominated (In Bruges was nominated here previously), so don't be too surprised if Looper garners a nod here. Who do you think might earn a surprise nomination? Let us know in the comments below.