Dark Horse Candidates
The film that tops my list of dark horse contenders is Susanne Bier's Serena. Bier has already had some Oscar success with her film In a Better World's Best Foreign Film Oscar, and with the reuniting of Silver Linings Playbook co-stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, this could be one to watch. Neil Blomkamp pulled off the rare sci-fi Best Picture nomination with District 9, and given the socio-economic subtext to Elysium, lightning could strike twice. Woody Allen's annual film, going by the name of Blue Jasmine this year, is a potential contender, but it's always a crap shoot with Allen. Naomi Watts has the enviable position of starring in the Princess Diana biopic, Diana, but the film will likely end up as more of a ploy for giving Watts an Oscar than anything else. Spike Jonze's latest, Her, starring Joaquin Pheonix is one that I can't wait to see, but will likely prove to esoteric for the Academy. The summer's biggest release that may have some aspiration towards awards glory is The Great Gatsby, but with the exception of Moulin Rouge, Baz Luhrmann's eccentric stylings have never gone over that well with the Academy. Richard Linklater's third entry in the "Before" series, Before Midnight, received a very warm reception at Sundance, but will likely have to settle for a writing nomination. Jeff Nichol's Mud had its fair share of admirers at last year's Cannes Film Festival, but a spring release doesn't bode well for its Oscar prospects. If Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson's latest, manages to get a 2013 release, it may have a shot at Oscar glory given its incredible ensemble cast, even if an Anderson film has yet to earn a Best Picture nomination. There's a lot of hype around Ron Howard's F1 racing drama, Rush, but given Howard's recent track record, I'm not holding my breath. Anton Corbijn's adaptation of John le Carre's novel A Most Wanted Man has got me excited, but given the reaction to his last film, The American, its chances are likely bleak. The Place Beyond the Pines is one of my favorite films of the year thus far, but the lack of buzz currently being generated for the film probably means its Best Picture chances are DOA. The only 2013 film I've seen that tops The Place Beyond the Pines is Frances Ha (which I caught at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival), but this black-and-white zeitgeist comedy will probably fall flat for the older demographics (of which the Academy is mostly comprised of). Oscar-winning comedic writing duo Nat Faxon and Jim Rash made a big sale on their coming-of-age film The Way, Way Back at Sundance, and if it catches on with audiences, it could be the next Little Miss Sunshine. Finally, James Gray's newest film, The Immigrant (formally titled Lowlife), just got a slot at Cannes, but he has always been more popular in France and even with the impressive cast, it will be an uphill battle. That concludes my Best Picture preview for now, but as the year goes on, and festivals and premieres come and go, I'll be here to mark the ebb and flow of the season. Let me know how you see the race in the comments section below and be sure to check out my next preview of 2014's Best Actor race.