1. Monuments Men - Best Picture
There's anywhere between 5 and 10 nominees, so we'll just go for eight this time. Also, let's rank them in order of how likely they are to win. 1:
Monuments Men. A film with an Oscar-ready plot, directed by George Clooney, and starring beloved actors such as Clooney himself, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Jean Dujardin, even Bill Murray and John Goodman. If this movie doesn't win, I will be absolutely shocked. 2.
The Wolf Of Wall Street. Martin Scorsese + Leonardo DiCaprio + based on a true story. Need I say more? 3.
Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. Films about the life of Nelson Mandela have proven to be ripe for various award nominations (as shown by Invictus, Mandela and de Klerk, and Goodbye Bafana). 4.
Twelve Years a Slave. Much has already been discussed in this article about this film, but allow me to summarize. Awesome actors involved (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, and even Quvenzhané Wallis!), good director, and finally an intense and moving story. 5.
The Butler. An amazing ensemble cast with a true-to-life story about a butler named Eugene Allen who served eight different U.S. presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Ronald Reagan. 6.
Inside Llewyn Davis. The Coen brothers latest film, loosely based on the life of Dave Van Ronk and the famous folk music scene of 1960's McDougal Street. Even if the film doesn't win Best Picture, it's sure to garner some attention for it's music score, to be produced by T Bone Burnett (who also produced the much-loved music in their O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and Marcus Mumford, who led his band Mumford & Sons on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. 7.
Elysium. The second directorial effort from Neill Blomkamp, who directed 2009's District 9, which got insane amounts of critical attention, including a nomination for Best Picture. The question is, can he manage the same feat twice in a row? 8.
The Fifth Estate. This film will chronicle the beginning of WikiLeaks, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (him again!) as founder Julian Assange. This film will surely get some acclaim, but its chances may be hurt if too many people draw connections between it and the very similar story in The Social Network. Bonus: Multiple nominations 3 Each - August: Osage County; American Hustle; Inside Llewyn Davis; The Butler; The Wolf Of Wall Street; Monuments Men; and Twelve Years a Slave 2 Each - The Counselor; Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom; Saving Mr. Banks; and The Fifth Estate
And that's all for the predictions. Any other thoughts? Sound off in the comments below!