9. True Story
Potential Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (James Franco), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay (David Kajganich), Best Film Editing True Story is being placed in the "long shot" category by most Oscar pundits, but my Academy Awards sixth sense tells me this one may very well turn out to be a surprise hit and a credible awards season player. The film's story recounts the events of the unlikely friendship between Christian Longo (James Franco) and Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill). Longo was the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of his family and fled from the Feds, eventually landing on the FBI's most wanted list. When the government caught up with Longo in Mexico, he was living under Michael Finkel's name, who, a recently fired journalist looking for a good story, decided to investigate the accused criminal usurping his name. From there, things got kind of weird to say the least, and Finkel's life would never be the same. What makes me most optimistic about the movie besides its intriguing premise is the film's casting. James Franco and Jonah Hill are perfect for their respective parts (particularly Franco). The big question mark of the whole affair is first time British director Rupert Goold, who to this point has only directed adaptations of Shakespeare for British television. However, the fact that he hasn't directed any feature films yet also means he could be a budding auteur in waiting, and given the film's producers include Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner (coming fresh off their Oscar wins for producing last year's Best Picture winner, 12 Years a Slave), there's reason to be a little more confident in Goold's ability than your average first time director.