Best Supporting Actress
Chance of a nomination =
3/10 Chance of a win =
0/10 Anne Hathaway delivered a brilliantly understated portrayal of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, one that hews away from the cheesy Halle Berry performance to something resembling - if tighter and less pulpy than - Michelle Pfeiffer's unforgettable turn. The Academy likes Hathaway, and last year gave a surprise nomination to a strong female character, in Rooney Mara's Lisbeth Salander (
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) - albeit in the Best Actress category - but Hathaway may end up blocking herself out, as she is hotly tipped in this field already for her turn in Tom Hooper's musical Les Miserables. Furthermore, while her work here is staunchly effective, her screen time is limited and she is at all times a character on the periphery rather than one who gets a wealth of so-called "Oscar-reel" scenes, as Ledger's The Joker was blessed with.
Best Art Direction
Chance of a nomination =
5/10 Chance of a win =
3/10 It is a category that is predominantly cluttered up by opulent period pics, and with the likes of The Great Gatsby,
Anna Karenina, Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Lincoln stepping up to the plate this year, it would be a fight for Rises to squeeze in there. That said, The Dark Knight did indeed earn an Academy Award nomination for Art Direction, and so it is possible that Nolan's grander, more stylistically diverse follow-up could again please voters, particularly if one of the above films turns out to be a disappointment (and its more superficial credentials are therefore given less regard as a result).