Alternative Oscar Categories 2014

Whether you find them joyous or soul-destroying, I'm sure everyone on the planet can agree: The Academy Awards are Kind of a Big Deal. There's just a few hours to go to see if the Academy will inevitably mess up and give out the wrong awards to the wrong people, but in these tense moments, we should relax, unwind, and just accept that everyone in Hollywood is rich and powerful and we are not therefore there is nothing we can do. Instead, while you're praying for 12 Years to luck out or crossing your fingers for Gravity, you can regale yourself with some of the categories that we think the Academy should consider adding to their ceremony, and their very deserving winners.

Best Hair

Lea Seydoux - Blue is the Warmest Colour

Javier Bardem - The Counsellor

The Cast of Anchorman 2

Amy Adams - American Hustle

I spent the whole of American Hustle mesmerised by Amy Adams's curves. And no, perverts, I'm not talking about her T and A here, I'm talking about the perfect curl of her ringlets. Seriously, her hair in this film is how I dream my hair will look when I get out of bed every day. (Instead, I end up looking more like Christian Bale, minus being balding with bits of fluff glued to my head) Adams's hairstyles in the film vary from soft waves to the volcanic eruption of curls pictured above, and pulls each of them off with ease. 

GBP

Best Inappropriate Relationship

Mia Wasikowska & Matthew Goode – Stoker

Jonah Hill & his cousin – The Wolf of Wall Street 

Benedict Cumberbatch & Julianne Nicholson – August: Osage County

2013 was the year of a lot of incestuous relationships in film, a worrying amount in fact. In Stoker it’s creepy; in The Wolf of Wall Street it’s funny and in August: Osage County it’s just plain sad. But, let’s face it guys Benedict Cumberbatch looks inbred-y anyway so the big twist *SPOILERS* that he’s actually been shagging his sister isn’t that shocking but we’ll award him it anyway.

BJ

Best Soundtrack

Her

Only Lovers Left Alive

Drinking Buddies

Frances Ha

Inside Llewyn Davis

It's a draw! The soundtracks for the new Coens and Baumbach films are so different, and yet both so perfect. With Inside Llewyn Davis, the soundtrack is a core part of the film. Without it, it would just be a sad film about a man and a cat. The music of this film - actually performed by its cast by the way, which adds another reason to a very long list of why Oscar Isaac is the best person ever - is glorious, and also helps give the characters an extra level of depth. Plus Oscar Isaac has like, the dreamiest voice ever. PLUS ADAM DRIVER AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DO A SONG AND IT IS PERFECT.

Moving on to Frances Ha - which coincidentally, also stars Adam Driver - which has a more mixtape-like approach when it comes to its soundtrack. Just like ILD, music is crucial to the film, and not just any music, but music from other films. Baumbach was inspired by the French New Wave when he made the film, hence why he uses the infamous music from The 400 Blows in the film. And in one of the greatest scenes in the film, Frances skips and twirls across the street to David Bowie's Modern Love - a cheeky and accidental reference to Leos Carax's weird and wonderful Mauvais Sang. It also features Hot Chocolate's second finest song, played oddly enough during a montage of Greta Gerwig loafing around Paris.
GBP

Best McConaughey 

Matthew McConaughey – Mud

Matthew McConaughey – The Paperboy 

Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey – The Wolf of Wall Street 

What a year for Matthew McConaughey. Once the go-to lead for rom-coms, he’s now the front runner for Best Actor tonight. Although it’s not the film he’s nominated for, his improvised chest pumping scene from the Wolf of Wall Street is one of the most memorable of the year. It’s also his own personal relaxation technique that he does before scenes and he has even said he’ll probably be doing it tonight on the way to the Oscars. 

BJ

Best Actor Not Nominated

Oscar Isaac - Inside Llewyn Davis

Ethan Hawke - Before Midnight

James Mccavoy - Filth

Sam Rockwell - The Way, Way Back (and like everything he's ever been in EVER)
Joaquin Phoenix - Her

The fact that Joaquin Phoenix wasn't even nominated for his modest, quiet turn in Her this year is completely beguiling. Even in years where he was pretty much guaranteed to lose - such as last year for The Master up against Daniel Day-Lewis - he at least garnered a nomination, but this year, The Academy just chose to ignore him. This could be in part due to the fact that he pretty much said he doesn't give a shit about the Oscars, or partly due to the strong contenders already in that category. Nevertheless, his performance is as usual, pretty damn flawless in a film that I do not mind pointing out has a fair few flaws. It's easy to forget how a Joaquin Phoenix can be simultaneously funny and heartbreaking, subtle and powerhouse, but luckily he's here to remind you just how good he can be.

GBP

Best Actress Not Nominated

Paulina Garcia - Gloria

Greta Gerwig - Frances Ha

Julie Delpy - Before Midnight

Adele Exarchopoulos - Blue is the Warmest Colour

Brie Larson - Short Term 12

Short Term 12 basically doesn't exist in Academy terms, as it managed to gain an impressive amount of... ZERO nominations, however for a little indie film it's really great, and manages to be absolutely devastating without falling into cliched melodrama territory too much. Like Phoenix, Brie Larson manages to keep her performance low-key, and it's only towards the end of the film that we actually find out what's going on in her head. Were she nominated for an award, or had she gone on to win one, this could easily have been the type of performance that could've turned Larson's career into something incredible. Sadly it looks like we'll have to wait a few years for her inevitable award-winning film.

GBP

Worst Accent

Shia LeBeouf

I haven't even seen Nymphomaniac yet but just judging by this clip from the film's trailer, we have a winner! Yikes. Nothing is gonna beat this.

GBP

Best Facial Hair

Joaquin Phoenix - Her

Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

Oscar Isaac - Inside Llewyn Davis

James Mccavoy - Filth

George Clooney - The Monuments Men

Precise, defined, sophisticated - Clooney's moustache is pretty much everything that his film sadly wasn't. Compared to Fassbender, Mcavoy and Isaac's wonderful array of beards, (extra kudos must go to Mcavoy for the brown hair/ginger beard combo) this moustache isn't extravagant. It doesn't want to draw attention to itself, and it doesn't need to - just look whose face it's sitting on. I bet it took you a while to even realise Clooney had a moustache in that photo because you were too busy swooning.

GBP

Best Performance in a Bad Film

Dane Dehaan - Kill Your Darlings

Gaby Hoffman - Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus

Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

Kristen Scott-Thomas - Only God Forgives

Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Otherwise known as the "being slightly controversial just because it's Awards season and I'm bored" award. I'm SORRY but I personally didn't think much of any of these films, and while I've picked out Blue Jasmine as the winner of this award, it certainly isn't the worst of the bunch. In fact, Cate Blanchett's superb performance in it almost tricks you into thinking it's wonderful - it's only afterwards that you realise it left a slightly bad aftertaste in your mouth. Cate Blanchett is wonderful because she's a heavy drinking neurotic mess, which is pretty much everything you would imagine Cate Blanchett isn't. I would be more than happy for her to receive the Oscar for this performance... it's just a shame that it has to be for this film. (Also, because I'm sure people will confused about this - Bradley Cooper is on the list because I thought he was really surprisingly good in American Hustle? Maybe it's because I find him a little too convincing when he's playing absolutely pathetic slimeballs....)
GBP

Best Effort

Leonardo DiCaprio -  The Great Gatsby

Oh poor Leo. I’m sure he thought that playing the lead role in an adaption of a classic was sure to be the one. Too bad the release date got moved from last award season to summer blockbuster season. And so, for second year running our pal, Leo takes the award for Best Effort.

BJ

Worst Effort

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

Real talk here: do you really believe that playing a drug taking, rich, partying, generally corrupt, shagging dickhead is a stretch for Leo? COME ON! All he does is shag young models and play about on his yachts! Him and his friends even named themselves the Pussy Posse! 

BJ

Best Overlooked Film

Before Midnight

Short Term 12

Blue is the Warmest Color

Inside Llewyn Davis

Were I a Harvey Weinstein-like figure in Hollywood, (A girl can dream I guess) Inside Llewyn Davis would definitely be the film that I would be plugging during Awards season. Really, the fact that I have anything left to say about it after ranting and raving on social networks and to my peers astounds me. But it is just so good, a quiet little gem of a film that sadly justifies the fact that it was snubbed at the Oscars purely because it's about a guy who's pretty much walked out of Beck's much beloved 1994 classic. The soundtrack, beards and performances I have already briefly mentioned, but there are so many other elements that go towards making this such a great film, cinematography and art direction being just two of them. (Also, Adam Driver. Singing Cowboy. Just gonna keep pressing that.) I saw it three times in the cinema - the first time I liked it, the second I loved it, and the third I adored it. Every time I watched it, I found something else in it that I'd never noticed before, and I can't help but think that maybe the Academy skipped the rewatch (probably due to the length of Wolf of Wall Street?!) and took it at face value.

GBP

Grace Barber-Plentie and Beth Johnston

Is 12 Years a Slave Too Good For The Oscars?

Despite having seen it twice, and having 3 months to mediate on the film between viewings, it's still hard to find the exact words to describe 12 Years a Slave. Incredible? Horrible? Controversial? A sell-out? One thing that can be agreed on by most parties is that it's exactly the sort of film that deserves to win ALL THE OSCARS. But after a disappointing result at Sunday's Golden Globes, (where it only received one award out of the seven that it was nominated for) I'm beginning to think that maybe it won't do too well when March rolls around.

The cast and crew celebrate winning Best Drama Film at a ceremony where they should've won everything.

Let's start with the obvious - The Academy do have an annoying habit of effing up, especially when it comes to the Best Picture award. A film by Ben Affleck won last year. Rocky won instead of Taxi Driver, Forest Gump won instead of Pulp Fiction. How Green Was My Valley won instead of Citizen Kane. And let's not forget the oddest travesty of all - way back in 2005, Crash won in the place of Ang Lee's extraordinary Brokeback Mountain. What do all four of the films that were cruelly ignored have in common? They're all timeless classics, made by esteemed directors. The winning films are still famous of course, but I'm not sure anyone would ever deign to describe any of them as the "best film ever".

Even Jack Nicholson, who was giving out the award, was not expecting Crash to win.

Secondly, with the exception of actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep, who give consistently good performances regardless of the quality of their films, I feel like The Academy never really give Best Actor or Actress to quite the right people. Although, that's mainly because most of the time they haven't even nominated the actors that gave the best performances of the year - Sam Rockwell in 2009 and Denis Levant in 2012, come on guys - The Oscars also have a tendency to go for the obviously. It seems very unlikely that Chiwetel Ejiofor will miss out on a Best Actor nomination - ditto Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o for Supporting Actor/Actress - but will they really be rewarded? After all three missed out on winning at the Golden Globes, it seems as though their chances are slipping somewhat.

We're all aware that The Academy love true stories, but that also means that Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto or (groan) Jennifer Lawrence could easily overshadow them. Plus, there's something important that sets American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street apart from 12 Years - they're "fun"! Were I voting, this would put me off, but we should all be aware that sometimes fun films with a "dark" side (e.g. Chicago, The Artist and Silver Linings Playbook) win big awards. Dallas Buyer's Club is pretty much the opposite of fun, but it still has some optimism running through it. 12 Years a Slave of course does not. The only time I felt optimistic whilst watching it is when Michael Fassbender showed up. Then I realised he was an evil psychopath and the horror continued on.

The cast of the "fun" American Hustle doing their thang.

There's another angle to look at all of this though, one that sounds less like a miserable rant against the tyranny of the Oscars and more like praise of the film. Maybe that film doesn't need Oscars. I'm not saying that statues wouldn't be the perfect recognition of Ejiofor, Fassbender and Nyong'o's incredible performances, Mcqueen's direction, Zimmer's score, Ridley's script and the (hopefully) many others that get nominated, because it would of course. It would also suggest some radical change within the film industry, as Mcqueen and Ejiofor would be the first black britons to win Best Director and Actor. It would also show the Academy genuinely giving awards to the right people for once, instead of messing it up. But what will happen if the film doesn't pick up any awards? Will it just disappear from existence in a ball of flames, never to be thought of again? No. The opposite in fact. Can you imagine how many angry articles similar to this will be published if the film gets snubbed? How many debates about race in Hollywood will start? There will be even more furore over the incompetence and unfairness of awards than ever. 12 Years has been getting us to look at our past with different eyes, so perhaps it being snubbed will get us to reexamine our present and future with regards to the film industry.

And really, shouldn't the film itself be the perfect reward for the cast and crew? It is a perfect piece of cinema as it stands, and the addition of the words "Oscar Winner" to its poster will do nothing to alter this for good or bad. Surely being able to watch themselves transform into these characters should be enough for the cast? And surely watching his vision completed on the big screen should be enough for McQueen? If the worst comes to the worst when the nominations are announced tomorrow, or on the big day, I think that this will be enough for me. We all know that 12 Years a Slave is a good film. Now we'll have to see if the Oscars are good enough to reward it. 

Grace Barber-Plentie

Alternative Oscar Categories

Well, the Oscars are finally tomorow, but after months of hearing about Daniel Day-Lewis's method acting and Hugh Jackman's singing, aren't you a bit tired of it all by now? Unless someone spiked the Academy's drinks while they were voting and they decide that Silver Linings Playbook deserves best film and the whole night descends into chaos, (I pray that somewhere, in an alternate universe this happens.) there will be few surprises tomorrow night. Therefore we've taken it upon ourselves to think up some alternative categories that would definitely liven up the night.

(Winners in bold)

Worst Wig
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Javier Bardem - Skyfall
Ben Whishaw - Cloud Atlas

This really was a tough category, and, might I add, possibly my favourite. It truly amazes me that in the same year as such incredible make-up moments such as making Joseph Gordon-Levitt look like Bruce Willis, and making Anthony Hopkins look convincingly fat, actors are still forced to wear shocking headpieces for months on end. While Javier Bardem's blonde disaster may have been of his own choosing, Lee Jones was stuck in this nightmare as he was playing a real character. Poor guy. No wonder he constantly looks so pissed-off at awards ceremonies.

Worst Accent
Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained
Tom Hanks - Cloud Atlas
Sam Rockwell - Seven Psychopaths

Quentin Tarantino is the scariest looking man in Hollywood. (Steve Bushemi is, in my opinion, a close second) This can be proved by the fact that, as I write this, I am using my hand to cover up his photo. Therefore it seems a little cruel that, not only does he decide to put himself in his latest picture, but he decides to do the worst Australian accent of all-time ever. What's ironic is that he - along with fellow nominee Tom Hanks for his dreadful attempt at being Irish - clearly thinks that he's really nailing it. Eeesh. Unlike Tarantino and Hanks, Sam Rockwell's impression of Colin Farrell is deliberately ropey (as seen at 04.06 here) but deserves recognition for being incredibly hilarious.

Most Tearful
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
Literally everyone in Les Miserables
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild

I'm going to imagine here that the reason why Anne Hathaway has won this award does not really need explaining but, just in case you haven't seen this film or are an idiot, I will briefly explain why - all she does is cry. In a very good and Oscar-worthy way, mind you, but nevertheless, half of her performance is crying, and the other half is singing. As, hence their nomination, is the case for pretty much everyone else in Les Mis. And if you've seen Beasts, then you will undoubtedly understand why adorable little Quvenzhane is tearful, and you will probably be welling up yourself just thinking about a certain scene. (I know I am.)

Worst Disguise
Russell Crowe - Les Miserables
The American hostages in Argo

RUSSELL, YOU'VE JUST GOT A CAP ON, WE STILL KNOW EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE! YOU'RE FOOLING NOBODY RUSSELL. Yet another of my many criticisms of Les Miserables - How does it take everyone a good twenty minutes to work out that their new buddy is just Javert in a cap? The audience worked it out in about a second because it is THE WORST DISGUISE EVER. And the same goes for Argo, the mind boggles at how hostages can suddenly escape Iran just by styling their hair differently and saying they're making a film. 

Best Beard 
Jason Segel - Five Year Engagement
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Ben Affleck - Argo

Who doesn't appreciate a good beard? They can range from being a good way to add humour into a film (see above) or a way of making someone even more attractive than you ever thought possible (see George Clooney at the BAFTAs.) While Waltz and Affleck's facial decoration is kept pretty standard, Segel's is just plain biazarre. It certainly looks like no beard I have ever seen before, and this is what truly makes it so beautiful. Plus, and whether this is intentional or not, I have no idea, it looks so fake. But I think that just makes it all the more ridiculous. On a side note may I add that Waltz is the only actor here that uses his beard as a prop - several scenes in Django actually feature him stroking it/smoothing it down. But alas, there is no award for beard-stroking.


Best Bromance
Freddie Quell and Lancaster Dodd - The Master
Django and Dr. King Schutlz - Django Unchained
Marty Faranan, Billy Bickle and Hans Kielowski - Seven Psychopaths
Frank and Robot - Robot and Frank
Driss and Phillipe - The Intouchables

Films about Bromance have begun to dominate the box office in recent years. While they are usually comedies about stoners staring Jason Segel/Paul Rudd/Seth Rogen etc, I've decided here to use the term lightly in order to award Best Bromance to the film that best portrays male friendship. Therefore, it goes to The Master. I've sung its praises in our BAFTA Predictions post so I won't do it again, but the way that the film explores a friendship that almost boarders on unhealthy obsession and devotion is endlessly fascinating. May I also just note that the obvious winner for this award, Ted, is absent because, despite what the rest of the population think, I consider it a puerile and generally awful mess of a film. End of story. 

Best Soundtrack
Django Unchained
Moonrise Kingdom
Rust and Bone
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Seven Psychopaths

If it had been any other year, and any other Wes Anderson film, then he would've got this award, hands down. But alas, compared to the sixties-filled extravaganzas of The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom falls a little short, despite being one of my favourite Anderson films. So Django is a worthy choice. From start to finish, it is filled with catchy and joyously anachronistic songs, and has already become an album that I'm addicted to. Props also have to go to Rust and Bone's Bon Iver-fest, Beasts of the Southern Wild's beautiful and moving score, and Seven Psychopaths mixture of 60's soul and my all-time favourite song by The Walkmen. 

Most Irritating Character
Broomhilda VonShaft - Django Unchained
Cosette - Les Miserables
Every Tom Hanks character in Cloud Atlas
Debbie - This Is 40
Dan - I Give It A Year

You have no idea how awful it makes me, having to be horrible about a black female protagonist in a Hollywood film, but it has to be done. Broomhilda is an awful character, and it honestly baffles me that she comes from the same man to create Beatrice Kiddo and Jackie Brown. While I understand that she may just be fulfilling the duty of a woman in a Western, to me Broomhilda is essentially Django's Manic Pixie Dreamgirl - she is simply there to help him along his spiritual and physical journey. Washington's portrayal of her doesn't exactly help, as all she does is look scared and scream. Anyway, lets move along as I'm getting really annoyed now. I don't think I'll even begin to describe the ways in which each character on this list has annoyed me, as we'll be here all day. 

Best Screen Chemistry
Marion Cotillard and Mattias Schoenaerts - Rust and Bone
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt - Looper
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward - Moonrise Kingdom

I decided to avoid the easy option here and go for Silver Linings as, while it's undeniable that Cooper and Lawrence do have good chemistry, it's a little schmaltzy for my liking. Cotillard and Schoenarts pairing seems better as they are completely engaging and believable as two people attracted to each other, despite the unusual circumstances of the film. Kudos also has to be given to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt, as the pre and post-coital scenes they share together are simply electrifying. 

Best Effort
Leonardo Dicaprio - Django Unchained (and, inevitably, The Great Gatsby)

Oh Leo, it happened again, didn't it? Despite your method acting - even going as far to smash open a glass and rub your blood on Kerry Washington's face - you still missed out on all the awards. God knows how much he hates Christoph Waltz right now - first he stars in a film with Kate Winslet, then he steals his Best Supporting nomination. Just remember Leo, even if the Academy don't love you, we still do.

Grace Barber-Plentie

Breaking Down the Best Picture Nominees of the Last 10 Years

We’re now at the end of awards season with the Oscars concluding on Sunday and it would seem that this year, Argo has Best Picture in the bag due to the Academy’s Ben Affleck guilt. Now that many of us are already suffering from Argo fatigue, I felt it was appropriate to look back to the other Best Picture nominees of the last ten years. So let’s take ourselves way back to 2003 and break this mother down. 

(Winners in bold)

2003
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander the Far Side of the Yawn
Mystic River
Seabiscuit

Even if you are not a fantasy film kind of person, we can all appreciate the technical brilliance of LOTR along with the heartbreaking tale of friendship. So yeah, this one was a deserving winner and ten years later this film stills holds up very well. As for the other nominees: Lost in Translation is still a beautiful film and I will never understand the obsession with horse films like Seabiscuit.

2004
Million Dollar Yawn 

The Aviator 

Finding Neverland
Ray
Sideways

Look, I understand that Clint Eastwood is a legendary director but I am just not a fan and I think Million Dollar Baby is yeah, obviously great and Oscar-y but Lord, was it boring. Sideways, on the other hand, is a greatly underrated film with so many great performances and is simply better a better film.

2005
Crash (NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!) 

Brokeback Mountain (YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!) 

Capote
Goodnight and Good Luck
Munich

Ok, I’ll keep this short: CRASH SUCKS FOR SO MANY REASONS AND NOT JUST BECAUSE CHRIS “LUDICRIS” BRIDGES IS IN IT. It won because the Academy thought it was an “edgy” choice when really it was actually pretty safe. Brokeback Mountain, alternatively, is a film that will be hailed as classic and deservedly so because it a beautiful, compelling film that should have won. Now that’s over, can I ask if I’m I the only person who has never heard of the George Clooney directed Goodnight and Good Luck?

2006
The Departed 

Babel 

Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

The Departed is easily one the best gangster films of all time and deserved this win so we’ll quickly move on.

2007
No Country for Old Men 

Atoneyawnment 

Juno
Michael Clayton
There Will Be Blood

Quick story: despite being a self-confessed film geek, I have never seen No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood. I know that some people would crucify me for this and because of this I will not pass judgement on this year. I will, however, note how cool it is that Juno, a teen comedy, is Oscar nominated?

2008
Slumdog Millionaire 

The Curious Yawn of Benjamin Yawn 

Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader

Slumdog is a superb film that is definitely deserves the win here. I mean, it has a dance sequence at the end! The Reader definitely does not have that, does it? Benjamin Button, however, is mind-numbingly dull and it’s hard to believe that a film so overlong is based on a short story.

2009
The Hurt Locker 

Avatar 

District 9
An Education
The Blind Yawn
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Yawn
Up in the Air
Up
Ah yes, 2010 was the year in which the Academy decided to mix it up a bit and so they gave us another five films, which is great except the fact that IT IS TOO MANY FILMS. Anyway, Inglorious Basterds should have won this one. And it’s hilarious to think that Avatar was a frontrunner this year. Will anyone remember these films in ten years time? Of course not! Surely, the Academy won’t make this dumb mistake again?

2010
The King’s Yawn 

Black Swan 

The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Yawn
Winter’s Bone

Fun fact: They made that mistake again. Another fun fact: I saw all these films back in 2010 so if you would like to send me a medal in the post, please feel free to do so. Just like the year before, this is far too many films and, also like the year before, half of them suck. In my opinion, The Social Network was not just the film of 2010 but the film of the decade. Everything about it is flawless. Even Justin Timberlake’s foray into acting doesn’t ruin it.

2011
The Artist 

The Descendents 

Extremely Long and Incredibly Yawn
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of What
War Horse

Last year, the Academy made an even dumber mistake by cutting it from ten films to nine films and by doing so they missed the opportunity to nominate undoubtedly the best film of 2011: Drive. Overall, 2011 sucked for films. It sucked bad. So on that note, the charming Midnight in Paris deserved to win.

So, will Argo win on Sunday? Probably. Will it matter? Probably not. If we’ve learnt anything today, it’s that majority of the Best Picture winners of the last ten years don’t always deserve it and are often forgettable Oscar baiting films anyway.

Beth Johnston