(my list of) The Oscar Winners of 2013!

Well here we are!  The 85th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, also known as the List of Politically Correct Movies of the Year, is airing tonight, and with Seth MacFarlane hosting, it is sure to be a show.

It is during this time of year when every film critic feels entitled to share their opinions on this years nominees with anyone that will listen, (I'm definitely guilty.) 
But! Instead of listing who I think will win each category, I give you my list of who should win.  In a few of these categories, I have listed winners who weren't even nominated, (cough cough Ben Affleck).  But honestly, in this not-so-humble man's opinion, they deserve the win. 

So! Here is my list of who deserves the Oscars this year:

Best Picture:  Argo

Ben Affleck's outstanding direction alone puts Argo on top for this year's best picture.  This is a must-see film that's gripping from the opening scene until even after the credits roll.

Actor in a Leading Role:  Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

There's practically no debate on this one.  His performance of Honest Abe is spellbinding, and he's definitely the most obvious shoe-in for this year's best acting performance.

Actress in a Leading Role:  Emmanuelle Riva  (Amour)

It's incredibly rare for a foreign film to win anything big in the Oscars, but Riva deserves this win.  Partially because this year's leading actress performances were notably lacking, but also because this 85 year old woman mesmerized us in the tragic tale of Amour.

Actor in a Supporting Role:  Tommy Lee Jones  (Lincoln)

This was the hardest category for me to pick a winner, as I am really tempted to give a three-way tie between Jones, Waltz for his performance in Djengo Unchained, and De Niro for his performance in Silver Linings Playbook.  But in the end, there must be a winner, and so I give the edge to Tommy Lee Jones for his incredible work in Lincoln. 

Actress in a Supporting Role:  Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

<--  That scene, right there, was the most emotional moment for me during any film I've seen this year.  The amount of tears shed by everyone who witnessed her singing "I dreamed a dream" is enough weight to land her the best actress in a supporting role this year.

Animated Feature Film:  Brave

Cinematography:  Cloud Atlas  (Frank Griebe and John Toll)

Costume Design:  Les Miserables  (Paco Delgado)

Directing:  Argo  (Ben Affleck) - may I note that this was the biggest oscar snub of the year.  Affleck was not even nominated!

Film Editing:  Argo  (William Goldenberg)

Make-up and Hairstyling:  Les Miserables  (Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell)

Music (Original Score):  Lincoln  (John Williams)

Music (Original Song): Cloud Atlas from Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, and Reinhold Heil)

Production Design:  Lincoln  (Rick Carter and Jim Erickson)

Sound Editing:  Life of Pi  (Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton)

Sound Mixing:  Les Miserables  (Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, and Simon Hayes)

Visual Effects:  Life of Pi  (Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, and Erik-Jan De Boer) 

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):  Argo (Chris Terrio)

Writing (Original Screenplay):  Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola)





After tallying up the award count for each film this year, it seems we have a three-way tie for the most awards won this year! (by my vote at least :)

The three best films of 2012 are.....
ARGO, LINCOLN, and LES MISERABLES!!!