At the start of every new year the film awards season rolls round and critics get catty.
2013 marked the best showcase of acting talent in cinema in years but for all the great performances getting recognised, there were just as many that slipped through the academy’s fingers. There is almost as much excitement for the nominations as there is for the eventual winner of each category. Add in a few surprising choices and it's looking like an interesting awards ceremony.
Alfonso Cuarón's space odyssey 'Gravity' and David O. Russell's crime comedy caper 'American Hustle' lead this year's Academy Award nominations with 10 nominations each, while '12 Years a Slave' was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture, though ended up snagging nine.
Congratulations to our Australian inclusions – Cate Blanchett (Best Actress, 'Blue Jasmine') and Catherine Martin (Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, 'The Great Gatsby'). Both of who are favourites to take out the little gold man. It wouldn’t be a proper Awards season however without a few upsets and this year’s nominations dealt in spades. Controversial ommisions include Tom Hanks in the role of Captain Phillips, believed to have been a surefire contender who was overlooked in favour of suprise nominations Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio. The absence of Saving Mr. Banks star Emma Thompson was equally shocking. Thompson and Hanks all got nods from SAG, BAFTA, the Globes and the Critics Choice. To be nominated for all four prestigious award ceremonies yet miss out on the Oscar is a rare occasion.
{youtube}-VlWUkpIJFw{/youtube}
Here are the nominations for the main categories:
Best picture
'12 Years a Slave'
The Wolf of Wall Street'
'Captain Phillips'
'Her'
'American Hustle'
'Gravity'
'Dallas Buyers Club'
'Nebraska'
'Philomena'
Best director
Steve McQueen -- '12 Years a Slave'
David O. Russell -- 'American Hustle'
Alfonso Cuaron -- 'Gravity
Alexander Payne -- 'Nebraska'
Martin Scorsese -- 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Best actor
Bruce Dern -- 'Nebraska'
Chiwetel Ejiofor -- '12 Years a Slave'
Matthew McConaughey -- 'Dallas Buyers Club'
Leonardo DiCaprio -- 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Christian Bale -- 'American Hustle'
Best actress
Amy Adams -- 'American Hustle'
Cate Blanchett -- 'Blue Jasmine'
Judi Dench -- 'Philomena'
Sandra Bullock -- 'Gravity'
Meryl Streep -- 'August: Osage County'
Best supporting actor
Barkhad Abdi -- 'Captain Phillips'
Bradley Cooper -- 'American Hustle'
Jonah Hill -- 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Jared Leto -- 'Dallas Buyers Club'
Michael Fassbender -- '12 Years a Slave'
Best supporting actress
Jennifer Lawrence -- 'American Hustle'
Lupita Nyong'o -- '12 Years a Slave'
June Squibb -- 'Nebraska'
Julia Roberts -- 'August: Osage County'
Sally Hawkins -- 'Blue Jasmine'
The 86th Academy Awards will be held on March 2.
