OSCARS 2013: VIOLA AND BRADLEY LEAD

It's time for another race and we have many possibilities so far.

In the best actor race, all eyes are on Bradley Cooper in THE SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK. Daniel Day-Lewis in LINCOLN, John Hawkes in THE SURROGATE and Bill Murray in HYDE PARK ON HUDSON are also strong earlier contenders. And don't forget Clint Eastwood with TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE.

For best actress, Viola Davis is back with WON'T BACK DOWN and this time she can be the frontrunner. But don't forget Keira Knightley with ANNA KARENINA, Helen Hunt in THE SURROGATE and Laura Linney with HYDE PARK ON HUDSON.

For best supporting actor, Robert DeNiro is back with THE SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK, just like Jude Law with ANNA KARENINA.

Best supporting actress? This can be the year of the great Amy Adams, with TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE. Holly Hunter and Maggie Gyllenhaal in WON'T BE BACK, the star of this year's box office Jennifer Lawrence, with THE SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK, and Jessica Chastain in KILL BIN LADEN are the other possibilities.

OSCAR 2013: BEST PICTURE CONTENDERS

After a great Oscar night (Meryl's third!; THE ARTIST!; HUGO!), it's time to start thinking about next year. Here is a list of the possible Oscar contenders for best picture. Expect some big epic productions to finally return.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Academy changed the best pic contenders to 10 after THE DARK KNIGHT and WALL.E failed to get an Oscar nod. It's time to reward the final chapter of Nolan's trilogy. The movie won't have an acting nod (Heath Legder won as Joker; this time, it's difficult to have a contender). I hope some final sympathy for Nolan direction.

ANNA KARENINA
A big epic production will easily impress in the techns cathegories. Keira Knightley can be nominated again.

THE HOBBIT
Everybody will say THE LORD OF THE RINGS was better, but THE HOBBIT is still a trong contender.

LES MISERABLES
Tom Hooper is back with this musical that can easily score a Golden Globe for best comedy/musical. After that, it can have an Oscar nod. Or it can sink like NINE.

LINCOLN
Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis. An actor never won an Oscar in a Spielberg movie. With two already, it will be difficult for Day-Lewis to get his third. But a nod is a strong possibility.

THE MASTER
Paul Thomas Anderson is back and brings Phillip Seymour Hoffman with him.

BRAVE
After a bad year (that only happens when they bet on CARS), Pixar wants to get its groove back and BRAVE seems to be the right way.

WON'T BE BACK
The drama that can get some recognition with Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal on the cast.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES:
DJANGO UNCHAINED
THE GANGSTER SQUAD
TEH GREAT GATSBY
KILL BIN LADEN
LIFE OF PI
THE SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK
THE SURROGATE
TROUBLE WITH CURVE
HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

FIND THE DIFFERENCE

The Weinstein Co. revealed the cover of THE IRON LADY DVD before the Oscars. The DVD is out April 10th in US. (And she actually wears red not blue in this scene)

RANK: THE BEST OF MERYL STREEP

Here is the rank of the best of Meryl Streep's performances, in my opinion.

1. THE IRON LADY
2. SOPHIE'S CHOICE
3. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
4. KRAMER VS. KRAMER
5. A CRY IN THE DARK
6. HOLOCAUST
7. THE DEER HUNTER
8. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
9. THE HOURS
10. ANGELS IN AMERICA
11. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
12. MANHATTAN
13. DOUBT
14. SILKWOOD
15. THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN

Honorable mentions: PLENTY, JULIE & JULIA

ABOUT MERYL AND THE CEREMONY

Just a few points to end this Oscar season:

1) The ceremony was too simple. Billy Cristal did the minimum and it seems that the producers just want to hurry up the ceremony.

2) But the awards were fair like no others. Especially the one for Meryl Streep. One thing happened this year. Many consider the polls as a predictor. But the polls failed this time, if you asked "who will win for best actress" - because the majority answered Viola Davis. The question to be asked this time was "if you were an academy member, who would you vote for?" - the majority answered Meryl Streep. That just a reason why I predicted Meryl to win and not Viola. Because Academy members answer the question "vote for the best actress", not "who will win best actress".

3) It's funny because, many said that THE IRON LADY got no Oscar love lolol After THE ARTIST and HUGO, THE IRON LADY was the most awarded movie of the night - 2 Oscars. THE HELP won one.

4) Finally, I want to remember a post that I wrote on February 13th:

"I wrote last month that Clooney was not a lock for best actor. Last night, BAFTA proved that Jean Dujardin is the real frontrunner: he won Cannes, Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA and he will win the Oscar. He will have the big five of the movie awards and he will be the first.

I also wrote that the best actress race is the most exciting this year. I predicted that it would be difficult for Meryl to win the SAG, because she won with DOUBT. But I also said that the BAFTA, in the last 5 years, seem to be a better Oscar predictor than the SAG. "And Meryl will definitely win the BAFTA for her portrait as Margaret Thatcher. Even if Viola wins the SAG, Meryl can easily gain momentum after the SAG and, with a BAFTA in her hand, she can get her third Oscar", I wrote.

I said everybody were underestimating 2 things, and I add other more:

1) Academy loves biopics and Meryl plays the real Margaret Thatcher. Academy loves protraits of real people and the past years prove it: Colin Firth, Sandra Bullock, Sean Penn, Marion Cotillard, Forest Whitaker, Helen Mirren, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Reese Withersoon, Jamie Foxx, Charlize Theron, Adrien Brody, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Hilary Swank are examples. Penn won over Rourke, Cotillard over Christie... We have to major exceptions: Jeff Bridges over Morgan Freeman - not a great Mandela; Denzel over Russell Crowe - he won the previous year.

2) Harvey Weinstein is always Harvey Weinstein. This is the guy that gave the Oscar to Roberto Benigni, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Michael Caine, etc... and he will give it to Dujardin and to Streep.

3) Meryl has the Oscar performance. Academy loves fireworks and Streep's portrait of Thatcher is all about fireworks.

4) No Oscar love for THE IRON LADY? The movie is a lock for best makeup."