Best Picture Nominees: Rex’s Choices

Below are the films that Rex Okpodu, LW’s Oscar obsessive, thinks will be nominated this Thursday when the Academy announces.

Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Argo
Les Misérables
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Django Unchained
Moonrise Kingdom
Skyfall
Amour

Alternates: The Master
or
Beasts of the Southern Wild

The first five films (in order of strength) are the top contenders and are almost certain to get nominated for best picture on Jan 10. Depending on the final number of nominees this year, Moonrise, Pi, and Django could round up the list to 8 as they were each nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama and Comedy or Musical respectively at the recently announced Golden Globes. Going by its inclusion by the Producers Guild, Skyfall (in its 50th anniversary outing) could become the first Bond film nominated for best picture. The 10th nominee could be the critically acclaimed Amour, which is very likely to win the Foreign Film category. I have decided to include 2 alternates as contenders for the 10th slot, The Master and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Though previously touted, they did not seem to get much traction from Critics as the season unfolded but could make a late splash if they garner enough supporters in the Academy.

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