In the wee hours on Jan. 25, Hollywood’s most prestigious nominations were announced. The 83rd Academy Awards, also informally known as “The Oscars,” will be held live Feb. 27 on ABC. The web was buzzing the day they were announced with predictions and musings about the chosen nominations for each of the categories. Having seen most of the nominated films, I decided to analyze some of the categories and make a few of my own predictions.

Best Picture

Black Swan:

It’s creepy and it’s bold. This psychological thriller powerfully seduces the audience into Nina’s (Natalie Portman) bizarre and alarming hallucinations. Portman owns the screen with passion and mystery. The only hitch is that the subject matter may alienate some moviegoers.

The Fighter:

While most films are carried by one or two of the main actors, “The Fighter” is refreshingly different. Every character in the film upholds this inspiring film. Melissa Leo and Amy Adams in particular dominated the screen; both women exhibited an astonishing display of talent that, combined with Mark Wahlberg’s and Christian Bale’s unique performances, were an unbeatable team.

Inception:

Christopher Nolan outdid himself with this one. With a great cast, impeccable cinematography, and an original storyline that put audiences in sheer awe, “Inception” is a moviegoers dream. However, it’s very unlikely that it will win, seeing as the academy rarely chooses blockbusters.

[The Kids Are All Right](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kids_Are_All_Right_(film):

I didn’t get a chance to see this film, but I know that it walked away with two Golden Globes (Best Picture and Annette Bening for Best Actress) and garnered four Oscar nominations. The Los Angeles Times thought it had, “Peerless performances, lyrical direction and an adventurous script,” and that it was “the sort of pleasingly grown-up fare all too rare.”

The King’s Speech:

The movie that makes you feel. Just about as perfect as a film can get, “King’s Speech,” delivers with a star-studded cast and surprising comedic moments. These elements make it a historical timepiece that leaves you as speechless as King George VI (Colin Firth). Firth and Geoffrey Rush have great chemistry together, while Helena Bonham Carter doesn’t disappoint as Queen Elizabeth. It’s no wonder it garnered the most Oscar nominations–12 to be exact. This film stands the best chance at winning so far, because it won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Actor at the SAG Awards, which in the past has been a good indicator for The Oscars.

127 Hours:

It’s moving and fresh. “127 Hours” is based on the impossible true story of Aron Ralston. The cinematography is outstanding and it does a great job of taking the audience through the real events that occurred, without boring them like a documentary would. It’s a small film that did fine in theatres although it has a very low chance of winning despite its great artistry. It did, however, pick up 6 Oscar Nominations (Including James Franco for Best Actor).

The Social Network:

Only two words can describe this film — sheer disappointment. With all of the hype surrounding it, I thought I would want to give a standing ovation at the end. It’s a decent film, with decent actors and a decent script, but it was far from mind-blowing. Jesse Eisenberg was cheeky and smart at times, but the film itself was lackluster. At the end of the film, there is no emotional resonance felt with the characters, and no resolution had taken place. It doesn’t even deserve a nomination in this category. Based off of the previous award shows this year, however, it stands a good chance at winning.

Toy Story 3:

This beloved film is filled with emotion, heart-warming moments and downright love. It was also well-paced with good action and great comedic timing. All ages will enjoy this film, and will probably need a tissue box.

True Grit:

Punishment comes one way or the other, and it did for films pitted against this one. It’s nitty, it’s gritty and it’s a downright old country western. “True Grit” has a jaw-dropping script, a cast that makes other actors look like boy scouts, great cinematography and even splashes of comedy spread throughout. The dialogue in the movie was indescribably perfect. Newcomer Hallie Steinfeld nailed her part, and doesn’t miss a beat with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. This film earned its spurs with 10 Oscar Nominations, right behind “The King’s Speech.”

Winter’s Bone:

Once again, I didn’t see this movie but it received 4 Oscar Nominations (Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress and John Hawkes for Best Supporting Actor) and won two awards from The Sundance Film Festival for Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (“Biutiful“):

This is the first time I have actually heard about Bardem being in this film, but it’s up for two Oscars (Best Actor and Best Foreign Film). However, seeing Bardem’s other works gives me an idea of how he did. He’s a remarkable actor that always seems to bring the right things to the table.

Jeff Bridges (“True Grit“):

Few could fill the shoes of John Wayne and Bridges didn’t either — he’s bigger and better. He is hilarious in the role of the ornery Marshall, while also bringing his own style to the role. Bridges is a versatile actor that really can do it all. People will be saying that it will be hard to fill his shoes, since it is already hard to walk in the great shadow he casts.

Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network“):

He played a good nerd in “The Social Network”–– he executed his lines well and really owned being a jerk. Eisenberg carried most of the film, and I credit much of its success to his ability to bring uniqueness to any role he plays. He’s young and has a promising career ahead of him, though going against other seasoned and more well-known actors will prove difficult in this category.

Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech“):

His versatility is breathtaking, his passion consuming and his dedication inspiring. I don’t think anyone else could have played King George VI and won the audience over the way Firth did. He has a knack for portraying difficult emotions, while charming the audience with his simple charisma. I think it will be a showdown between him and Bridges–– and Firth may just come out on top.

James Franco (“127 Hours“):

Franco has been continually proving himself as an actor by taking a variety of roles (Spiderman, Pineapple Express, Milk) with quite dissimilar characteristics. Playing the only character in a film is tough, but Franco proves that he has the acting chops to do it. He brings sentimentality to the role, displaying a great emotional range, when it came time to do so— amputating his arm and saying goodbye to loved ones, just to name a few. He did a great job, but his film but was not a roaring success, unfortunately.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale (“The Fighter“):

Bale did an outstanding job as Dicky Ward. From his accent, to his charming mannerisms, to his drug addiction—Bale truly helps make “The Fighter” a moving and bold film. After winning Best Supporting Actor for the SAG Awards, he has a very good chance of winning an Oscar.

John Hawkes (“Winter Bones“):

Since I didn’t see this film I can’t comment on his performance.

John Renner (“The Town“):

Renner stormed the film industry in “The Hurt Locker” as the outrageously fearless Sergeant William James. He plays his roles fearlessly and with fervor. He’s a great actor, especially when it comes to the action genre, his only setback in this race is that he is pitted against men that are in more artistic films.

Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are All Right“):

Since I didn’t see this film I can’t comment on his performance.

Geoffrey Rush (“The King’s Speech“):

Rush is perfect and is one of the reasons that “The King’s Speech” is perfect. He’s witty, unconventional and at times a tad bit crazy. He brought his A-game and combined with Firth’s charm, well it’s no wonder “The King’s Speech” earned the most nominations.

Actress in a Leading Role

Out of all of these films, I only saw “Black Swan,” but it in this race, it will mainly boil down to Annette Bening and Natalie Portman. Although most of the other films are obscure and have done O.K. in theatres, Portman and Bening have been the two that have been gaining traction and awards. This is a tough race to call because both women have done amazing jobs and both are popular. Portman won a SAG Award for Best Actress which is usually a good predictor of The Oscars but Bening could come up from being an underdog and take the prize.

Annette Bening (“The Kids Are All Right“)

Nicole Kidman (“The Rabbit Hole“)

Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone“)

Natalie Portman (“Black Swan“)

Michelle Williams (“Blue Valentine“)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams (“The Fighter“):

She’s tough and shows no fear. Adams has come along way from “Enchanted” and has continuously been astonishing audiences in her dramatic performances. She does a solid job but her co-star Melissa Leo is putting up a tough fight and may prove fatal.

Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech“):

She is one of the most intense and versatile actresses. She is known for doing weird films that usually involve Tim Burton and has recently been wowing fans with her performance as Bellatrix Lestrange in The Harry Potter series. “The King’s Speech” is a surprising change-up and although her role is small, she owns it and plays her part well.

Melissa Leo (“The Fighter“):

Leo seems to have come out of nowhere with her performance as Micky Ward’s mother in “The Fighter”. I loved her, I hated her and sometimes felt both for her in this film but ended up walking out amazed at her performance. It’s refreshing to see an actress bringing toughness and love at the same time to a motherly character. She’s been gaining hype and won a Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress so she has the best chance of winning the Oscar.

Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit“):

Her story tells it all. She was cast at the mere age of 13 for her role as Mattie Ross and started filming at 14. The script in “True Grit” would be tough for seasoned actors, let alone a young girl but Steinfeld pulls it off seamlessly with her impeccable comedic timing and witty performance. She holds her own against the other women in this category and should win because she performs at the same level (and may even outperform some of them) but at a younger age and with less acting experience but it’s unlikely that she will win—because of her age. The Oscars is a little snobbish when it comes to lesser seasoned actors and will probably go with Leo because of her age and will probably figure in her entire body of work.

Jackie Weaver (“Animal Kingdom“):

Since I didn’t see this film I can’t comment on her performance.

Animated Feature Film

How to Train Your Dragon

The Illusionist

Toy Story 3

I’m going with this one because it was such a perfect film and was beloved by fans. It gained a 99% on rotten tomatoes and was a great final chapter in an amazing series.

Cinematography

“Black Swan”
“Inception”: This film just looked the best overall
“The King’s Speech”
“The Social Network”
“True Grit”

Costume Design

All had great wardrobes that matched their respective themes and eras but “Alice” just took the cake.

“Alice in Wonderland” (Colleen Atwood)
“I Am Love” (Antonella Cannarozzi)
“The King’s Speech” (Jenny Beavan)
“The Tempest” (Sandy Powell)
“True Grit” (Mary Zophres)

Directing

“Black Swan” (Darren Aronofsky)
“The Fighter” (David O. Russell)
“The King’s Speech” (Tom Hooper):
It garnered DGA and SAG Awards for Feature Film and Best Cast respectively which are really good signs that Hooper will win in this category

“The Social Network” (David Fincher)
“True Grit” (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)

Visual Effects

It’s a tough call in this category since these films all display such amazing visual effects that it really could go to any one of these.

“Alice in Wonderland”:

25% chance of winning

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”:

20% chance of winning

“Hereafter”:

10% chance of winning

“[Inception](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception_(film)”:

30% chance of winning

“Iron Man 2”:

15% chance of winning

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“127 Hours”

(Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy): They did a good job adapting this story from the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place.

“The Social Network”

(Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin)

“Toy Story 3”

Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich): Their job was difficult because they had to adapt a story from characters that are toys.

“True Grit”

(Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen): They were 98% accurate to the book, I think they did the best job.

“Winter’s Bone”

(Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini)

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“Another Year”

(Written by Mike Leigh)

“The Fighter”

(Screenplay by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy)

“Inception”

(Written by Christopher Nolan): It was bold and original

“The Kids Are All Right”

(Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg)

“The King’s Speech”

(Screenplay by David Seidler)