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Who Gets Your Oscar Vote?

The 86th Annual Academy Awards are less than a week away and film enthusiasts everywhere are wondering who will win.

Let’s focus on the Best Picture category. It’s been called the closest Oscar race in recent history. The three front-runners, American Hustle, Gravity, and 12 Years a Slave, have all been equally acknowledged at other awards shows this season. There is no clear favorite to take home the biggest prize of the night, so it seems that fans will be guessing the winner up until the last moment.

Yes, there are six other films nominated, so everyone could be in for a big surprise… but let’s take a look at these three most-likelys:

AMERICAN-HUSTLE

American Hustle

Director David O’Russell’s latest… this movie received rave reviews, but also acquired a fair amount of nay-sayers. It benefits hugely from its prestigious, of-the-moment cast (which includes ‘it girl’ Jennifer Lawrence) and O’Russell’s own popularity.

Despite the stellar performances and the fun ride it gives audiences, does this film really deserve Best Picture? Its detractors argue that there are glaring plot holes and that it often seems actors were ad-libbing and having fun instead of following a tight script. It’s also been called a “hairdo” movie, relying on the period-piece costumes and wigs for a lot of its appeal.

What do you think?

Gravity

Gravity

Gravity, from Alfonso Cuarón, has been a game-changer in the world of film. Nothing quite like it has ever been seen before, and it left audiences breathless. Beginning to end, the film maintains tension, stunning visuals, and heart.

However… it has also been simultaneously accused of having one-dimensional characters and having the backstory for Sandra Bullock’s character be unnecessary.   Some people view it more as a thrill ride that doesn’t achieve Best Picture ranks on an emotional level.

12-years-a-slave

12 Years a Slave

Director Steve McQueen is no stranger to tackling difficult subjects in brutal, graphic ways. 2008’s Hunger was a devastatingly vivid portrayal of a hunger strike that took place in a prison in Northern Ireland.

McQueen continues to cast his eye on harsh realities with 12 Years a Slave, based on the true book by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted and sold into slavery. True to form, McQueen doesn’t pull any punches when showing the brutality toward slaves. However, some people have accused this movie of being ‘torture porn,’ and still others have pointed out that its chances for taking home the Best Picture Oscar are damaged by the fact that, not wanting to see extreme suffering, many academy members may not even watch it.

Who do you think will take home Best Picture? American Hustle, Gravity, 12 Years a Slave – or one of the other six films nominated? The complete list of nominees is as follows:

Cast your vote in the comments below – then tune in to the Academy Awards on March 2, 2014 to see if you’re right!

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

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