Captain Phillips, 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street and Gravity are personal favourites of mine and they’re all brilliant cinematic pieces in their own right. Captain Phillips, directed by Paul Greengrass, tells the true story of when Captain Phillips (played convincingly by Tom Hanks) was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. The movie is filled with on-the-edge-of-your-seat narrative and beautiful directing to accompany it, and Hanks’ performance was outstanding.
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in Alfonso Cuarón’s cinematic masterpiece Gravity; a fictitious drama illustrating the story of when a medical engineer and an astronaut attempt to survive an accident that leaves them adrift in space. Gravity has gained a notable number of awards thus far, for its directing and its picture, which suggests that winning an Oscar is hugely promising. Not to mention its worthiness. Also in the same category as Gravity and Captain Phillips is 12 Years A Slave.
Wonderfully directed by Steve Mcqueen, the movie is based on a true story that narrates the life of Solomon Northup, a free black man in New York in the 1850s, and how his life comes to be when he is abducted and sold into slavery. All performances in this movie are incredible and it succeeds in shining a light on the dark historical events regarding racism in the United States. Up against this is the polarised The Wolf of Wall Street.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker whose involvement in crime and the federal government leads to his downfall. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the movie is filled with outstanding cinematography, directing and acting performances that make it a worthy contender at the Oscars.
Whatever the winners this year, all nominees are worthy of their position and it is extremely difficult to choose one over the others. They are all unique; telling different stories of racism, oppression, capitalism and other thrilling conventions. You’d be mad to miss the ceremony this year – be sure to catch it on March 2 and, if you’ve not been won over already, it’s being hosted this year by Ellen DeGeneres!
Kelly Scanlon