Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Picture

The competition: The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse

Previous winners: The King’s Speech, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, The Departed, Crash
My winner: In a Better World
Who should win: The Artist
Who will win: With more than five nominees, the possibility for an upset in the Best Picture race is increased considerably, but that hasn’t changed things over the past two years, when there were ten nominees. Having nine doesn’t affect things much, and I’d imagine that the frontrunner should have an easy time winning. First, to dissect the candidates: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” while a fantastic inclusion, doesn’t have enough support, and “The Tree of Life” was too divisive. It’s hard for people to take “War Horse” seriously, and “Midnight in Paris” is fun but doesn’t have the appropriate oomph needed to win the top award. “Moneyball” has been nominated for a lot but hasn’t won nearly as much, so I wouldn’t count on it, and though they were out in front at various points during awards season, both “The Help” and “The Descendants” aren’t likely to win. That leaves it between “Hugo” and “The Artist,” and while the magic of cinema might catapult the former to a win, I think the latter is just too irresistibly charming. “The Artist” for the win!