Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe

Welcome to the latest edition of a seasonal weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe. It’s a bit early to be able to accurately predict the eventual Oscar nominees, but around this time, plenty of likely contenders are being released. I’ll be looking every Wednesday at the awards chances for all of the films released the previous week. Additionally, to make up for lost time, I’ll also be taking a look at the films released earlier in the year, one month at a time. Chime in with your thoughts on the Oscar chances for these films in the comments section. Also, if I’ve missed any films from the previous months, please say so!

Films released October 18th, 2013

Kill Your Darlings
This film features some terrific performances from the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Ben Foster, Jack Huston, and Michael C. Hall. Foster has come close to an Oscar nomination before, while Hall has earned TV accolades and Radcliffe is well-known because of the “Harry Potter” franchise. I don’t think any of them will be able to break through, but maybe the film could snag a Best Original Screenplay mention if it’s lucky.

12 Years a Slave
This is possibly the most buzzed-about Oscar contender to be released thus far this year. Count it in for Best Picture, and Steve McQueen in for Best Director. Though neither has managed an Oscar nomination before, Golden Globe nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender should have no trouble getting nominated, while supporting actress Lupita Nyong’o will need to overcome not being well-known in the industry. Best Adapted Screenplay is a lock, and I imagine Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and a few other technical mentions will also come.

Films released May 2013

The Iceman (May 3)
Michael Shannon likely won’t be remembered for his midyear performance as a family man and killer, but it’s worth putting him on the map since he did get nominated in 2008 for his small role in “Revolutionary Road” and probably came close in 2011 for “Take Shelter.”

Iron Man 3 (May 3)
Marvel movies don’t tend to fare all too well with the Oscars, but this series does okay. The first and second films scored Best Visual Effects nominations, and the first also got honored for its sound editing. I suspect this one will end up with exactly one nomination, for its visual effects.

The Great Gatsby (May 10)
Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar track record includes an art direction mention for “Romeo and Juliet,” a costume design bid for “Australia,” and wins in both those categories, plus a handful of nominations, including one for Best Picture, for “Moulin Rouge.” This one didn’t go over well with everyone, and so I think art direction, costume design, and maybe cinematography are all that will be recognized this year.

Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17)
J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of this franchise came close to getting nominated for Best Picture and probably should have in its first ten-wide field. The fact that it didn’t means this one won’t either, but it should be able to manage at least a few nominations, likely in the same categories where the first one showed up: visual effects, sound, sound editing, and makeup.

Before Midnight (May 24)
Richard Linklater’s decades-spanning trilogy comes to an end this year with this extremely well-received final installment. The second film, in 2004, earned a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination, and it’s likely that this one will as well.