The choices for the Oscars

Now to Sunday night’s Oscar® ceremony. 12 Years a Slave seems the surest candidate for best picture for a long time (and one wonders what the point is of having nine nominees when most are no-hopers) yet the scope and imagination of Gravity means Alfonso Cuaron is favourite for best director. Likewise, Chiwetel Ejiofor as the slave Solomon Northup (who had no choice in his fate) may well be trumped for best actor by Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal in Dallas Buyers Club of AIDS sufferer Ron Woodruff, taking some control over his life. For best actress neither Sandra Bullock’s lost in space astronaut nor Amy Adams as a con artist with very plongé necklines in American Hustle, nor the allegations about Woody Allen, look like keeping Cate Blanchett from the prize as Blanche Dubois-alike Jasmine

in Allen’s Blue Jasmine.

It’s a genuine contest for best supporting actress between Lupita Nyongo ( 12

Years a Slave) and Jennifer Lawrence ( American Hustle) – the latter for me requiring more nuances. Hot favourite for best supporting actor is Jared Leto as transgender Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club, but maybe the Academy will follow BAFTA in giving it to Barkhad Abdi as the leading pirate in Captain Phillips. In a thin year for animated films, Frozen is another certainty. Cinematography and other technical stuff may give Gravity most awards, but there look to be few surprises in the offing – could this be the most predictable Oscar ceremony either? Oscars Host Ellen DeGeneres