One of the largest precursors to the Oscars is the ever surprising Screen Actors Guild Awards. The recently announced SAG nominations are filled with strong Oscar contenders. Leading the pack is the critically acclaimed film 12 Years a Slave which earned four nominations: Best Ensemble, Lead Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Supporting nominations for Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o. Not surprisingly The Butler follows with three nominations: Best Ensemble, Lead Actor for Forest Whitaker, and Supporting Actress for Oprah Winfrey. The 2013 film year has been filled with many strong performances and films. I am not surprised that 12 Years a Slave and The Butler led the pack from the Screen Actors Guild.
While I have not had the opportunity to see 12 Years a Slave due to it's late UK release (I am presently living in London). It has been widely applauded by the film and critic communities respectively. 12 Years a Slave is an intense drama about a free black man that is kidnapped and sold into slavery. As the title suggests, he spends twelve years held against his will as a slave on a Southern U.S. plantation. I can only imagine the raw emotions that this film must illicit from it's audiences and from my understanding, Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a tour-d-force worthy of not but the highest of praise.
Unlike 12 Years a Slave I did have the immense pleasure of viewing Lee Daniels' The Butler. My brief review of the film can be viewed by here on my blog. The Butler is nothing short of spectacular. The blockbuster drama tells the true story of a black man that worked as a butler in the White House under eight presidents of the United States of America. Until now, the film has been widely ignored by the critics awards this season. With three Screen Actors Guild nominations under it's belt, we are likely to see The Butler at both the Golden Globes presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Oscars which are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
While the Screen Actors Guild Awards are smaller than its big brother and sister ceremonies (The Oscars and The Globes), they often set the tone for the way the nominations for the other ceremonies will go. The SAG Awards also provide an opportunity for previously unrecognized films and actors to gain recognition that they previously would not have received. I have listed my predictions for the SAG Awards below. I will not comment on the television side as I am inclined to root for personal favorites such as Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, and Scandal. I also have not seen enough of any of the other nominees to give an informed decision. Without further adieu, here are my picks in each of the film categories.
Lead Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave. From what I can tell of the film his role requires a larger range of emotions from the actor than that of Forest Whitaker's butler. Other nominees are Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), and Forest Whitaker (The Butler).
Lead Actress: Sandra Bullock, Gravity. Sandra Bullock's performance in Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity is nothing short of breathtaking. It has to be the most expressive performance of her entire career. The other contenders in this category are all amazing actresses but I have gut feeling about this. Other nominees are Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Judi Dench (Philomena), Meryl Streep (August: Osage County), and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks).
Supporting Actor: I cannot voice an opinion for this category as I have not had the opportunity to see any of the films nominated. Nominees are Barkhad Abdi (Captain Philips), Daniel Bruhl (Rush), Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), James Gandolfini (Enough Said), and Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club).
Supporting Actress: Oprah Winfrey, The Butler; or Jennifer Lawerence, American Hustle. This category can honestly go either way. I am saddened that Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station) was overlooked in this category but I remain hopeful that she will gain recognition elsewhere. Oprah Winfrey's absence from film has been well noted and her role in The Butler is emotional and raw. Jennifer Lawrence is an Academy darling. With two Academy Awards under her belt and being the face of The Hunger Games, she has nothing to prove. Her performance in American Hustle is filled with the kind of grit that only the best actresses can summon. Other nominees are Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave), Julia Roberts (Osage County), and June Squibb (Nebraska).
Ensemble Cast: This category is anyone's guess. Each film nominated has a spectacular cast that is filled with high caliber performances. However, I will remark that I would have preferred to see The Wolf of Wall Street here instead of August: Osage County. The nominees are 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, August: Osage County, Dallas Buyers Club, and The Butler.
