Oscar Picks of 2014

By Patrick Y. Lee

The better question is if Ellen DeGeneres will do a better job hosting than Seth McFarlane — How will Ellen compare to Seth McFarlane?

This year’s Oscar-nominated films are relatively refined — a definitive American tale (“12 Years a Slave), an inventive Scorsesian movie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), and several other idiosyncratic ones (“Her”, “Gravity”, and “American Hustle”).

Despite the batch of sophisticated nominations, it is saddening to see the talent of visual artists lie in the hands of a few thousand white, male folks. That the awards are handed to those films which best epitomize the desirable reputation of Hollywood is also unjust and partisan. For those filmmakers who, all their lives, had pursued the golden gloss of the statue, yet were immediately crushed by these crude tallies, I urge you not to be.

In fact, for those enlightened artists scanning these lines, you already understand the orgasmic experience of filmmaking. However enchanting a BAFTA or Golden Globe is, the feeling one undergoes after being absorbed in a finished artwork that encapsulates a moving story is nonpareil.

With this disheartening facet in mind, here are my picks for the 2014 Oscars.

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave