Oscar season is always a frustrating time. For me, this is mainly because the famous Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science only ever give their famous 13 ½ inch statuettes to films that are released between October and December, that have spent millions of dollars on their 'for your consideration' campaign and that, sadly, are exclusively in English, thus often ignoring some of the most innovative and genuinely exciting film making of the year. However for the average film goer the frustration comes in sitting down to watch awards shows, and realising fairly quickly that they haven’t seen any of films on show. This year, however, fear not! Instead of watching the BAFTA, saying that you’ll get the films on DVD and never getting round to it, here are the five films with hot Oscar-buzz to watch over Christmas and Lent term, so that you can be awards-literate come February (I know, you can thank me later).

Best Picture – Unbroken

Directed by none other than Angelina Jolie, co-written by the Coen Brothers, with a stellar cast, a Christmas Day release date in the US and based on the story of Olympic athlete and war hero Louis Zamperini, Unbroken has the killer combination of a real life, inspirational, 'America… fuck yeah' storyline with some serious celebrity backing. Despite the fact it is yet to be seen, Unbroken is undoubtedly a serious contender.

Unbroken is released on 16th January.

 

Best Director – Birdman

On the back of rave reviews from the Venice International Film Festival, Birdman may fly high come February. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s black comedy about a washed up actor not only reportedly has a whip smart script, but also, after watching the trailer, looks visually stunning. The Oscars do have a history of splitting director and picture awards in a competitive year. Just 10 months ago, Alfonso Cuarón was awarded the director prize for his work on Gravity, whereas the big prize of the night went to Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave. Given the standard of this year’s films, don’t be surprised if this decision is repeated.

Birdman is released on 2nd January.

 

Best Actor – Foxcatcher

When it comes to acting awards, the Academy loves one thing above all; transformations. Last February both Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConuaghey won Oscars after shedding weight, and Charlize Theron was barely recognizable as Aileen Wournos in the terrific Monster. This year, it is Steve Carrel who has this card up his sleeve. Not only is he sporting a large and crooked nose, in Foxcatcher he is giving us a performance a far cry from the roles that have made him famour (just look at The US Office or Anchorman). Instead of loving lamp, Carell plays the creepy, schizophrenic billionaire and wrestling fanatic John Du-Pont, who made headlines in the late 90s for all the wrong reason. Although this year’s Best Actor race is extremely competitive, with allegedly strong performances from Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), the drastic shift from the silly to the sinister may just give Carell the edge to cross the finishing line first.

Foxcatcher is released on 9th January. 

Best Actress: Big Eyes

Although having a bodily transformation can certainly help you win an Oscar, being 'owed' an Oscar is also a powerful tool. After 5 Oscar nominations and 5 Oscar losses, surely the Academy will give Amy Adams an Oscar at the earliest opportunity. Luckily for her, this opportunity comes in the form of Big Eyes, Tim Burton’s biopic of Margaret Keane, an artist whose husband took credit for her famous big-eyed paintings. Adams is fantastic in everything; she’s one of those actors you can rely on to give a great performance. This, combined with the fact that she should have won for The Master… and Junebug… and probably for Doubt too, will fare well for Adams come Oscar night.

Big Eyes is released on Boxing Day.

 

DVD release: Boyhood

Although I’m very excited for the films above, if there’s one film that you see between now and Oscar month I urge you to make it Boyhood. Released in July this year, this is undoubtedly one of the best films you’ll see. Filmed over 12 years, Richard Linklater’s masterpiece tells the story of Mason, a regular boy from Texas, from ages 5 to 18. It’s a truly incredible and innovative piece of filmmaking; it’s like watching your childhood play out before you, as if Linklater has captured our generation perfectly on camera. Whether it will make an impression this awards season who knows; it’s an indie film, seen by few and released early, yet the critics and everyone who’s seen it absolutely adore it. I think Boyhood will leave a big impression on the academy, as it has to everyone who saw it this summer.

Boyhood is released on DVD on 19th January.