Best Feature Film, picked by Anthony Nathan – “Django Unchained”

Critiqued for its excessive use of the n-word and the not-so-subtle historical inaccuracies like “Mandingo” fighting and 1980s weaponry, Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” plays with a story we have heard our whole lives and adds a “bad-ass” element to it – pretty unheard of in movies about slavery.

It is surreal to see Leonardo DiCaprio in this film as a slave owner who shares ignorance and repugnance in equal parts and Jamie Foxx as a hero in blue velvet and ruffles. The film is a bit of an underdog compared to “Argo” and “Life of Pi” but this film will make itself heard regardless, because the only thing silent about “Django” is the “D.”

Best Feature Film, picked by Scott Barrett – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” is a great watch for someone interested in a captivating and somewhat unusual movie. The dramatic tale centers on a small flood stricken community, who struggles among tree tops and second stories. The independent film has some elements of fantasy, such as a pack of giant prehistoric child-eating boars almost always in advance of the main character, a compassionate but fierce young girl. She lives with her quick tempered and harsh father and bears the search of her runaway mother.

The young girl’s age shows in her soft side as she curiously and carefully puts her ear to her farm animals the fisher’s catch, to hear the noises and language of the life around her. But in this harsh world, she also declares without hesitation, “If my daddy don’t get home soon, it’s gonna be time for me to start eating my pets.”

I liked the movie. It was fun to watch the group making the best of their situation through small celebrations and cooperation. Somewhere between a floating bomb in an alligator and a mostly inebriated collective of stubborn residents, the gravity of the movie evokes a thoughtful consideration for the struggles in life, despite the unique cultural and environmental situations portrayed. Most of the movie continues at an inviting pace- I did not want to look away and miss their next adventure of preservation to establish a peaceful life.

Best Actor, picked by Anthony Nathan – Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook” plays a character who struggles with being bipolar while trying to piece his old life together, without noticing a new one has blossomed. Cooper plays a person with real strengths and flaws – someone you root for even while you find some of their mannerisms hard to deal with and someone who is lost but not hopeless.

Several actors have tried to embody characters with mental illnesses. Some succeed (Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump”) most fail (Sean Penn in” I Am Sam”). Cooper falls somewhere in the middle but definitely on the Oscar side of the poles.

Best Actress, picked by Shanel Royal – Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is sure to win best actress for her performance in “Silver Linings Playbook.” This is the second Oscar nomination for Lawrence, 22, in the best actress category. Her first was for “Winter’s Bone” in 2011.

I think Lawrence has a chance to win because she has already won best actress for “Silver Linings Playbook” at various award shows including the Emmys.

Lawrence is a versatile actress, tackling roles such as a widow and a warrior proving that she can handle mature characters at a very young age.

Although she is up against some big names such as Sally Field and Jessica Chastain, I think the adult role she plays show she deserves to win.