Eight Films, Eight Oscars for 2014

This has been a record year for high quality films, all deserving, in their own way, at least one Oscar. For the voting members, it surely must be a very difficult nomination process because of the quality content. If you have not seen most of the following, you should, they are equally all excellent films.

The films in the Top 8 are:

• American Hustle
• Gravity
• 12 Years as a Slave
• Capt. Phillips
• Dallas Buyers Club
• Her
• Philomenia
• Wolf of Wall Street
• August: Osage County

The first two on the list are the favorites for best film. But, all of the remaining films are contenders or possible spoilers. Of the above films, the weakest links, in my opinion, are Capt. Phillips and Philomenia. Yes, both are good films, but they both are still slightly below the Oscar caliber. They lack the special impact. The remaining films all have that "Oscar" quality overall.

The acting performances and scripts in August, Wolf, Dallas, Hustle, are all A+. It is very hard to say one of these is really better or worse than other. It comes down to preference. Gravity should win for technological techniques and Sandra Bullock carried the movie, but the genre may put it in a notch beneath the acting of in August: Osage County or 12 Years as a Slave (which is a true story about a talented black man abducted and sold as a slave). The acting in Dallas (also a true story) is highly worthy of an Oscar, as well. The script for American Hustle and Her is worthy of an Oscar. Her is about a man who falls in love with is female OS on his phone, who is actually intelligent. God, I wish I had thought of the storyline! Of course, the acting has to carry the film and does. Not to forget, Lone Wolf, Di Caprio, is worthy of an oscar, yet again. The film and direction is so good and again, based on a true story, it is hard believe it did occur! After seeing this film, you are very skeptical about anything connected with newbies on Wall Street.

I like sci-fi, and Gravity was excellent, yet as I think about my favorite films, it seems to always is a notch or two below others on this list. It is a very visual film, short on dialogue and character interaction. When compared to most of the others, it just seems less fulfilling. How the film was made deserves an Oscar, hands-down.

Probably, like many voting members, the decision is difficult because for the first time in many years, the Oscars has many Oscar worthy films. Each one is worthy and it may just come down to personal preferences and other reasons one film will get the Best Film for 2013.