IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--University of California, Irvine Extension is pleased to announce Dr. Michael Berlin, host of the Sneak Previews with Michael Berlin film series, is sharing industry insight regarding the upcoming 84th Annual Academy Awards. With a distinguished three-decade career in Hollywood, Berlin provides information regarding who he believes will be future Oscar winners, the most deserving nominees, the biggest snubs of the year and actors he expects to be nominated in upcoming years.
“This year’s Academy definitely has a select number of films they will favor and a few performances that were highly Oscar-worthy, but will not receive the deserved recognition this year,” said Berlin. “My 2012 Oscar predictions are based on the ever-changing climate of the entertainment industry, the notable Academy favorites and the undeniable brilliant performances given this year by many acclaimed professionals behind and in front of the camera.”
BERLIN’S PREDICTIONS:
- Best Picture: The Artist will win Best Picture, and rightfully so. Berlin believes it was the most “complete and original” film of the year.
- Actor in a Leading Role: Although Brad Pitt gave the best performance of the year in Moneyball, Berlin believes George Clooney will win for his performance in The Descendants. “He is the Cary Grant of this generation and is a very diverse actor who truly loses himself in the role and isn’t ashamed to play even the most unsophisticated characters.” Berlin also states that, “Though he may not have said a word of dialogue, Jean Dujardin gave a memorable performance in "The Artist" and reminded us that great actors convey everything an audience needs to know in a look, a smile, a downward glance - a memorable performance in a special film.”
- Actor in a Supporting Role: Berlin claims that Christopher Plummer will and should win this award for his performance in Beginners. He calls it a “lifetime” role in a mostly unseen movie, yet notes that Max von Sydow also gave a great performance in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
- Actress in a Leading Role: Viola Davis will most likely win this award. “Davis’ performance in The Help was outstanding and well-deserving of an Oscar; however, I think Michelle Williams had the performance of the year in My Week With Marilyn. After five minutes of watching Williams I thought I was watching Marilyn Monroe herself.”
- Actress in a Supporting Role: Further recognizing the brilliant acting in The Help, Berlin believes Octavia Spencer will win this award for a stellar performance - noting that Jessica Chastain delivered a flawless performance in the film. Berlin predicts that her name will be on the Oscar ballot for years to come.
- People to Watch: Berlin lists Jessica Chastain, Michael Fassbender and Evan Rachel Wood as stars to watch out for in the near future.
- Biggest Snubs: The performances Berlin thinks are Oscar-worthy but didn’t receive a nomination were given by Charlize Theron in Young Adult, Shailene Woodley in The Descendants and Michael Fassbender in Shame.
“Michael brings a vast array of experience and knowledge of the film industry to our Sneak Preview film series each year, and we are looking forward to seeing how his Oscar predictions will play out as we design our next film screening series,” said Kirwan Rockefeller, executive producer of Sneak Previews at UC Irvine Extension.
Previous “Sneak Previews” series have included both Academy Award®-winning and nominated movies such as “Black Swan,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Juno,” “Atonement,” “Kinsey” and “Hotel Rwanda.” Each engagement is accompanied by interviews and open Q&A sessions with producers, directors, screenwriters and other entertainment industry leaders.
Dr. Michael Berlin, who has a long list of screenwriting and producing credits to his name, has written feature films including “Anguish,” “Breaking Point” and “Robo-Warriors” and for many TV series including “Miami Vice,” “Cagney & Lacey,” “Murder She Wrote,” “Diagnosis: Murder,” “Sisters,” “The Commish,” “Jake and the Fatman,” “Hunter,” “Missing Persons,” “The Exile,” “UNSUB,” “Earth: Final Conflict” and “The Outer Limits.” Most recently, Berlin was the executive producer of “Ars Medicina,” the 2011 winner of best documentary at the Downtown Boca Film Festival.
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About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.2 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.