This year’s Academy Awards is set to be one of the most competitive in years. More often than not, the Oscars will allow one movie to sweep across the majority of the categories. For instance, the year we all sat down and watched “Titanic” take home 11 awards while the other nominees just gritted their teeth. I think this year is set to be a very unpredictable year.

All of the big contenders this year seem to be on a leveled playing field. Eight of the 10 movies nominated for best picture are imdb.com’s list of the top 250 movies of all time. One of these movies is “Toy Story 3,” and the fact that animated films are being nominated makes it obvious the Academy is being fair in who they nominate. The big contenders this year are Christopher Nolan’s science fiction masterpiece “Inception,” “The Social Network,” “True Grit,” and the biopic about King George VI “The King’s Speech.”

Joel and Ethan Coen’s updated version of the John Wayne classic “True Grit” received a staggering 10 nominations. In the Coen brothers’ remake with the same title, Jeff Bridges plays the film’s lead character Rooster Cogburn, a performance that got Bridges his sixth Oscar nomination to go along with the win he received last year for his performance in “Crazy Heart.” Colin Firth’s performance as the stammering King George VI has already earned him a Golden Globe, and the Oscar buzz surrounding his performance is deafening, so it doesn’t look as if Bridges will be taking home his second Oscar.

Other contenders in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category include first-time nominees James Franco, Jesse Eisenberg and past winner Javier Bardem.

The other acting categories are just as competitive. Annette Benning and Natalie Portman have been nominated for the Best Actress in a Leading Role category for their roles in “The Kids are Alright” and “Black Swan.” Other nominated performances include class acts such as Michelle Williams and Nicole Kidman, which are certainly worthy of praise, but Portman and Benning have stolen the spotlight this awards season.

Benning and Portman have both been nominated for Oscars in the past and both won a Golden Globe for their performances in the aforementioned films they have been nominated for this year. They were both able to win the Globe since one of them was nominated in the drama category and the other in the musical or comedy category. It will certainly be interesting to see which performance ends up with the Oscar now that they’ve been put into a category together.

While the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category contains some big names such as two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner and Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, the odds seem to be in Batman’s, I mean, Christian Bale’s favor. His performance as the crack addict brother of boxer Mickey Ward has garnered international praise and put both a Golden Globe award and a Screen Actors Guild award in his hands. Most, including myself, expect to see Mr. Bale take the stage to accept his Oscar this year.

Another performance in the film “The Fighter” has gotten a great deal of recognition this awards season, and that was Melissa Leo’s portrayal of boxer Mickey Ward’s incompetent manager and mother. Amy Adams was also nominated for her performance in “The Fighter.” Other nominees include the very young but very talented Hailee Steinfeld, who, at just 14, received a nomination for her above-par performance in “True Grit.”

Personally, I am a huge Amy Adams fan, and, after seeing her lose the other two years she was previously nominated, I am really hoping the third time will be the charm, and she can go home with the award. Unfortunately, the Academy doesn’t hold my opinion in too high of regard, and Melissa Leo’s emotionally demanding portrayal of an unstable mother will probably win over the hearts of the penholders at the Academy.

No matter who ends up winning at the Oscars this year, I’m still very excited to watch and see who reigns victorious in each category. The individuals nominated are all deserving of the accolade they have received, and, even if my favorites don’t walk away with the awards, someone who has earned it will. All of the movies nominated for best picture are certainly worth watching. Some are still in theaters and some can be found in your local Redbox. So, find these amazing films, give them a viewing and tune in on Feb. 27 to see who gets to take home the Oscar.