Not only The Master, but lots of other great films from the year. As stated earlier, there are lots of movies this year that were forced out of contention for the top prize at the Academy Awards, and so hoping that whatever each of us consider to be the best movie of the year is likely not among the ones that could actually be the recipient next month. So, the best we can hope for is that the Academy votes for something that makes the night interesting, either in the shock effect or the satisfaction that the work of people we admire gets recognized on a stage that could actually have real world benefits for them, and selfishly, so they can continue to pump out movies that we get to enjoy for years to come.
Most people seem to agree that 2012 was a wonderful year for those of us who enjoy watching great movies. The list of movies even up for the top award at the Oscars is a testament to this fact, and will serve as a taste of the films people will be watching from the past year for decades to come. So honestly, just about any film that wins in February will make me, at least, feel good about the year that has been, whether it’s Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, Lincoln, or something more surprising. Even Argo.