2010 Oscar Winners

2010 Oscar Winners

First of all, my apologies for getting this out so late, but I am kind of busy. Second of all, I would call that a successful Oscar ceremony. Last Sunday, I was watching avidly (alone! Why doesn't anyone I know watch the Oscars???) as the best in Hollywood were awarded, and I think most of the choices were fair, if not what I had predicted. (Fifteen out of twenty-four categories correct. Details below.) Also, I would have liked more surprises. The Best Picture race seemed close at the beginning of the night, but by the end, it was clear The Hurt Locker would triumph over Avatar. And all of the acting awards were decided a long time ago. Everyone was deserving (even though the films for which they won may not have been), but I like my Oscars with some suspense.
The show opened with a surprise musical number led by Neil Patrick Harris, which was essentially one big joke; he sang about the hosts and what the show was gonna be like. Any Harris fans (which would include anyone who watched the Emmys last year, which he himself hosted) are surely thrilled. Then out came the hosts themselves, Steve Martin (third time hosting) and Alec Baldwin (first time hosting and previous Oscar nominee). Their opening dialogue was like something out of 30 Rock, quick and playing off each other's strengths masterfully. They singled out many nominees- my favorite bit, when they simply glared at George Clooney. They popped up throughout the night, but other stars got some laughs. Ben Stiller's appearance as a Na'vi- one of the blue creatures from Avatar- was definitely exciting, but my favorite part of the night was Tina Fey and Robert Downey, Jr. presenting Best Original Screenplay. ("What does a screenwriter look for in an actor? Memorization.") There were some exciting speeches, including the Kanye-like interruption of one speech for the Best Documentary Short winner, and the censored speech for Best Documentary Feature winner when one guy on stage held up a sign asking people to donate to a cause. (It was to save dolphins, but the Academy does not allow stuff like that at all. The cameras switched away, the orchestra started playing and cut them off, and they were all ushered offstage.) Some history was also made: the first African American man won Best Original Screenplay for Precious, but of course, the showiest win was the first woman ever to be named Best Director.
All in all, a great show and some impressive winners. I still think the switch to ten Best Picture nominees was a good idea, and I think (or at least hope) they will continue to do this in the future, if it will increase viewership and get more deserving films nominations. Here is the rundown of the individual winners.

Best Picture

( ) Avatar
( ) The Blind Side
( ) District 9
( ) An Education
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Precious
( ) A Serious Man
( ) Up
( ) Up in the Air

My guess: Avatar

James Cameron will just have to hug his Titanic Oscars closer, because he didn't get any new ones for himself this year. Instead of honoring a sci-fi epic (that many have claimed has a poorly conceived storyline) and went on to become the biggest box-office hit of all time, the Academy honored a small Iraq war film that ignored conventional storytelling and delivered suspense and sincere character drama. I believe The Hurt Locker is one of the top ten greatest war movies ever made (strangely enough, I think Inglourious Basterds also fits in that category, but for totally different reasons) and probably deserved this win. I still wish more people had seen it- according to a few sources, it's now the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in history. If Avatar had won, it would have of course fallen on the opposite end of that spectrum. Is this further proof that the Academy is truly out of touch with the people? Or just evidence that it actually honors films that are really deserving of the award? You decide.
P.S. I'm still thrilled that Up found its way into this race. I will now officially predict that an animated film will win the Best Picture Oscar sometime this decade. When does Toy Story 3 come out?

Best Director

( ) James Cameron, Avatar
(x) Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
( ) Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
( ) Lee Daniels, Precious
( ) Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

My guess: Kathryn Bigelow

"Well, the time has come." Barbara Streisand (who was herself famously snubbed for a Best Director nomination) presented the award to a stunned Bigelow, the first woman to ever win this award in the Oscars' 82-year history. Aside from the ecstatic Streisand, her gender was never mentioned. She won this award for creating one of the most suspenseful films of the year that sticks in your mind, a war movie that ignores all politics and focuses on the soldiers and the horrific things happening around them. In all, The Hurt Locker picked up six wins, becoming the biggest winner of the night.

Best Actor

(x) Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
( ) George Clooney, Up in the Air
( ) Colin Firth, A Single Man
( ) Morgan Freeman, Invictus
( ) Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

My guess: Jeff Bridges

The Hurt Locker sweep couldn't extend to this corner. Five-time nominee Bridges finally picked up his first Oscar for his raw portrayal as an alcoholic country singer and celebrity-has-been. Bridges may very well have been high during his acceptance speech, but he was also honest and appreciative. My personal view of the win: he was extremely good, probably Oscar-good, but the movie was only so-so. Crazy Heart ended up with two Oscars, proving it wasn't just a vehicle for Bridges.

Best Actress

(x) Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
( ) Helen Mirren, The Last Station
( ) Carey Mulligan, An Education
( ) Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
( ) Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

My guess: Sandra Bullock

Bullock gets the popularity vote, not necessarily the Best Actress vote. Bullock's a great actress, and she was extremely good in The Blind Side, but that movie was simply a crowd-pleaser that wasn't anything extraordinary and should have been quickly forgotten. It's good that she's been recognized for her work and for the best performance of her career, but I don't think she deserved the Oscar. Regardless, hers was probably the best acceptance speech of the evening, hilariously thanking each of her fellow nominees and almost breaking down talking about her late mother. (Also, was Sean Penn drunk when he presented this award? He looked like someone had just beaten him up.)

Best Supporting Actor

( ) Matt Damon, Invictus
( ) Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
( ) Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
( ) Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
(x) Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

My guess: Christoph Waltz

This was a sure thing. Waltz's scenery-chewing, multilingual performance as an insane Nazi deservedly earned him a Golden Boy. The fact that it was his first American movie (he hails from Austria) makes it that much more impressive. His speech was kind of strange, though; I preferred his Golden Globe acceptance speech. Despite its eight nominations, Tarantino's black-comedy war film ended up mostly forgotten, with just this sole win.

Best Supporting Actress

( ) Penelope Cruz, Nine
( ) Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
( ) Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
( ) Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
(x) Mo'Nique, Precious

My guess: Mo'Nique

Who could have seen this coming a year or so ago? Mo'Nique's resume is filled with terrible comedies and lame stand-up routines. Her transformative performance as an abusive mother changed everyone's perspective on what this woman could do, and became the most memorable part of that movie. Precious ended up with two Oscars, not bad for a film that looked like it was made for straight-to-DVD.

Best Adapted Screenplay

( ) District 9
( ) An Education
( ) In the Loop
(x) Precious
( ) Up in the Air

My guess: Up in the Air

Precious picked up this semi-surprise win, the first ever to go to an African American man, for adapting a popular novel. The script smoothly transitioned between the gritty real world and Precious' fantasy escape world, and really brought us inside this girl's mind, a unique concept for a movie that's never really been explored before.

Best Original Screenplay

(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) The Messenger
( ) A Serious Man
( ) Up

My guess: The Hurt Locker

Recently, controversy has arose as to whether the story is actually original or based on real people, but regardless of whether or not you believe that, the movie has created some very real-seeming people that you end up caring about, even if you don't want to. This award nicely complements the movie's other major wins.

Best Original Score

( ) Avatar
( ) Fantastic Mr. Fox
( ) The Hurt Locker
( ) Sherlock Holmes
(x) Up

My guess: Avatar

The Academy did something different and very unusual this year: to present each nominee, they had a group of break dancers performing onstage to a piece of each nominated score. The dances really didn't seem to match the music, and definitely didn't match the story of the movies. It was a good try, but ultimately a fail in my mind. Luckily, it produced a worthy winner in the animated Up, which produced far more than just cartoon music. Michael Giacchino's score was beautiful and heartbreaking, and actually managed to be somewhat memorable. Pixar's latest gem deservedly picked up two Oscars, racking up an already impressive count for this studio.

Best Original Song

( ) "Almost There," The Princess and the Frog
( ) "Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog
( ) "Loin de Paname," Paris 36
( ) "Take It All," Nine
(x) "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

My guess: "The Weary Kind"

The Academy made a good decision and saved us from watching performances of these five songs. At least someone recognizes how terrible they all are. Well, then again, the winner is a fairly decent song that accents the film very nicely and brings a close to the story. Let's hope this category is better next year.

Best Film Editing

( ) Avatar
( ) District 9
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Precious

My guess: The Hurt Locker

The Best Picture winner usually wins here as well. The Hurt Locker brought the viewer almost unbearable tension and despite some scenes being very long, no one really seemed to notice because it put the viewers in the desert with the characters, in the middle of the war. Tyler Perry presented this award with a big laugh, when he had the producers "cut" backstage to see Martin and Baldwin watching TV and wearing Snuggies.

Best Cinematography

(x) Avatar
( ) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
( ) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) The White Ribbon

My guess: The Hurt Locker

Avatar wasn't completely forgotten on Oscar night; the epic film with its epic production values picked up three Oscars, including this one for its sweeping camerawork. Watch this film and get a sense of what it's like to walk on Pandora. This is epic filmmaking at its best, and the Academy recognizes that, at least to a certain extent.

Best Makeup

( ) Il Divo
(x) Star Trek
( ) The Young Victoria

My guess: Star Trek

With this win, Star Trek has gone where no other film in its franchise has gone before: to the Oscar stage. That's right, while previous films have been nominated for various technical awards, no Trek film has ever won an Oscar, until now. It definitely deserved it for its intricate work on the alien faces, most notably an unrecognizable Eric Bana as the Romulan villain Nero. I also find it a little funny that this team also made Leonard Nimoy into Spock again, a role he's played for decades. Everyone knows what that Spock looks like, but they still won an Oscar for it. Well, they still deserved it. Frankly, this extraordinary film deserved more attention than it's been getting, but at least it's got this for consolation.

Best Costume Design

( ) Bright Star
( ) Coco Before Chanel
( ) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
( ) Nine
(x) The Young Victoria

My guess: The Young Victoria

This kind of movie typically wins here: it allows the costume designer to really push their boundaries and create showy costumes without upstaging the actors wearing them, because they fit into the story and demand to be there. The costumes are in every scene, and are as authentic as possible. I just wish the rest of the film were as good. (No, I haven't seen it, but it doesn't look very interesting!)

Best Art Direction

(x) Avatar
( ) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
( ) Nine
( ) Sherlock Holmes
( ) The Young Victoria

My guess: Avatar

Take a look at any still frame from this movie and you'll see why it won here: every detail is planned out, every pixel is Pandora through-and-through. Yeah, it's mostly computer-generated, but it's still incredibly intricate and sucks you in. You believe this world could actually exist with the way it's presented.

Best Visual Effects

(x) Avatar
( ) District 9
( ) Star Trek

My guess: Avatar

The other nominees never even stood a chance. Avatar pushed current technology to its limit, and when it could go no farther, it invented some new technologies to get the vision perfect. Several performances are fully motion-captured- and look authentic and very un-stiff, and there are some kind of visual effects in every shot. The 3-D effects are just a plus, it only redefined what the medium could do.

Best Sound Editing

( ) Avatar
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Star Trek
( ) Up

My guess: Avatar

The Hurt Locker proved its sweep of the awards early in the night with its surprise win here. The best sound effects are for the explosions and the occasional slow-motion shot where sounds must be inserted in. I can understand the Academy being excited about a film, but this category definitely had some more deserving films in it.

Best Sound Mixing

( ) Avatar
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Star Trek
( ) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

My guess: Avatar

Now this is just ridiculous. The sound mixing for The Hurt Locker refers to believably placing the film in Iraq when it was filmed in Jordan; the atmosphere has to sound authentic. Again, there are definitely other films in this category that were showier and put more work in to make the film's sound effects or overall sound quality.

Best Animated Feature

( ) Coraline
( ) Fantastic Mr. Fox
( ) The Princess and the Frog
( ) The Secret of Kells
(x) Up

My guess: Up

This award was preceded by a short film with characters from each of the nominated films being asked about how they feel about being nominated. The attempt was to bring in some comedy, but the Up clip was really the only one worth watching. (I'll admit, the Princess and the Frog one wasn't so bad.) Up deservedly and easily picked up this win for proving once again that Pixar is the only way to go for computer-animated movies. It's the best in the world not only in terms of animation quality, but for storytelling ability and comedic timing. Luckily, this film also has a whopping dose of heart attached. Nothing else really comes close.

Best Foreign Language Film

( ) Ajami
(x) El Secreto de Sus Ojos
( ) The Milk of Sorrow
( ) Un Prophete
( ) The White Ribbon

My guess: The White Ribbon

There is sometimes a popular film snuck into this category, but this year, it's kind of a dud, with no films that anybody has heard of. The winner, El Secreto de Sus Ojos, (The Secret of Their Eyes), is from Argentina and isn't even available in the U.S. yet. How do these films win if no one has seen them?

Best Documentary Feature

( ) Burma VJ
(x) The Cove
( ) Food, Inc.
( ) The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
( ) Which Way Home

My guess: The Cove

Food, Inc. may have been more popular, but The Cove beats it on importance, as it brings to light the slaughtering of thousands of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. The footage itself is truly disturbing, and the film is at times suspenseful, a word rarely used to describe documentaries. It may not be the best-made film of the bunch, but it's probably the most interesting.

Best Live Action Short

( ) The Door
( ) Instead of Abracadabra
( ) Kavi
( ) Miracle Fish
(x) The New Tenants

My guess: Kavi

Sorry, I have no real information on the winning film. No one really watches short films anymore.

Best Animated Short

( ) French Roast
( ) Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
( ) The Lady and the Reaper
(x) Logorama
( ) A Matter of Loaf and Death

My guess: A Matter of Loaf and Death

It seems the Academy's love affair with Wallace and Gromit has ended. The under-the-radar Logorama beat it out. This film is a computer-animated curiosity filled with foul-mouthed characters set in a world populated by and covered with corporate logos- real ones- from all over the world and all kinds of products. The film is watchable on its 'Where's Waldo?' quality; every viewing will yield new discoveries.

Best Documentary Short

( ) China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
( ) The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
( ) The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
(x) Music by Prudence
( ) Rabbit a la Berlin

My guess: Music by Prudence

Nothing much to be said for the winning film. The real story here is the interrupted acceptance speech- and the story behind it. Look it up on YouTube, it certainly is strange.

Well friends, another year, another Oscar race, has come and gone, and faded away into history. This year's telecast had much higher ratings than it's had in years, and I think that trend will only increase if the Academy gets wise and not only makes the telecast more fun to watch, but starts giving away the awards to films that people actually liked and want to see get awarded. If you haven't seen The Hurt Locker, check it out. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Did you watch this year? What did you think? I know everyone wasn't as thrilled about the double hosts as I was. Do you plan on watching next year? I love seeing comments on these posts!
Peace out until next year.

2010 Oscar Winners Predictions

This year's Academy Awards are shaping up to be one of the most memorable in recent years. With many unusual nominees will come several unusual winners, and so with that comes my slightly bold winners predictions. I'm very excited for this year, what with two hosts, ten Best Picture nominees, and countless stars slated to attend. It will surely live up to its name of Hollywood's biggest night.
Below is listed every category, who I think will win, and my personal opinion on who I think deserves to win. As always, I would love to see comments on this post, both before and after the ceremony. I will be doing a follow-up post in the week following the big night.
Now, without any further ado...

Best Picture

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Up in the Air

This race is large and features many good films, but it's really down to just two: Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Even at this late hour, I can see the pendulum swinging in either direction, but I will have to side with the big ol' sci-fi film with all the blue creatures. It's certainly got the box office on its side (in case you've been living in a cave for the last few months, Avatar has replaced James Cameron's own Titanic as the highest-grossing film of all time) and boasts simply the best technical acheivements ever put on celluloid. It wasn't universally loved by critics, but the Academy loves it enough to let it follow in Titanic's footsteps and bestow it with the biggest prize in cinema. The Hurt Locker is definitely deserving of the award- I do believe, after all, that it is one of the best war films ever made- but its failure at the box office and its very difficult competition will ultimately be its undoing. After reviewing the options very closely, I have decided Up in the Air, the dramedy starring George Clooney is my favorite of the bunch. It's the single most enjoyable film to watch, with equal parts laughs and tears. Unfortunately, the film has lost a lot of steam over the past few weeks and may end up being forgotten altogether come Oscar night. Films with long shots like Up, District 9, and The Blind Side will have to settle with just being nominated, which in this case truly is an honor. Inglourious Basterds and Precious could have been front-runners in other years, but have a better chance in the acting categories. An Education? A Serious Man? Seriously? These films really weren't even good enough to make the ballot. They better be grateful for the new 10-film system, otherwise they wouldn't be in the dugout with films like these. Whether or not the Academy continues with the 10-film system remains to be seen, depending on whether or not they consider this year to be a success.

Best Director

James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Who will win: Kathryn Bigelow
Who should win: Kathryn Bigelow

Once again, it's a contest between ex-spouses Cameron and Bigelow for the win. The Academy simply won't be able to resist giving it to a well-deserving woman for the first time in history. Her gender aside, she truly deserves it for crafting an intimate, intense, and terrifying portrait of war that actually mimics what war feels like in real life. Sure, Cameron had to invent a few new technologies in order to get his epic made, but he already has one of these. Tarantino is also deserving of a Golden Boy, but while his characters are addictingly watchable, they're also very emotionally distant. Reitman is talented, but the film has a better shot in the writing category. Daniels is only the second African American to be nominated here, and while his leadership made Precious something special, his impressive competition will keep him from winning this year.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Who will win: Jeff Bridges
Who should win: Jeremy Renner

This being his fifth nomination, Bridges will win more for a stellar career than for a stellar performance (even though he was very good and fearless as an alcoholic washed-up country singer). The movie itself is simply so-so, and as such, I can't generate much support for it. Freeman is the only one here to play a real person, but his nomination is really only here to round out the category. I loved Clooney in Up in the Air, he was very genuine and you were really rooting for him, but my vote goes to Renner, whose career-making performance as a solider addicted to the adrenaline of near-death experiences makes him the perfect antihero for this fantastic war film.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Who will win: Sandra Bullock
Who should win: Gabourey Sidibe

This race is really between the Oscar freshman Bullock and the Oscar senior Streep. Streep was good as Julia Child, but I felt her performance was more caricature than true-life, even though she does manage some good emotional moments. Bullock is good as a tough matriarch, but definitely not Oscar-worthy. She'll win for making The Blind Side a huge hit and for finally doing something different with her career. Mulligan might be the best part of An Education, a film full of great performances, but my vote goes to the newcomer Sidibe, whose role as Precious was tragic and empowering, and made you think twice about how you treat people.

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Who will win: Christoph Waltz
Who should win: Christoph Waltz

Everyone going in to see Inglourious Basterds expected Brad Pitt to be the biggest star and the best part of the movie. And everyone coming out of that movie was talking not about Pitt's low-wattage commando, but Waltz's incredible turn as a Nazi Jew-hunter. His performance really turned the movie around, and has proved he can take on virtually any role. In another year, I would be rooting for Tucci's very bold performance as a serial killer or Harrelson's emotionally withdrawn soldier. But Waltz has won every pre-Oscar award so far, and he will easily win come Sunday.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious

Who will win: Mo'Nique
Who should win: Anna Kendrick

At this point, nothing can stop the power train that is Mo'Nique. Her alarming turn as an abusive mother is completely transformative and haunting. While I recognize the power of her performance, I can't vote for such an unpleasant part of the film, and will instead turn to the year's biggest surprise performance, from the young Kendrick, who more than held her own against George Clooney. She provides the film with its best moments. Cruz, Farmiga, and Gyllenhaal, while all good (Gyllenhaal was particularly good; she was that film's emotional center) don't stand much of a chance here and are mostly just filler nominations.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air

What will win: Up in the Air
What should win: District 9

This award should go to Jason Reitman for the funny-sad script for Up in the Air. While the story is very good- and Oscar-worthy- it's really going to win just because it is the film's only real shot at success. It'll get shut out in the acting, directing, and producing categories, and will thus be rewarded for writing. My personal vote goes to the alien allegory District 9. Even though it's adapted- based on director Neill Blomkamp's own short film- it's one of the most original films of the year and really had people talking. Precious might pull an upset for its incredibly moving script.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: Inglourious Basterds

The Hurt Locker may very well sweep the Oscars this year, and so even if it doesn't win Best Picture, it will win here for its suspenseful take on the Iraq war. Personally, I think much of the film's success is due not to the script, but to the actors and director. No one writes anything quite like Quentin Tarantino, and so he gets my vote for weaving together several diverse storylines and many characters to create a cohesive picture that never feels long or slow, despite many long scenes of just dialogue. I love Pixar's stuff, but some parts of Up's storyline feel cliche. The Messenger is a very unique story, and seems very moving. (I haven't seen it yet.) A Serious Man is really just standard Coen brothers fare, which means it's bizarre, confusing, and ultimately pointless.

Best Original Score

Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

Avatar had a lot to prove to all of its haters when it came out: people thought the film would rely solely on its amazing special effects to get by, but the film surpassed almost all expectations, including in this category. The score is sweeping, epic, emotional, and exciting. Up could pull an upset here, and I would be happy to see that win, too: take another look at the wordless montage at the beginning of the film that uses only visuals and music to tell the heartbreaking story of Carl and his beloved wife Ellie.

Best Original Song

"Almost There," The Princess and the Frog
"Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog
"Loin de Paname," Paris 36
"Take It All," Nine
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

What will win: "The Weary Kind"
What should win: "The Weary Kind"

Crazy Heart's theme song is the only listenable song in this selection. The quiet country tune will easily win this sorry excuse for an Academy Award category this year.

Best Film Editing

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: Avatar

Avatar may win Best Picture, but I think The Hurt Locker will pick this one up for upping the suspense and for adding in a few very cinematic slo-mo shots amidst all the realistic action. My vote, however, goes to Cameron's own editing for Avatar, since the film was put together in a way that makes sure it's remembered for years to come.

Best Cinematography

Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: The Hurt Locker

Hurt Locker used handheld cameras that gave the film a vague documentary feel that put the viewer in the Iraqi desert with the soldiers, so that we could feel the intensity right along with them. You could almost feel the hot sun on your eyes. It gets my vote, as well as it surely will the Academy's.

Best Makeup

Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

What will win: Star Trek
What should win: Star Trek

Victoria has royalty and legendary sideburns, and Il Divo has Italian guys, but Star Trek has bald Romulans with tattoos, pointy-eared Vulcans, and lots of post-fight injury wounds. It's definitely the most showy makeup of the three, and will boldy go where no Trek film has gone before- to the stage at the Academy Awards.

Best Costume Design

Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

What will win: The Young Victoria
What should win: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Royalty always wins here. (Witness past winners Marie Antoinette and The Duchess.) Victoria follows in that tradition by showing off glamorous dresses the whole film through. My vote, however, goes to the wacky contraptions of Terry Gilliam's Doctor Parnassus. This world was hard to recreate from someone's imagination, but it all looks real, and the costumes ground the characters in reality.

Best Art Direction

Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

Give Avatar one last peek and you'll see why it deserves this award: every frame is so intricate, so detailed, it seriously looks like a living, breathing world full of blue creatures and bioluminescent plants. The Academy may not like how almost all of its art direction is tied directly with visual effects, and in that case, Nine will probably pull an upset for setting the mood of the '50s quite nicely.

Best Visual Effects

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

This one's been decided for months now. District 9 and Star Trek both have very impressive special effects, but Avatar invented a new method of motion-capture and immersed the viewer in a purely digital world. Everything looks incredibly real, and there's no stopping this trophy from landing in blue hands.

Best Sound Editing

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

Star Trek and Up had extremely good sound effects, but nothing can compete with Avatar's reign over the computer world. The film's visuals were amazing, yes, but it needed believable sound in order to complete the picture.

Best Sound Mixing

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

I'm learning gradually about the difference between the two sound Oscars. This one covers the film's overall sound, as opposed to individual effects, but Avatar is still the most impressive in that area. Possible upsets could come from The Hurt Locker, which painted a perfect picture of Baghdad, or from Inglourious Basterds, which effectively used silence to highten suspense in pivotal moments.

Best Animated Feature

Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

What will win: Up
What should win: Up

Pixar's gem Up not only has the most nominations of the bunch (including an extremely rare Best Picture nom), but it's the best-made, the most watchable, and the most original of any of these films. No other film comes close. An upset could come in the form of Mr. Fox, but this is very unlikely.

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon

What will win: The White Ribbon
What should win: ?

None of these films are very popular with American audiences, making this race hard to predict this year. The White Ribbon won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and is the most artsy of the bunch, so that's my guess.

Best Documentary Feature

Burmja VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

What will win: The Cove
What should win: ?

An upset by the popular Food, Inc. is possible, but the obvious winner here is The Cove, which has wowed critics and audiences alike. Plus, it's a documentary that plays out like a thriller- exactly what the people want.

Best Live Action Short

The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

What will win: Kavi
What should win: ?

I really don't know anything about these films. I choose Kavi simply because it was the most easily accessible film; if I can find it, other people can watch it.

Best Animated Short

French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

What will win: A Matter of Loaf and Death
What should win: ?

There are lots of good choices here with some impressive animation, but the award will go once again to Wallace and Gromit for charming kids and adults alike across the globe.

Best Documentary Short

China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin

What will win: Music by Prudence
What should win: ?

Honestly, I don't really care about this category. If they pre-tape this award being given out, I will declare the producers of the show geniuses.

That's all of 'em. Are you as excited as I am? Probably not. But you should watch the Oscars anyway because love 'em or hate 'em, they're always interesting, funny, and always manage to generate conversation. Once again, the 82nd annual Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 7th, at 6:00 pm. on ABC. See who goes home with the gold along with the rest of the country at this already-historic show.

2010 Oscar Nominations, Part Two

2010 Oscar Nominations
Part Two

Continuing down the list of this year's Academy Awards nominations, we see some odd choices in the technical categories. The Academy indeed has a mind of its own, separate from the moviegoing public.

Best Original Score

Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

For some viewers, this is their favorite category. The musical score often has a life of its own that can enhance the mood or even change the entire meaning of a scene. Fantastic's and Up's scores are upbeat and whimsical, Sherlock's is actiony classical, and Avatar's is epic and emotional. I was actually surprised The Hurt Locker was nominated here, as I remember that film not having much of a score, just tone-setters and screeching suspense-builders. My money's on Avatar, or maybe Up.

Best Original Song

"Almost There," The Princess and the Frog
"Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog
"Loin de Paname," Paris 36
"Take It All," Nine
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

This category is a major disappointment this year. Not a single song here is featured on the radio, or is even very well-known. One is from an obscure French musical- and is in French, naturally; one is Marion Cotillard's number from a musical flop; not one but two are from the dreary Disney revamp of traditional animated musicals; and one is a slow country drawl from a little-seen indie. "The Weary Kind" is the only song that isn't cringe-inducing while you listen to it, so it will easily win here. (It also kinda sounds like Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler," whose snub last year is already legendary.)

Best Film Editing

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

This race can sometimes be difficult to predict, as good editing requires that no one notice it. Basterds' nomination is curious, as the film has several long scenes of dialogue that make editing minimal and almost invisible. This award usually squares up with Best Picture (as editing is the way one views the overall film; editing has to be good in order for the film to be good), so it'll either be Avatar or The Hurt Locker, the two current front-runners.

Best Cinematography

Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

Some interesting choices here too. Avatar drips of epic camera work, The Hurt Locker's handheld cameras put the viewer in the Iraqi desert with our heroes, Harry Potter has an ashen look to the piece that reflects the dark times these characters now live in, and the foreign film The White Ribbon is in crisp black and white. I'm not sure why Basterds is here either, but I'm glad it is; the more nominations, the glouriouser.

Best Makeup

Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

Star Trek is the only one here that makes sense: it features dozens of aliens whose faces all look totally real. (Witness Eric Bana as villainous Nero.) Victoria, I'm guessing is for aging its characters, or possibly just for putting lots of facial hair on all its male actors. The foreign film Il Divo is based on a true story, so it's either for getting its actors to look like real people or for aging them realistically. I think Star Trek will take it. (I really hope it does. This film deserved more Oscar love than it's gotten.)

Best Costume Design

Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

They've got the glamorous period pieces in Bright Star, Coco, and Victoria. Nine is all about the glamour of Hollywood and the movies, and Parnassus is unique fantasy. This award always goes to the costumes which are the most noticable, so it should be either Bright Star or Victoria.

Best Art Direction

Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

These films all benefit from their look, be it establishing a certain time period (Sherlock, Victoria) or creating fantasy worlds in a computer (Avatar, Parnassus). As the film that took the longest to make and thus, is the most detailed, I'm betting on the sci-fi epic Avatar.

Best Visual Effects

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Only three nominees here despite there being copious amounts of visual-effects films come out this year. Luckily, all three have extremely impressive special effects: Star Trek brought forth a whole new kind of Trek with different looks for aliens, spacecraft, and, yes, planet Vulcan; and District 9, despite largely being made to look like a faux documentary, has incredibly vivid and detailed- not to mention disgusting- visual effects of the aliens. Look at any scene where they interact with humans and you'll think that they're real. Sadly, while these two films are worthy, they will both fall to the mighty Avatar for the creation of a brand-new motion capture technique and totally immersive CGI worlds. The film gets plusses for revitalizing 3-D technology, and making it a true experience separate from the 2-D version.

Best Sound Editing

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

Mix of different stuff here. It will probably go to one of the sci-fi films, Avatar or Star Trek (I naturally give the edge to Avatar) or the animated Up, where all the sounds have to be made from scratch.

Best Sound Mixing

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Still not entirely sure why there are two sound Oscars. Once again, this will probably go to one of the sci-fi films, probably Avatar, although Transformers has some very impressive sound.

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon

I don't know much about these films, only how much buzz they've conjured up. As the only film here nominated in any other category (Cinematography), The White Ribbon will probably take it. It also won the extremely prestigious Palme d'Or award at Cannes. Un Prophete may pull an upset; it's popular with some American audiences.

Best Documentary Feature

Burma VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

Some very interesting-looking stuff here offering new perspectives on old subjects. While I'm sure any film is worthy, The Cove is by far the most popular and will win it easily. It's about the slaughtering of dolphins in Japan and how the documentary crew had to break several laws and risk their lives to get the footage of it.

Best Live Action Short

The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

I don't know much about these films. Kavi looks very dramatic; it's a film about a young slave boy trying to escape.

Best Animated Short

French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

Most notable snub here: Pixar's Partly Cloudy, which ran theatrically in front of Up. Shame on you, Oscar. All of these have impressive animation and unique (if not always funny) storylines. Loaf and Death should win, as the Academy has a love affair with the claymation Wallace and Gromit films. (Two previous shorts and the feature, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, have won Oscars.)

Best Documentary Short

China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin

Sorry, I really don't know anything about these films apart from their titles. The Last Truck sounds relevant enough for the win. If the Academy wants to attract viewers, upgrading to ten Best Picture nominees is a good start, but I would recommend just getting rid of this category altogether.

Well, that's all of them. Look out for more postings concerning Oscar before the ceremony, including my much-anticipated winners predictions. Once again, the ceremony will be at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 7th on ABC, with dual hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Be sure to watch!

2010 Oscar Nominations, Part One

2010 Oscar Nominations

Part One

The nominations for this year's Academy Awards were announced bright and early Tuesday morning, and if you had a shred of sanity in you, you were sleeping through it and waited to hear the results from online when you woke up. Well, I'm not sane; I was up before the sun rose with a smile on my face watching the press conference, jumping up and down at all the good news.

Yeah, Star Trek didn't get nominated for Best Picture, but I guess I didn't really expect it to be. It wasn't totally forgotten, though: it got four technical nominations, including Best Visual Effects. Other notable snubs in all categories: Where the Wild Things Are, Public Enemies, It's Complicated, The Informant!, Angels & Demons, The Hangover, Terminator: Salvation, Michael Jackson's This Is It, etc.

The jump to ten Best Picture nominees wasn't the only new thing this year: I got two categories correct in my predictions! So now that you know what an expert I am on the subject, let's jump right in to this year's nominations, complete with my witty commentary.

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Guessed correctly: 7

Incorrect guesses: Invictus, A Single Man, Star Trek

Instead of: The Blind Side, District 9, A Serious Man

So lots of surprises in this category. Just the way I like it. Yeah, Star Trek failed to get nominated here. (In fact, it failed to get any major nominations.) But there's still plenty to like here. I see this category split neatly in half. Five movies- Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, and Up in the Air- are serious contenders and have at least a fighting chance at the prize. These five were also nominated for Best Director. Each of these movies has won some best-film prize at some festival or awards show before now. All received multiple nominations, with Avatar and Hurt Locker leading the pack with a whopping nine noms each. (Basterds got eight.) The other five movies- The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, A Serious Man, and Up- only got nominated due to the new ten-film system. The most obvious dark horses here are the gory sci-fi thriller District 9 and the whimsical computer-animated film Up. These are definitely not Oscar's favorites, but they are critically acclaimed and loved by the Academy. The Blind Side is a simple little film, but it was a big hit and a crowd-pleaser, and thus won over the experts for this race. I'm also really glad that the low-key indie films are considered dark horses this year, as opposed to front-runners. It's also clear when you tally it up that these movies are just kind of thrown in: both Blind Side and Serious Man got only two nominations apiece, including Best Picture. That hasn't happened since the 1930's. (Education got three.) Up got a pretty decent five nominations total, but one of them is Best Animated Feature, which it will win there so it won't feel too bad about losing here. It also has the distinction of being the second animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture.

At this point, Avatar and Hurt Locker are pretty much neck-in-neck. This may change in the coming weeks; I'll let you know a more precise winner's prediction as we get closer to the date.

Best Director

James Cameron, Avatar

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Lee Daniels, Precious

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Guessed correctly: 5

The first time I have ever correctly guessed all the nominees in any category. I am excited about this award; some very talented directors have made the list. I'm psyched Tarantino has another shot at it, and if you haven't heard already, Cameron and Bigelow used to be married. I'd say either of them could win it, but I give the edge to Bigelow, who has now become the fourth woman in history to be nominated for this award, and would be the first to win it. Of course, her gender is the last reason she deserves it: The Hurt Locker is incredibly suspenseful, funny, and feels very real the whole way through.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Guessed correctly: 5

Another category guessed completely correctly. Yay me! I haven't seen all these movies, so I can't be sure which one truly deserves it. If it was up to me, I'd say either Clooney for mixing whip-smart comedy and true emotion or Renner for letting us peer into the mind of this deranged solider addicted to war. However, it seems that Bridges is set to win after four previous nominations. Freeman's the only person here who plays a real person, but strangely, he's barely a blip on the radar, as is Clint Eastwood's rugby film.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Guessed correctly: 4

Incorrect guess: Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

Instead of: Helen Mirren, The Last Station

I was aware of The Last Station and its Oscar potential, but I left it off my predictions altogether because it has failed to get a wide release and was being ignored by many other organizations. Three of these women play real people- Bullock, Mirren, and Streep- and the race is definitely between Bullock and Streep. I would say the latter deserves it (actually, I would say the complete unknown Sidibe deserves it), but the former seems set to win her first award. (Streep already has two Oscars.) Bullock is a talented actress best known for her so-so comedies who is finally getting recognized for her dramatic work. She also holds the unusual distinction of being nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie in the same year. (The latter is for Worst Actress for the flop All About Steve.)

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon, Invictus

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Guessed correctly: 3 + alternate

Incorrect guesses: Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated; Alfred Molina, An Education

Instead of: Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Two actors here play real people, Damon and Plummer. (The latter plays Leo Tolstoy.) But it's Waltz that seems set to take the award for a role in which he had to speak four languages and had to act charming and insane, often in the same scene. He really has created one of the most memorable villains in screen history. That distinction also goes to Tucci's serial killer, but this is Lovely Bones' only nomination, making it very difficult to win. His nomination is his victory.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Nine

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Mo'Nique, Precious

Guessed correctly: 4

Incorrect guess: Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Instead of: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart proved it wasn't just a vehicle for Jeff Bridges by getting three nominations, including one for Gyllenhaal that surprised everybody. Cruz won this award last year, so she's just in for show. Farmiga's performance was sexy and genuine, but she doesn't have much of a shot. Kendrick has the support of the critics- and Oscar does like to award unknowns- but Mo'Nique will probably take it home for her completely transformative performance as an abusive mother.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious

Up in the Air

Guessed correctly: 3 + alternate

Incorrect guesses: Fantastic Mr. Fox, A Single Man

Instead of: In the Loop

In the Loop being nominated here was a surprise to everybody. This was a British political satire that was critically acclaimed but was ignored by audiences and didn't make it to theaters. This race is hard to predict, but I think Up in the Air will follow in Reitman's last film Juno's footsteps by just winning the screenplay award and getting shut out everywhere else.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Guessed correctly: 3 + alternate

Incorrect guesses: (500) Days of Summer, It's Complicated

Instead of: The Messenger

This category is an interesting mix of drama, comedy, and even animation. I would say The Hurt Locker would get it since it's such a serious Best Picture contender, but it may go to Quentin Tarantino's crazy script for Inglourious Basterds. Anyone notice Avatar isn't nominated here?

Best Animated Feature

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Guessed correctly: 3 + 1 alternate

Incorrect alternate: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Instead of: The Secret of Kells

I know what you're thinking: what the hell is Kells? I didn't know, either. It's a strange-looking film from Belgium based on an ancient folk tale. It's currently set to open in the U.S. in March. How did the Academy get enough people to see this film that no one's heard of to garner a nomination? I guess it doesn't matter, since Pixar's Best Picture-nominated Up will easily take the prize. An upset by Fantastic Mr. Fox is possible, but very unlikely. Hooray to Disney for having two of the five nominated films here.

All right, that's it for now. This post is split into two parts because, you know, I'm busy with other stuff. Part two will consist of the technical nominations (which I did not predict) and the other awards that no one really cares about, like Best Documentary Short.

In case you haven't heard, there are two hosts for the show this year: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. That is sure to be a hilarious show with those two faux-rivals at the helm, and I personally can't wait. (Check out the two of them together in It's Complicated and an episode of 30 Rock, and you'll see why I'm excited.) The show will be the night of Sunday, March 7th. Mark your calendars!

The Blind Side **1/2

The Blind Side

**1/2 out of ****

What was supposed to be simply one of the many forgettable feel-good movies of the year has become one of the biggest hits of the year, thanks to the star power of Sandra Bullock and its moving story.

The Blind Side is the story of Michael Oher, a large black teenager with a violent past whom society has forgotten. He doesn't talk much, he has no home, no real education, and no true family. He wears the same shirt everyday and depends on the kindness of others to get by. After getting accepted to a nice private Christian school thanks to the pleadings of a desperate football coach, Michael is picked up off the street and brought to the home of the Tuohy (pronounced TOO-ee) family. The matriarch, Leigh Anne, is a tough, no-nonsense religious woman who never swears but is always fierce and demands respect from everyone around her. Michael is quickly accepted into this family. The image of a large black kid next to these small rich white folks inspires many laughs. Along the way, Michael improves his grades, goes out for the football team, and attempts to choose a college to go to on a football scholarship.

Since the story is so predictable, the film relies on strong performances from its lovable cast. Sandra Bullock leads the pack as Leigh Anne, taking on a slightly deglamorized part (and a convincing Southern accent) in order to play a real person. Newcomer Quinton Aaron plays Michael as a gentle giant, a very polite young man who despite his size, doesn't even know how to play football correctly. A nearly unrecognizable Tim McGraw also turns in a solid performance as the family patriarch Sean. Their two kids also win over the audience's hearts, especially the mischievous little tyke, S.J. Kathy Bates also shows up late in the film as Michael's tutor, and gives us one of the funniest scenes in the movie.

All in all, The Blind Side is just another inspirational sports drama. It's all about the love of family and football, and its emotional parts are about as subtle as a sledgehammer. While it's a very entertaining film, it's shallow and predictable, and most of its conflict is weighted towards the end. But, it's a big crowd-pleaser, which is all that really needs to be said for a movie that doesn't ask for you to think twice about it.

I would recommend this film to people who like football movies, Sandra Bullock, and people who like to go awwwww.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poKvUy0xYuE

2010 Oscar Nominations Predictions

2010 Oscar Nominations Predictions

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now officially Oscar season. Love 'em or hate 'em, the Oscars will be the height of conversation for the next month or so, and is historically one of the highest-rated shows on television every year. It's one of my favorite times of the year because it allows me to feed my obsession endlessly.
And in that spirit, I give you my predictions for the nominations in all the major categories this year. These are based on other professional critics' predictions, various awards given out, and several top 10 lists. But, these are not copycat lists- these are my own informed predictions of what I think will- and will not- be nominated based on what I've observed. (No, I have not seen all of these movies I'm putting down. Some of them haven't even been wide-released yet.) There is also an emphasis on Best Picture (remember there's ten nominees this year) because, let's face it, that's the only award that really matters.
Last year, I didn't get any category completely correct, so this year, I have added an alternate nominee for every category in case something I pick is wrong.
After the nominations are announced, I'll do a follow-up post with the complete nominations and grading how close my predictions were. The nominations will be announced at 6:30 am Tuesday, February 2nd. The press conference should air on any channel showing the news at that time, but ABC is your best bet.

Best Picture

Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Precious
A Single Man
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air

Alternate: It's Complicated

All right, where to start? I think the shoo-ins here are Hurt Locker, Precious, and Up in the Air. The latter also seems currently poised to win. They all have been universally applauded for their bold storylines and audience-pleasing techniques. It's hard to explain why Inglourious Basterds is so well-loved: it's a slow, talky, crude, and very violent movie from Quentin Tarantino, a guy who hasn't been nominated for any award for over a decade. But, everyone loves it (I do too), and Oscar won't ignore it. Avatar's massive box office performance and mostly-good reviews will also land it a spot, and while some think it's a front-runner, I think an epic sci-fi film will have trouble winning. Some say Invictus is also a shoo-in, but that movie seemed to me more like just another inspirational sports drama. But the presence of Clint Eastwood behind the camera and Morgan Freeman in front of it will propel it into this supersize race. The little indie films that no one has seen will be represented this year by An Education and A Single Man, as both have been universally acclaimed and have made it on many top-ten lists. With so many other good movies, these will both have trouble finding traction to be taken seriously.
Now to my two unusual nominees. Only one animated movie in history has ever been nominated for Best Picture (Beauty and the Beast, in case you were wondering), and it seems it would stay that way if it wasn't for the new policy of ten Best Picture nominees. I think another Disney film, Up, will get a shot this year, although I find it very unlikely it could win. My other dark-horse nominee is Star Trek, which you probably won't find on many critics' prediction lists. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but take a look at the facts- critics loved the film for its revival of the dead franchise, its hip style and fast-paced action, and pitch-perfect cast. It made a helluva lot of money this summer, has showed up on many top-10 lists, and was even nominated for Best Picture by the Producers Guild of America. I think that the expansion to ten nominees was made for movies like Trek, which wouldn't have a chance in hell otherwise. Plus, with this system, it's possible for this to get a Best Picture nomination without getting very many other nominations. (You may note I'm not putting it down for any other major categories, directing, writing, or acting; not to say that it's not worthy, just that it's not the type of movie the Academy nominates for those things.)
I put It's Complicated down as an alternate because it's the kind of old-fashioned, star-studded romantic comedy that Oscar likes, but it opened to mixed reviews, which will probably ultimately hold it back from this race.
Whatever the nominees are, I'm sure it'll be an exciting race, as it's already proved to be historic.

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Alternate: Clint Eastwood, Invictus

This category consists of what I consider to be the front-runners for the Best Picture race: Bigelow, Cameron, or Reitman could win at this point. Precious wouldn't be what it is without Daniels' vision, and the Academy should be prepared to give Tarantino (a winner for writing, but not for directing) another shot at this award.
I still don't think Invictus is a relevant enough movie to garner a nomination here, but the Academy may find that nominating Eastwood again to be simply irresistable.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Alternate: Viggo Mortensen, The Road

Clooney's a shoo-in here, and currently on track to win it. Freeman plays a real person (South African president Nelson Mandela), so he'll also be included. Firth, normally a good actor you just overlook, is getting the best reviews of his career. The entire film Crazy Heart seems like just one big campaign to get four-time nominee Bridges his first win, which immediately makes me skeptical, but he has the support of the all-powerful critics, and thus will be included. Renner's performance in The Hurt Locker is amazing and one of the highlights of this already-great movie, but the fact that he's an almost complete unknown- and that the movie opened in the summer- will slow him down. But the film's recent release on DVD will earn him the nomination last-minute.
The long-awaited film The Road opened to only lukewarm reviews, but critics everywhere seemed to agree that Mortensen was the best part of the whole thing. He might get a dark-horse nomination last-minute.

Best Actress

Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Alternate: Meryl Streep, It's Complicated

Mulligan and Sidibe are the shoo-ins here; I'm picturing a win for the latter. Bullock has the biggest hit and the best reviews of her career for The Blind Side, and the Academy will finally notice this talented actress- playing a real person is what will really do it, though. The Young Victoria is really structured around Blunt's performance, so it'd be a waste if she wasn't nominated. And Streep just can't stop racking up nominations. She was nominated last year, and currently holds the record for the most nominations for an actress. This year, she will break her own record with her delightful performance as Julia Child in the Julia half of the film.
Of course, Julie & Julia opened in August, and Streep's other shiny performance in It's Complicated came out just last month. The Academy is known to have a short memory, so Streep might upset herself in the nominations this year. (The rules say you can't be nominated twice in the same category.)

Best Supporting Actor

Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated
Matt Damon, Invictus
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Alternate: Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

This race is difficult to predict. Waltz's scene-chewing performance in Basterds is the only sure thing, and the little-known foreign actor seems poised to get a well-deserved win. Damon plays a real person and proves his worth as an actor, and will recieve another nomination for Invictus, rounding out that film's major awards chances. Molina has lost some steam lately, but his tender performance in the little-seen indie should go along nicely with costar Carey Mulligan's sure-thing nomination. Tucci should also get nominated for his intensely creepy turn as a serial killer in The Lovely Bones, desite the film itself not getting much love. (That is, of course, unless the Academy gets confused and nominates him for his other good performance in Julie & Julia.) Baldwin's funny and brave performance in It's Complicated should provide this category with its only comedic role, which it usually does award.
The Messenger is unmistakeable Oscar bait, as is Harrelson's unsympathetic performance, but the film has lost a lot of steam lately and will probably be forgotten.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Alternate: Samantha Morton, The Messenger

Mo'Nique and Kendrick are the best bets here; both performances elevated the movies to a new level and provided them with their most memorable scenes. I can imagine either winning at this point. (And for those of you who think Mo'Nique's arrogance in having just one name will shut her out, may I remind you that Cher has an Oscar.) Farmiga's nomination will go along nicely with Kendrick's, and she deserves it for giving a performance even sexier than George Clooney's. Moore will also get nominated for her small but memorable part in A Single Man. Poor reviews have ruined Nine's chances in most categories, but Cruz- last year's winner- should still get recognized for her steamy role as a mistress.
Again, The Messenger will probably end up getting forgotten this year, but if it isn't, Samantha Morton should also get nominated.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Precious
A Single Man
Up in the Air

Alternate: An Education

Mixed bag of stuff here, including three Best Picture nominees-to-be. I imagine a win for the hilarious Up in the Air, but an upset from the highly dramatic Precious is possible. A writing nomination for A Single Man will go well with its other nominations, while the sci-fi actioner District 9 was widely applauded for its originality. Fantastic Mr. Fox doesn't have nearly enough lift to get it in the Best Picture race, but Oscar does occasionally recognize animated films here.
The campaigns for An Education seem to be focusing mostly on its acting, not writing, and besides, the film may be too mellow even for Oscar. But, if not, it will go nicely with its other nominations.

Best Original Screenplay

(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
It's Complicated
Up

Alternate: A Serious Man

The amazingly tense script for The Hurt Locker should make it a front-runner, as will Quentin Tarantino's irresistable script for Basterds. Pixar films do tend to be nominated here, although they are always long-shots for the win. Up was one of the most original films of the year. It's Complicated was also praised for its very funny romantic comedy directed at adults, and Summer's surprisingly funny script was also something unique.
The film is losing a lot of steam, but the Coen brothers' film A Serious Man may get a last-minute nomination for writing.

Best Animated Feature

Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Alternates: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Coraline

The fact that it's even being considered for Best Picture should make it an easy win for Pixar's wonderful Up. The other nominees should be Fantastic Mr. Fox, loved by critics and hated by audiences for its inventive use of stop-motion, and Disney's Princess and the Frog for its revival of traditional hand-drawn animation.
There are usually three nominees here, but if there are five, they will probably be the moneymaker Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and the critic's darling Coraline. The latter opened in January, so it's going to be very difficult to get nominated since the Academy always has such a short memory.

If you've made it this far, you're probably going to be up at the wee hours of the morning watching the nominations with me, so more power to ya! Once again, the nominations will be announced live during a press conference at 6:30 am (Colorado time) Tuesday, February 2nd. The Academy Awards themselves will be on Sunday, March 7th.
And, as usual, I want to see comments on this post! Chime in with your opinions and let me know what I missed. Movies are things to be celebrated, and the Oscars are a perfect opportunity to get people talking about the movies of the past year, so start talking.