Oscar Talk

So Anne Hathaway got to read the nominees out today. I'm not going into everyone, because plainly, I just don't care. I like being a stubborn and selfish jerk, so I'll pick the ones I want and probably rant about certain films as well. I'll also pick the ones I think will win, and shouldn't.

Best picture
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"Up in the Air"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Up"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"A Serious Man"

So, first thing is first. The fact that they "upgraded" the list of Best Picture nominees to Ten is laughable. They manage to screw it up most years ANYWAYS, why increase the odds of screwing it up? I don't get it. Plus, I don't there are ten movies a year that should be up for the prestigious "Best Picture" category.

Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: Avatar


I'm sorry. I usually am the little obnoxious prick that is clamoring for the small picture to defeat big, bad Hollywood. I hated on Avatar so hard before it came out. I likened it to James Cameron getting all Michael Bay with blue playdoh. Well, humble pie doesn't taste so bad after all. Avatar is amazing. I think the fact that is cost a couple of country's bankrolls to produce, the graphics, the groundbreaking power of the 3D experience, will make up for some of the problems inherent in the film. Some of it is a bit cliche, and James has never been the most gifted dialogue writer, but this movie is awesome. The story is breathtaking, it is shot beautifully, the imagination rehearsed inside Cameron's head over the past ten years is transferred perfectly. The acting was alot better than I figured it would be as well. Sigourney Weaver, thanks for coming back. This movie is as well rounded as you'll get for a big hollywood banger and man did James deliver the goods.

Actor

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

Will Win: Jeff Bridges
Should Win: Jeff Bridges

I didn't like Invictus all that much. I mean don't get me wrong, it was a solid movie, and it's hard to critique things made by Eastwood...nevermind starring Freeman. I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet, but the sense I get is that it's last years "The Wrestler" minus Mickey Rourke. Jeff Bridges is like revered in Hollywood and I have personal liking for his body of work. Clooney's performance is basically him playing himself. Jeremy Renner was brilliant in The Hurt Locker, a completely understated and amazing performance. I didn't see Colin Firth's performance either so go head and bitch at me and throw up an Asterisk on this one.

Actress

Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"

Will Win: Sandra Bullock
Should Win: Gabourey Sidibe

First off, Precious isn't for the squeamish. It's one of the more difficult tales you've ever heard and it's amazing it's broken into Hollywood the way it has. I was going to put Gabourey for "Will Win" but I could never put it past the Oscar's to give Sandra the golden girl her fucking trophy. I like Sandra Bullock, but come on, who's kidding who? Blind Side isn't half the film Precious is, and given the Oscar's history with black leads? I don't see it happening. Sidibe gives a towering performance in the years most unforgettable film (unforgettable in terms of mental scarring).

Supporting actor

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

Will Win: Christoph Waltz
Should Win: Chistoph Waltz

It is the type of performance in which you wouldn't even have to see the other films. Kinda like that year Daniel Day Lewis starred in "There Will Be Blood". Waltz's performance is outrageously good. He could have won just for his the opening scene in "Inglorious Basterds". He waltz's into a house and mentally eviscerates a quiet family man. Even if his character were to have died right after this scene he still could have walked off with this thing. His performance maybe the best out of anyone the entire year--in every category.



Supporting actress

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

Should Win: Monique
Will Win: Monique

Mo'Nique will take this one and should. This is yet another reason I think they will give the lead to Sandra, by assuming the supporting role will be taken by Precious. This performance is as hard edged and disturbing as any out there. To play a character so vile and disgusting is no easy task...she kills it.

Director

Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"

Should Win: James Cameron
Will Win: James Cameron

I can't think of another blockbuster cinematic achievement that matches what he has been able to do. The only ones close are maybe Lucas with Star Wars imagination or Spielberg devising his epics. Cameron spent countless millions, years upon years of imagining, and the production hell in convincing everyone "Avatar" was worth it. This is the first movie to bring credibility to the 3D picture in Hollywood, and he has taken cinema to new bounds yet again. There is no doubt he deserves it and it would be pathetic to give it to anyone else. Kathryn Bigelow might have won any other year. The Hurt Locker is so perfectly made on a directing level. Tarantino never fails to amaze me and I believe some of the scenes in "Inglorious" are his most mature to date. The last scene in the film, however, drove the nail into his Best Director coffin.

Animated feature

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

Should Win: Up
Will Win: Up

"Up" is one of the best movies of the year. It's up for a best picture nod. It's perfect as far as Pixar goes-- and that is saying alot. It is heart-wrenching at times, hilarious at others, and great by the end.

Original screenplay

"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The Messenger"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"

This one is tough. I'm going with The Hurt Locker because it is one of the best movies made since 2000 and it's a shame it won't see anything. The inspiration came from family members serving in Iraq and the writers traveled with a bomb squad to gain insight into daily lives of soldiers.

Adapted screenplay

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

Will Win: Precious
Should Win: District 9

Precious was well made. Great transition to the screen when most people who read the book would have said "why try?". District 9 was too weird for alot of people. That movie is truly great. Despite it's downfalls, it is a perfect landscape and a mirror for what we usually tend to do in situations such as that. Funny how the public wasn't crazy about it...probably because no one likes looking in the mirror.

Best film editing
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious"

Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: ?

This is sad but it maybe the toughest choice this year. Avatar took ten years. TEN YEARS PEOPLE. God knows how much footage he had to chew down to get it under three hours. If your going off workload alone than Avatar wins no doubt. If your going for actual skill and creativity to produce something near perfection, I might go Hurt Locker. That movie is so well edited and because of that fact it propels the viewer into a non-stop nerve tingling atmosphere. Inglorious Basterds won't win because it was so long. District 9 was also brilliantly edited, the final forty-five minutes of that film are absolutely insane.

Art direction

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

Should Win: Avatar
Will Win: Avatar

No question. The complexity and beauty of this films art direction trump any movie made in the past few years nevermind this year alone.

Cinematography

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

Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: Inglorious Basterds

Cinematography is often misunderstood for what it actually is. Yes, it's the lineup of shots and the time taken to perfect them, but often people just assume it's the way the camera is taking footage. Avatar does have a breathtaking scope to it, almost as if you've entered another world fully. However, Inglorious Basterds resides on a much less grand of a scale. The scope of the camera in that film, the shots and the recurrent themes captured through the lens was near perfect. I would give it to "Basterds".


It has been a good year for movies. Both on a large scale (Avatar) down to the nitty-gritty (Precious). If you did not like District 9 I beg you to watch it again. It really is well made and believe me I know it is wierd, but it makes altogether too much sense to ignore. The Hurt Locker is the greatest action movie made since any of the Bourne's, and as an overall film, is better than them. The movie employs so much into it's action base that your quick to forget the associations it draws with the wars currently going on. Kathryn Bigelow used to be married to James Cameron...Jesus, thank god they didn't have any children or they would be the best directors of all time. Again, not enough can be said for Mr. Waltz's performance in "Inglorious Basterds". That is the performance of the year. That film will also go down as being seriously underrated as it will fail to pick up much in the Oscar categories. I'm interested to see where Tarantino will go from here...I think he is close to making something completely serious and at the same time? Probably completely perfect. Avatar is the best picture of the year and has managed to connect both critically and commercially, which is a rarity these days. The film will change the course of blockbusters everywhere until the next time Mr. Cameron feels like dropping in and changing the game all over again.