The 82nd Academy Awards Predictions

Academy Awards 2010 Predictions

by Mandy Rodgers

This year, the Academy made some serious changes in the way the Oscars would take place, starting with the decision last year to nominate 10 feature films for the Best Picture category. Some were pleased by the decision to give nods to those who otherwise would have never stood a chance, but others felt that it was wasted space and did not impact the running at all. We probably all know who the real Top 5 would have been, don't we? The way the Best Film contenders are voted for is also a doozy and creates an odd tension among everyone in the industry--but hey, that's the Oscars, am I right, Nicolas Cartier?  Also, this year the program will be hosted by TWO popular males: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. The two also both starred in Meryl Streep's romantic comedy "It's Complicated" this year as well--not that that film is nominated. With the ever-growing memorium reel, producers have had issues putting someone in the honored/dreaded spot of introducing it, and for some reason, the Best Song contenders will not perform their pieces this year, which I am actually happy about because I have a personal beef with one of the nominees. You can find out later.

BEST PICTURE

                                                          

Avatar ***UPSET***

The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker ***MY PICK***
Inglorious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up

Up in the Air

So here's the Top 10 films of the year, according to the Academy, and many moviegoers and critics have had a field day blasting some of the choices and agonizing over those overlooked, like the popular and acclaimed "Star Trek" or the quirky and original "(500) Days of Summer." Many seem angry that "The Blind Side" received a nomination, but I don't see it as such a huge problem. If it won, yes, that would be unjust, but giving a popular and good film a nomination (when there are 10 to go around) doesn't bother me. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Blind Side" for what it is, and apparently many in the country did too. It's box office gross is almost $250 million. Speaking of box offices, let's look at the mega-popular, dominating "Avatar," my pick for the possible upset category. We really know that this race is now between James Cameron's "Avatar" and Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker," and the way "The Hurt Locker" has picked up steam these months between the Golden Globes and tomorrow night is incredible. And rightfully so. "Avatar" has a lot going for it, including the top grossing film of all time (Domestically, it's passed $700 million, blowing the former king "Titanic" out of the water. No pun intended, but it happened.) However, I am hoping that they will crown "The Hurt Locker" instead for being a captivating drama with suspense, characters and a plotline--even against all the controversy one of its producers has made by sending out campaign emails, going against Academy rules. 

ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart **MY PICK**

George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus 
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker  **UPSET**

Jeff Bridges began this award season with a lock on this category and has not faltered since. I thought that perhaps the nomination of Renner from Best Picture front-runner "The Hurt Locker," (he was overlooked for the Golden Globes) would at least make things interesting, but alas, it's just not happening. There is very little buzz for anyone that is not Bridges, and the man deserves an award, at least for his illustrious career of diverse roles and almost-wins. So I am content with him taking home the gold tomorrow night. If anyone is going to steal it, make it Renner or Clooney, just because he's fun to watch accept things on stage, and this show is not shaping up to be too interesting.

ACTOR in SUPPORTING ROLE

Matt Damon - Invictus

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger *UPSET*

Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz - Inglorious Basterds *MY PICK*

This race is shaping up to be one of the least surprising or shocking of the year. It looks a lot like my thoughts during the Golden Globes, and the momentum has not changed or shifted in any way. I have no doubt in my mind the Waltz will win for his brilliant turn in "Inglourious Basterds" as one of those movie villains that will be copied and read about for ages. The perfect mix of devastating horror with an odd, illustrious charm, Waltz has this piece in the bag, and for our viewing pleasure, I hope that he has discovered a way to tie in his win (Oscar/Academy Award) with something inspirational, like he's done in many a speech this season. If it's not him, Harrelson has the best shot at an upset--Damon is lucky to be nominated, Plummer is a favorite but doesn't have the buzz and Tucci, though the best part about the ill-made "The Lovely Bones" still can't pull it out.

ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side ***

Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia **  

This race has completely changed since the beginning of the Golden Globes campaign until now, and I am kind of enjoying the shift. It seemed the acting categories would be completely predictable starting last November, so at least "The Blind Side" and its popularity have kept us on our toes. Bullock is my pick for this category due to her many wins and how damn likable she is. I am a huge Bullock fan and have been from the beginning of when I liked film, and though I did not think her role in "The Blind Side" would earn her enough rave reviews or respect to take Oscar home at first, now that it seems it has, I support it. Many can argue that all of the other roles were better or harder or more captivating, but watching Bullock portray the real Leigh Anne Tuohy with such spunk and flair actually made me forget for a minute it was Bullock, one of my favorite actresses, which is hard to do and the little-known Mulligan and Sidibe didn't have that obstacle for many. And they will have their time soon enough after each of their brilliant performances this year. But I am excited and hopeful now that America's Sweetheart wins, but if she doesn't, Streep will probably accept her 4,000th award.

ACTRESS in SUPPORTING ROLE

Penelope Cruz - Nine

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air **

Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air

Mo'Nique - Precious***

Again, is there anyone who is betting against Mo'Nique in this one? Oscar ballots were in long before she proclaimed she didn't care if her husband (who we loved her speaking so cutely about at the Golden Globes) slept with a bazillion other women, so really she has nothing going against her. And yes, the aforementioned should not have even put a dent in her Oscar track, but anything controversial should be noted, and plus, I thought her statement was weird. But I digress...Mo'Nique better have an acceptance speech ready to top or at least compete with her beloved GG one, because there's really not feasible way she won't win. Aside from her performance being stellar, chilling and so far from any Mo'Nique-ian thing you've ever seen, her competition isn't so great. "Nine" has lost all hope in receiving anything, and Gyllenhaal has been way overshadowed by her costar to garner much attention. The "Up in the Air" ladies are brilliant, but I think being nominated against one another is always a negative. Farmiga stands out a little more for me than Kendrick though, so she's my upset pick here.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Coraline **

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up ***

Again, is anyone betting against powerhouse Pixar/Disney's "Up?" Please, tell me if you are and what your reasoning is. It doesn't even have strong competition. I am picking "Coraline" as the upset because it's visually stunny and just really odd, but there's no point, because "Up" has to win. It was the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar since the Academy developed the Best Animated Feature category several years ago. "Fantastic Mr. Fox" was fun and "The Princess and the Frog" was a great step back into hand-drawn animation for the company, but this one is not a race. I actually had to look up what "The Secret of Kells" was -- a small, animated film winning a lot of awards in Europe, but I'm still not sure what it's about. "Up" makes you cry, laugh, cry, laugh and also entertains with breathtaking visuals. Congrats. 

ART DIRECTION

Avatar***

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Nine**

Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

I have never been good at guessing the technical awards and probably won't start getting them right this year, but that doesn't mean I won't try. However, I won't explain my decision as much, because I doubt I have a great deal of reasoning. "Avatar" should win a lot of these, so that part will be easy. I'm picking "Nine" here, cause it's a full-scale musical that might not have been very acclaimed, but it looked really pretty. And if it wasn't for being Heath Ledger's final movie, would "Parnassus" have really been nominated?

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Avatar ***

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds **

The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)

If there is one thing "Avatar" did have, it was pretty exquisite cinematography. Isn't that what the whole movie was? I'm picking "Basterds" as an upset, because I really liked that movie and don't think it had a chance for much this year.


COSTUME DESIGN

Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Nine ***

The Young Victorian **

Along with great art direction, "Nine" was also pretty to look at due to the costuming. Some thought "Bright Star" would have earned more nominations than this, but my dislike for Abbie Cornish make me still choose the other similarly-styled "The Young Victorian."

DIRECTING

Avatar - James Cameron **

The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow ***
Inglorious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino
Precious - Lee Daniels 

Up in the Air - Jason Reitman

Like the Best Picture category, this one comes down between the exes, Cameron and Bigelow. I'm not sure if the Academy will award one film both or split the two, but I'm going to hope that both go to "The Hurt Locker." Even Cameron told the GG audience that he didn't pee because he thought Kathryn would win. Maybe the Academy listened and took that into consideration like they do everything Cameron says or does or thinks about saying or doing. 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Burma VJ

The Cove ***

Food, Inc. **

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

I'm not going to pretend that I have even seen these films, because I have not. I am genuinely interested in seeing "The Cove," which revolves around a former dolphin trainer ("Flipper") who decides that animals should never be held captive again and sets out to change things. Pretty odd timing to think about this film after the headline-making death of a Sea World trainer recently by a killer whale. I would say "Food, Inc." was the most popular of the nominated docs, but I am scared to see it because I want to possibly eat again in my life and feel that if I saw it, I would be well informed by scared to eat food of any kind again.

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 

This is a guess, and this is only a guess...

FILM EDITING

Avatar **                                                                         

District 9 ***

The Hurt Locker              

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

I'm going to actually go against "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" for one and probably be wrong, but at least I took a chance.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Ajami (Israel)

The Milk of Sorrow (Peru)

A Prophet (France) **

The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina)

The White Ribbon (Germany) ***

Not going to make the same mistake I did for the Golden Globes by not picking the Cannes winner -- "The White Ribbon." 

MAKEUP

Il Divo 

Star Trek ***

The Young Victoria **           

Since it was given nothing else, let's give "Star Trek" the makeup award. This reasoning is all I have hear - there was good makeup in it too though. I guess.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

 

Avatar **

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

Sherlock Holmes

Up ***

I want "Up" to win for the opening sequence alone, but there's a very good chance it could lose to the giant. Scores are hard to predict...at least for me. I actually won a CD of the "Sherlock Holmes" score through a Twitter contest, but alas, I gave it away because I don't listen to instrumental music with nothing happening around it. If I only had that CD, maybe the answers would be there.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

The Princess and the Frog - "Almost There" Randy Newman     

The Princess and the Frog - "Down in New Orleans" Randy Newman **

Paris 36 - "Loin de Paname" Reindhart Wagner/Frank Thomas 

Nine - "Take it All" Maury Yeston

Crazy Heart - "The Weary Kind" Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett ***

The one category I hope I'm wrong it but probably won't be. I've complained about this instance all awards' season, and it is my personal vendetta against Ryan Bingham a country music singer/songwriter that few people but me had heard of before the "Crazy Heart" opportunity. However, I know him all too well after his management hounded me and my editor at my school newspaper for an interview to promote his album and upcoming concert in Athens, Ga. We set things up, and I made a special effort to schedule this interview and my life accordingly. Come the day/time, Bingham was to be interviewed, I called him, and he and his manager explained that he was too hung over to conduct a telephone interview at this time, and they laughed about it. They rescheduled, but when I tried again, I never heard back. Now, he's receiving many accolades, and I still have this issue with him. Why can't the Academy award something having to do with New Orleans for another time this year?? :( 

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)& SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

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

The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi **
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants ***

Gut reactions. Solely. 

SOUND EDITING

Avatar **

The Hurt Locker ***

Inglorious Basterds

Star Trek

Up 

SOUND MIXING

Avatar ***

The Hurt Locker              

Inglorious Basterds

Star Trek **

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Of course, "Transformers" should win SOME kind of Oscar - that gem of a movie.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar ***

District 9 **

Star Trek

I'm going to actually go against "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker" for one and probably be wrong, but at least I took a chance.

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

District 9

An Education **

In the Loop

Precious

Up in the Air ***

  

I think Reitman will pull out a win here like at the Golden Globes

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

The Hurt Locker **              

Inglorious Basterds ***

The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

I want "Inglorious Basterds" to win something, and this category is its best shot - beside the shoo-in Supporting Actor with Waltz. Tarantino's script rewriting the demise of Hitler deserves to be honored -- who else could get away with something that ridiculous and yet intriguing and watchable??

DiCaprio, Scorsese Shine and 'Shutter'

Shutter Island

2010

film review

by Mandy Rodgers

Rated: R

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley

          When a film’s theatrical release is delayed for several months at the last second (and right around Oscar season), a low hum escapes into the film community and among movie buffs that the final product was “lacking” or the studio didn’t believe in the piece. Every once in a while, this general thought is not the case, and with “Shutter Island,” Paramount Pictures’ financial troubles were really the cause for distress.

     With an original October 2009 release date, Paramount head executive Brad Grey blames the late release on financial issues looming over film companies these days. With more time and more momentum, Paramount was able to push a heavy marketing campaign towards the picture, securing a No. 1 box office opening weekend with $41 million, a best for both DiCaprio and Scorsese. But how does it fare critically?

     “Shutter Island” opens immediately into the action and heart of the story it draws upon from Dennis Lahane’s dramatic and terrifying novel, and it never slows down. Well, it never really speeds up either. Scorsese tells a methodical and stunning story in an intriguing, old-fashioned way. It’s set in 1954 and almost feels like it was shot then too. The obvious and devious score, paired with the dark and dreary storm-filled skies instantly give the audience an ominous feeling that Shutter Island—the place and the movie—has quite a tale to tell.

     DiCaprio stars as Teddy Daniels, a U.S. Marshall assigned to a case on the eerie Shutter Island, a converted Civil War fort that is now a hospital and ward for the criminally insane. The only way to access the facility is by ferry, and the ferry is controlled by Shutter Island itself, or head doctor, Dr. Cawley (Kingsley).  Teddy just has met partner Chuck Aule (Ruffalo), fellow U.S. Marshall, for this situation alone, but the two have an instant bond and trust. The two Marshalls are searching for an escaped patient named Rachel who murdered her family years ago and is believed to be roaming the island.

     From first moment to last, the entire movie aligns the audience with Teddy. No scene is without him and no information is given to us without his filter, adding another layer of suspense to the already claustrophobic and twisted thriller. Teddy also has an ulterior motive here at Shutter Island concerning the murder of his wife, Dolores (Williams), and a mystery 67^th patient. Teddy’s consistently horrifying dreams and hallucinations keep his yearning to catch her killer and mend old wounds in the front of our minds.

     Teddy actually has other controversial parts of his past come up in these fantasy (nightmare) sequences, and within a half hour, it’s evident that he is a complex, conflicted and marred hero for us to rely on for the duration of “Shutter Island.” Scorsese takes a film noir approach to our hero, as he’s jaded and flawed yet smart and charming. Hey, it’s Leonardo DiCaprio for crying out loud. He mixes this character into a Hitchcockian thriller, a classic drama (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”) and complete the recipe with the always menacing Kingsley and affable Ruffalo. Williams is also heartbreaking as the ghost of what Teddy lost but still can’t let go.

     In some ways, “Shutter Island” relies too much on the fact that it’s supposed to be scary and frightening vs. the fact that it actually is, but Scorsese makes up for the clichés (graveyards, rain) with DiCaprio.

DiCaprio carries the film with his earnest and absorbing portrayal of a man fighting his ghosts and fears while striving to give his current assignment everything he has left. And the climax and twists give DiCaprio a role he can dutifully inhabit with Scorsese’s skilled direction, sure to impact other thrillers for generations to come.

     Having not read the novel and starting the film with little expectation, I found the payoff quite rewarding. “Shutter Island” is flawed but so is our hero and sole alliance on the island itself. The haunting score and stylized horror world Scorsese created engulf the filmgoer in this crazed environment, but also open the audience’s mind for debate on serious topics like mental health and medication long after the credits roll. Message boards continue to argue and dissect the film’s chilling ending, asking for repeat viewings and more answers—the definitive sign of an effective mystery.

'Valentine's Day' Lacks Humor, Focus and Romance

Valentine’s Day

2010

film review

by Mandy Rodgers

Rated: PG-13

Director: Gary Marshall

Starring: Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jennifer Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Carter Jenkins, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Bryce Robinson and Taylor Swift

     There are several things I am a fan of, and this film contains many of them—romantic comedies, Gary Marshall and Julia Roberts. (Yes, Pretty Woman is still one of my favorites, and I won’t deny it.) Plus, ensembles are so much fun, and this movie is about as star-filled as you can get with many A-listers and the latest up-and-coming actors, complete with Lautner of Twilight fame. So why am I not thrilled with the outcome of the latest flick to oust Avatar out of its top box office seat?

     With all the components of a great romantic comedy, Valentine’s Day misses the mark and ends up playing like a schmaltzy and predictable Lifetime movie as opposed to a funny and watchable box office sensation. With comedy classics like Overboard, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride and The Princess Diaries under his belt, Marshall knows more than most about directing a timeless rom-com, but maybe Katherine Fugate’s cliché-filled screenplay gave him little to work with. Fugate is known mostly for writing on Lifetime’s "Army Wives"…hmm…maybe it all makes sense now…

     An ensemble piece to the nth degree, no one character is given more credit, but Reed Bennett (Kutcher) keeps the story moving throughout, starting with the film’s opening and his hopelessly romantic character proposing to girlfriend, Morley (Alba) on Valentine’s Day. She says yes, and he immediately wants to tell his BFFs Alphonso (Lopez) and Julia (Garner), who are kind of shocked that the two might actually get hitched. (“Why is everyone so surprised?” he exasperatingly yells several times.)

     And so begins one love story after another with interconnections running along them. Almost as soon as a character was introduced, I guessed their movie love fate—minus one storyline exception that did have me surprised. (I won’t spoil here in case you ever see it.)

     Other than that, you have the older couple who’ve only had eyes for each other, the brand new romance that is still awkward, the high school couple figuring out sexuality, the jilted anti-love lady, the happily married couple, the childhood crush and the philandering husband. They’re all here misbehaving, making up, falling in love or falling out of it in one fateful Valentine’s Day.

     The problem is that the audience is not amused (I think I laughed one time), and they don’t care about most of the characters (hard to get romantic with unlikable people). Garner and Kutcher are the standouts and perhaps the center of the wavering story. She’s adorable, and he is…well, himself, it seems, but charming nonetheless. Marshall-movie-mainstay Elizondo and the always skilled MacLaine keep their usual poise and grace in their scenes, but Biel, Alba, Bates, Latifah and Roberts are given very little to do. Dempsey, Dane and Cooper serve their roles in the film but lack depth and background making for a muddled cacophony of events.

     With this many varied characters and actors, it’s hard to juggle the stories, but other films in the same vein have succeeded in telling involving tales of love or adventure—Paris, je t'aime, Ocean’s Eleven and Playing by Heart, to name a few.

     Valentine’s Day was never going to be (or intended) to please everyone, but I at least thought the romantic comedy lovers would have something to enjoy on the holiday weekend, and I was disappointed.

     Even Swift as the unabashedly in love teen was obnoxious to me, and I am a die-hard Taylor Swift fan. Why don’t they make them like they used to? 

Golden Globe Predictions: Film Categories

Golden Globe 2010 Predictions

by Mandy Rodgers

With Ricky Gervais serving as the Golden Globes’ first host, Hollywood’s oft-touted favorite award show should have several entertaining moments and perhaps a few surprises in the winners’ circle. Many of the categories feel like sealed deals, but there are still some tight races, and don’t forget the Cecil B. DeMille honor for Martin Scorsese. The look back at his career will be entertaining, and Marty’s usually a great speaker—how has he not won this award before?

FILM CATEGORIES

DRAMA

Avatar

The Hurt Locker **Upset**

Inglorious Basterds

Precious

Up in the Air **My Pick**

For me, this category might be the most perplexing. Walking into Up in the Air, I was convinced that it would bowl me over enough to immediately choose it for best film of the year. I had seen the other four, and all are impressive in their own ways but not one had completely convinced me that it could grab the gold during award season. Though I appreciate Up in the Air as a film (somewhat depressing and eerily timely), its screenplay and acting, I still was not convinced in its ability to win voters over. Personally, I enjoyed Inglorious Basterds the most, as an entertainment vehicle and as a great film. The Hurt Locker impressed me 90 percent of the way through, but the ending—important message but stylized in a bizarre fashion—took a couple of point away for me. Precious’ heavy tones and themes surely alienated many voters and audiences; Avatar’s lack of innovative story have turned many off enough that its stunning visuals and box office domination might not save it. The Hurt Locker could win Best Picture at the Oscar; Hollywood’s Foreign Press will give the honor to Up in the Air due to star power and the abundance of other nominations it received.

ACTRESS in a DRAMA

Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side

Helen Mirren – The Last Station

Carey Mulligan – An Education **Upset**

Gabourey Sidibe – Precious **My Pick**

I love Bullock (it’s true), but this battle is between Mulligan and Sidibe. Mirren is always an easy win, and Blunt’s Victorian turn is racking up rave reviews, but after you see Sidibe as the abused and neglected (is that an understatement) Precious and then see Sidibe squealing about Justin Timberlake in interviews, the transformation is readily apparent and mind blowing. For Mulligan, she’s being compared to Audrey Hepburn. You can’t get much better than that. 

ACTOR in DRAMA

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart **My Pick**

George Clooney – Up in the Air **Upset**

Colin Firth – A Single Man

Morgan Freeman – Invictus

Tobey Maguire – Brothers

Freeman is classic Freeman, which is always good. Clooney shows emotion somehow making us forget (for a moment) his movie star persona. Firth finally gets some recognition for the talent most of us have already seen. Maguire was mostly crazy-eyed and just un-Peter Parker. This one will go to Bridges, who evokes many feelings and sides of the human persona with this struggles and triumphs.

COMEDY/MUSICAL

(500) Days of Summer **My Pick**

The Hangover

It’s Complicated **Upset**

Julie & Julia

Nine

Out of this lineup, the only film I have not been able to watch is Nine, which has virtually fallen off the Oscar radar in many categories already with a horrific box office pull and pretty so-so reviews. The Hangover, though hilarious, is just too crude and crass to actually receive the honor on Sunday. Both of Meryl’s comedies possess winning aspects, but neither feel like a completely perfect film. My favorite for this category is (500) Days of Summer. Great acting, spot-on direction, inventive screenplay and an awesome musical number of its own featuring Hall & Oats’ "You Make My Dreams Come True."

ACTRESS in COMEDY/MUSICAL

Sandra Bullock – The Proposal

Marion Cotillard – Nine **Upset**

Julia Roberts – Duplicity

Meryl Streep – It’s Complicated

Meryl Street – Julie & Julia **My Pick**

Surprisingly, this section comes down to Streep vs. Streep, I believe. Kudos to Bullock for her double nominations (and the nominated movies are also her top two grossing films of all time), and Roberts had to have fallen out of her chair when hearing of the nomination. I love America’s sweethearts, but this isn’t their year, and conversations of Cotillard and her film have nearly ceased. Streep is good in both films, but she shines in Julie and Julia as the effervescent Child.

ACTOR in COMEDY/MUSICAL

Matt Damon – The Informant! **Upset**

Daniel Day-Lewis – Nine **My Pick**

Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes

Joseph Gordon-Levitt – (500) Days of Summer

Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man

Even though Nine has stumbled, it’s only chance at securing a win is for Day-Lewis. I mean, it’s Daniel Day-Lewis. Is there anything he doesn’t do perfectly? And here, he sings! Downey Jr. is clearly having fun with his career as of late and carries Sherlock Holmes, as does Damon in The Informant!, whose physical transformation and completely changed mannerisms are definitely worth noting.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz – Nine

Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air

Mo’Nique – Precious **My Pick**

Julianne Moore – A Single Man **Upset**

The Supporting categories seem to be the least shakable of the show, and I have to agree with the consensus that Mo’Nique will walk away with a statue for her incredible turn as Mary, mother (can we really call it that?) to Precious. Very un-Mo’Nique like, so much so that I wanted to inflict crazy harm to her after watching the film—and she’s a comedian! The Up in the Air ladies deserve their nominations but love for them might cancel out. And looking at Moore’s history of always a nominee, never a winner is devastating, but she’ll get her win soon—hopefully. Oh yeah—and that all-star musical has a chance here too.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon – Invictus

Woody Harrelson – The Messenger **Upset**

Christopher Plummer – The Last Station

Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds **My Pick**

The supporting categories always contain diverse and interesting actors and characters. Damon should be thrilled with his dual noms, and who doesn’t have a special place in their hearts for Captain Von Trapp, I mean, Christopher Plummer? Harrelson’s dramatic turn is getting tons of attention, while Tucci’s scary role in Peter Jackson’s all-talk-no-nominations drama based on the novel of the same name is sure to stupefy those familiar with his typical comedic characters. But as soon as Waltz (as Col. Hans Landa) ordered Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) a glass of meaningful milk, I was hooked on his winning numerous accolades for his work.

ANIMATED

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox **Upset**

The Princess & the Frog

Up **My Pick**

Pixar + Disney + Ed Asner + cute kid named Russell + cute dog named Dug + stunning visuals + touching, tear jerking story AND the aforementioned beloved Christopher Plummer…Need I say more?

FOREIGN

Baaria – Italy

Broken Embraces – Spain **My Pick**

The Maid – Chile

A Prophet – France

The White Ribbon – Germany **Upset**

Unfortunately, I was unable to watch any of the nominated movies here, and even though White Ribbon won at Cannes, I think the appreciation for Broken Embraces will put it over the edge.

DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker **My Pick*

James Cameron – Avatar **Upset**

Clint Eastwood – Invictus

Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino – Inglorious Basterds

We all know this fight is between Bigelow and Cameron and since they are exes, it makes it even more interesting! Not to take away from Eastwood’s prowess, Tarantino’s originality (and odes to film history) or Reitman’s edginess, I believe it comes down to the Little Film that Could and the Bonafide Blockbuster for the director race. So should Cameron win for the special effects-laden masterpiece that is Avatar or Bigelow for a character-driven drama also full of its own effects? I say Bigelow. Cameron’s been King of the World; let’s give it to the ex-Queen.

SCREENPLAY

District 9

The Hurt Locker **Upset**

Inglorious Basterds

It’s Complicated

Up in the Air **My Pick**

SCORE

Up **My Pick**

The Informant! **Upset**

Avatar

A Single Man

Where the Wild Things Are

SONG

Cinema Italiano – Nine **My Pick**

            Music & Lyrics By: Maury Yeston

I See You – Avatar
            Music By: James Horner and Simon Franglen
            Lyrics By: James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell

I Want You to Come Home – Everybody’s Fine
                Music & Lyrics By: Paul McCartney

The Weary King – Crazy Heart
                Music & Lyrics By: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Winter – Brothers **Upset**

                Music By: U2

                Lyrics By: Bono

I want to give something musical to Nine. Not sure if this is an educated pick, however, I’ve heard the other songs and was not too terribly impressed. It’ll probably go to U2 or McCartney—no explanation needed. And yeah, I’m still bitter about Ryan Bingham’s being “too hung over” to complete an interview with me several years ago for The Red & Black. I hold a grudge.

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