Sunday, March 7, 2010

Quick Oscar Predix.

I wasn't planning to sit and write mine down (not my fave Oscar year...) but my OCD won and here are my short takes on each category.

Best Picture
Will win: "The Hurt Locker"
Personal preference: "The Hurt Locker" (only because "Up" stands no chance in hell)

Best Director
Will win: Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker"
Personal preference: Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker"

Best Actor
Will win: Jeff Bridges for "Crazy Heart"
Personal preference: Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker"

Best Actress
Will win: Sandra Bullock for "The Blind Side"
Personal preference: Carey Mulligan for "An Education"

Hey, I figured if we all predict Sandra, maybe we'll jinx her?
Probably not happening though. Meryl winning would thrill me but it's Ms. Mulligan who should have this in the bag. Best nominated performance.

Best Supporting Actor
Will win: Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds"
Personal preference: Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Supporting Actress
Will win: Mo'Nique for "Precious"
Personal preference: Penélope Cruz for "Nine"

I'm perhaps the only person out there who isn't head over heels about Mo'Nique's performance, she sure was the best thing in the very flawed pic but something about her performance fails to transcend into the human for me.
She's merely a prop for Lee Daniels' disturbed vision of violence and consequent redemption.

Best Original Screenplay
Will win: Mark Boal for "The Hurt Locker"
Personal preference: Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Will win: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for "Up in the Air"
Personal preference: Nick Hornby for "An Education"

Best Cinematography
Will win: "Avatar"
Personal preference. "The White Ribbon"

Best Editing
Will win: "The Hurt Locker"
Personal preference: "The Hurt Locker"

Best Art Direction
Will win: "Avatar"
Personal preference: "Avatar"

Best Costume Design
Will win: "The Young Victoria"
Personal preference: "Bright Star"

(although who can complain with Sandy Powell having another Oscar?)

Best Original Score
Will win: "Up"
Personal preference: "Up"

Best Original Song
Will win: "The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart"
Personal preference: "Take It All" from "Nine"

Apparently country=instant Oscar (unless your competition is a hip hop song about pimps) and it's a shame that AMPAS has completely forgotten about the power of showtunes.

Best Sound and Best Sound Editing
Will win: "Avatar"
Personal preference: "The Hurt Locker"

Best Documentary Feature
Will win: "The Cove"
Personal preference: "The Cove"


Best Foreign Language Film
Will win: "The Secret in Their Eyes"
Personal preference: "The White Ribbon"

Ah what a category!
Two new masterpieces of world cinema (including my favorite movie of the year), a superb genre flick, an avant garde take on Latin American history and even the usual "important" entry is better than you'd expect.
If there was any justice (read if this were the 1960s) Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" would have this one in the bag!
It's such a remarkable film that works as political essay, complex sociological study and even whodunit. Of course it's too heavy and intellectual for the way this category has gone in the last decades so expect Juan José Campanella's excellent "The Secret in Their Eyes" to win.
The movie isn't only fun and romantic it also includes mild political subtext that make it seem important without being harrowing. Also Campanella lost in this category and they might wanna make him justice.
I wouldn't be upset about this win, although I'd be ecstatic if "The White Ribbon" took it.

Best Documentary Short
Will win. "China's Unnatural Disaster"
Personal Preference: N/A

Best Animated Feature
Will win and Personal preference: "Up"

Best Animated Short
Will win: Logorama
Personal preference: N/A

Best Live Action Short
Will win: Kavi
Personal preference: N/A

7 comments:

Dreher Bear (...Where The Buffalo Roam) said...

Nice list! I really really hope Sandra Bullock doesn't win Best Actress. I also hope that Avatar doesn't sweep all of the awards.

Andrew K. said...

I more or less agree with you on MoNique, but you know if she loses there's going to be a giant (black) backlash - minus me. But I do want her to win, because I don't want them to crucify P who's the only other nominee that I like.

Hee, I'm hoping Avatar sweeps...don't throw stones at me though.

I know you like Waltz, and I haven't seen The Last Station, but I'm secretly hoping for a Plummer win.

Notas Sobre Creación Cultural e Imaginarios Sociales said...

Thank you Dreher Bear, I feel like a bad guy too often for wishing she'll lose.
But I'll keep on crossing my fingers haha.

I won't throw stones at you Andrew lol, "Avatar" might not be my favorite movie of the year but it's still great.
Now if you were saying you wished "Up in the Air" or "Precious" swept it'd be a different story. A Plummer win would rock, for history's sake, but honestly this year Waltz was the best in the category.

Castor said...

I will probably end being pissed tonight because Avatar and The Hurt Locker end up with most of the hardware. Both movies don't deserve as much credit as they will get.

Notas Sobre Creación Cultural e Imaginarios Sociales said...

Don't be pissed haha!
These things never go as we want them to, so just enjoy and ignore their awful choices.
Who do you wish would win?

Castor said...

Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino should get a little love :) Unlike most, I actually think this is not that great of a year. Time will tell.

Notas Sobre Creación Cultural e Imaginarios Sociales said...

I agree, I really liked "Basterds" as well but I'm more of a "Locker" guy when it comes down to business.
I think it's a very mediocre year as well (my favorite films of the year are proof enough that I don't agree with Oscar) but well the Oscars are like those sporting events you always watch even if you hate the people who play it.
Hope you enjoy them despite the anger, just don't mind them too much hehe (I'll try to do the same with Best Actress).