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It’s kind of pathetic how excited I am for this year’s Oscars, considering that a lot of my favourite movies and performances aren’t even nominated. But alas, I am a pop culture junkie, and Oscar night is the Holy Grail for that kind of thing. With the big show less than a week away, here are my picks for each category with commentary, when necessary.
Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
I’m incredibly torn with this category. Most seem to be predicting a win for The Hurt Locker, but I think that Avatar could ultimately win. It’s the highest-grossing movie of all time, and whether or not you see this as sufficient reason for winning, it was a movie that a lot of people loved. The Hurt Locker would be one of the least successful (in terms of box office) films to win, and the Iraq war seems to be cinematic kryptonite when it comes to rallying support for a film.
While I can certainly appreciate the merits of Avatar and The Hurt Locker (and I wouldn’t mind if either of them one) the two films in this category that I really loved were Up in the Air and Inglourious Basterds. I’d love to see either of them win, but it seems highly unlikely.
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
It’s looking as though Jeff Bridges will finally win his first Oscar. With the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the Critics Choice Award to his name, it would definitely be considered an upset if he didn’t win. Colin Firth recently won the BAFTA for his work in A Single Man, but the Brits often take the BAFTAs as an opportunity to reward their own. George Clooney was considered a threat, but has lost significant momentum throughout the awards season.
Bridges is actually the only person in this category whose performance I’m yet to see. I loved all four of the other performances, so it’s a bit disheartening to know that none of them have much of a chance of stealing the Oscar away from Bridges. I had never been much of a fan of George Clooney, but his work in Up in the Air was fantastic, and it made me reconsider my opinion of him. Firth is the one that I’m rooting for, though, because his subtle performance in A Single Man blew me away.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
There is no way that Waltz isn’t going to win this category. He’s won every single precursor award. It will be considered a HUGE upset if he doesn’t get the Oscar. It’s nice to see four first-time nominees in this category, and to see Damon nominated for his first Oscar since Good Will Hunting. But everyone else will just have to wait for a year when scene-stealing Christoph Waltz isn’t in a movie.
I really enjoyed his performance, but I’m a little bit confused as why Waltz is considered such a “shoe-in” (perhaps it was a weak year for this category?)
Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
Despite Carey Mulligan’s win at the BAFTAs, I still think that this is a race between Bullock and Streep. After her most successful year ever, and the box office sensation that The Blind Side became, I think that Bullock will stop Streep from winning her third Oscar.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire“
Another no-brainer. The Up in the Air women will split the votes that are given to their film. Maggie Gyllenhaal might be considered a minor threat because some voters will see her as being “overdue” for an Oscar after unrecognized performances in films like SherryBaby and Secretary. But her late-season momentum won’t be enough to beat Mo’Nique’s acclaimed performance.
Directing
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
James Cameron could win, but I think that with the Director’s Guild Award under her belt, Kathryn Bigelow will be victorious. While I don’t think that it’s the deciding factor in the race, the fact that Bigelow would be the first female director winner certainly won’t hurt her chances.
I would personally choose Tarantino to win this category, but since the race is between Cameron and Bigelow, I agree that Bigelow is the deserving winner.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
It’s possible that The Hurt Locker could win this category in a flurry of awards for the film, but I think that Basterds will take this one.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“District 9″ Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Sadly, it might be the only award that it wins, but Up in the Air is the favourite to win this category.
Animated Feature Film
“Coraline” Henry Selick
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
“The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
“The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
“Up” Pete Docter
I don’t know what A.O. Scott is thinking (he’s predicting a Princess and the Frog win), but there is no way that Up is losing this category (come on, it got a Best Picture nomination!)
Even though it won’t happen, I’d actually much prefer The Princess and the Frog to beat Up. I’ve loved a lot of the Pixar films, but Up just didn’t do it for me.
Art Direction
“Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
“Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
“Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography
“Avatar” Mauro Fiore
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
“The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
“Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
“The White Ribbon” Christian Berger
Costume Design
“Bright Star” Janet Patterson
“Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
“Nine” Colleen Atwood
“The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell
Documentary (Feature)
“Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
“The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens
“Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
“Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa
Documentary (Short Subject)
“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
“Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
“Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Film Editing
“Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
“District 9″ Julian Clarke
“The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
“Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz
Foreign Language Film
“Ajami” Israel
“The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
“A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France
“The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
“The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany
Makeup
“Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
“The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
Music (Original Score)
“Avatar” James Horner
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
“The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
“Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
“Up” Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song)
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36″ Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
“Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Tough call, with Oscar favourite Randy Newman holding two of the nomination spots, but I think that Ryan Bingham’s lovely, soulful song from Crazy Heart will take it. Too bad we won’t get to see him (or any of the other nominees) perform at the ceremony.
Short Film (Animated)
“French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
“Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
“Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
“Kavi” Gregg Helvey
“Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
“The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
Sound Editing
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
“Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
“Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
“Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Sound Mixing
“Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
“The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
“Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
“Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Visual Effects
“Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
“District 9″ Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
“Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Children’s movies have a bad reputation for their awful dialogue and screeching onscreen pandemonium, but with the success of the Harry Potter film franchise, it seems as though the bar has been set higher. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief (also based on a popular kid’s book series) is clearly trying to feed off some of that good will, and it’s actually largely successful.
Percy (Logan Lerman) is a dyslexic misfit whose mom (Catherine Keener) is dating a boozy loser. But he soon finds out that his social inadequacy is actually a result of the fact that his father is Poseidon, and that Percy himself is a demi-god. The gods have accused him of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt, and Percy must find the real thief to avoid all-out warfare.
The script is certainly not up to par with the Potter series, but the likeable young cast all do quite a respectable job. Lerman, who first caught my attention for his great work in 2007′s 3:10 to Yuma, gives an appealing performance in his first lead role. But it’s Brandon T. Jackson, playing Percy’s protector, Grover, who steals the film with his comedic charms. Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, and Uma Thurman also all do a great job in their small mythological roles.
Another thing about The Lightening Thief that really worked was the real-world element of the story. Percy and his new found friends embark on a cross-country road trip, which is a blast. Greek mythology is a tough sell in this technology-obsessed world, but director Chris Columbus does a good job of somehow making it all feel current.
Young fans will delight in delight in this smart, fast-paced adventure story, and it makes for a surprisingly enjoyable ride for older audiences who are unfamiliar with the books. The mythological links occasionally feel a bit clumsy, but for the sheer amount of fun that this film offers, it’s certainly worth setting your disbelief aside and getting caught up in its charm.
7/10
As the trailers and commercials show, Valentine’s Day features every bankable working actor, and tackles nearly twenty different storylines in two hours. The film shows us a day in the lives of all sorts of different couples. All of the characters are thinly linked to each other, mainly through Reid (Ashton Kutcher), a florist who proposes to his girlfriend (Jessica Alba) on Valentine’s Day morning. The film also features Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Julia Roberts, and Bradley Cooper in its gargantuan cast.
Like last year’s He’s Just Not That Into You, this film has too many expendable plotlines and goes on for about half an hour too long. But while He’s Just Not That Into You did have some interesting stories (most notably, the one involving Bradley Cooper, who had much more to work with in that film), Valentine’s Day really has nothing in the writing or filmmaking to back up its undeniably talented cast. It’s just a poorly made film from Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries), who should know better.
The packed audience that I saw the film with was ready to have a good time. They cheered for Taylor Lautner’s biceps, gasped at “shocking” twists, and gave a collective “awww” at all of the right moments. But some of the jokes fell so incredibly flat that the theatre was virtually silent. Several plot points are poorly explained (I spent half the movie thinking that Emma Roberts was discussing sex with her grandparents, only to later realise that they were the people who’d hired her as a nanny), and the rapid-fire snippets of each storyline make the film feel manic and choppy. And while the film tries to throw a few surprises at the audience, they’re either painfully obvious, or are revealed about characters that we know virtually nothing about (such as Eric Dane’s pro footballer), and thus feel totally random.
This fragmented format for a romantic comedy never allows for much character development, but Valentine’s Day is chocked full of characters that are totally defined by who they are or are not dating. The only remotely fleshed out characters are the two oldest characters (played by Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo). We actually get to learn something about their past, and that’s probably why their storyline is one of the few aspects of the film that works.
Other highlights come few and far between, and mainly depend on which actors the viewer was already a fan of. Cooper and Julia Roberts have a fun chemistry that helps to propel their storyline along, despite the film’s relentlessly catatonic script. And Hathaway and Topher Grace also manage to inject some charm into an otherwise silly storyline.
Although Taylors Swift and Lautner were more heavily advertised, the film’s more interesting teenage pairing comes from Emma Roberts and Carter Jenkins. The latter, despite being one of the only unfamiliar faces on screen, manages to stand out in this massive cast. Ashton Kutcher also gives one his most likeable, least shrill movie performances yet, and he may be the only person who is taking a step up by appearing in this movie.
Valentine’s Day is more enjoyable than its awful first half hour would suggest, but a few fun performances aren’t enough to let this film go by unscathed. From the seemingly endless stream of rom-com clichés to its hopeless child actors (and Swift, who might as well be one), the film is a mess. There’s something to be said for cinematic escapism, but there’s certainly better things that you can escape with than this. It’s far too slim on laughs, and in the end, it’s just another unfortunate by-product of Valentine’s Day.
4/10
January may not have been a stellar month for theatre releases, but it looks as though things will inevitably be picking up over the next few months. Of course, many new favourites will emerge as the year progresses, but based on what I know of them, here are ten films (plus a whole bunch of honourable mentions…yes, I’m cheating) slated for a 2010 release that I’m excited to see. It’s based mainly on actors and directors that I like. Click on the titles to see trailers, where possible.
Release Date: July 16, 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy
The strength of the cast is undeniable, and fresh off the massive success of The Dark Knight, there’s no way that Christopher Nolan’s upcoming thriller won’t be a huge hit. The filmmakers are being tight-lipped with plot details, but the tagline (“Your mind is the scene of the crime”) sounds pretty intriguing. I’m just hoping it can live up to expectations.
2. Somewhere
Release Date: TBA
Director: Sofia Coppola
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Benecio Del Toro, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan
I recently saw Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation for the first time, and it blew me away. Her next project, about an actor surprised by a visit from his daughter, has Benecio Del Toro (one of my favourite actors) starring, as well as Elle Fanning, who though I kind of hate to admit it, is a fantastic young actress. And the ten year old girl in me is a little bit excited that, according to the film’s IMDB page, Robert Schwartzman (who I had a huge crush on in The Princess Diaries) will be making his first acting appearance in almost 10 years.
3. The Town
Release Date: September 10, 2010
Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, Chris Cooper, Blake Lively, Jeremy Renner
I didn’t think that I’d ever be excited by anything to do with Ben Affleck, but after his incredibly impressive directorial effort in 2007, Gone Baby Gone, I’m excited for his follow-up. The film centers on the after effects a bank hold-up, and the feeling that the thief develops for one of the bank managers involved. I’m hoping to see more of the terse, stylish fare that he gave us with Gone Baby Gone. I’d rather see Casey Affleck onscreen than big brother Ben, but with a fabulous supporting cast, it looks very promising.
4. Blue Valentine
Release Date: TBA
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
I’m on board with anything that Ryan Gosling’s involved with, and while I didn’t like Wendy and Lucy as much as I wanted to, Michelle Williams was pretty fantastic in it. It got solid reviews at Sundance, and it’s been picked up by The Weinstein Company for distribution. Is it too early to predict that Gosling and Williams will each picking up their second Oscar nominations a year from now?
5. Dinner for Schmucks
Release Date: July 23, 2010
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jermaine Clement, Bruce Greenwood
Though it has a strange concept (men compete for who can bring the lousiest guest to a dinner party), but it sounds like a potentially funny one. The main draw for me is leads Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis. They might just be the three funniest guys working. Director Roach helmed the Austin Powers and Meet the Parents franchises, and while his films may not be especially subtle, they are pretty funny.
6. The Social Network
Release Date: October 15, 2010
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones, Justin Timberlake
David Fincher is always innovative, so somehow it’s not terribly surprising that his next project will revolve around the creation of the popular social networking site, Facebook. It has an interesting young cast, but it’s hard to say whether audiences will want to see a movie about something that’s already so present in our everyday lives. Because of its director, I’m more than willing to give it a shot.
Release Date: April 7, 2010 (UK), TBA in North America
Director: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Ricky Gervais, Tom Hughes, Christian Cooke, Matthew Goode
When I first heard about this film, I imagined it to be vastly different from what the recently-released trailer showed us. With Ricky Gervais attached, I was expected something more along the lines of Ghost Town or The Invention of Lying, for obvious reasons. And while I enjoyed both of those films reasonably, this coming-of-age tale looks sweet, and far more cinematic. I’m a sucker for these kinds of movies (Stand By Me and Almost Famous are two of my all-times favourite films), and this one looks great.
8. Black Swan
Release Date: TBA
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder
Darren Aronofsky’s highly-anticipated follow up to 2008′s The Wrestler has made waves already for its reported girl-on-girl scenes, but while his films are usually provocative, his sense of artistry is like none other. This thriller about competitive ballerinas has an inspired cast (it’ll be interesting to see how Kunis fares in a major dramatic role), and I’m excited to to see where Aronofsky’s going next.
9. Due Date
Release Date: November 5, 2010
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, Alan Arkin
After the massive success of The Hangover last year, director Todd Phillips is already back with a new comedy. IMDB tells me that it’s about “A high-strung father-to-be [who's] forced to hitch a ride with a college slacker on a road trip in order to make it to his child’s birth on time”. It kind of sounds like The Hangover, except with babies instead of weddings. But with Downey and Galifianakis as the leads (I think you can guess who plays which part) I’m betting it’s going to be pretty funny. Seriously, just look at that picture.
Release Date: February 19, 2010
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer
Based on a Dennis Lehane novel (who also penned the source material for Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone), this movie about a U.S. Marshal (DiCaprio) investigating a mental hospital looks genuinely freaky from the trailers. The Scorsese/DiCaprio pairing has worked three times before (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed), so why mess with it? Plus, it has Mark Ruffalo, which is always a bonus.
Other Films of Interest:
- I’m very interested to see what else actor Sam Riley (Control) can do, and we’ll all get to see when Brighton Rock gets released this fall
- British up-and-comer Aaron Johnson has some big roles coming up, first playing a young John Lennon in Nowhere Boy (which was already released in the UK, and got him a Best Actor British Independent Film Award nom), and leading a cast of unlikely superheroes in Kick-Ass.
- It looks like a good year for comedies. As well as the ones mentioned above, Date Night
(starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell), Greenberg (Ben Stiller), and Cryus (John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill) all look quite promising from their trailers. And David Gordon Green will give us his comedic follow-up to Pineapple Express with another James Franco stoner flick, Your Highness. - As for the more serious fare, The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, and Christian Bale, looks like a possible Oscar contender. Rabbit Hole may finally get Aaron Eckhart some of the attention that he deserves as a dramatic actor, with help from co-star Nicole Kidman. And since Up in the Air converted me to a Clooney fan, I’m now excited for The American, which is also Anton Corbijn’s follow-up to his wonderful director debut, Control. Though I don’t know much about it, Terrence Malick’s (The Thin Red Line, The New World) upcoming film, The Tree of Life, sounds very interesting.
- The Killer Inside Me (starring Casey Affleck in his first role since 2007) made waves at Sundance for its brutal depiction of violence against women, but it sounds intriguing. Other promising Sundance films include Jack Goes Boating (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan), Frozen (the trailer alone has scared me off of chairlifts forever), Buried (Ryan Reynolds), and The Kids Are Alright (featuring one of my favourite teen actors, Josh Hutcherson. And Mark Ruffalo!)
- And what year would be complete without some bona fide blockbusters? Hopefully Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3 will live up to their predecessors. I’m not as excited for Alice in Wonderland as most seem to be, but it still looks interesting. With a great cast, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Shia LaBeouf, Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan) could be pretty good. And since their pairing worked so well for the Bourne series Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon have teamed up for another exciting-looking action picture, Green Zone.
