Sunday, March 7, 2010

Oscars 2010: Final Thoughts and Bedlam

I love movies. When it comes to film, I love the seasons. I love the summer blockbusters and the one or two November delayed ones (like the Potter films). I love Oscar potential season and the award season that follows. Even the calm before the summer storm starts again, I enjoy, more so because it is fun to pick out the diamonds in that rough batch of unknown potential (Shutter Island!). Unfortunately though, my love of film also leads me to constantly second guess myself when it comes to the Oscars. What I have written so far is from the heart, but with my head translating. So, I am going to list below the two lines of thought for me on the actual awards. My mini reviews aside, if I were a betting man, my money would be on the first list. I am not a betting man, so the second list is where my heart lies, and with it the winners I want to see based on my judgment of the films this year. I also wanted to include more categories because the reviews did not cover everything. Thanks for reading the reviews,and enjoy the show.


What I Think Will Win:

Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Makeup: The Young Victoria
Best Song: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
Best Original Score: Up
Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Foreign Film: The White Ribbon
Best Animated Film: Up
Best Sound Editing: Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique (Precious)
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock (Blind Side)
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker


What I Would Vote For:

Best Costume Design: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Best Makeup: Star Trek

Best Song: The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
Best Original Score: Up
Best Film Editing: Inglourious Basterds
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Foreign Film: The White Ribbon
Best Animated Film: Up
Best Sound Editing: Avatar
Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Best Visual Effects: Avatar
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Best Original Screenplay: Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Best Actor: George Clooney (Up in the Air)
Best Director: Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)
Best Picture: Avatar


I guess I am never actually done talking about moves, so I would like finally to note the few omissions in my reviews. The most prominent would be my lack of comment on The Hurt Locker’s nomination for Best Original Score which I found odd since much of the film is lacking in background music. Also, after writing down what films I would actually vote for, I feel I need to admit how much I liked Inglourious Basterds. My review did not quite convey how impressed I was. I also realize that my final picks above do not exactly follow the reviews, but that is because I wrote the reviews as I viewed the films and my opinions changed the more films I watched.

The big night is now almost upon us. I am excited, as always, more so this year because I think Alec Baldwin is hilarious and am also a Steve Martin fan. The show should at least be entertaining. I am hoping for a few upsets, just so it is interesting. I also am hoping that The Hurt Locker does not simply sweep up most of its awards (though it will likely take 5 or more) because as good as it is, I really do not think it is far and away better than its competition. I will end with a bid of good luck to all the nominees and also with my prediction that Jeff Bridges will appear blazed out of his mind as he delivers his acceptance speech. So once again, enjoy the show.

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