I usually try to have my take on the Oscar nominations up before now, but I usually don't... so I guess its business as usual. As with last year, not a ton of surprises. In fact, there are probably even less surprises than last year. At least last year had "The Dark Knight" getting shut out of Best Picture to keep us talking. This year, our biggest surprise (and most pleasant) is probably the inclusion of Maggie Gyllenhaal for her performance in "Crazy Heart."
The broadening of the field from five to ten Best Picture nominees certainly changes the game a bit. For "The Blind Side" to be able to list that it was nominated not only for Sandra Bullock's performance but also Best Picture... and nothing else... is a new sort of animal. I am okay with having ten nominees, but I think it will take a few years for the process to be refined.
Here are the nominees, my commentary, and what I would have picked (in blue).
Best motion picture of the year
"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 don't know where to begin. Ten nominees...huh? This is the first time I've had to deal with that. I've seen all ten of the nominated films and see merit in all of them, but my ballot would be a bit different.
"The Hurt Locker" will win, and probably deserves to. "Avatar" is a groundbreaking film experience and while it is not without flaws, it deserves each of its nominations. I don't know if "Avatar" is one of my top ten films of the year, but I think it deserves a spot for its sheer magnitude on multiple levels. Some say "An Education" is too neat and tidy, but it's exceptionally well made and features what I consider the best ensemble cast of the year. "Inglourious Basterds" and "A Serious Man" are definite keepers. "Precious" was a bit overhyped but the film is good. "Up in the Air" also suffered from overhype... but it is a solid film. I felt that it lacked some weight, but that is more the fault of the story than the film. "District 9" had a late surge due to the guild awards and I am happy to see it included. Luckiest to be here is "The Blind Side." I love the film, love Sandra Bullock, love football, love the South, love conservative values, etc, etc, etc... but it's not worthy of a Best Picture nod. "Up" is a excellent film and perhaps the most emotionally resonant animated movie ever made... but it's not Pixar's best, I'm afraid, and it's not even the best animated film of the year. That honor goes to "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Wes Anderson's critical darling just wasn't the massive box office hit that "Up" was and lacked the momentum to get it in the Best Picture race, where "Up" had been since it was released (or before). I'm happy to see another animated film nominated for the big prize and it likely would've still happened with only five nominees... but I wish it had been a different film.
The films that I would have most like to have seen make the ten but didn't are "Crazy Heart," "(500) Days of Summer," "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Star Trek." Others that had absolutely no shot but I would have considered for my ballot include "Moon," "That Evening Sun," "Bronson," "Where the Wild Things Are," "In the Loop" and "Bright Star." Had "Ajami" or "Gomorrah" been eligible this year, both might have made the cut.
What would I keep? "The Hurt Locker," "An Education," "A Serious Man" and "Inglourious Basterds" are definite keepers. "Avatar" deserves a spot.
"(500) Days of Summer" is a smart, well-crafted film that is a refreshing change from virtually every other romantic comedy released these days. I believe it will be carried by my generation much like "Annie Hall" was for years after it came out. It gets a spot on my list. As does "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Sorry, "Up." There's not room for both of you.
"Crazy Heart" is not a film with many layers... but it didn't need to be. Everything from the music to the performances to the screenplay fell perfectly into place and became, for me, one of the most surprising and pleasing film experiences of the year. To counter this simpler film, I will include "Precious." This was one of the most difficult films to watch this year, but I appreciate its complexities and its dynamic performances all around the board.
The final slot comes down to two films that were nominated, "District 9" and "Up in the Air," and one that came close, "Star Trek." "District 9" was everything it wanted to be. The director made an engaging film that was relevant to both his country's history and his own but also served as one of the summer's biggest hits. I want to keep it here, but there's just not room. It will get plenty of love in other categories. "Star Trek" is another one of this year's many great sci-fi films. It is essentially the perfect summer blockbuster. I've been a fan of J.J. Abrams since TV's "Alias" and he is only getting better. I would include "Star Trek" as my tenth nominee if I wasn't so impressed with the social relevance of "Up in the Air." Jason Reitman is proving himself to be an auteur. His career is still young, but his style is distinctive. I was left a little too cold by the end of the film, but I think that is just my reaction to the story. The cast is strong, the script is strong, the message is spot on.
Ten spots was more difficult to narrow down than I expected.
"(500) Days of Summer"
"Avatar"
"Crazy Heart"
"An Education"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"A Serious Man"
"Up in the Air"
Performance by an 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"
I saw each of these films except for "A Single Man," although I hear Colin Firth is excellent. Morgan Freeman did absolutely nothing new and absolutely nothing exceptional. I found myself indifferent to "Invictus" but a little cold towards his performance. George Clooney's character wasn't much different than his real life persona, but I did see some nuance in the performance.
Several actors went essentially unnoticed on the awards circuit this season. Having seen "That Evening Sun" back in April at the Atlanta Film Festival, I was rooting for Hal Holbrook to sneak into the pack. Sam Rockwell blew me away in "Moon." Clive Owen was under-appreciated in "The Boys Are Back" (perhaps due to the horrible film title). Michael Stuhlbarg deserves some notice for "A Serious Man." I am really looking forward to seeing how Sharlto Copley does after his wonderful first performance in "District 9." Matt Damon gave a career-best performance in "The Informant!" and got noticed for the wrong film. Souleymane Sy Savane in "Goodbye Solo" (another Atlanta Film Festival picture) and Tom Hardy in "Bronson" were two of the best indie performances of the year. Finally, Joseph Gordon-Levitt carried "(500) Days of Summer" better than most actors of his generation could.
I would toss all but Jeremy Renner and Jeff Bridges, the two frontrunners (with good reason). Hal Holbrook and Sam Rockwell make it in for sure. Sharlto Copley definitely makes it in as well. I now see Jeremy Renner as the weak link, although he is anything but. Tom Hardy really is nod-worthy in "Bronson." I just don't know who to pick. I flipped a coin and Tom Hardy won, but that didn't feel right. I have to put Renner.
Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"
Sharlto Copley in "District 9"
Hal Holbrook in "That Evening Sun"
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"
Sam Rockwell in "Moon"
Performance by an 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”
Four out of five isn't bad. I would keep all except for Helen Mirren. She was good and all, but nothing special. Also, if Christopher Plummer was relegated to Supporting Actor, she should have been sent to Supporting Actress. He does more heavy lifting than she anyway. Who could take her place? I enjoyed Zoe Saldana in "Avatar," Zooey Deschanel in "(500) Days of Summer," Abbie Cornish in "Bright Star" and Emily Blunt in "The Young Victoria." I see her role as more supporting than lead, but they campaigned for Leading Actress for Mélanie Laurent in "Inglourious Basterds" and I shall oblige with a nomination for some of the best work this year.
Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
Mélanie Laurent in "Inglourious Basterds"
Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"
Performance by an 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"
I heard great things, but I still haven't seen "The Messenger." Nor have I seen "The Lovely Bones." Stanley Tucci certainly did enough to impress me this year in "Julie & Julia." Christopher Plummer is just now getting his first Oscar nomination... okay...? That's a shame, but at least it happened. Well deserved, too. He is the best thing about an otherwise mediocre film. Matt Damon's role is completely flat. It's not that he wasn't adequate, but the role simply has nothing to it. Christoph Waltz' role definitely speaks for itself. I can immediately think of several potential Oscar clips from the film.
I liked Peter Sarsgaard and, even more-so, Alfred Molina in "An Education," as well as Anthony Mackie in "The Hurt Locker." Richard Kind was another piece of a stunning ensemble in "A Serious Man." Stephen Lang gave a stand-out performance in "Avatar." Two years ago, I noted that Paul Schneider was worthy of a nomination for his work in two films, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and "Lars and the Real Girl." He continues to impress and will surely get his due one day. I love his work in TV's "Parks and Recreation" and this year's "Away We Go." I think he gave the best performance in "Bright Star" (sorry, Abbie). Finally, I think both Barry Corbin and Ray McKinnon are worthy of notices for their work opposite Hal Holbrook in "That Evening Sun."
Ray McKinnon in "That Evening Sun"
Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
Paul Schneider in "Bright Star"
Stanley Tucci in "Julie & Julia"
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"
Performance by an 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"
I am much more in agreement with the women in both categories this year than with the men. I didn't see "Nine" and while I'm a big fan of Samantha Morton, I didn't see "The Messenger" either, so I can't include anyone from either film. Both ladies from "Up in the Air" were fantastic, but Anna Kendrick sure shined the brightest. I would easily give Farmiga a nomination, if there were room. I'm thrilled with Maggie Gyllenhaal's inclusion. Mo'Nique... well, of course.
Both ladies in "That Evening Sun" were wonderful... Carrie Preston and Mia Wasikowska. Sari Lennick was perhaps my absolute favorite thing about "A Serious Man." Paula Patton and Mariah Carey were both excellent in "Precious," but you just can't put them in there with Mo'Nique. Several women from "An Education" gave award-worthy performances. Olivia Williams, Emma Thompson, Cara Seymour and Rosamund Pike were all fantastic and essential to the film. I wish there was room for each of them. Cara Seymour went completely unmentioned all over and I felt that she really delivered as much or more emotion than the other supporting characters in the film... even more than Alfred Molina. She broke my heart. Rosamund Pike's performance was full of subtle hints to a depth that even she couldn't understand, far beyond her 'pretty, dumb girl' exterior. Last, Marion Cotillard showed that she is now a force in American cinema with her turn in "Public Enemies." Once again, I wish this category was bigger.
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Rosamund Pike in "An Education"
Mia Wasikowska in "That Evening Sun"
Achievement in 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
This list was pretty much set like this a while ago, and it is a good list. I feel like the weak link here is Lee Daniels, simply because I think the greatest elements of the film are due to other people. I don't say this to take anything away from his work, but I think other films this year could be labeled as 'director's films' more than his. For example, Lone Scherfig is all over "An Education," as is Jane Campion and "Bright Star." Quentin Tarantino and The Coen Brothers could be interchanged here. Wes Anderson did a brilliant job in "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Marc Webb didn't get much notice for "(500) Days of Summer," being a new director and having a film that didn't exactly reach very far out of the younger crowd. I have a feeling we will see him more around this circuit in the future, should he pursue more 'artsy' projects.
"Avatar" - James Cameron
"An Education" - Lone Scherfig
"The Hurt Locker" - Kathryn Bigelow
"A Serious Man" - Joel & Ethan Coen
"Up in the Air" - Jason Reitman
Adapted screenplay
"District 9"
"An Education"
"In the Loop"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"Up in the Air"
Not a bad list. I definitely love that "In the Loop" made it in. "District 9" was great, but I prefer "Crazy Heart." "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "The Informant!" are other favorites. A lot of good offerings again this year. "Precious" was a wonderful screenplay, but I have to give it to the fun and imaginative "Fantastic Mr. Fox."
"Crazy Heart"
"An Education"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"In the Loop"
"Up in the Air"
Original screenplay
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The Messenger"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
Great list. I was hoping and expecting "(500) Days of Summer" to get its lone nomination here.
"(500) Days of Summer"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"A Serious Man"
"Up"
Best animated feature film of the year
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"The Secret of Kells"
"Up"
I've only seen "Coraline," "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Up." "9" was the only other animated film I saw this year. I'm glad there are now five nominees.
"9"
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"Up"
Achievement in art direction
"Avatar"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"Nine"
"Sherlock Holmes"
"The Young Victoria"
A lot of very strong films this year, even though not one stands out much further than the rest (maybe I'm just not thinking about it enough). I'm going to break my rule here and nominate "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" even though I have yet to see it. All you have to do is watch the trailer (or even look at the poster) and know it belongs here. "The Young Victoria" was beautiful, but as with "The Duchess" last year, we see it all the time. "Bronson" has a very distinctive aesthetic. "An Education" and "A Serious Man" were lush in their very different 1960's depictions. "Star Trek" and "Inglourious Basterds" both gets high marks here.
"Avatar"
"An Education"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"A Serious Man"
"Sherlock Holmes"
Achievement in cinematography
"Avatar"
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"The White Ribbon"
I would break my rule again with "The White Ribbon" since I've seen enough to know that I would likely include it (I am seeing it in two days and will edit this if I need to). "Bright Star" is the first film that wasn't included that stood out to me. "Bronson," "Il Divo," "A Serious Man," "Watchmen" and "Where the Wild Things Are" are additional stand-outs this year. "An Education" went scandalously unnoticed for its cinematography, aside from the award it won at Sundance. The shot of Jenny and David laying on the ground in Paris that was used in the poster is one of the best shots of the year for me.
"Avatar"
"Bright Star"
"An Education"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
Achievement in costume design
"Bright Star"
"Coco Before Chanel"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"Nine"
"The Young Victoria"
"Bright Star"
"Coco Before Chanel"
"An Education"
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
"The Young Victoria"
Best documentary feature
"Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country"
"The Cove"
"Food, Inc."
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"
"Which Way Home"
Regrettably, I have not seen any of these.
Best documentary short subject
"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"
Achievement in film editing
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Good choices. "(500) Days of Summer" had some of the most creative and extensive editing of the year, I would think. "A Serious Man" also impressed me.
"(500) Days of Summer"
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Best foreign language film of the year
"Ajami" Israel
"The Milk of Sorrow" Peru
"A Prophet" France
"The Secret in their Eyes" Argentina
"The White Ribbon" Germany
Achievement in makeup
"Il Divo"
"Star Trek"
"The Young Victoria"
Sure, these sound fine. "District 9" would be my choice over "The Young Victoria."
"District 9"
"Il Divo"
"Star Trek"
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Avatar" - James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" - Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" - Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" - Hans Zimmer
"Up" - Michael Giacchino
The fact that "The Hurt Locker" managed a nomination here is more proof that the film has support all the way around the board than it is that it has one of the five best scores of the year. I don't recall it being much more than a few chilling cues. I'm thrilled Alexandre Deslplat got a notice for his Ennio Morricone themed work in "Fantastic Mr. Fox." I loved the work in "Crazy Heart" and "Where the Wild Things Are" but they were disqualified. "(500) Days of Summer," despite relying heavily on pop songs, has a lovely score. "A Serious Man" is one of my favorites of the year. "Bright Star" and "Moon" are also very strong. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' snub a couple of years ago for the masterful score to "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" almost makes me want to nominate them for "The Road," but the work just isn't as magical.
"Avatar" - James Horner
"Bright Star" - Mark Bradshaw
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" - Alexandre Desplat
"A Serious Man" - Carter Burwell
"Up" - Michael Giacchino
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog"
"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog"
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36"
"Take it All" from "Nine"
"The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart"
Glad to see five nominees this year. The selection from "Paris 36" was quite the surprise. I'm glad "Take it All" made it in over "Cinema Italiano," but I don't really see either of these songs from "Nine" to be one of the year's best.
U2 gave me one of my favorites of the year in "Winter" from "Brothers." Beth Rowley's "You Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger" could not have been more perfect for "An Education." Patterson Hood's "Depression Era" from "That Evening Sun" and Jarvis Cocker's "Petey's Song" from "Fantastic Mr. Fox" suited their respective films wonderfully.
"Depression Era" from "That Evening Sun"
"Petey's Song" from "Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart"
"Winter" from "Brothers"
"You've Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger" from "An Education"
Best animated short film
"French Roast"
"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty"
"The Lady and the Reaper"
"Logorama"
"A Matter of Loaf and Death"
Congratulations to them all.
Best live action short film
"The Door"
"Instead of Abracadabra"
"Kavi"
"Miracle Fish"
"The New Tenants"
Nice.
Achievement in sound editing
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Up"
I'd probably sub in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" for "Up" and leave everything else.
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Achievement in sound mixing
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Looks about right.
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Star Trek"
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"
Achievement in visual effects
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"Star Trek"
I think this looks good... and once again, it's pretty easy to figure out who is going to take it home this year.
"Avatar"
"District 9"
"Star Trek"
My nomination totals:
"Avatar" - 9
"An Education" - 9
"The Hurt Locker" - 8
"Inglourious Basterds" - 7
"Crazy Heart" - 5
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" - 5
"A Serious Man" - 5
"Bright Star" - 4
"District 9" - 4
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" - 4
"Star Trek" - 4
"That Evening Sun" - 4
"Up in the Air" - 4
"(500) Days of Summer" - 3
"Up" - 3
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" - 2
"Julie & Julia" - 2
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" - 2
"9" - 1
"The Blind Side" - 1
"Brothers" - 1
"Coco Before Chanel" - 1
"Coraline" - 1
"Il Divo" - 1
"In the Loop" - 1
"The Last Station" - 1
"Moon" - 1
"Sherlock Holmes" - 1
"The Young Victoria" - 1
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