This year’s Academy Award nominations have just been announced. No great surprises, I see – plenty for The Hurt Locker, Up In The Air and **whisper it** Avatar in the big categories. But it’s certainly grand to see the likes of Kathryn Bigelow, Jeremy Renner, Jeff Bridges, Michael Haneke and Jacques Audiard in there, at any rate. Anyway, here’s what’s what in the key categories, with my take on the nominations, for what it’s worth. BEST PICTURE Avatar The Blind Side District 9 An Education The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious A Serious Man Up Up In The Air As you can probably tell, this category has been opened up to incorporate 10 films. Why? Presumably to ramp up the levels of anticipation and excitement. Fatal flaw? Avatar. While I’d happily take The Hurt Locker, Pixar’s brilliant Up, A Serious Man or Up In The Air as serious Oscar contenders, rather sadly the all-conquering box office success of James Cameron’s 3D film looks likely to see it pick up the big prize here. While I didn’t **not** like Avatar – it was by no means as bad as I thought it was going to be, and the “Wow!” factor was, admittedly, suitably “Wow!”, personally I think there’s been better films out this year. Who’ll win: Avatar Who I’d like to win: The Hurt Locker BEST DIRECTOR James Cameron, Avatar Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds Lee Daniels, Precious Jason Reitman, Up In The Air Once again, I suspect Cameron’s name has already been engraved on the statuette. And, once again, a shame for the better and more worthwhile movies here – The Hurt Locker and Up In The Air key among them. The Oprah factor that’s helped ghetto drama Precious along isn’t likely to have much of an effect here. Tarantino’s done extremely well to get in to this category, considering …Basterds was pretty much a shambles (an enjoyable shambles, but a shambles nonetheless). And good skills to Reitman, muscling in here for the excellent Up In The Air. Who’ll win: James Cameron Who I’d like to win: Kathryn Bigelow BEST ACTOR Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart George Clooney, Up In The Air Colin Firth, A Single Man Morgan Freeman, Invictus Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker Possibly the strongest category in terms of genuine acting chops going head to head. I suspect Bridges will get it, for a great Autumn career peak as a Country and Western singer in Crazy Heart – he’s pretty much cleared up in this category in all the other awards ceremonies thus far. Clooney is great in Up In The Air – as our reviews ed John Robinson just described him, “The only film star worth the name.” Renner, meanwhile, is incredible in The Hurt Locker. I’d be happy with any of those three, though I would be amazed, frankly, is anyone other than Bridges won it. Who’ll win: Jeff Bridges Who I’d like to win: Jeff Bridges BEST ACTRESS Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side Helen Mirren, The Last Station Carey Mulligan, An Education Gabourey Sidibe, Precious Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia A nod, first, to Mulligan, whose trajectory has been phenomenal, from Doctor Who two years ago to an Oscar nomination. She’s very good, incidentally, in An Education. But she’s obviously up against some pretty major talent here – Mirren and Streep, obviously – but my suspicion is Bullock might well scoop this. The Blind Side is basically heart-warming stuff, with Bullock as the mother in a well-off white family who take in a homeless African-American youngster. Life lessons are learned. That kind of thing. The Academy will love it. Who’ll win: Sandra Bullock Who I’d like to win: Carey Mulligan BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Matt Damon, Invictus Woody Harrelson, The Messanger Christopher Plummer, The Last Station Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds Strong names – Damon, Harrelson, Plummer, Tucci – who’re all reliably good in their respective roles. But, as with Jeff Bridges, Waltz has cleaned up on this award elsewhere; I think it’d take a lot to derail this one. He’s also by far and away the best thing in Tarantino’s film, and deserves this for the opening 10 minutes of …Basterds alone. Who’ll win: Christoph Waltz Who I’d like to win: Christoph Waltz BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penelope Cruz, Nine Vera Farminga, Up In The Air Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air Mo’Nique, Precious More pips for Up In The Air – which has garnered more nominations in the key categories than any other film. I’m particularly pleased to see Farmiga up for this – I thought she was every bit the equal of Clooney in Up In The Air and, as with The Departed, has proven relatively quickly she’s more than capable of matching A list male leads. I think, though, Mo’Nique will probably scoop this. Who’ll win: Mo’Nique Who I’d like to win: Vera Farmiga BEST ORIGINAL SONG “Almost There”, Randy Newman “Down In New Orleans”, Randy Newman “Loin De Paname”, Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas “Take It All”, Maury Yeston “The Weary Kind”, Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett Obviously, a good category for UNCUT friendly songwriters of a certain age in the past – Dylan and Springsteen being key among them. This time out, it’s the 18th and 19th Oscar nominations for Newman, so perhaps he’ll get lucky with these two songs from Disney’s The Princess & The Frog. Rising Alt.country star Bingham (and Burnett) might do well for “The Weary Kind” – from Crazy Heart. Who’ll win: Randy Newman Who I’d like to win: Randy Newman BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds Allesando Camon, Oren Moverman, The Messanger Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Up The Hurt Locker is undeniably the best film of the year, but much of that lies in Bigelow’s incredibly mastery of tension, and Jeremy Renner’s performance, so I suspect Boal’s lean, focussed script might get overlooked. I don’t for a minute think Tarantino’s script was good enough for …Bastards, and while the Coens was typically strong for A Serious Man, I don’t think it seriously raised the game on their previous scripts. I’d like to see Up given proper recognition for what was a fantastic addition to the already considerable Pixar catalogue. Who’ll win: Coens/Peterson, Docter Who I’d like to win: Peterson, Docter Anyway, you find out whether I'm right on wrong on March 7. Meanwhile, do tell us what or who you'd like to see win. Maybe we should think about a blog sweepstake...
This year’s Academy Award nominations have just been announced. No great surprises, I see – plenty for The Hurt Locker, Up In The Air and **whisper it** Avatar in the big categories. But it’s certainly grand to see the likes of Kathryn Bigelow, Jeremy Renner, Jeff Bridges, Michael Haneke and Jacques Audiard in there, at any rate. Anyway, here’s what’s what in the key categories, with my take on the nominations, for what it’s worth.
BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up In The Air
As you can probably tell, this category has been opened up to incorporate 10 films. Why? Presumably to ramp up the levels of anticipation and excitement. Fatal flaw? Avatar. While I’d happily take The Hurt Locker, Pixar’s brilliant Up, A Serious Man or Up In The Air as serious Oscar contenders, rather sadly the all-conquering box office success of James Cameron’s 3D film looks likely to see it pick up the big prize here. While I didn’t **not** like Avatar – it was by no means as bad as I thought it was going to be, and the “Wow!” factor was, admittedly, suitably “Wow!”, personally I think there’s been better films out this year.
Who’ll win: Avatar
Who I’d like to win: The Hurt Locker
BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up In The Air
Once again, I suspect Cameron’s name has already been engraved on the statuette. And, once again, a shame for the better and more worthwhile movies here – The Hurt Locker and Up In The Air key among them. The Oprah factor that’s helped ghetto drama Precious along isn’t likely to have much of an effect here. Tarantino’s done extremely well to get in to this category, considering …Basterds was pretty much a shambles (an enjoyable shambles, but a shambles nonetheless). And good skills to Reitman, muscling in here for the excellent Up In The Air.
Who’ll win: James Cameron
Who I’d like to win: Kathryn Bigelow
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up In The Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Possibly the strongest category in terms of genuine acting chops going head to head. I suspect Bridges will get it, for a great Autumn career peak as a Country and Western singer in Crazy Heart – he’s pretty much cleared up in this category in all the other awards ceremonies thus far. Clooney is great in Up In The Air – as our reviews ed John Robinson just described him, “The only film star worth the name.” Renner, meanwhile, is incredible in The Hurt Locker. I’d be happy with any of those three, though I would be amazed, frankly, is anyone other than Bridges won it.
Who’ll win: Jeff Bridges
Who I’d like to win: Jeff Bridges
BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
A nod, first, to Mulligan, whose trajectory has been phenomenal, from Doctor Who two years ago to an Oscar nomination. She’s very good, incidentally, in An Education. But she’s obviously up against some pretty major talent here – Mirren and Streep, obviously – but my suspicion is Bullock might well scoop this. The Blind Side is basically heart-warming stuff, with Bullock as the mother in a well-off white family who take in a homeless African-American youngster. Life lessons are learned. That kind of thing. The Academy will love it.
Who’ll win: Sandra Bullock
Who I’d like to win: Carey Mulligan
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messanger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Strong names – Damon, Harrelson, Plummer, Tucci – who’re all reliably good in their respective roles. But, as with Jeff Bridges, Waltz has cleaned up on this award elsewhere; I think it’d take a lot to derail this one. He’s also by far and away the best thing in Tarantino’s film, and deserves this for the opening 10 minutes of …Basterds alone.
Who’ll win: Christoph Waltz
Who I’d like to win: Christoph Waltz
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farminga, Up In The Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
Mo’Nique, Precious
More pips for Up In The Air – which has garnered more nominations in the key categories than any other film. I’m particularly pleased to see Farmiga up for this – I thought she was every bit the equal of Clooney in Up In The Air and, as with The Departed, has proven relatively quickly she’s more than capable of matching A list male leads. I think, though, Mo’Nique will probably scoop this.
Who’ll win: Mo’Nique
Who I’d like to win: Vera Farmiga
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Almost There”, Randy Newman
“Down In New Orleans”, Randy Newman
“Loin De Paname”, Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas
“Take It All”, Maury Yeston
“The Weary Kind”, Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
Obviously, a good category for UNCUT friendly songwriters of a certain age in the past – Dylan and Springsteen being key among them. This time out, it’s the 18th and 19th Oscar nominations for Newman, so perhaps he’ll get lucky with these two songs from Disney’s The Princess & The Frog. Rising Alt.country star Bingham (and Burnett) might do well for “The Weary Kind” – from Crazy Heart.
Who’ll win: Randy Newman
Who I’d like to win: Randy Newman
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Allesando Camon, Oren Moverman, The Messanger
Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Up
The Hurt Locker is undeniably the best film of the year, but much of that lies in Bigelow’s incredibly mastery of tension, and Jeremy Renner’s performance, so I suspect Boal’s lean, focussed script might get overlooked. I don’t for a minute think Tarantino’s script was good enough for …Bastards, and while the Coens was typically strong for A Serious Man, I don’t think it seriously raised the game on their previous scripts. I’d like to see Up given proper recognition for what was a fantastic addition to the already considerable Pixar catalogue.
Who’ll win: Coens/Peterson, Docter
Who I’d like to win: Peterson, Docter
Anyway, you find out whether I’m right on wrong on March 7. Meanwhile, do tell us what or who you’d like to see win. Maybe we should think about a blog sweepstake…
