Oscar nominations 2010

I probably care way too much about movie awards, but I honestly love the Oscars.  The nominations are being announced Tuesday morning, so I thought I would write a little blog in its honor.  In a perfect world, these would be the Oscar nominees for Best Picture this year:

1. Up in the Air

This is the only movie I’ve seen twice in the theater in the last year, and I honestly hope this one wins best picture. It brags three fantastic performances from George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick, all of whom have a great chance at nominations for their roles; an excellent and timely script that touches on the current recession; great direction from Jason Reitman (who has yet to make a mediocre flick); AND it was filmed in St. Louis. It’s the perfect combination of drama, comedy, and character study. This movie was made for me. (See my Up in the Air photo album for proof).

2. Avatar

After winning the Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Picture and Best Director for James Cameron, not to mention its record-setting box office numbers, this will certainly be nominated. Some critics think it has a good chance of winning, but I have my doubts. Despite its ground-breaking special effects, strong performances, and popularity, I can’t help but feel its script just isn’t strong enough to be deserving of a win, and I think a lot of Academy members will share that viewpoint. Of course, Titanic won. But in my opinion, that was a stronger overall film. I honestly loved Avatar, though, so if it does win, I won’t be too upset.

3. The Hurt Locker

I finally got to watch this much-talked about Iraq war movie a few weeks ago on DVD, and let me say I was not disappointed. Without being a thriller, it still managed to produce a tense, pulse-pounding reaction in me with every bomb Jeremy Renner defused. I generally do not like war films unless they are done well. This one is not only done well, but it is arguably nearly perfect. Kathryn Bigelow won best director at the DGAs last night (the first time a woman has ever done it!) and this makes her the favorite to win again at the Oscars and probably also makes The Hurt Locker the one to beat (the DGAs and the Academy have disagreed just six times in the last 61 years). As a woman, I would love for Bigelow to win this, especially since James Cameron is her ex-husband. What better way to stick it to him! (They are friends, I hear…but come on.)

4. Crazy Heart

I just the other night I saw this movie about a washed-up, alcoholic old country singer and was absolutely blown away by it (it’s this year’s The Wrestler!). The first few scenes set up so much in such a short amount of time, and right away you get to see this musician’s incredible stage presence…even when he is playing in a bowling alley. I should probably mention Jeff Bridges is winning pretty much every award ever for his performance as the drunk musician who falls in love with a journalist played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Even Colin Farrell impressed me as Bridges’s spotlight-stealing protégée. This is a must-see movie, and though not a sure-thing for a Best Picture nomination, will certainly win a gold statue for Bridges.

5. Star Trek

This movie has only a very slim chance of being nominated, but it was definitely in my favorites of last year. 2009 was an amazing year for Scifi, but unlike Avatar, Star Trek had me from the very first scene where we watch the older Captain Kirk go down with his ship, saving thousands of lives, including that of his wife and newborn son, James T. Kirk (and he wasn’t the only baby crying during this scene, I guarantee it). There were plenty of questions about how the revamp of this well-known series would work, but J.J. Abrams worked it out in the same genius fashion he does everything (side note: Lost starts again Tuesday as well!). Likable characters, brilliant effects, TIME TRAVEL, and as much cleverness as action, this is a truly great movie.

6. A Single Man

I’d heard going in that this movie was one of the most beautifully shot of the year, and I would say that is definitely true. Interestingly, director Tom Ford is a former fashion designer, so I suppose it would make sense for him to have a great eye for beauty. If you haven’t heard of this one, it follows Colin Firth as a college English professor whose partner died several months before. It all takes place in the course of one day when he is planning to commit suicide. We see flashbacks of his lover as well as interactions with his best friend (Julianne Moore) and one of his students. Both Firth and Moore have excellent chances at nomination because they are brilliant. I cried through the first half of this movie, and though I’m not sure about the ending, I really think it deserves a nomination as well.

7. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

This is one of the most depressing movies I saw last year (even next to The Road!), but there is no question in my mind it deserves to be nominated. Gabby Sidibe is fantastic in her first role, and Monique will win the Supporting Actress Oscar for sure. It is maybe a little bit over-the-top in that Precious’s life keeps getting worse, and worse, and then worse again, but I can see why people say it is uplifting as well. It severely upset me, and I think good art always draws a strong reaction.

8. Inglourious Basterds

I love Quentin Tarantino, so of course I loved this reimagining of WWII in Paris. No one can write a scene like he can—his dialogue always blows me away—and the way he works with building tension in many of the scenes in this movie deserves some kind of award for sure. At the same time, he always manages to infuse humor, both where it belongs and where it doesn’t. While I say I’m a fan of his, I’m pretty sure my mom isn’t, so the fact that she saw and enjoyed the movie is a credit to its quality. Christoph Waltz will win for Supporting Actor in his role as “The Jew Hunter,” but the entire cast is truly excellent.

9. Up

Will Pixar ever go wrong? They remain the epitome of quality in animation, both in script and enticing visuals. This one involves an old man who decides to fulfill the wishes of his recently deceased wife by travelling to the vacation spot they never made it to—without ever leaving his house! The characters are fun, lovable, adorable, and most of all creative. With ten Best Picture nominations this year, there’s a good chance Up will break the animation barrier and make it into this category. And it will be well-deserved.

10. Fantastic Mr. Fox

This movie won’t be nominated for Best Picture, but I have it on my list because I strongly believe it should be. Of course, I didn’t see Invictus or The Blind Side or A Serious Man or The Messenger or a number of other movies I might have otherwise decided to put in this slot. Movies that are animated and movies that are for children (which most of the time go hand in hand) are often not given their proper credit. I believe that Wes Anderson is one of the best directors out there today, and what he did with this stop motion animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl children’s book is nothing short of genius. It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s well-acted, and above all it’s visually stimulating. I personally enjoyed it more than Up, but that is probably because the humor involved was exactly my taste. As I said, this won’t be nominated for Best Picture, but it will have an excellent shot at Best Animated Feature, especially if Up is on the Best Picture list.

So there ya have it!  My picks for Best Picture, or at the very least, ten great films to see as soon as possible.