Around here we love the Oscars. The Grammy's are usually tedious and irrelevant while the Golden Globes are always entertaining (add booze and you get atmosphere!) but the Oscars are always the most prestigious of them all. It's even better this year since they've added the Best Picture Top Ten idea. It's a shame they didn't do it for the rest of the categories as well. Sure it would add another hour on to the 3 hour plus show but, you'd have a lot more performances to pick from. Don't tell me you didn't think Paul Rudd was GENIUS in his role as Peter Claven from "I Love You, Man"...
Either way, the race has begun; the nominations are out. TB already picked the nominees and while his 70% rating on guesses remains a force to be reckoned with, I myself have had pretty great success at picking the winners. Oh, and since TB hasn't seen Hurt Locker, I think this puts me in a very interesting position! There are also long-shot/"Man I Wish" winners that I selfishly would love to see win so, I'm going to include them in each category as well!
Best Picture: I have to pick two movies . . .sorry.
THE HURT LOCKER
The movie is just so good. It's small, it's intimate, and it's stunning. It's in the quality of each scene, not the quantity or scale of the visuals. I'm seeing AVATAR finally tonight and I'm sure it's great. But this level works and succeeds on every level that the big, visually amazing movies don't.
UP
Disney is due. Up was an achievement. Do you remember when you saw "Wall-E" and thought "Wow, this could win Best Picture, it's so good.". "Up" was even better. I think it has a better change than every other movie besides "The Hurt Locker". I cried, laughed, and hugged the first person I saw after watching it for the first time . . . and then all 5 times after.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
District 9
Inglorious Basterds
Actor in a leading Role:
MORGAN FREEMAN
I'm so excited for this category I could die. There were some performances this year that I couldn't believe but, the one thing that makes this category so intense is that most of the nominations were in films that only received small releases. "Crazy Heart" is just picking up hype after Jeff Bridges' and T-Bone Burnett's win at the Golden Globes and next to no-one has seen "A Single Man" (less than $5 million in N.A. Sales) yet, there's been buzz about Colin Firth's portrayal of George Falconer since Cannes and T.I.F.F. of last year. Add Jeremy Renner's "Hurt Locker" performance to the list and you have 3 out of 5 nominees that come from movies that weren't commercially received. Very Interesting. I'm can only speculate on performances I've seen so, I have to go with Freeman.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"
Jeff Bridges "Crazy Heart" (GO MUSICIANS!!)
Actress in a lead role:
SANDRA BULLOCK
I actually just talked to TB on the phone and he said something perfect for this years category. "Hollywood loves Sandra Bullock and this was her 'Erin Brokovich'". "The Last Station" was a movie that screened well but, wasn't seen by many. "The Blind Side" has the commercial appeal this category needs this year. I'm watching "An Education" tonight maybe so, I might change my tune come morning.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Meryl Streep "Julie & Julia"
Actor in a Supporting Role:
CHRISTOPHER WALTZ
No question. No competition. No other possibility.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
None . . . WALTZ ALL THE WAY. He was as good as Javier Bardem in "No Country For Old Men"
WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actress In a Supporting Role:
MO"NIQUE
. . . I don't think I've seen such an intense and raw performance in all my life.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Vera Farmiga "Up In The Air"
Maggie Gyllenhall "Crazy Heart" (Because we're in love with her!)
Best Animated Picture:
UP
As far as I'm concerned, there was only one animated movie worth seeing and it's this one.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH: None
Directing:
THE HURT LOCKER
There isn't a better directed movie this year. It's a masterpiece. Since Bigelow's already won the Producers Guild Award and the Directors Guild Award, she's a shoe in. It would be foolish for anyone to think that Hurt Locker won't win for Best Director. I'll even go on record and tell you that if anything else wins, I may never watch the Oscars again.
LONGSHOT-I-WISH:
Quentin Tarantino "Inglorious Basterds" (for everything he's ever done with and for film and filmmakers)
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