The Annual ‘Amazing Oscar Overview’ is Finally Here!

The time has come. The highlight of the movie industry is here: THE ACADEMY AWARDS! After months of watching, predicting, GoldDerby-ing, Rotten Tomato-ing, and getting up at 5:30 AM to hear the Oscar nominees, the time has come to cast my votes.

Nothing is more prestigious than the Oscar. Why do we even care what the Golden Globe turnout is, or who won a Critic’s Choice Award? We don’t. This just gives us an insight into who will have a chance at Oscar gold. So with that, let the festivities commence! But first, the snubs and surprises.

SURPRISE: We all know it: Jonah Hill. People are quite outraged about this rookie obtaining a spot with all the pros. But you know what? I thought his work in Moneyball was actually nomination worthy. Not Oscar worthy, but definitely deserving a nod.

SNUB: Oh dear, it seems the Academy does not enjoy David Fincher. Why didn’t he get a nod for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo!? He deserved to win for The Social Network last year, they could have at least given him a nomination here.

SURPRISE: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close for getting any nominations at all, let alone best picture. Some say its the ‘worst movie to be nominated for best picture’. I don’t know if it’s that great or not, but a 9/11 movie has got to be a tear-jerker.

SNUB: Only 1 nomination for Drive!? Please, just throw out Extremely Loud and put Drive in! I know the Academy is in love with happy movies and doesn’t care for the dark type (as we can see from the lack of Dragon Tattoo nominations) , but come on, Drive was beautiful, and Ryan Gosling’s ‘Driver’ is a hero in his own way.

SURPRISE: Only 2 nominations for best original song? Huh.

SNUB: In my opinion, this is the biggest: no best animated picture nomination for The Adventures of Tintin! I am a HUGE Tintin fan, I have the comics! I think people just need to get over themselves and accept that motion capture is animation.

Finally, here is the key for the nominations:

“Will Win”- Who the Academy probably picked

“Should Win”- Who I think should actually win

Highlighted name/movie– My pick to win

I will be predicting in 20 out of the 24 categories. Here we go!

BEST ACTOR

• Demiàn Bichir, A Better Life
• George Clooney, The Descendants
• Jean Dujardin, The Artist
• Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
• Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Will Win: George Clooney or Jean Dujardin… It’s a toss-up

Should Win: Jean Dujardin or Gary Oldman

Really, this race is a two-man race (like most of the acting categories). Demiàn Bichir is one of those random nominees, so he’s out, along with Brad Pitt. His performance didn’t really wow me or anything. Now, Gary Oldman was awesome, and deserves this category hands down BUT, Jean Dujardin is nominated, and well, he was in a silent movie, which is much more difficult to perform in than a ‘talkie’. As for George Clooney, he’s the favorite. But was he really that good? No. It’s a performance worth a nomination, not a win. So, my pick is Jean Dujardin. I personally LOVED him, and he deserves this win.

BEST ACTRESS 

• Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
• Viola Davis, The Help
• Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
• Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Will Win: Viola Davis

Should Win: Meryl Streep

Again, another two person race. Glenn Close was one of those random nominees, so she is out, and so is Rooney Mara, because the Academy does not favor dark movies like Dragon Tattoo. Michelle Williams COULD be a surprise win for playing Marilyn Monroe, but really, this is between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep. I do think the Academy will go for Davis because her role is a powerful one, and this is her first nominated role. But what about Oscar heavyweight Streep? Her performance in Iron Lady carried the movie, and I have a very, very strong feeling that this is her year to win.

BEST SUPPORING ACTOR

• Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
• Jonah Hill, Moneyball
• Nick Nolte, Warrior
• Christopher Plummer, Beginners
• Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Will Win: Christopher Plummer

Should Win: Christopher Plummer (though Jonah Hill was great)

This is a one man race. Christopher Plummer is 82 and has never won an Oscar. That’s  it. But, if the pros weren’t clogging this category, Jonah Hill would have a pretty good chance.

BEST SUPPPORTING ACTRESS

• Bèrènice Bejo, The Artist
• Jessica Chastain, The Help
• Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
• Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
• Octavia Spencer, The Help

Will Win: Octavia Spencer

Should Win: Octavia Spencer or Bèrènice Bejo

This is a great category with lots of talent. Janet McTeer is out for Albert Nobbs, and so is Jessica Chastain, who was great but just doesn’t make the cut for an award. Everyone is rooting for Melissa McCarthy. I mean, she really was FUNNY! She should be honored that she was even nominated for a role in a comedy movie. Bèrènice Bejo was wonderful in the Artist, and for a while, I thought she would win. But Octavia Spencer’s performance really grew on me, and I realized that she really has the potential to win this. So even though Bejo was amazing, Spencer stole all our hearts.

BEST DIRECTOR

• Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
• Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
• Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
• Alexander Payne, The Descendants
• Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius

Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius or Martin Scorsese

Everyone in this category deserves to win. Period. But only one can win. Tree of Life was very different, and took a lot of skill, but I feel like Malick’s technique is a little too artsy for the Academy. Everyone (including me) loves Midnight in Paris, but Allen’s movie isn’t as powerful as the other movies nominated. I love Alexander Payne, and The Descendants seemed like the movie to win until The Artist came on the scene. But he doesn’t stand up to the legend, Martin Scorsese. Hugo was a really good movie, and it was very complicated. I would pick him to win, but he just won this category a few years ago for The Departed, and he’s one of those ‘he’ll have another Oscar chance’ types. Who really, really deserves it? Michel Hazanavicius. Making movies without dialogue is extremely hard, but making silent movies that move you is harder. His skill and unique movie wins the race. He took a risk, and it paid off, big time!

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
• Margin Call by JC Chandor
• A Separation by Asghar Farhadi
• The Artist by Michel Hazanavicius
• Bridesmaids by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo

Will Win: Midnight in Paris

Should Win: Midnight in Paris or The Artist

Margin Call is one of those random ones, so that’s out. A Separation is just lucky to be nominated, foreign films getting nominated in other categories other than best foreign film is very rare. Bridesmaids was pretty great, but a comedy movie winning this category is slim to none. The Artist should win just for being a silent film, but I have a really strong hunch that Midnight in Paris could take this one. It’s charming, and very well written.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• The Descendants by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, and Jim Rash
• Hugo by John Logan
• The Ides of March by George Clooney and Grant Heslov
• Moneyball by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Bridget O’Conner and Peter Straughn

Will Win: The Descendants

Should Win: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Many, many great nominees here. Hugo was good, but nothing special. I didn’t like how Ides of March ended, so that pretty much ruined it for me. I really loved Tinker Tailor. I mean, the entire movie is dialogue yet it’s so suspenseful! But, since it’s British, I don’t think it will win. I was torn between Moneyball and The Descendants to win. Moneyball flowed no nicely, even if it was a film about baseball, and I love Aaron Sorkin. But I’m going with The Descendants. If the Academy is going to deprive Alexander Payne of a possible best picture and a possible best director, they have to give him best adapted screenplay.

BEST ART DIRECTION 

• The Artist
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Should Win: Hugo

Though sets in The Artist were nostalgically charming, and Midnight in Paris was unique, Hugo was a complex, beautiful movie. The sets were gorgeous, so this award has Hugo written all over it.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

• The Artist
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

Will Win: The Tree of Life

Should Win: The Tree of Life (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Drive)

I don’t even think there is any competition here. Hugo and War Horse are close, but Tree of Life had some amazing shots which were executed perfectly. The lighting was perfect as well. But, there are two films where are not nominated and should be: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Drive. Both had AMAZING cinematography, and could have had a shot at winning.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Anonymous
• The Artist
• Hugo
• Jane Eyre
• W.E.

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist or Hugo

This is a category with two major competitors: The Artist and Hugo. Neither really blew me away, but I’ll go with The Artist. The 20s era costumes were nice, and they stood out over the black and white color. Hugo is a possible win, but I doubt it.

BEST MAKEUP

• Albert Nobbs
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• The Iron Lady

Will Win: The Iron Lady

Should Win: The Iron Lady

All I can say is wow. How did they make Meryl Streep look so old?!

BEST FILM EDITING

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• Moneyball

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist or The Descendants

This is one of the hardest categories to predict since editing is supposed to be the invisible art. So, I think back to what I think flowed the best, like which movie I watched effortlessly. The two which pop up first are The Artist and The Descendants. Both were smooth and well cut, but I’ll go with The Artist since it used so many old-fashioned techniques.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
• Hugo
• Real Steel
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Will Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Should Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I didn’t see Planet of the Apes, but I know that it is motion capture, which is very complicated and very innovative, so that’s my choice. Also, I am mad that Tintin wasn’t nominated for best animated picture, because some people don’t think motion capture is animation. So I’m going for motion capture.

BEST SOUND EDITING 

• Drive
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Should Win: Drive

This is the ONLY category Drive is nominated in, so it gets my vote no matter what.

BEST SOUND MIXING 

• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• Moneyball
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• War Horse

Will Win: Hugo

Should Win: Hugo

These sound categories confuse me. So I usually just go with the most complicated film nominated (Inception won this and sound editing last year). Hugo seems like a safe pick.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• The Adventures of Tintin by John Williams
• The Artist by Ludovic Bource
• Hugo by Howard Shore
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Alberto Iglesias
• War Horse by John Williams

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist or The Adventures of Tintin

With two nominations for genius John Williams, he’s bound to win, right? Wrong. Newcomer Alberto Iglesias is out, along with Howard Shore. It’s John Williams vs John Williams vs Ludovic Bource, who is pretty much unknown. John Williams deserves a win for his epic soundtracks, but The Artist is a silent movie, and whats the only thing you have to listen to in a silent movie? Music. And the music in The Artist was exceptionally good.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
• “Real in Rio” from Rio

Will Win: The Muppets

Should Win: The Muppets

Anything from The Muppets will win in the sound category. Also, this is my favorite song from that movie, because when Jim Parsons shows up and starts singing it, I laughed so hard I cried!

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• A Cat in Paris
• Chico and Rita
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Puss in Boots
• Rango

Will Win: Rango

Should Win: The Adventures of Tintin

This category makes me mad. I love Tintin. I have the comics (yes, I do). And it was a movie packed full of action like the books. And apparently, motion capture isn’t animation. Tintin should have been nominated, and should have won.

BEST PICTURE

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

Will Win: The Artist

Should Win: The Artist

Lets work our way up to the top. Extremely Loud is the lowest rated, and some consider it the worst best picture nominated movie ever, so that’s out (did I mention it’s ‘rotten’ on Rotten Tomatoes?). Along with that will go War Horse, which was sentimental, but seems like it was nominated just for being a Spielberg film. Next will go Tree of Life, which was very cool, but the Academy is not quite ready for something so artsy. Moneyball is eliminated next, because many people didn’t get it, and it’s not as strong as the other ones in this category. After that is Midnight in Paris, which was a wonderful movie, but again, not powerful enough to pull through. We’re down to the four that are the strongest: The Help, Hugo, The Descendants, and The Artist. Next off is The Help, which was a fan favorite, but only acclaimed for its acting. After that is Hugo, which was a very complicated movie done by Martin Scorsese, and has that big, hollywood movie feel that the Academy loves, but it’s not his best. Finally, I will eliminate The Descendants. It’s a cozy movie with strong themes, and if it weren’t for The Artist, this would have been Alexander Payne’s year to win. The Artist has won me over. It’s charming: the play on silent films, the amazing acting, and the fact that it moves you so much without saying a word. Add in the fact that it is a silent black and white film, and very unique, this has the Academy won over, the Oscar in its hand, and even I am in love with it.

Post-Summer Mayhem-ism

Finally.

My summer movie is done. After 18 filming days, and a glorious 1 hour movie. Sure, it’s funny and all, but it’s not my greatest work. It depresses me that there are other kids my age who are rich and get fabulous cameras and win festivals.

But apparently my feat is pretty impressive here in Olympia. There are over 300 coming to see it in the festival Friday and the Olympian (local newspaper) interviewed me for a story. Not bad!

I haven’t watched a lot of movies since I’ve just been editing. But I did finish The Departed, and I watched Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park (just for fun, love it), Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Pulp Fiction, and Se7en.

To start things off, I LOVE MARTIN SCORSESE. I am a very squeamish person, and I can’t stand blood, but he (and Tarantino) make blood… Fun! Sadly, I watched the TV version of Goodfellas, but I was hooked on the beginning:

“As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be a gangster” -Slam trunk, music, freeze frame, title. BAM. That is the best title sequence I’ve seen. It just… Grabs you!!! My gosh, that is one masterpiece. Scorsese had my respect from there on out.

Taxi Driver was ok. Kind of boring, but a masterpiece none the less. I watched it after Goodfellas so my mind was on gangsters not pimps.

And then there’s The Departed. Wow. Fantastic ending. So many good lines worth repeating, except they’re sprinkled with F-bombs. But it’s so acceptable when Mark Wahlberg says it. Anyways, great movie. Violent. Love it.

Schindler’s List. Words cannot describe it. An epic movie that hits you right in the heart, POW. I was in awe the whole time. As far back as I could remember (tee hee, Goodfellas) I’ve always had a fascination with World War II. Spielberg answered all my questions. I didn’t cry in the entire movie UNTIL the saved Jews made Oskar the rings. Then, I just burst out hysterically. Isn’t it amazing how a movie can do that to you? Yeah, that’s Spielberg for you.

Se7en. Just finished it today. Very nice. David Fincher never disappoints. And it’s true what my film friends said: Watch it, and for the rest of the week, you just feel like life sucks. Clever story.

And the finale: QUENTIN TARANTINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warning: I only watched the TV version of Kill Bill, and trust me, I plan to watch the DVD for extra gore ;).

Well I watched Kill Bill. Hearing that it was a kung-fu/samurai/anime/spaghetti western movie made me skeptical at first, but within the first five minutes I was hooked. It was so interesting and so great! There is… There is no words to describe it. You just need to go see it. And it’s so cool to see a lead female fighting. Uma Thurman is WINNING in this movie. Even better, they’re making a Kill Bill Vol. 3 in 2013.

Some people say “How will there be a third one?!” but here’s my take: The daughter of the black girl who The Bride killed is going to get revenge on The Bride sinse she watched her kill her mother… Ooooooh, story!!

Pulp Fiction was amazing too, but I didn’t think it was as good as Kill Bill. I know, I know, shame on me! But I still LOVED Pulp Fiction. I mean, come on. It’s a random mesh of stuff that just works! Best screenplay ever! Hit men and hamburgers. Nuff said.

So, soon to come: An early look at possible Oscar booters. Stay tuned!!

You Can’t Say “That brings me back…” When You’re Only 15 (or can you?)

My family was never really into movies.

Still, today, my dad hates going to the movie theater, and I have no idea why.

But one thing my family made me do every year was watch every award show. Being in my young years, not even a teen, I relied on what I had seen to win the Oscars. This usually consisted of Pirates of the Caribbean, or any movie in the animated section since I was way to young to sit down and watch any rated R feature.

But recently, I watched Crash, part of There Will Be Blood, and part of The Departed (WHICH I AM FINISHING TOMORROW!) and well, isn’t it funny how some things trigger memory? I decided to write this post from the view of my young self watching the Oscars, and what I felt then.

I dig through my memories, and the first thing I remember is the time leading up to the 2006 Academy Awards. My mom would order 3 or 4 of the movies nominated on DVD (No Nextflix?! Oh my!) and watch them with some friends. What I remember about one night is sneaking into the room where my parents and some others were watching these movies. My friend and I were just trying to play one of those online games that 9 year olds love playing. I remember hearing the movie, and there were a lot of loud noises and words I didn’t know. My friend was practically going insane because she kept hearing something called an “F-Bomb”, which I didn’t know what that was at the time. We were soon discovered and shooed out of the room.

Today, I’m 99% sure they were watching Crash in that room. We still have the DVD.

And now we skip ahead to my 10-year-old self and the 2007 Academy Awards. I remember my relatives saying that The Departed was fantastic and that it was going to win. For this show, I actually sat down and watched it.

And here comes a defining moment in my life.

When Martin Scorsese’s name was announced for Best Director, I knew it was a big deal. I had no clue why, but it was a big deal. It sent chills down my spine. I was so happy for him- yet I had no clue why. Everyone in our house watching were talking about how big of a deal it was. And then he got Best Picture. Again, so happy, no clue why. Each time, that theme from The Departed played. That fabulous tango.

And when I watched The Departed and heard that little tango, everything flooded back, like it was hidden. A secret drive in my love of filmmaking that had been buried and rediscovered again. It’s so weird how a little song can bring all that back.

I watched again in 2008, and just asked my mom about each winner, and if the movie was good. I mainly just remember hearing There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men being said over and over again.

I watched part of There Will Be Blood at NYFA, and it was so good.

2009 was when I started to kind of care about movies. My parents were just on the edge of letting me see Slumdog Millionaire, but they didn’t let me watch it. All the names nominated sound very familiar now, and I just remember how Slumdog Millionaire had only Indian people. Then I watched the Today show, and I learned what a good indie movie is: “A little movie with a lot of heart”.

That is what stuck to me: You need a little movie with a lot of heart. I will never forget that.

And in 2010, I was very into movies, but just a little too young to see the movies, again. So I just watched, and hoped that Avatar would crash and burn (because I KNEW that movie was wayyy too talked up). And it did. I learned the story about how Kathryn Bigelow is James Cameron’s ex-wife, and how she beat him with a movie that was “A little movie with a lot of heart”, and how she was the very first woman to win the award for best director. And beat him for best picture.

From there on I vowed that I would be a movie director, and win that same award.

Finally, in 2011, I convinced my parents that I, a mature 14-year-old, should not be deprived of my education, and I should be able to see rated R movies. They were reluctant, but now, I can pretty much watch anything that’s not a raunchy, crazy, almost X comedy or crazy insane who knows what movie.

And the rest is history.

So you see? Things can take you back when you’re only 15.

Post-Oscar Recap: My Thoughts

The Oscars are over… The hype is done. But some of my predictions didn’t win… Let’s see my thoughts on why some won and why some didn’t.

 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Who Won: Colin Firth

My Prediction: Colin Firth

Recap: This was a given. Go watch the movie and see. He was downright amazing.

 

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Who Won: Christian Bale

My Prediction: Christian Bale

Recap: Well, it’s hard to look like a boston man who is just going down and taking meth… Especially if you have an English accent. Kudos to Christian!

 

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Who Won: Natalie Portman

My Prediction: Natalie Portman

Recap: She was amazing. She took my breath away when she became the black swan, and wow’d the audience. She deserved this win.

 

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Who Won: Melissa Leo

My Prediction: Melissa Leo

Recap: Her character was great at yelling and dropping F-bombs… And that showed on stage. First person to drop an F at the Oscars!

 

NOTE: SO PROUD! I predicted all of the acting SPOT ON! 4 for 4!

 

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Who Won: Toy Story 3

My Prediction: Toy Story 3

Recap: When is there a year when Pixar doesn’t win?

 

ART DIRECTION

Who Won: Alice in Wonderland

My Prediction: Inception

Recap: Ok, so I didn’t like Alice in Wonderland at all, and that’s what kept me from choosing them for this category. They were my second choice, but I think it was just the movie that kept me from choosing them.

 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Who Won: Inception

My Prediction: The Social Network

Recap: I think I was just TOO in love with The Social Network’s camera movements. Inception did a really good job, and I’m glad they won.

 

COSTUME DESIGN

Who Won: Alice in Wonderland

My Prediction: The King’s Speech

Recap: A bit disappointed. The King’s Speech did a spectacular portraying the royal family’s outfits. But Alice in Wonderland WAS creative… Again, just didn’t like that movie at all.

 

DIRECTING

Who Won: Tom Hooper

My Prediction: David Fincher

Recap: This was an upset. David Fincher was predicted to take this home, and he definitely deserved it. Not to say Tom Hooper made a bad movie, It’s just that I would have really liked to have seen David Fincher take this one.

 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Who Won: Inside Job

My Prediction: Exit Though The Gift Shop

Recap: I just guessed so this shouldn’t be on my record.

 

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Who Won: Strangers No More

My Prediction: N/A

Recap: Didn’t vote or see any.

 

FILM EDITING

Who Won: The Social Network

My Prediction: The Social Network

Recap: YES! Everyone said my prediction was wrong but I called this! Usually, every year, the editing and best picture award are the same movie, but not this year.

 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Who Won: In A Better World

My Prediction: Biutiful

Recap: Didn’t see any, and just guessed.

 

MAKEUP

Who Won: The Wolfman

My Prediction: The Wolfman

Recap: Not bad for a guess!

 

ORIGINAL SCORE

Who Won: The Social Network

My Prediction: Inception (AND The Social Network)

Recap: Called this. I chose Inception, but I also said don’t be surprised if The Social Network won. EVERYONE said no, BUT look what happened! I should almost call this a point for me.

 

ORIGINAL SONG

Who Won: “We Belong Together”, Toy Story 3

My Prediction: “We Belong Together”, Toy Story 3

Recap: Well, it was one of the better songs, and it just seems like something that would win.

 

ANIMATED SHORT

Who Won: The Lost Thing

My Prediction: Day & Night

Recap: So I didn’t see them all, and I though Pixar would win because it always does, but it didn’t. Kind of a big upset. I should hardly count this as a loss because I only saw one.

 

LIVE ACTION SHORT

Who Won: God of Love

My Prediction: N/A

Recap: Didn’t see any, but God of Love looks really good. I should watch it.

 

SOUND EDITING

Who Won: Inception

My Prediction: Inception

Recap: Any technical award like this was a given. Inception was great for this.

 

SOUND MIXING

Who Won: Inception

My Prediction: The Social Network (should be Inception)

Recap: I thought this was editing the soundtrack when it really was editing the sound effects over the music. Silly me. If I had known I would have chosen Inception.

 

VISUAL EFFECTS

Who Won: Inception

My Prediction: Inception

Recap: This was a no brainer. Inception had spectacular visuals!

 

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Who Won: The Social Network

My Prediction: The Social Network

Recap: SO GLAD the Social Network won! It was such a great and creative plot.

 

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Who Won: The King’s Speech

My Prediction: Inception

Recap: This was an upset for me. While The King’s Speech was creative, Inception was an idea that was out of this world, a deeper meaning, and I was disappointed that Christopher Nolan didn’t get this.

 

And the biggest award…

 

MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR

Who Won: The King’s Speech

My Prediction: The King’s Speech

Recap: With it’s spectacular acting, this won. Called it. But it would have been really cool to see The Social Network win too. Either way, they are both great movies.

 

OVERALL:

Inception and The King’s Speech tied for 4 awards each, Inception getting the technical ones and The King’s Speech the creative ones. I was a bit disappointed that The Social Network didn’t get more though. And the rest were thrown willy-nilly.

My Real Score: 11 out of 22

What I Think My Score Should Be: 14 out of 20 (because I guessed on Documentary and Animated Short, and should have gotten Original Score and didn’t know what Sound Mixing was)

Pretty good for someone as young as me!

Amazing Oscar Overview: Let’s Get Those Predictions!

The time has come to vote for my Academy Award favorites! Lets see who will win in my mind.

KEY:

“Will Win”- Who the Academy probably picked

“Should Win”- Who I think should actually win

Highlighted name/movie– My pick to win

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• Javier Bardem, “Biutiful”
• Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”
• Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”
• Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”
• James Franco, “127 Hours”

Will Win: Colin Firth

Should Win: Colin Firth

Colin Firth did an amazing job, almost impossible to describe in words. His stammer was so real and believable, and the movie wouldn’t have been good at all if it weren’t for him. I can take Javier Bardem out since he’s in a foriegn film, and James Franco too, since 127 Hours wasn’t as mind-blowing as The King’s Speech. The only threat Colin might have would be Jesse Eisenberg or Jeff Bridges, but neither of them achieved the same level of acting as Colin. Bravo!

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Christian Bale, “The Fighter”
• John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone”
• Jeremy Renner, “The Town”
• Mark Ruffalo, “The Kids Are All Right”
• Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”

Will Win: Christian Bale

Should Win: Christian Bale or Geoffrey Rush

John Hawkes was in the indie movie so that’s out, and I didn’t see The Kinds Are All Right. Jeremy Renner was one of those bad, mean guys and well, he was just ok. So then there is Geoffrey Rush, who was outstanding and Christian Bale, who was so… Realistic and convincing. I’m going with Christian Bale because of how much he made me cringe. That’s a good actor right there.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right”
• Nicole Kidman, “Rabbit Hole”
• Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”
• Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
• Michelle Williams, “Blue Valentine”

Will Win: Natalie Portman

Should Win: Natalie Portman

So I actually only saw Black Swan in this category, but I’ve heard about the rest. Jennifer Lawrence is in an indie film, so she’s out. So are  Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams, which are both just placeholders. I’ve heard Annette Bening was good, so I’m taking her out as well. Why? Because Natalie Portman was AMAZING! She prepared for this role for a year, and it definitely showed. She will win no matter what.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Amy Adams, “The Fighter”
• Helena Bonham Carter, “The King’s Speech”
• Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”
• Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”
• Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom”

Will Win: Melissa Leo

Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld

This is Animal Kingdom’s only nomination, so sorry Jacki Weaver, nothing for you. Helen Bonham Carter was quite good, but not good enough. Amy Adams is another favorite, but really didn’t compare to Melissa Leo. Melissa had more anger in her acting. And Hailee, it would be awesome to see her win since she’s 14 and all, but it probably won’t happen.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• “How To Train Your Dragon”
• “The Illusionist”
• “Toy Story 3”

Will Win: Toy Story 3

Should Win: Toy Story 3

When any Pixar film is nominated in this category, the other films better take it as a death sentence. Pixar definitely has the best animated films hands down, not to mention that Toy Story 3 is also nominated for film of the year. I mean, I cried at the end of this movie. After growing up watching Buzz and Woody in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, it’s hard to see them leave. I found the meaning of bittersweet.

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION

• “Alice In Wonderland”
• “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1”
• “Inception”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “True Grit”

Will Win: The King’s Speech or Inception… Big tie

Should Win: Inception

Truthfully, I did not like Alice in Wonderland at all. So even if the sets were kinda cool, I’m knocking this one down. Harry Potter wasn’t a great one for me, so that one is thrown out too, and True Grit, that’s a no. It’s not that the sets were bad, it’s just that it wasn’t amazing either. This leaves Inception and The King’s Speech. The King’s Speech has pretty elaborately decorated sets, but I’m going with Inception because of the unique sets and the way they actually had hands-on sets, like the rotating room and the tilting room. Amazing.

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

• “Black Swan”
• “Inception”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “The Social Network”
• “True Grit”

Will Win: The Social Network or Inception

Should Win: Black Swan

This was one of the hardest categories to decide on for me. I’ll go ahead and boot True Grit because there really weren’t any camera angles that amazed me. The King’s Speech used some with dramatic value, but there really wasn’t anything special. Black Swan was great, don’t get me wrong. It was cool to follow the dancers and swing around, but that was it. Inception might win this, but I’m going to choose The Social Network. From the minute I watched this movie, all the camera angles flowed perfectly, and it was a masterpiece.

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

• “Alice In Wonderland”
• “I Am Love”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “The Tempest”
• “True Grit”

Will Win: The King’s Speech

Should Win: Alice In Wonderland

Let’s take I Am Love and The Tempest out of this category because this is the only category these are nominated for and the Academy just threw them in as placeholders. Next, True Grit is out the window because there was really nothing too special about the costumes. Just a western. I don’t think Alice In Wonderland will win because it was a really bad movie, but the costumes were creative and elaborate. I have a good feeling that The King’s Speech is taking this one home for its in-depth and realistic costumes.

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

• Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan”
• David O. Russell, “The Fighter”
• Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech”
• David Fincher, “The Social Network”
• Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, “True Grit”

Will Win: David Fincher

Should Win: David Fincher

David Russell, you made The Fighter more like a documentary, and I didn’t love it. Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan was amazing, but that’s a repeat movie after The Wrestler. Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit was great, but not oh-so-special. Tom Hooper, the King’s Speech was amazing, but let’s compare your directing to David Fincher’s. David, you win hands-down. You took 99 takes of the smallest things and meticulously edited each scene. You deserve this win for that amazing movie.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

• “Exit Through The Gift Shop”
• “Gasland”
• “Inside Job”
• “Restrepo”
• “Waste Land”

Will Win: N/A

Should Win: N/A

I didn’t watch any of these, but I’m just going with Exit Though The Gift Shop because I’ve heard that it’s going to win.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

• “Killing In The Name”
• “Poster Girl”
• “Strangers No More”
• “Sun Come Up”
• The Warriors Of Qiugang”

Will Win: N/A

Should Win: N/A

Didn’t see any of these.

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

• “Black Swan”
• “The Fighter”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”

Will Win: The Social Network

Should Win: 127 Hours

This is hard to judge, since a lot of cuts look the same. The Fighter was too much like a documentary, and The King’s Speech didn’t have anything special, and I found one bad edit in that. Black Swan had a bad edit too. The Social Network was fantastic and will win, but 127 Hours had some really cool edits, and definitely stood out in the crowd.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• Mexico, “Biutiful”
• Greece, “Dogtooth”
• Denmark, “In A Better World”
• Canada, “Incendies”
• Algeria, “Outside The Law (Hors-La-Loi)”

Will Win: N/A

Should Win: N/A

I didn’t see any of these, but I’ll just go with Biutiful because Javier Bardem is nominated for Best Actor.

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

• “Barney’s Version”
• “The Way Back”
• “The Wolfman”

Will Win: N/A

Should Win: N/A

Again, I didn’t see any of these, but I’ll just say The Wolfman because I’ve heard it has a lot of blood.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• “How To Train Your Dragon”
• “Inception”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: The Social Network

127 Hours didn’t really stand out in my mind, and How To Train Your Dragon is animated so those are out. The King’s Speech had really good music when he was giving his wartime speech, but the rest was just ok. This leaves Inception and The Social Network, and really, I am torn. Inception is that classic, strong movie music, and The Social Network is new and fresh. Honestly, either of them will win, but I went with Inception just because of the “classic movie music” take on things. But really, I have both soundtracks on my iPod and I love both of them to death, but they’re just so different!

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• “Coming Home” from “Country Strong”
• “I See The Light” from “Tangled”
• “If I Rise” from “127 Hours”
• “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3”

Will Win: “We Belong Together”

Should Win: “We Belong Together”

I only saw 127 Hours and Toy Story 3 in this category, and I think all of Toy Story’s songs were happy and good, so I’m going with “We Belong Together”. Judging a song isn’t really my forte though.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

• “Day & Night”
• “The Gruffalo”
• “Let’s Pollute”
• “The Lost Thing”
• “Madagascar, Carnet De Voyage (A Journey Diary)”

Will Win: Day & Night

Should Win: Day & Night

I only saw Day & Night, but even if I didn’t see it, I’d still nominate it because it’s Pixar and Pixar is king of the animation world.

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

• “The Confession”
• “The Crush”
• “God Of Love”
• “Na Wewe”
• “Wish 143”

Will Win: N/A

Should Win: N/A

I didn’t see any of these.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

• “Inception”
• “Toy Story 3”
• “Tron: Legacy”
• “True Grit”
• “Unstoppable”

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: Tron: Legacy

Sound effects all sound the same to me, but I think Inception will win this because it’s a big action movie that everyone just loves, although I’d love to see Tron: Legacy win something. I thought Tron was a great movie and I’m very upset to see that it wasn’t nominated for anything bigger.

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

• “Inception”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “Salt”
• “The Social Network”
• “True Grit”

Will Win: The Social Network

Should Win: The Social Network

I’m pretty sure this category means mixing music, I’m going with The Social Network. Their whole soundtrack was mixed loops, and it sounds really, really good.

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

• “Alice In Wonderland”
• “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1”
• “Hereafter”
• “Inception”
• “Iron Man 2”

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: Inception

Iron Man 2 and Hereafter are just placeholders, so let’s eliminate those. Harry Potter didn’t wow me at all, and I really didn’t like Alice In Wonderland, though it was kind of cool how they enlarged the Queen’s head on a smaller body. So this leaves inception, which should hands-down with his category. The effects were flawless and believable. Sometimes, I couldn’t even tell some things were animated. If Inception doesn’t win this, it will be an outrage.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”
• “Toy Story 3”
• “True Grit”
• “Winter’s Bone”

Will Win: The Social Network

Should Win: True Grit or 127 Hours

I’ll eliminate the indie film, Winter’s Bone, and the animation, Toy Story 3, right away. 127 Hours was really good because it’s hard to tell a story with only one character through the entire movie, so I give kudos to that. True Grit apparently stuck to the book more, and for me, it was much better than the original True Grit, so that was a contender. But really, The Social Network rules overall. It kept the story moving and ever-changing by going back and forth between lawsuits and the creation of Facebook, and showed the bigger theme of trust around Facebook, which made it an amazing movie.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• “Another Year”
• “The Fighter”
• “Inception”
• “The Kids Are All Right”
• “The King’s Speech”

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: Inception

Though The King’s Speech was great and all, let’s all give a round of applause to Christopher Nolan who completely on his own made up Inception! Who could think of a more original and complex idea? This plot was well thought out, interesting, complex, and completely original. Inception should win this hands down. Period.

And last, but definitely not least…

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR

• “Black Swan”
• “The Fighter”
• “Inception”
• “The Kids Are All Right”
• “The King’s Speech”
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”
• “Toy Story 3”
• “True Grit”
• “Winter’s Bone”

Will Win: The King’s Speech

Should Win: The Social Network

We can eliminate everything except The Social Network and The King’s Speech. All of these were good, and maybe Inception would have a shot at winning, but not compared to these movies. I really, really think this is a close tie, but The King’s Speech will win because of its happy theme, whereas The Social Network had more of a dark theme in it. The Social Network is more modern and art-sy, but The King’s Speech is more of that classic oscar movie. Either way, I will be happy for either.