I am reposting my Oscar predictions that I made on October 22. I have bolded the predictions that were correct. And just for fun, I am giving myself 1 point for every nomination I got right, and 1/2 point for every "Other Contenders" that were nominated.
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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Oscar Nomination Predictions
Here are my predictions for the 2009 Oscar nominations that will be announced in January. Note that I have seen only one of the films listed here (UP) so this is based on pure buzz. There could be a lot of potential to make fun of me come January! But for those of you looking for some good flicks, most of these will be released in theatres during the next 2 months.
Best Picture
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up in the Air
3. Nine
4. Inviotus [sic]
5. Precious
6. Up
7. An Education
8. A Serious Man
9. Bright Star
10. A Prophet
Other Contenders:
Where the Wild Things Are
The Informant
Star Trek
Inglorious Basterds
A Single Man
Best Actor
1. Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
2. Colin Firth - A Single Man
3. George Clooney - Up in the Air
4. Matt Damon - The Informant
5. Morgan Freeman - Inviotus [sic]
Other Contenders:
Nicolas Cage (Honestly!) - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Best Actress
1. Hillary Swank - Amelia
2. Marion Cotillard - Nine
3. Carey Mulligan - An Education
4. Abbie Cornish - Bright Star
5. Vera Farminga - Up in the Air
Other Contenders:
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Gabby Sidibe - Precious
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
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Total points: 13/20 or 65% Not bad considering this was over 3 months ago! I completely missed "The Avatar" factor though.
Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
OMG: The Oscar Noms!
List of Nominees
Best Picture
1. "Avatar"
2. "The Hurt Locker"
3. "Precious"
4. "Up in the Air"
5. "Inglorious Basterds"
6. "Up"
7. "The Blind Side"
8. "District 9"
9. "An Education"
10. "A Serious Man"
Thoughts: No big surprises here. It does appear that the Academy's strategy of expanding the nomination list to 10 pictures this year worked: there is a healthy mix of mainstream films (e.g., "The Blind Side," "Avatar," "Up," and "District 9") along with the perrenial independent films. I am glad that movies that were clearly made to grab an Oscar nom did not make the cut this year (I am talking about you "Invictus"!).
Despite the big pool of nominees, the race essentially comes down to "Up in the Air," "The Hurt Locker," and "Avatar."
And a shout out to the Minnesotan connections: Joel and Ethan Coen's "A Serious Man" made the cut, along with "Up in the Air," which is based on the book written by Minnesotan Walter Kim.
Best Direction
1. "Avatar," James Cameron
2. "The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow
3. "Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino
4. "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire," Lee Daniels
5. "Up in the Air," Jason Reitman
Thoughts: Again no big surprises. There are two former winners in the list (James Cameron, of course, for "Titanic" and QT for "Pulp Fiction"). Jason Reitman was previously nominated for "Juno," while this is the first nomination for Kathyrn Bigelow and Lee Daniels.
The big race here will be between former spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. Personally, I hope the ex-wife wins. It's nice to see Lee Daniels nominated for the difficult "Precious," which was only his second film he has ever directed. Jason Reitman is also a relative newcomer to Hollywood, but has already made three fantastic films with "Up in the Air," "Juno," and "Thank you for Smoking." QT has not been nominated since "Pulp Fiction," and I think that "Inglorious Basterds" is his personal best.
Best Actor
1. Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart”
2. George Clooney, "Up in the Air”
3. Colin Firth, "A Single Man”
4. Morgan Freeman, "Invictus”
5. Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker”
Thoughts: These nominees have been carved in stone for months now. Jeff Bridges is a lock to win the award. Sorry George - not this year.
Best Actress
1. Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side”
2. Helen Mirren, "The Last Station”
3. Carey Mulligan, "An Education”
4. Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire”
5. Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia”
Thoughts: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, these nominees were all predicted to be nominated. It will come down to Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep. Its refreshing that both of these actresses were nominated for roles in films that many people saw. Traditionally, this category went to women in little-seen independent films.
Best Supporting Actor
1. Matt Damon, "Invictus”
2. Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger”
3. Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station”
4. Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones”
5. Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds”
Thoughts: This category does have some suprises, particularly Stanley Tucci, and to a lesser extent, Woody Harrelson. Sadly, Alfred Molina was not nominated despite his terrific performance in "An Education." There is no way that Christoph Waltz will not win. His performance was perhaps the single best performance by any actor or actress this year.
Best Supporting Actress
1. Penélope Cruz, "Nine”
2. Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air”
3. Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart”
4. Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air”
5. Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire”
Thoughts: Yeah for Maggie! "Crazy Heart" had not been getting much Oscar buzz until relatively recently, so Maggie is a bit of a surprise. Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, and Mo'Nique (no last name) were all locks for nominations. Penelope Cruz has really turned into a hell of actress in the past few years. She won this category last year for "Vicky Christina Barcelona." She was the only actress to be nominated for "Nine," which at one time, was considered to be an Oscar front-runner in all the major categories. Let the debate begin on whether her role was supporting or lead.
Mo'Nique will win.
Best Animated Film
1. "Coraline”
2. "Fantastic Mr. Fox”
3. "The Princess and the Frog”
4. "The Secret of Kells”
5. "Up”
Thoughts: What the heck is "the Secret of Kells"? I LOVED "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Coraline" so I hope one of these films beats up Best Picture nominee "Up."
Documentary
1. "Burma VJ”
2. "The Cove”
3. "Food, Inc.”
4. "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
5. "Which Way Home”
Thoughts: I have not seen any of these movies, although I do have "The Cove" on DVD just waiting for me to view it. I am a little surprised that "Tyson" and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" did not make the cut. I will not be watching "Food, Inc." since I am happy with my current diet thank you very much!
Foreign Language Film
1. "Ajami," Israel
2. "El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Argentina
3. "The Milk of Sorrow," Peru
4. "Un Prophète," France
5. "The White Ribbon," Germany
Thoughts: Again, I have not seen any of these movies, and I wouldn't be surprised if none of them have even made it to the Twin Cities yet. I do plan on seeing "The White Ribbon" this weekend though.
What are your thoughts? Predictions? Surprises? People/Movies that you thought were robbed this year?
Best Picture
1. "Avatar"
2. "The Hurt Locker"
3. "Precious"
4. "Up in the Air"
5. "Inglorious Basterds"
6. "Up"
7. "The Blind Side"
8. "District 9"
9. "An Education"
10. "A Serious Man"
Thoughts: No big surprises here. It does appear that the Academy's strategy of expanding the nomination list to 10 pictures this year worked: there is a healthy mix of mainstream films (e.g., "The Blind Side," "Avatar," "Up," and "District 9") along with the perrenial independent films. I am glad that movies that were clearly made to grab an Oscar nom did not make the cut this year (I am talking about you "Invictus"!).
Despite the big pool of nominees, the race essentially comes down to "Up in the Air," "The Hurt Locker," and "Avatar."
And a shout out to the Minnesotan connections: Joel and Ethan Coen's "A Serious Man" made the cut, along with "Up in the Air," which is based on the book written by Minnesotan Walter Kim.
Best Direction
1. "Avatar," James Cameron
2. "The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow
3. "Inglourious Basterds," Quentin Tarantino
4. "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire," Lee Daniels
5. "Up in the Air," Jason Reitman
Thoughts: Again no big surprises. There are two former winners in the list (James Cameron, of course, for "Titanic" and QT for "Pulp Fiction"). Jason Reitman was previously nominated for "Juno," while this is the first nomination for Kathyrn Bigelow and Lee Daniels.
The big race here will be between former spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. Personally, I hope the ex-wife wins. It's nice to see Lee Daniels nominated for the difficult "Precious," which was only his second film he has ever directed. Jason Reitman is also a relative newcomer to Hollywood, but has already made three fantastic films with "Up in the Air," "Juno," and "Thank you for Smoking." QT has not been nominated since "Pulp Fiction," and I think that "Inglorious Basterds" is his personal best.
Best Actor
1. Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart”
2. George Clooney, "Up in the Air”
3. Colin Firth, "A Single Man”
4. Morgan Freeman, "Invictus”
5. Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker”
Thoughts: These nominees have been carved in stone for months now. Jeff Bridges is a lock to win the award. Sorry George - not this year.
Best Actress
1. Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side”
2. Helen Mirren, "The Last Station”
3. Carey Mulligan, "An Education”
4. Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire”
5. Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia”
Thoughts: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, these nominees were all predicted to be nominated. It will come down to Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep. Its refreshing that both of these actresses were nominated for roles in films that many people saw. Traditionally, this category went to women in little-seen independent films.
Best Supporting Actor
1. Matt Damon, "Invictus”
2. Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger”
3. Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station”
4. Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones”
5. Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds”
Thoughts: This category does have some suprises, particularly Stanley Tucci, and to a lesser extent, Woody Harrelson. Sadly, Alfred Molina was not nominated despite his terrific performance in "An Education." There is no way that Christoph Waltz will not win. His performance was perhaps the single best performance by any actor or actress this year.
Best Supporting Actress
1. Penélope Cruz, "Nine”
2. Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air”
3. Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart”
4. Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air”
5. Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire”
Thoughts: Yeah for Maggie! "Crazy Heart" had not been getting much Oscar buzz until relatively recently, so Maggie is a bit of a surprise. Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, and Mo'Nique (no last name) were all locks for nominations. Penelope Cruz has really turned into a hell of actress in the past few years. She won this category last year for "Vicky Christina Barcelona." She was the only actress to be nominated for "Nine," which at one time, was considered to be an Oscar front-runner in all the major categories. Let the debate begin on whether her role was supporting or lead.
Mo'Nique will win.
Best Animated Film
1. "Coraline”
2. "Fantastic Mr. Fox”
3. "The Princess and the Frog”
4. "The Secret of Kells”
5. "Up”
Thoughts: What the heck is "the Secret of Kells"? I LOVED "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "Coraline" so I hope one of these films beats up Best Picture nominee "Up."
Documentary
1. "Burma VJ”
2. "The Cove”
3. "Food, Inc.”
4. "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
5. "Which Way Home”
Thoughts: I have not seen any of these movies, although I do have "The Cove" on DVD just waiting for me to view it. I am a little surprised that "Tyson" and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" did not make the cut. I will not be watching "Food, Inc." since I am happy with my current diet thank you very much!
Foreign Language Film
1. "Ajami," Israel
2. "El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Argentina
3. "The Milk of Sorrow," Peru
4. "Un Prophète," France
5. "The White Ribbon," Germany
Thoughts: Again, I have not seen any of these movies, and I wouldn't be surprised if none of them have even made it to the Twin Cities yet. I do plan on seeing "The White Ribbon" this weekend though.
What are your thoughts? Predictions? Surprises? People/Movies that you thought were robbed this year?
Monday, December 14, 2009
An Education
I saw An Education over the weekend. I was interested in it because it is getting a lot of Oscar buzz, particularly for the Best Picture and Best Actress (Carey Mulligan) categories. The movie is set in 1960s London. Jenny, 16-year old in her last year of school, meets an older man who shows her how exciting life can be. Jenny has to choose between the seemingly boring life of education at Oxford or the glamorous but mysterious life with her new beau. What will she choose??? (Hint: this movie follows the traditional Hollywood formula)
An Education is a good movie, but certainly not the best that this year has to offer. Carey Mulligan was flawless, the story moved at a good pace, and I felt invested in the characters. However, the movie was too forgettable to win a major award. I felt like I have seen this movie a hundred times. A brilliant student / athlete / musician must choose between the long, hard road of school or the short-cut to a high-paying, glamourous life. Its a fine story, but An Education did not do anything original with the story.
The best part of the movie was Alfred Molina. He was a delight as Jenny's father. It was nice to see him shine in a supporting role and move beyond his Doctor Octopus role from Spider Man2. Have you seen An Education? Are you planning to?
An Education is a good movie, but certainly not the best that this year has to offer. Carey Mulligan was flawless, the story moved at a good pace, and I felt invested in the characters. However, the movie was too forgettable to win a major award. I felt like I have seen this movie a hundred times. A brilliant student / athlete / musician must choose between the long, hard road of school or the short-cut to a high-paying, glamourous life. Its a fine story, but An Education did not do anything original with the story.
The best part of the movie was Alfred Molina. He was a delight as Jenny's father. It was nice to see him shine in a supporting role and move beyond his Doctor Octopus role from Spider Man2. Have you seen An Education? Are you planning to?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
And the Oscar hosts are . . .
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I love them both! I can't wait to watch them host the Oscars together (there hasn't been co-hosts since the 1980s). They should make a great comedy team. Of course, I would have preferred Steve Martin with Tina Fey but Tina is not starring in a holiday movie with Steve. So naturally, the Oscar producers had to pass her up and go for the shameless plug of Its Complicated (starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin coming out December 25 to a theater near you).
Sunday, November 1, 2009
A Serious Man
I saw A Serious Man last Friday. After seeing the movie, I stand by my prediction that it will be nominated for best picture this year.
Set in surburban Minneapolis in the 1960s, the movie follows Larry Gopnik, a physics professor, who is going through a bad spell in his life. His wife wants a divorce, someone is writing nasty letters to the tenure board, a korean student is trying to blackmail him for giving him an F, his brother won't leave his couch, and creditors are calling him for not paying for his record club subscription that he never even ordered. Larry hits rock bottom when his wife demands that he pay for the funeral for the man she was going to leave him for. With no where left to go, Larry turns to three different rabbis at his synogogue in order to determine what God is telling him.
Richly textual, the movie makes no apologies for being smart. I will be the first to admit that I didn't catch most of the biblical allusions or understand many of the Jewish phrases. (But I certainly understood the Minnesota references! The theater audience chuckled everytime a Twin Cities reference was made - such as to Ron Meshbesher or the Red Owl in Bloomington). But I don't care. Movies with layers of subtexts are the best kind to go back and watch again as you age, and gain wisdom and experience. This is the type of movie that you will take away a different interpretation with each viewing.
Many people will find this movie difficult to watch. It is slow, seems to have no point, and has an unconclusive ending (which may be an understatement). But I like movies that are more interested in the characters than in their stories. The Coen brothers drew heavily from the European New Wave traditions in this respect. Within the movie itself is a parable about a Jewish dentist who finds a message in Hebrew on the back of a patient's teeth. Wondering if this is a message from God, he visit his rabbi. The \rabbi, to the unsatisfaction of the Dentist, cannot tell him that the message means anything. It is what it is. And I think this parable is an allegory to the movie as a whole. The movie is not a story meant to give us a definitive message. Rather, it a snapshot of a character, meant to make us ponder.
A Serious Man is not the best movie I have seen this year, but it very good. Overall, I give it 3 1/2 stars and recommend that you see in theatres (rather than video).
Have you seen A Serious Man or are you planning on going? Are there any movies that you find different meanings in with each viewing? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Set in surburban Minneapolis in the 1960s, the movie follows Larry Gopnik, a physics professor, who is going through a bad spell in his life. His wife wants a divorce, someone is writing nasty letters to the tenure board, a korean student is trying to blackmail him for giving him an F, his brother won't leave his couch, and creditors are calling him for not paying for his record club subscription that he never even ordered. Larry hits rock bottom when his wife demands that he pay for the funeral for the man she was going to leave him for. With no where left to go, Larry turns to three different rabbis at his synogogue in order to determine what God is telling him.
Richly textual, the movie makes no apologies for being smart. I will be the first to admit that I didn't catch most of the biblical allusions or understand many of the Jewish phrases. (But I certainly understood the Minnesota references! The theater audience chuckled everytime a Twin Cities reference was made - such as to Ron Meshbesher or the Red Owl in Bloomington). But I don't care. Movies with layers of subtexts are the best kind to go back and watch again as you age, and gain wisdom and experience. This is the type of movie that you will take away a different interpretation with each viewing.
Many people will find this movie difficult to watch. It is slow, seems to have no point, and has an unconclusive ending (which may be an understatement). But I like movies that are more interested in the characters than in their stories. The Coen brothers drew heavily from the European New Wave traditions in this respect. Within the movie itself is a parable about a Jewish dentist who finds a message in Hebrew on the back of a patient's teeth. Wondering if this is a message from God, he visit his rabbi. The \rabbi, to the unsatisfaction of the Dentist, cannot tell him that the message means anything. It is what it is. And I think this parable is an allegory to the movie as a whole. The movie is not a story meant to give us a definitive message. Rather, it a snapshot of a character, meant to make us ponder.
A Serious Man is not the best movie I have seen this year, but it very good. Overall, I give it 3 1/2 stars and recommend that you see in theatres (rather than video).
Have you seen A Serious Man or are you planning on going? Are there any movies that you find different meanings in with each viewing? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Oscar Nomination Predictions
Here are my predictions for the 2009 Oscar nominations that will be announced in January. Note that I have seen only one of the films listed here (UP) so this is based on pure buzz. There could be a lot of potential to make fun of me come January! But for those of you looking for some good flicks, most of these will be released in theatres during the next 2 months.
Best Picture
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up in the Air
3. Nine
4. Inviotus
5. Precious
6. Up
7. An Education
8. A Serious Man
9. Bright Star
10. A Prophet
Other Contenders:
Where the Wild Things Are
The Informant
Star Trek
Inglorious Basterds
A Single Man
Best Actor
1. Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
2. Colin Firth - A Single Man
3. George Clooney - Up in the Air
4. Matt Damon - The Informant
5. Morgan Freeman - Inviotus
Other Contenders:
Nicolas Cage (Honestly!) - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Best Actress
1. Hillary Swank - Amelia
2. Marion Cotillard - Nine
3. Carey Mulligan - An Education
4. Abbie Cornish - Bright Star
5. Vera Farminga - Up in the Air
Other Contenders:
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Gabby Sidibe - Precious
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
What about you? What would you like to see nominated this year? Do you try to see Oscar nominated films?
Best Picture
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up in the Air
3. Nine
4. Inviotus
5. Precious
6. Up
7. An Education
8. A Serious Man
9. Bright Star
10. A Prophet
Other Contenders:
Where the Wild Things Are
The Informant
Star Trek
Inglorious Basterds
A Single Man
Best Actor
1. Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
2. Colin Firth - A Single Man
3. George Clooney - Up in the Air
4. Matt Damon - The Informant
5. Morgan Freeman - Inviotus
Other Contenders:
Nicolas Cage (Honestly!) - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine
Best Actress
1. Hillary Swank - Amelia
2. Marion Cotillard - Nine
3. Carey Mulligan - An Education
4. Abbie Cornish - Bright Star
5. Vera Farminga - Up in the Air
Other Contenders:
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Gabby Sidibe - Precious
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
What about you? What would you like to see nominated this year? Do you try to see Oscar nominated films?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Summer Movie Wrap-Up
Now that summer is officially over, I will take the opportunity to look back at the movies I saw. Unfortunately, because I was studying for the bar exam and unemployed, I missed out on a lot of summer flicks.
Best Summer Blockbuster
Star Trek - What a delightful surprise this was! It was full of action, adventure, cameos, and zippy one-liners - everything that a summer blockbuster requires. This movie starts from the very beginning of the Star Trek story, making this saga accessible to a new generation of viewers.
Biggest Disappointment
Up - I think this movie was technically perfect and the characters intriguing and well-developed. However, I thought the talking dogs were cheesy and a cheap laugh (In the movie, an old man lives in a blimp with dozens of dogs. The old man invented a talking collar so that his pets can talk to him). I also found it creepy that the old man lived with so many dogs. I must be the only person in the planet who didn't leave the movie with a big smile on my face, but I just couldn't get past the creepy dogs. After hearing that this was the best Pixar movie yet, I couldn't have been more disappointed.
Biggest Surprise
The Hangover - Hilarious! The story follows a bachelor party in Las Vegas gone awry. I wasn't familiar with any of the actors so I wasn't expecting very much, but it was a riot from start to finish.
Guilty Pleasure
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - I watched this on a rainy afternoon in Madison just to kill some time. For those of you who remember the t.v. show or original animated movie, this movie is everything you could want in a G.I. Joe Flick. Terrible Acting. Cheesy Dialog. Far-fetched Plot. Sub par special effects. A random character screaming out "Go Joe!" Enough said.
Best Movie of the Summer
Inglorious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino's latest film does not disappoint. This movie was as suspenseful as any Alfred Hitchcock film, although slightly more bloody! Although I always enjoy looking at Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz playing Col. Hans Landa, a Nazi, stole every scene. I wouldn't be surprised if he is nominated for an Oscar. For those of you who listen to podcasts, I recommend listening to this interview Quentin did on NPR for some insight to the movie. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112286584
What about you? What movie will you remember most from this summer?
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