If I Ran The Oscars…

Stephen Mick

Stephen Mick

Totally Usable
So, I've been having a bit of fun over on my blog (www.filmeveryday.com), and thought I'd share it here.

Basically, for probably the first time ever, I've actually made an effort to watch most of, if not all of, the films likely to earn Oscar nominations this year. And instead of waiting until the noms come out and then telling you who I think WILL win, I've jumped the gun and decided to share who I think SHOULD win.

Now there are certainly movies out there that I haven't been able to see, mainly because they haven't come to Austin yet. But my picks represent my opinions based on films I've actually had a chance to see, and if there are some on my list you haven't heard of, try to track them down. If you have some ideas for films I haven't listed but should have seen, post it here and I'll do my best to see them myself.

And so, in no particular order…

Best Foreign Film
Broken Embraces
The White Ribbon
The Maid
Summer Hours
Gomorrah
Police, adjective


If it’s not our country’s biggest export, entertainment is definitely in the top three. But just because we make the biggest, it doesn’t always mean we make the best. These six films are as well-crafted and emotionally involving as anything made in America last year. Some of them are already available on Netflix streaming or DVD, so get your rent on.

And the award for Best Foreign Film goes to…The White Ribbon.


Best Supporting Actress
Mo’nique, Precious
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Vera Farmiga, Up In The Air
Mariah Carey, Precious
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
Diane Kruger, Inglorious Basterds


Talk about a bit of everything in this category. We’ve got worthy performances in war movies ranging from revisionist WWII history (Kruger) to the consequences of the current Iraqi conflict (Morton). We have two nominees from the awards season’s comedy/drama love-child (Up In The Air’s Farmiga and Kendrick). And…wait…WTF?!? Mariah Carey? You read that correctly. Precious is a movie that hurts, but it’s a good hurt, and Mo’nique brings it to life.

And the creepy-looking golden statue will go to…Mo’nique.



Best Supporting Actor
Christian McKay, Me & Orson Welles
Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Joshua Leonard, Humpday



McKay and Plummer both delivered bigger-than-life performances in bringing Orson Welles and Leo Tolstoy to the big screen. Tucci was a shiver-inducing child-killer who owned every scene he had. Harrelson continues to do top-level work and not getting recognized for it. Leonard (best known for playing himself in The Blair Witch Project) comes out of nowhere to shine in the hilarious (and unseen) Humpday.

But the award should, and will, go to…Waltz.
 
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Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Catalina Saavedra, The Maid
Maya Rudolph, Away We Go
Michelle Monaghan, Trucker
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

Five actresses you may never have heard of? That’s right. I’m sure Oscar won’t have the stones to nominate Saavedra, though her work is far more deserving than many who will get the call. Her fate is sealed by the fact that nobody saw The Maid. Sidbey turned in a stunning performance as the lead in the heart-breaking Precious. Emily Blunt continues to impress, this time in a starring role (of which she deserves more). Rudolph was excellent in yet another movie nobody saw. If you don’t know about my man-crush on Sandra Bullock, just read my review of The Blind Side. And Mulligan lit up An Education in her first starring role.

But the award here goes to (or it should go to, but won’t)…Michele Monaghan.


Best Actor
Sam Rockwell, Moon
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Nicolas Cage, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Colin Firth, A Single Man
George Clooney, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Judging from the box office take of The Hurt Locker, Moon and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, I’m guessing you haven’t seen them. I have, and the lead performances in each one were incredible, and incredibly different. Jeremy Renner is soon to be a star. Rockwell always does great under-the-radar work. And Cage, who many think is way past his best days, proves otherwise. Colin Firth’s wonderful performance in Tom Ford’s A Single Man deserves all the praise it has received. And yes, that’s right, I’ve nominated Clooney not for Up In The Air (which features Clooney being, well, Clooney), but for Fantastic Mr. Fox. As the titular canid, Clooney’s voice gives the film much of its heart and soul.

But the award goes to…Jeff Bridges.


Best Original Screenplay…

Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter, (500) Days of Summer
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds
Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Scott Moore and Jon Lucas, The Hangover
Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, Up

Yeah, get over it people, there's a massive hit comedy and an animated film in there. If you haven't seen these films, warm up your Netflix queue and spend the weekend catching up. From the non-stop intensity of Boal's The Hurt Locker to Moore and Lucas' lost Vegas weekend, these are not only the best original screenplays produced in 2009, but they're great and fun movies.


And the anatomically-incorrect statue goes to…Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker.


Best Adapted Screenplay
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche, In The Loop
Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air
Neil Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
Scott Cooper, Crazy Heart
Nick Hornby, An Education

Everyone seems to think Up In The Air has this award locked up, and they're probably right. It's a wonderful film, perfectly timed to tap into the current state of the country. But I think the playing field should be more level, as all of these films are just as deserving, and in the case of one, even more so.

And the doorstop goes to…Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox.
 
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Best Animated Film
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up
Coraline
Ponyo
Mary & Max
Avatar

 Yes, folks, Avatar is an animated f*$#ing film. Over half of the movie is computer-generated, and the other half feels like it was acted by computer-generated actors. So here it is. I'm hoping including them here inspires some to seek out Mary & Max and Ponyo, they're worth the trouble.


But the award for Best Animated Film goes to…Fantastic Mr. Fox.


Best Art Direction
Inglorious Basterds
An Education
The Young Victoria
Watchmen
The Lovely Bones
Avatar

Let me define for you what I believe “art direction” means. To me, the art department brings a unified vision of the “look” of a film to life. This is truly a collaborative effort between many talented people, but the best art direction feels both completely authentic and fresh, and a lot of the work in this category fits into this description.

But the little golden drinking buddy goes to…Watchmen.



Best Visual Effects
Avatar
Avatar
Avatar
Star Trek
District 9
Avatar

I’ve decided to recognize Avatar here with four of the six nominations in the category. It’s simply the most detailed use of computer-generated visual effects we’ve ever seen in film.
And the award goes to…District 9.

Just kidding. It goes to Avatar.
 
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Interesting list. A few there that I have to see. I have seen Hurt Locker and Moon and loved them both. Jeremy Renner is for sure going to be big after that role. Sam Rockwell was good, but not sure if he did an outstanding performance that deserves a nomination, but that's just me.

I have a feeling Up in the Air will be in a lot of categories this year. As much as I didn't like it...
 
:beer:

Over the years I've been losing a lot of respect for the Oscar awards.

I used to have, and still do, in my fantasy world, think that the Oscars are awarded to special acheivers. Not so anymore.

Over the years I've read that the people who are supposed to review the films and respond, instead, just pass the preview to thier sons or daughters and ask them what they think, and send that in. I've also read that they often respond, nowadays, mostly to what mood they are in. If it reflects what they're feeling at the moment, then so be it.

That makes sense, given whom I think is being handed the ballots to fill out.
Unfortunate, that I think the Oscars have almost all but completely lost credibility with me.


There is a world of festivals out there. If you get awards in almost every country in the world, and get snubbed for an Oscar, what would that mean to you? At that point, who cares? That's what it's coming down to.

That's been my thinking lately I suppose. Just that the Oscars voters seem too self absorbed these days and are out of touch with the rest of the world.

Maybe an international Oscar is in order. Best movie in the world? hehe.
ehmmm, probably not. :beer:

Oh, you can call it the 'Gord' instead of the 'Oscar'. I don't mind.
 
Voting Academy members are not representatives of 'the rest of the world' and have zero obligation - zero interest, really and appropriately - in what 'the rest of the world' may think, on the subject.

I understand that the commercialization and glitz and red carpet nonsense and breathless tv coverage have probably created a widespread impression that the awards are some kind of public affair - but they're not. The Academy Awards are a private organization's affair and are in the main voted on by working industry professionals, for working industry professionals - and only a small proportion of those professionals, at that: the Academy voting membership. Any publicity is about leveraging the general public's interest in the proceedings into advertising and promotional $$$, and nothing else.

After working with this crowd for a while, words like credibility aren't much good except for provoking a good belly-laugh, all around.

Anyway, I'd argue that in order to even be nominated for an Oscar, one has to be acknowledged for something of a special achievement, particularly in the technical awards.
 
The Academy Awards are a private organization's affair...
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I didn't know they were a private organization so I can understand that.
I always thought of them as the world leaders in excellence. My mistake.

Continuing...

... and are in the main voted on by working industry professionals, for working industry professionals - and only a small proportion of those professionals, at that: the Academy voting membership.
Click to expand...

That's what I would hope is the case, but that' not what I'm hearing.
I don't believe that for a second Max.

After working with this crowd for a while, words like credibility aren't much good except for provoking a good belly-laugh, all around.
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Is that so.

Anyway, I'd argue that in order to even be nominated for an Oscar, one has to be acknowledged for something of a special achievement, particularly in the technical awards.
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Bl fn st. You fill in the blanks. Maybe in the major categories, you may be right, but short films, I can prove, anytime, anywhere, that's a load of bs.
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Sad Max said:
Voting Academy members are not representatives of 'the rest of the world' and have zero obligation - zero interest, really and appropriately - in what 'the rest of the world' may think, on the subject.

I understand that the commercialization and glitz and red carpet nonsense and breathless tv coverage have probably created a widespread impression that the awards are some kind of public affair - but they're not. The Academy Awards are a private organization's affair and are in the main voted on by working industry professionals, for working industry professionals - and only a small proportion of those professionals, at that: the Academy voting membership. Any publicity is about leveraging the general public's interest in the proceedings into advertising and promotional $$$, and nothing else.

After working with this crowd for a while, words like credibility aren't much good except for provoking a good belly-laugh, all around.

Anyway, I'd argue that in order to even be nominated for an Oscar, one has to be acknowledged for something of a special achievement, particularly in the technical awards.
Click to expand...

Yeah, yeah - but so like what are you going to be wearing?
 
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stephenmick said:
Max already told me he's going sans-clothes in blue-cat/lizard-alien body paint.
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tobias-the-blue-man_sm.jpg


"I've made a terrible mistake..."
 
I agree about Ponyo. I think it's amazing that it's not getting nominated anywhere. Shows what a good year it was for animation.
 
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