"IF I PICKED THE OSCARS" - 2010

So I've made my predictions on how I think this year's Oscar race is going to go. But what would happen in my ideal world? Well, if I was a member of the Academy, this is how I would vote:

BEST PICTURE
MY PICK: Toy Story 3
                                        

Shock! Horror! I never thought I would live to see the day where I would pick an animated film as the Best Movie of the Year. But the day has come. I suppose I, like others, have always had a sub-conscious belief or bias against animated films, likening them to being "kids movies," and "nothing that would warrant serious consideration". Well, my opinion started change after WALL-E and Up. And now, I have finally broken the barrier.
Of the films that were nominated (and I've seen all of them), Toy Story 3 was the best. It had everything: action, adventure, drama, comedy, romance. I laughed, I (almost) cried. It was superb cinema and animation...storytelling at its finest. So why not give it the "Best Picture" award? Why not indeed. If ever an animated film was going to win the coveted prize, it would've been this one.
Inception and The Kings Speech were second and third for me respectively, both fine films that would also warrant recognition. The Kings Speech will be honoured by the Academy come Sunday night, and I will be more then happy when it picks up its awards. It is a brilliant film.
But I just wish the Academy whould have given Toy Story 3 some more consideration. Because if they did (like I did), they may have thought differently...

BEST DIRECTOR
MY PICK: Tom Hooper - The Kings Speech

This was a difficult one because I feel the best directing of the year came from someone outside the nominees (Christopher Nolan for Inception). But, we have to stick with what was nominated.
There can be strong cases made for Black Swan and The Social Network here, but I'm going with a heart-pick. My vote goes to Tom Hooper for his work in The Kings Speech. I think he handles all aspects of the film with a delicate touch, and never does he try and "force" it down the viewers' throats. He lets the camera do the work, and for his simplicity and poignancy, he gets my vote.

BEST ACTOR
MY PICK: James Franco - 127 Hours

This was a really really tough decision, and I was really torn between Franco and Firth. I also gave some consideration to Jesse Eisenberg and, although I wasn't a fan of The Social Network, he gave a fantastic performance. Firth was brilliant in his portrayal as the stuttering, self-loathing future King, and will be justly rewarded with the gold statue.
However, if I was voting, I would've picked James Franco in 127 Hours. He carries the whole film on his shoulders and delivers a gripping, belieavable performance of the man stuck under a rock, who has to resort to the great sacrifices to survive. I can't imagine how taxing this role must've been for Franco, but no doubt this will serve as a launchpad for a wonderful future for the young actor. A sensational performance.

BEST ACTRESS
MY PICK: Annette Benning - The Kids Are All Right

Maybe I'm going with a little sentiment here, but I do actually believe her performance was better then Portman's. Portman was good in her role, but at times I felt it a little forced and inconsistent.
Benning is one of my favourite actresses, and delivers yet another excellent performance as the ageing lesbian mother who tries to keep her family together. Moving and brilliant, Benning gets my vote.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
MY PICK: John Hawkes - Winters Bone

Whilst everyone is going with either Bale or Rush, I'm looking outside the box and going with probably the least known performance. John Hawkes was absolutely brilliant in Winters Bone, stealing the show with every scene he was in. His performance, whilst not as flashy as Bale or Rush (who both do excellent jobs), is the one that sticks out to me for this very reason. It is difficult to "stand-out" with a more sedate role, but Hawkes' does just that.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MY PICK: Amy Adams - The Fighter

This was a bit of a tricky pick, and I almost went with Steinfeld in True Grit. But what made the difference is that Steinfeld's performance is a lead, not supporting. So, that being said, I believe the best "supporting" performance of the year belongs to Amy Adams. The Fighter was a major disappointment to me. I thought the acting at times was pretty poor, but Adams delivers the best performance of the lot. Unfortunately it seems her co-star Melissa Leo has taken the spotlight in what was, quite frankly, one of the most overrated and over-the-top performances I've seen in some time. Adams has come a long way, and developed into a fine actress...and she shows it here.


So thats my final thoughts for 2010. An interesting year for film. The funny thing is, of my personal "picks", none of them will probably correlate with the actual winners (except Hooper). But thats all folks. Will give my thoughts after the Oscar ceremony on Sunday.

Adios!

FINAL OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2011: Drumroll please....!

Well, the time is here, and it is with some trepidation that I make my final predictions for who I think will walk away with the coveted gold statues for 2011. It has been somewhat of a rollercoaster year, see-sawing between two films. The Social Network stormed the Critics and early precursor awards, picking up NBR, Critics Choice and Golden Globe nods. It seemed almost unstoppable.
But then The Kings Speech arrived, and with it a force that crushed all opposition in sight. Like Usain Bolt taking a leisurely walk and suddenly picking up steam to take the lead of his competitors, The Kings Speech picked up major awards at the PGA, DGA, WGA and SAG, as well as taking top honours at the BAFTAS.
Will it be crowned on Sunday? Or will the rollercoaster ride back to the early favourite?

Here's what I think is going to happen:

BEST PICTURE
WILL WIN: The Kings Speech
Alternate: The Social Network

                                                        

The Kings Speech will continue its ride to capture the top prize on Sunday night. Its wins at the Guild Awards and the BAFTA's has sealed it's fate in a quite extraordinary "comeback".

BEST DIRECTOR
WILL WIN: Tom Hooper - The Kings Speech
Alternate: David Fincher - The Social Network

This was probably the hardest of the categories to pick - seriously, it could go either way, and the race is extremely close. Many pundits are going with Fincher, and they could very well be proven right: he is the respected, veteran director with many great films such as "Seven", "Fight Club" and "Benjamin Button". Why not reward him here? Well, I personally think that the Academy did not like his film as much as the critics did. The major factor for me going with Hooper is that he won the DGA, and I think only 6 times in history has the DGA and Oscar winner not matched.
I'm going with stats, and for Hooper. Though I won't be surprised at all if Fincher picks up the award as he is more respected and has more "street cred" then Hooper. This is the most interesting and exciting category of the night!

BEST ACTOR
WILL WIN: Colin Firth - The Kings Speech
Alternate: None (But if I had to pick, then James Franco for 127 Hours)

The chances of Firth winning are about the same as a new day beginning tomorrow: 100%. He's been a lock for this award seemingly even before the season started. There really is no way he won't win. Eisenberg and Franco both give compelling performances as well, but its just not their year.

BEST ACTRESS
WILL WIN: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Alternate: Annette Benning - The Kids Are All Right

Portman, like Firth, is locked for this. But there is still room for an upset, even if its a slight one. The reason? Annette Benning. She's a veteran and due for a win, and could cause an upset. But I really don't see it happening. She is great in her role, but its not the performance she will be remembered for. And the film doesn't have a massive amount of support. So, Portman to win - quite comfortably.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WILL WIN: Christian Bale - The Fighter
Alternate: Geoffrey Rush - The Kings Speech

This race is also a close one, and both give great performances. Bale is the frontrunner, but many people think that if the Academy love Kings Speech, they may shower the love all around. If that is the case, Rush could very well get the nod here. I was very tempted to say Rush, but the precursor support for Bale (and the fact that Rush already has a gold statue for "Shine") seems to point to a Bale win. This one is going to be close.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
WILL WIN: Helena Bonham Carter - The Kings Speech
Alternate: Melissa Leo - The Fighter

This is the most open of the acting categories, with three semingly plausible contenders. I can see any of Leo, Carter or Steinfeld winning. Melissa Leo has been the front-runner for most of the season, though her performance and campaign has been viewed as a little bit "off-kilter" in some quarters. Carter also won at the BAFTA's, which seems to tell me she may be rewarded here. Again, another close race here.

This has been a long, intense see-saw season where one minute we think one film is going to win, then another minute we think another. It's going to make for very interesting viewing on Sunday night, where anything can happen. If Fincher does win Director, then Social Network is in with a shout. If he doesn't, then its game, set and match for Kings Speech.

Here is my complete list of predictions in all 24 categories. I will report back after the awards and see how many I got righ (most of the non-feature film categories like animated short, etc, are a gamble):

FINAL PREDICTIONS

Picture - The Kings Speech
Director - Hooper, The Kings Speech
Actor - Firth, The Kings Speech
Actress - Portman, Black Swan
Supp Actor - Bale, The Fighter
Supp Actress - Carter, The Kings Speech
Adapted Screenplay - The Social Network
Original Screenplay - The Kings Speech
Editing - The Social Network
Cinematography - True Grit
Foreign Language Film - In A Better World
Animated Feature - Toy Story 3
Art Direction - The Kings Speech
Costume - The Kings Speech
Make up - The Wolfman
Original Score - The Kings Speech
Original Song - "We Belong Together, Toy Story 3
Sound - Inception
Sound Editing - Inception
Visual Effects - Inception
Documentary Feature - Exit Through The Gift Shop
Documentary Short - Strangers No More
Animated Short - Day and Night
Live Short -  God of Love

Well, thats it. I will post my "If I Picked The Oscars" article later, and we'll see what would happen in my "ideal" world!

                                                                                         

"IF I PICKED THE OSCARS" - 2008

Yesterday I did the "If I Picked The Oscars" for 2009 where I believe the Academy made a bit of a mistake in rewarding The Hurt Locker. If it had gone my way, I would have awarded Inglorious Basterds with the Best Picture and Best Director Awards. Alas, the result is now history, but at least they got it right and acknowledged Christoph Waltz's fine performance.

Today I am going to be doing "If I Picked The Oscars" for the year 2008. This year was actually a really strong year for film, with so many that I love. So this year it is a lot more difficult for me to make picks. Actually, my personal favourite films of the year didn't even make the final 5, again with some glaring omissions. So if I had to do the whole nomination/winning process over again, the result would be VERY different. However, we are sticking to the actual films that were nominated.

So, without any hesitation, let's go straight to the big one.

BEST PICTURE
MY PICK: Frost/Nixon
WON: Slumdog Millionaire

                                     

Let me get this out the way now. I really really liked Slumdog Millionaire. I thought it was a fantastic film, and it was a worthy winner of the Best Picture award. However, of the films that were nominated, I thought the film that was the most cleverly crafted and delivered was Frost/Nixon. The climax to the film was spectacular and wonderful cinema to watch: two grown men, both skilled int he art of verbal deception, trying to outwit each other like two tired boxers in the ring. Or two chess champions waiting for the other to crack. This is by no means an easy feat, and I feel Ron Howard delivered what should've been the film that won Best Picture (of the ones that were nominated).

Now, here is where it gets interesting. I feel that the top movies of the year weren't even nominated, namely The Dark Knight and The Wrestler. A close pick, but I would've named The Wrestler as the best movie of 2008. There were others that were strong too, such as Revolutionary Road, Doubt, Gran Torino, WALL-E. All-in-all, an excellent year for film.

BEST DIRECTOR
MY PICK: Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
WON: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

This was a really really difficult decision. Both these directors had vastly different canvasses to paint on: Boyle had to deal with a story on a grand scale, dealing with many aspects at once. Howard had to deal with more of an intimate setting and story, a lot more confined. It was a tough choice. Boyle is a most worthy winner, have no issue with him winning, But in the end, I would've given my vote to Ron Howard. His direction in Frost/Nixon, particularly the final act, is sublime and spot on. I personally think this was a better achievement then A Beautiful Mind (which he actually won for).

But if we were to look at the films that weren't nominated, I think the best directing came from Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight. What more does this guy have to do to even be nominated??!

BEST ACTOR
MY PICK: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
WON: Sean Penn (Milk)

I was quite happy with pretty much all the winners this year, but THIS was the category that upset me the most. I saw all the performances that were up for Best Actor, and there was some fine work. Frank Langella was commanding in Frost/Nixon. But the performance that resonated with me was Mickey Rourke's amazing turn as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler. What an amazing comeback performance by the 'comeback' actor. It is one of my favourite performances ever, and one of the best of all-time.
Now Penn was really good in Milk too, but no way should have have beaten Rourke. At the end of his acceptance speech, he even acknowledged his "good friend" Mickey Rourke, as if embarrassed. Penn already had an Oscar, one which he deserved for Mystic River. He didn't deserve it here. He knew deep down Rourke should've won, and so did the rest of the cinema world. This was a terrible mistake by the Academy.

BEST ACTRESS
MY PICK: Meryl Streep (Doubt)
WON: Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Another weird choice by the Academy here. They got the right actress...but for the wrong film. She would've been nominated (and victorious) for her performance in Revolutionary Road, a vastly superior role. The Reader was more of a supporting turn, not really a lead. So again, looking at the nominees, if she had been nominated for Revolutionary Road she would've had my vote. But from the ones that were nominated, I would've picked Meryl Streep in Doubt.
This actress continues to amaze me. There literally is nothing this woman can not do. Her performance in Doubt was chilling, almost to the point of striking fear into the audience where we literally could feel every emotion she felt. A great performance by a great actor.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
MY PICK: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
WON: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Is there anyone else? From the moment I saw him in The Dark Knight, I just knew he would be absolutely unstoppable for the Oscar. An unforgettable performance by an actor taken from us way to soon.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MY PICK: Taraji P.Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
WON: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)

Some people may think this is a weird choice, too pick probably the most obscure performance of the bunch. Whilst Cruz delivers a great performance, I feel that Taraji P. Henson was brilliant for her role as the confused, overburdened mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I felt she embodied a performance of greater depth and emotions, and would've gotten my vote.

"IF I PICKED THE OSCARS" - 2009

As a build up to the Academy Awards on Sunday night, I will be looking back at some recent years and tell you what films and what actors I think should've picked up the honours.

We start with 2009, a year where Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" swept the stage with six wins, including Best Director and Best Picture. Here is what happened if I had picked the Oscars last year:

BEST PICTURE
MY PICK: INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
WON: The Hurt Locker


                                               

It was a bit of a painful year for me to endure last year because the whole race was about the battle between Avatar and The Hurt Locker, the "David vs Goliath"-like story. I wasn't a big fan of either film, and as much as I was resigned to the fact that either was going to win, I was really hoping we'd get a surprise (even though I knew it wasn't going to happen). I really disliked Avatar, and as much as the movie was visually appealling, it couldn't take away from the absolutely torrid cliched script and storyline. I was happy The Hurt Locker won for the mere fact that I was thinking "anything but Avatar, please!". My major problem with The Hurt Locker, again, was a script thing. Technically it was sound, but it lacked a strong cohesive storyline and structured characters. To me, it was just one disarming bomb scene after the other with no sense of development or anything.
I had three films that stuck out to me last year: Inglorious Basterds, Up and Up in the Air. It was a close pick, but I gave it to Inglorious Basterds as it was the best acted, written and directed film of the year. It broke boundaries and was so outrageous that one could only applaud. Along with the best acting performance of the year in Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds is my "Best Picture of 2009".

Here's the rest of my picks for the major awards:

BEST DIRECTOR
MY PICK: QUENTIN TARANTINO (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS)
WON: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Tarantino's direction was flawless in his fictitious WWII epic. The opening 20 minutes especially is absolutely brilliant. Such a pity Tarantino didn't win here. :(

BEST ACTOR
MY PICK: GEORGE CLOONEY (UP IN THE AIR)
WON: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

I'm a big fan of Jeff Bridges, mainly for his iconic role as The Dude in "The Big Lebowski", and he is most certainly a worthy winner here. I do, however, feel that George Clooney should've won for his subtle yet emotionally-charged performance in "Up in the Air". I am not a huge fan of Clooney, but he was outstanding here.

BEST ACTRESS
MY PICK: GABOURNEY SIDIBE (PRECIOUS)
WON: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
The whole year was a two-horse race between Bullock and Streep, which was a disappointment because I felt that Sidibe was more deserving then both. Totally convincing as the struggling 16-year-old girl who has to deal with pregnancies and parental abuse, Sidibe gives us a heart-warming and moving performance that would've been worthy of any award.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
MY PICK: CHRISTOPH WALTZ (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS)
WON: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)

Not just the best acting performance of the year, but his performance is one of the best of all time. Waltz is absolutely mesmerizing in every scene as the charming, eloquent yet brutal Nazi killer, that he makes us love and hate him at the same time. After watching the opening sequence of the film, I said to myself: "This man is going to win the Oscar". That was in July even beore I saw any of the other nominees. And I'm glad I was right.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS -
MY PICK: MONIQUE (PRECIOUS)
WON: Monique (Precious)

When one thinks of great dramatic acting, one wouldn't normally have though of the comedian Monique. That all changed with one stunning performance as the domineering, abusive mother in Precious. Monique delivers on every level where we see such realism in her performance. Totally deserving of the recognition she received.

OSCARS 2010: MY CURRENT PREDICTIONS

Well we are coming to the final chapter of this year's Oscar race where two films have stood out ahead of the pack and will contest for the Best Picture Oscar. The Social Network dominated the critics awards, whilst The Kings Speech has comeback to take a clean sweep of the major guild awards.

Here are my current predictions for who I think will take home this year's Oscars. I will post my personal picks a few days before the awards are announced...I'm keeping them my secret at the moment.

Best Picture - The Kings Speech
Social Network was the main frontrunner that emerged from the Critics awards. But what Oscar history has shown is that the film that dominates the Guild awards will usually dominate the Oscars. Kings Speech took home major gongs at the PGA, DGA and SGA, and for me, that's enough to confirm that Kings Speech will be named Best Picture come Oscar Sunday.

Best Director - Tom Hooper, The Kings Speech
Most pundits are currently predicting a split in the Oscars this year: with Speech taking home Best Picture, and Network taking home Best Director. If this happens it would be similar to what happened in 1998 when Spielberg won Best Director for Saving Private Ryan, yet Shakespeare In Love won Best Picture. A split of this kind is rarely seen, and I don't think it'll be seen this year. I say this for the mere reason that Hooper won the DGA, and usually if you win the DGA, you win the Oscar. And the film wins Best Picture, too. Fincher is a more established director of the too with a more comprehensive body of work, but I think Hooper will win here.

Best Actor - Colin Firth, The Kings Speech
Firth has this one in the bag. I really can't see anyone else winning this. He has literally won every precursor award in sight: he is a nice, likeable guy, who delivers a stellar performance with a sympathetic character. Bet your house on him winning.

Best Actress - Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Portman confirmed her frontrunner status and likely win by picking up the SGA trophy. She's the clear frontrunner here but, unlike Best Actor, she does have a challenger in Annette Benning. Benning has been snubbed many times by the Academy, who could feel the need to reward her for convincing role in The Kids Are All Right. However, I think Portman will win here.

Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale, The Fighter
As with Firth, Bale's pretty much got this one signed and sealed. He is the clear frontrunner and has been all season. The only thing that could stand in his way is if the Academy decide to give a sweep to The Kings Speech, in which case Geoffrey Rush may get in. But Rush already won in 1996 for Shine, and I doubt it'll happen here.

Best Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo, The Fighter
This is the most open of all the categories this year. Leo has emerged as the frontrunner following her SGA win, but she could still lose out here. Especially if she splits with the vote with co-star Amy Adams, in which case Hailee Steinfeld (Winters Bone) could sneak in. But safe money at the moment is Leo. The BAFTA will be a good indicator. If she wins that, she's got it sealed.

Best Original Screenplay - The Kings Speech
Don't read too much into Christopher Nolan's WGA win. Kings Speech was inelligible and wasn't in contention at the WGA. If it was, it most surely would've won. Expect it to win in this category. However, they may feel the need to validate Inception (a film which was sorely snubbed in some major categories), and may look to this category to do it. But I think they love Kings Speech too much to do it.

Best Adapted Screenplay - The Social Network
Social Network won't win Best Picture. It MAY win Best Director. What it definitely will win is Best Adapted Screenplay, and the Academy will definitely look to reward it here. I don't see too much of a challenge coming from the other contenders.

So those are the major categories. I will give you my full predictions on all the categories a few days before the Oscars, but thats how I see the main awards going down. The Kings Speech to take home 4 big ones with Picture, Director, Actor and Original Screenplay. The Fighter will pick up Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress, Black Swan to take Best Actress, whilst Social Network will scoop Best Adapted Screenplay.