2010 Academy Awards: Who Will Win and Who Should Win

The Oscars is just days away and discussion has heated up on what film will own the night. The Hurt Locker and Avatar have critics and fans alike split down the middle on who should claim the top prize, but the popularity of both might as well cause a split in the awards given. Though 24 categories are awarded with Oscars, I'll only comment on about half those in which I have good knowledge about and frankly most people don't care too much about the others.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

I don't see any in which Avatar does not win this award. Hard to argue against a film that spent $400 million plus on the latest visual effects technology and made over $2.5 billion from people who wanted to see exactly that. Avatar should and will win this category.

Best Original Score
James Horner, Avatar
Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders, The Hurt Locker
Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes
Michael Giacchino, Up

Pixar has been nominated in this category for the past 3 years, two of which were done by Michael Giacchino. He secured his Oscar after the first 10 minutes of the film. The opening montage which contained close to no dialogue joins the ranks as one of the great movie scenes of all time. Giacchino should and will win for a truly great score.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Inglorious Bastards
Up

I wouldn't be surprised with Avatar swept the technical awards, especially if The Hurt Locker pulls off the win for best picture. Even so, Avatar should and will win.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Bastards
Star Trek
Transfromers: Revenge of the Fallen

Like sound editing, the same goes for this category.

Best Achievement in Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Bastards
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

It might seem like Avatar is the easy choice here, but in The Hurt Locker they make non stop suspense and gutwrenching action scenes seem easy to create. Avatar will most likely win because of the large scale in which it was done, but The Hurt Locker's mostly unpopular Iraqi war genre makes the job even more difficult. They should be walking away with the prize, but I wont be surprised if Avatar does.

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Avatar
The White Ribbon
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Inglorious Bastards
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

It feels very repetitive saying that Avatar will win, but the fact remains the film looks pretty damn good. I don't think that should mean that they should win most of the categories they are nominated for, but the Academy will probably feel differently. I am a bit biased because I like almost anything with Harry Potter name on it, but Bruno Delbonnel gives The Half Blood Prince a dark and serious personality that defines the film. He should win but the common theme of this year's Oscars is Avatar winning.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Up in the Air
District 9
An Education
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
In the Loop

A couple months ago, it seemed like Up in the Air was bound for more then a few Oscars, but that hype has died down. The dramedy about a traveling salesman will not go empty handed. It will manage to snag one award in this category for a smart and witty screenplay written by the director Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.

Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Bastards
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

Quentin Tarantino's screenplays never lack lots of fun dialogue, and Inglorious Bastards is no different. It may no be the best film in this category, but its his screenplay that gives the film true character. Though The Hurt Locker is best film, it benefits more from great editing, acting, and directing. Tarantino should and will win.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on a Novel Push by Sapphire

Mo'Nique locked up this category after the Golden Globes. The only other actress who comes even close is Maggie Gyllenhaal who was great in the very, very overrated Crazy Heart and she was considered a surprise for even being nominated.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Bastards
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Matt Damon, Invictus

This Oscar is even more locked up then Monique's. Christoph Waltz's performance is by far the best among all of the acting categories this year.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia

Im tired of all the hype over The Blind Side. It is a fairly simple feel good sports movie. Denzel Washington didn't get a nomination for Remember the Titans so why is Sandra Bullock going to get an Oscar for this? It doesn't make any sense, considering that Carey Mulligan gives a performance that tops Bullock ten times over. Meryl Strep was also much as Julia Child and could have done what Bullock did in between takes of Julie and Julia. Lastly, no nomination for Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria, very disappointing. Mulligan should win, but Bullock will.

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
George Clooney, Up in the Air

Bridges will not have to worry about winning this year, for this is his night. I don't believe it should be, but everyone loves a "tribute" award commemorating a long career of great work. Colin Firth gives an ever better performance in A Single Man, a film not seen by enough people to give him any chance of winning. Jeremy Renner is the surprise nomination in this category, and rightly deserved for becoming such a crazy character. Bridges will win, Firth should.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Bastards

Its the obvious race here between Bigelow and Cameron. Cameron directs the highest grossing film of all time and leaps into a new dimension of film making. On the other hand, Bigelow masters the difficult war genre by eliminating politics completely and creating a movie so intense you feel exhausted after its over. Some may think its a tough choice, but I dont know how you vote against Bigelow. Cameron uses similar tricks to tug out our emotions and much of the same with the action scenes. This cateogry is best directing, not best use of visual effects by a director. Kathryn Bigelow should and wil win this award.

Best Picture
Up
District 9
The Blind Side
A Serious Man
The Hurt Locker
Avatar
An Education
Inglorious Bastards
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Up in the Air

It was a good idea by the Academy to expand the nominees for best picture to 10 pictures, but only a few can be really taken seriously as contenders to win. In this case, it seems only The Hurt Locker and Avatar have any real shot at winning. They are the two best movies of the year so it only seems right that it should be that way. In my opinion, The Hurt Locker is just a much better film. It has a great story, terrific performances, and inventive techniques to create mind-numbing action. Avatar on the other hand is a popcorn action flick disguised behind a commonly used storyline. However, when a movie makes a much as Avatar has, it is pretty hard to ignore. Avatar takes home the Oscar.

Golden Globes: Who Will Win and Who Should Win

Its that time of year again when the biggest people in the entertainment business to join in the hype of the awards season. Though many movies have already been awarded for their excellence in their craft, the Golden Globes play a big role in foreshadowing the winners at the all important Oscars.

Lets get straight to it, starting with some of the smaller nomination categories:
Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

This category is stacked with great screenplays this year, with the exception of the mediocre Its Complicated. Though Inglorious Bastards is not the best of this great list of movies, it should and will win the award for best screenplay. The dialogue is fresh and witty, along with a great story of Brad Pitt's Nazi killing Jews that's just too much fun to watch. District 9 is a close second with a great original sci-fi epic.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

There seems to be very little competition for this award, with Christoper Waltz putting in a great performance as a sadistic yet savvy Nazi officer in charge of rounding up Jews. He should and will win the award for best supporting actor. Damon and Tucci get their appropriate nods for good performances in Invictus and The Lovely Bones, respectively.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Up in the Air has received a lot of praise for its fresh take on the economical crisis, but it will be a quiet for them tonight. Farmiga and Kendrick will fail to win the award because Mo-Nique will ultimately claim the award for this category. Though Farmiga is very good as George Clooney's love interest, but she fails to deliver the same caliber performance as Mo-Nique was able to do.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

I dont care for these double categories in acting for musical/comedy and drama. There are too many spots to fill and performances that are not really worth the praise. However, Golden Globes chooses to give more films publicity so I must sort through some truly mediocre performances. In terms of rating these performances merely in the view of comedy or musical I believe that Matt Damon does a very good job in displaying the comedic side of a whistle blower immersed in corporate corruption. Its hard to believe any of these nominations will make it to the single best actor category at the Oscars. Matt Damon should and will win the award.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Though I absolutely hated Julie and Julia from start to finish, Meryl Streep seems to be the only one fit to win the weakest of the acting categories at the Golden Globes this year. She does give a very strong showing as the late Julia Child, however annoying she might be to watch. She should and will win this award with a likely showing in the best actress category come Oscar time. The scary thing is that Meryl Streep's second nomination for Its Complicated is also much better then the other people nominated.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Here come the more serious categories to be discussed. The best actor category for drama is very good but filled with pretenders that look like the obvious Oscar-worthy. Morgan Freeman is good as usual as Nelson Mandela, but ive had enough for nominations given to people for performances based off historic legends. Hes nothing special thus cant be considered a winner in this category. The most overrated performance is Jeff Bridges as a drunken fool facing hard times as a has been country star in Crazy Heart. Not only is the movie nothing worth mentioning, Bridges is as similar to Mickey Rourke's character in The Wrestler that they might as well bring Rourke back for another run at the awards. Don't get me wrong, Bridges is a great actor but this is not worth the large praise its received. He sadly will win this award and most likely the Oscars as well. Colin Firth should be the real winner this year. His performance in A Single Man is some of the best acting I've seen in a long time. With the help of director Tom Ford, Firth delivers a wide range of emotions as a homosexual trying to remain invisible in the 60s along with maintaining any sort of normal life as a professor. He is great, but Bridges will ultimately take the trophy.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

This is an easy guess that Sandra Bullock will get her Golden Globe as a wise cracking southern mom. This is her kind of role and she plays it well. Its tough to really differentiate from these different range of performances in this category. Gabourey Sadibe is also close possible winner who ultimately should win but Bullock takes the cake tonight with some help of a very successful career in Hollywood. Emily Blunt is also very refreshing as a young Victoria but it is unlikely that she will gain enough momentum to win her a Golden Globe but should be enough for an Oscar nod.

Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

I wont take long with this category for not many of these are worth any consideration as best picture. All of these movies are mediocre in their own way, but if I had to pick one that should win it would be It's Complicated. It displays the best acting of them all along with a funny and smart (not often but occasionally) storyline. I believe this will win as well with The Hangover having a slight chance of winning based off of its great monetary success.

Best Director -- Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

My favorite category is filled the best in the business this year. Not all of the films are that great, but great directors nonetheless. The competition here is between the divorced couple of James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow. What they also share is a gift for film making. Cameron has done wonders with Avatar in terms of its critical success and the large amount of money it has made. However, Bigelow's The Hurt Locker
is the best film of the year and so well directed. Intense and sincere in its own ways, Bigelow creates a heart wrenching film that will be talked about for years to come. She should win the award for best director and will.

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Last but not least the all important best picture category. To me, The Hurt Locker is hands the best movie of the year, without question. There is nothing quite like it, and the other movies this year dont come close. It remains to be seen who will actually win this prestigious award. My guess of course is that Avatar will win based off of its popularity and that fact that not many can say they've The Hurt Locker while half the world has seen Avatar. Its hard to forget the other great movies in the category this year, but they don't come close to the two vying for the type prize. Cameron goes home with a Golden Globe this year but not for directing.

This is a fairly strong year for achievements in movies as the Golden Globes rolls around tonight, with many anticipating an exciting Oscar season. The best often win what the awards they rightfully deserve, but I have a feeling a selected few will win awards for performance disguised as Golden Globe/Oscar worthy, but they are far from it.

Youth in Revolt Review

Michael Cera is known for playing a teenager facing raging hormones and constant thought of having sex. Whether its Superbad or Juno, Cera has successfully displayed the nerdy teenager persona. Youth in Revolt at first glance might appear to be more of the same, but instead it shows the depth of his acting ability. His alter ego that he creates, Francois Dillinger, is not only completely bad and evil in his methods, but even more hilarous to watch him interact with his normal self (Nick). His acting along with strong performances from a great cast including Steve Buscemi and Justin Long power this funny coming of age story.

Based on the book by C.D. Payne, Youth in Revolt follows Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) living a lonely existence with his jobless divorced mother (Jean Smart) living off the child support supplied unwillingly by his father (Steve Buscemi). Nick's summer life is simply his joy in listening to frank Sinatra, watching artsy films, and of course constant masturbation. However, after his moms overweight boyfriend trucker (Zach Galifianakis) faces trouble, they vacation in a trailer park. It is at this point that Nick meets a pretty blond girl Sheeni (Portia Doubleday) whom at first glance puts of spell on Nick's fragile mind. He must have this girl of his dream to love as his own, at any cost. They find a connection with their love for vinyl and seem to be meant for each other. However he must compete with Trent (Jonathan B. Wright) whom appears to have everything that Nick lacks. Thus, Nick creates his alter ego Francois Dillinger to release the bad ass within. With Sheeni's love at stake, Nick and Francois create utter destruction to win her over.

Director Miguel Arteta, known most for his 2002 film The Good Girl, creates an artsy comedy unlike his previous drama. The movie plays a lot less like a simple dirty mouthed nonsense comedy, and more of a fun character development of the strange, yet hilarious alter ego that Michael Cera's character creates. Arteta does not stray too far from Nick's simple inner desire to not be alone. He also manages to create lots of dumb fun with the help of influences from drugs and sex. Some may view this as a silly guy themed comedy with the likes of Superbad and The Hangover, but it is much more then that. Arteta's slick comedy has everything from lots of dirty humor to the sad realities of life, with little tidbits of creative animation. Its a fun movie that stands out amongst the usually weak releases in the quiet movie month of January. I give the movie 3 out of 4 stars.