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.