Kinematoscope

(note: Dave emailed these to me on Feb. 17th, so if he gets 20 right consider it all the more impressive. Also he uses the full category names like a professional.- Duncan)


Best Short Film, Live Action: The New Tenants – Strictly because this movie is made by a man named Tivi Magnusson.

Best Short Film, Animated: Wallace and Gromit in ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’ – Slam dunk.

Best Documentary, Short Subjects: Music by Prudence – People facing adversity and insurmountable odds triumph. Potential Upset: Krolik po Berlinsku – With no World War II nominees here, how about Bunnies living between the Berlin Wall for 28 years?

Best Documentary, Features: The Cove – Take that tuna harvesters!

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: Da Weisse Band – Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon) – World War II wins again, unless… Potential Upset: Un Prophete

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Up – It seems like a slam dunk that Pixar is going to win another award. Personally, I would vote for Fantastic Mr. Fox, which does have an outside and distant shot. Potential Upset: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Avatar – Thanks for playing District 9 and Star Trek!

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker – As it has been described to me many times, sound mixing is the art of synching up the sound with the actions and images on the screen. I feel that The Hurt Locker does an outstanding job of this and makes its statement with the movie’s opening sequence.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing: Avatar – Again, many times I have been told that this category is about the creation of sounds. Seeing as Avatar created an entire world, it has the advantage here.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart – I wonder if the Academy intentionally made this the crappiest field in a long time solely for putting the win in Crazy Heart’s hands. I have listened to “The Weary Kind” and it is not half-bad. However, it probably would have won on its own merit, even if the nominees were more dignified… Like Karen O.

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: Up – Michael Giacchino seems like a lock this year. Horner has already won an award (Titanic). Beltram and Sanders’ score for The Hurt Locker is not entirely memorable. Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat are worthy entries, but I feel that they will again be skipped over. Call it a hunch.

Best Achievement in Makeup: Star Trek – Duncan’s choice words of The Young Victoria is that it is a “pale-faced period drama” and Il Divo, a film no one has heard of really do not stand up to Star Trek.

Best Achievement in Costume Design: Coco Avant Chanel – It is a movie about a fashion designer. I do not think I need to justify this any further.

Best Achievement in Art Direction: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Extravagant seems to rule the day in this category. I can wholly see Avatar winning this category, but is it harder to build a physical set or digitally render one? Possible Upset: Avatar

Best Achievement in Editing: The Hurt Locker – Just cementing its position for a much larger award in the evening. The movie is taut and tense, created by Bob Murawski and Chris Innis’ work.

Best Achievement in Cinematography: Avatar – The dictionary defines cinematography as the “art or technique of photographing motion pictures.” While I feel that Inglourious Basterds is the most artful and technically sound of the nominees, Avatar will win for ingenuity and its revolutionary camera design and development. Again, I feel that Avatar should be recognized at the Scientific and Technical Awards, it will weasel this award away. Potential Upset: Inglourious Basterds

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: Up in the Air – I too remember when Up in the Air was becoming the award’s season darling. Potential Upset: Precious, but it really is a distant second.

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: The Hurt Locker – While I would not vote for The Hurt Locker, it will win. Inglourious Basterds is a much better written film, but additional love will be thrown The Hurt Locker’s way, diminishing whatever hopes Tarantino has left. Potential Upset: Inglourious Basterds

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire – Slam dunk, unless… Potential Upset: Oprah. Everyone loves Oprah. Wait, you’re telling me there is no write in slot on the ballot?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds – Another slam dunk.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side – At least her speech will be heartfelt and hanky worthy. Potential Upset: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart – I just want him to wrap up his acceptance speech and standing ovation by saying, “The Dude abides.”

Best Achievement in Directing: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker – I have an immense amount of respect for the job she did on The Hurt Locker. My only advice is to take a good, long look at your ex-husband and fellow nominee, Jim Cameron. If you make even a sardonic remark about being “Queen of the World now,” you will appear to be just as big of an ass as him. Play it safe!

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker – Boom goes the dynamite! Quite literally.

Totals:

The Hurt Locker – 5
Avatar – 3
Crazy Heart – 2
Up – 2
The Blind Side – 1
Coco Avant Chanel – 1
The Cove – 1
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus – 1
Inglourious Basterds – 1
Music by Prudence – 1
The New Tenants – 1
Precious – 1
Star Trek – 1
Wallace and Gromit in ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’ – 1
Da Weisse Band – Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon) – 1
Up in the Air – 1