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List of 2010 Academy Award Nominees

Posted: February 2, 2010 at 10:19 am   /   by   /   comments (1)

Hey there, the Oscar Nominations are out and I thought I would post them here and share some thoughts on them.  Enjoy and let me know what you think.

And if you want to see if you can pick the Oscars better than me, join my group and you can make your picks and change them up until the night before the show!  Head to Awards Picks now to sign up for the Having Said That… pool.

Best Picture
“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9”
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

I like this list, a lot actually, three of these titles are for sure in my top 10 of the year (that list will drop right before the Oscars!), another 3 could squeak their way into my top 10 and are firmly in the top 20 or less, and this is the first time my favorite movie of the year has been nominated since…2001 when Fellowship of the Ring was nominated.  The Blind Side is the “shocker” here and has no chance at winning but might mean a lock for Bullock in best actress.  The Hurt Locker and Avatar is the two horse race right now and while I both thought they were really good they aren’t my absolute favorites though I won’t be disappointed when one of these really good/maybe great films win.

Best Director
James Cameron, “Avatar”
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
“Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
“Lee Daniels, “Precious”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”

These fell right in line with precursors but I would have loved to have seen Neil Blomkamp sneak in for District 9 as he is the reason a small budget movie with weird looking aliens in every shot is nominated for Best Picture.  Also, Tom Ford would have been an awesome sleeper, but that wasn’t a reasonable wish though Blomkamp was probably in 6th place.

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

Again no surprises here, Sam Rockwell for Moon and Sharlto Copley for District 9 would have been inspired and worthy choices and this race seems locked up, but I don’t think Bridges would make my cut of top five performances of the year with those two and three of the names on this short list.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”

I haven’t seen Last Station yet, so can’t talk to that, but Mulligan and Streep are my favorites from this category, though Bullock seems to be building up steam here.  Zoe Saldana would have been one of my wishful thinking nominations for Avatar as she was really great under all that digital make up and the performance capture process should really be viewed as an actor in make up.  Emily Blunt (Young Victoria) and Maya Rudolph (Away We Go) wouldn’t have been bad picks as well.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelon, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

Damon deserved to be in for The Informant! over Invictus as he is superior in that leading role, but I am glad he is nominated.  The rest of these picks are solid, though haven’t seen Plummer yet, though Alfred Molina or Peter Sarsgaard from An Education would have been nice to have had in here. Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker has gotten overlooked, sadly, all season and Jackie Earl Haley from Watchmen would also have been a great wishful thinking pick here as well.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, “Nine”
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious”

This award is all but wrapped up but it would have been cool if Diane Kruger or Mélanie Laurent got in from Basterds, and I would have taken Marion Cotillard over Cruz in Nine.

Best Adapted Screenplay
“District 9”
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“Precious”
“Up in the Air”

Where is Fantastic Mr. Fox?  The Road? Where the Wild Things Are? A Single Man? Julie and Julia? and dare I say Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince?  I know I have some serious issues with what they cut, but it is one of the finer written of  the fantastic series.  (Also, Deathly Hollows gets a best picture nod next year or the following, one of the two parts will)

Best Original Screenplay
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“The Messenger”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”

I like this list, not many complaints though I will say (500) Days of Summer should have been here.

Best Animated Feature Film
“Coraline”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Up”

The Secret of Kells? Biggest surprise and out of nowhere nomination.  Don’t know if its any good or not, just saying, no one predicted this.

Best Foreign Language Film
“Ajami” (Israel)
“The Milk of Sorrow” (Peru)
“A Prophet” (France)
“The Secret in Their Eyes” (Argentina)
“The White Ribbon” (Germany)

I can’t comment on these, though Sin Nombre deserved some love regardless.

Best Art Direction
“Avatar”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“The Young Victoria”

Mr. Fox, A Single Man, Up, snubbed.

Best Cinematography
“Avatar”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
“The Hurt Locker”
“The White Ribbon”

A Single Man is beautiful, Anti-Christ as well should be here, and A Serious Man was also wonderfully shot by Mr. Deakins.  And again Mr. Fox show it some love here.

Best Costume Design
“Bright Star”
“Coco Before Chanel”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“Nine”
“The Young Victoria”

These hit all the fight beats, but I would give some love to the corduroy suits of Mr. Fox. (only half joking)

Best Film Editing
“Avatar”
“District 9”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”

Not sure about Precious being in here, I would have given a nod to Star Trek, (500) Days of Summer,  A Serious and Single Men, would have been some good choices.

Best Makeup
“Il Divo”
“Star Trek”
“The Young Victoria”

No District 9? Did you see his arm?

Best Music (Original Score)
“Avatar”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Sherlock Holmes”
“Up”

Go Michael Giacchino!  Where is nom for Star Trek though? (More Giacchino) and Clint Mansell for Moon?

Best Music (Original Song)
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36″
“Take it All” from “Nine”
“The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart”

I liked “Cinema Italiano” over Take it All, and both Voodo songs in Princess and the Frog over those 2.  Would have been great if Ed Helms got in for “Stu’s Song” in The Hangover though.

Best Sound Editing
“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Up”

District 9?

Best Sound Mixing
“Avatar”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Star Trek”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

These work.

Best Visual Effects
“Avatar”
“District 9”
“Star Trek”

Transformers is a ridiculous achievement of visual effects no matter what you feel about the picture.

Best Documentary Feature
“Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country”
“The Cove”
“Food, Inc.”
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
“Which Way Home”

Need to see most of these, only seen Food, Inc.

Best Documentary Short
“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province”
“The Last Campaign of Booth Gardener”
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”
“Music by Prudence”
“Rabbit a la Berlin”

Best Short Film (Animated)
“French Roast”
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”
“The Lady and the Reaper”
“Logorama”
“A Matter of Loaf and Death”

Best Short Film (Live Action)
“The Door”
“Instead of Abracadabra”
“Kavi”
“Miracle Fish”
“The New Tenants”

That does it, and again sign up and play in an Oscars Picks game with me at Awards Picks.  Hit the link or search for Having Said That…