Having reviewed most of the Academy contending movies on DVD last month, except for Hurt Locker (which I heard is great) and Precious (I cannot watch this movie for the life of me… Even my girlfriend wouldn’t watch it with.) I’m pretty certain of the winners this Sunday. The picks are based on my prediction of who the Academy will favor, not who I think ‘should’ win – a clear distinction.
Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker”. Because the last time James Cameron won Best Pic for Titanic, he impulsively blurted out, “I’m the King of the World”, then Celine Dion drowned the audience with her tearjerking sound track… Oye vie, the Ego and the Drama combined were too overwhelming for me. This year, they will give it to Kathyrn Bigelow as a first-time winner, the opposite of her ex-husband James, and as a female filmmaker. Good enough reasons, I say.
Best Director: Manufactured by James Cameron will win because he won’t win best picture.
Best Original Screenplay: If I were a great writer, I would want to do screenplay all the way… Quentin Tarantino is a Gift to the movie world. He accomplishes this in Inglourious Basterds in the way he articulates and drapes his vision in writing with so much weight, character and details. Not to mention the pacing, color, plot, and how he subjects his characters through different dimensions like no other. I dream that Quentin and Christoph will work together again.
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, a man’s man. This is his time, and this time only.
Best Actress: Even though Helen Mirren should walk away with the Oscars for “The Last Station”, this year, as crazy as it sounds, feels like Sandra Bullock…. Undeservingly, yes, but at the same time she is very likable and her acting was surprisingly ‘good enough’ in The Blind Side. My daughter adores her, therefore I love Sandra now. In plain english, the voters want to anchor Sandra from Comedy to Drama. Simple.
Best Supporting Actor: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHRISTOPH WALTZ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hands down. This is the third time I’m writing about him. May there be more Christoph in the future of movies, please.
Best Supporting Actress: Heard Mo’Nique has quite the attitude and expects payday for just about everything. The funny thing is when asked on interviews, she saids it like it is and roars out her view in great lengths, no apology necessary. I kinda like. Heard Mo’Nique was great in the movie. Precious deserves to be recognized in a category, and this is the proper category for that winning.
Best Animated Feature: “Up”. Imagine an animation film that jerked the grown-up audience to shed more tears than they did with the Titanic, and your child is wondering what-the-heck is wrong with mom and dad…