2009: A Year in Film Part 7
you thought it was over? It’s so not. Well, actually, I’m just bored so here’s my extremely biased DREAM OSCAR BALLOT
Best Picture
The Hurt Locker
Avatar
The Blind Side Bright Star
District 9
An Education
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Really, this was not the year to expand the category. Yes, I’m keeping Avatar there because in spite of all it’s faults storywise, it’s still larger than life as a movie and deserves its spot.
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Lee Daniels – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire Jane Campion – Bright Star
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air Neill Blomkamp – District 9
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
My feelings for Jason Reitman went from like (Thank You for Smoking) to mild dislike (Juno) to why are you such a douche? (basically how he looked angry every time Up in the Air didn’t win something). I mean, James Cameron is a douche but he’s a an extremely talented (just not at scriptwriting) douche. Precious was just a mess to me. And Jane Campion should have won years ago for The Piano and should have been nominated again this year.
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
George Clooney – Up in the Air Sharlto Copley – District 9
Colin Firth – A Single Man
Morgan Freeman – Invictus Michael Fassbender – Hunger
Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker Sam Rockwell – Moon
YES, CHRISTOPH WALTZ! THE REST OF THE ACTORS IN INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS WERE SUPPORTING HIM!!!!! /capslock. haha. Hunger (and Michael Fassbender’s performance) missed most of last year’s awards season, I was hoping it would catch up this year (like the Hurt Locker, which was so 2008) but it didn’t. The actor race, as usual was close but I wish there was more love for Sci-Fi especially, the two best sci-fi films this year: Moon and District 9 which were carried in the extremely competent shoulders of Rockwell and Copley. No I haven’t seen A Single Man yet but I’m extremely biased towards Colin Firth so he stays.
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Helen Mirren – The Last Station Tilda Swinton – Julia
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia Charlotte Gainsbourg – Antichrist
Sorry Meryl, I love you but this year also had so many strong female performances. I haven’t seen Julia yet but from the internet buzz it was the best performance of the year.
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds Paul Schneider – Bright Star
Matt Damon – Invictus Jackie Earle Haley – Watchmen
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger Anthony Mackie – The Hurt Locker
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station Peter Capaldi – In the Loop
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones Stanley Tucci – Julie & Julia
So I really didn’t agree with supporting actor this year. haha. And if I have to keep Stanley Tucci there (because I love Stanley Tucci) it would have to be for Julie & Julia and not his laughable serial killer in The Lovely Bones (Jackie Earle Haley did it better in Little Children. just saying.)
Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Penélope Cruz – Nine as Carla Albanese Marion Cotillard – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air Julianne Moore – A Single Man
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air Rosamund Pike – An Education
I really didn’t want to cross out Maggie Gyllenhaal because I love her and she’s been ignored by the academy for too long, but I hear the performance itself was crappy. Also, Julianne Moore needs an Oscar and soon.
Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger Bright Star
A Serious Man
Up
BRIGHT STAR IS NOT ADAPTED, K? /capslock. Sorry, the Bright Star snubbing brings out the capslock. haha.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
District 9
An Education Fantastic Mr. Fox
In the Loop
Up in the Air Coraline
Oh, that was hard.
Best Animated Feature
Up – Pete Docter
Coraline – Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog – Ron Clements and John Musker Ponyo – Hayao Miyazaki
The Secret of Kells – Tomm Moore
I love Disney like every other person but The Princess and the Frog was just so disappointing…
Best Original Score
Up – Michael Giacchino
Avatar – James Horner Moon – Clint Mansell
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker – Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes – Hans Zimmer A Single Man – Abel Korzienowski
WHY DO YOU KEEP IGNORING CLINT MANSELL, ACADEMY? REQUIEM FOR A DREAM! THE FOUNTAIN! MOON! GET IT TOGETHER VOTERS! /capslock. haha. I love Alexandre Desplat too much to strike his name out so Sherlock Holmes had to go (though I liked the score too)
Best Original Song
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from Crazy Heart
“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog “All is Love” from Where the Wild Things Are
“Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog “You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger” from An Education
“Loin de Paname” from Paris 36 “Other Father’s Song” from Coraline
“Take it All” from Nine
Again, nothing against Disney but the academy’s choices for Best Original Song always makes me want to shoot myself. I wish I could put something from New Moon but the songs though awesome (Thom Yorke! Lykke Li!) had a sort of disconnect with the film itself. So even though I love Hearing Damage and Possibility, I can’t really put them here.
Best Cinematography
Avatar – Mauro Fiore Bright Star – Greg Fraiser
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Bruno Delbonnel Antichrist – Anthony Dod Mantle
The Hurt Locker – Barry Ackroyd Nine – Dion Beebe
Inglourious Basterds – Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon – Christian Berger
okay, hard year for Cinematography too. BUT DEAR ACADEMY, HOW COULD YOU IGNORE BRIGHT STAR? THOSE FREAKING BUTTERFLIES WERE BREATHTAKING! MUCH MORE THAN ANYTHING IN AVATAR. /capslock. haha.
Best Art Direction
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine Inglourious Basterds
Sherlock Holmes Bright Star
The Young Victoria Moon
I don’t really disagree strongly with this but it’s like they’re just picking out period dramas without thinking. Also Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox need more love. After all, animation is designed too.
Best Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
was visual effects only ever 3? for that I propose to add:
Watchmen
Where the Wild Things Are
They really should expand this category. Watchmen for perfecting, at least visually, the graphic novel (It needs minus points for that Silk Spectre costume, though. haha.)
okay, that’s all the categories I care about. also, I’m tired now. haha.
