Following on my analysis of Best Picture for the 82nd Academy Awards, here are my thoughts on some of the other categories.
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
- Ajami (Israel)
- The White Ribbon (Germany)
- El Secreto de Sus Ojos (Argentina)
- Un Prophète (France)
- La Teta Asustada (Peru)
I have only seen one of this years Best Foreign Language Film of the Year nominations, Un Prophète. The movie was very well made, painting a bleak life inside a prison environment, and has a good portrayal of the hierarchy of the prisoners. However, I felt the movie could have been edited better, with some ambiguous characters, as well as shortening the running time, which I felt was just too long for the story.
The only other movie in this list which I have heard of is The White Ribbon by director Michael Haneke. I am a fan of Haneke’s uncompromising stories and direction, neither are conventional or have easy conclusions. I was very impressed with Funny Games (my review) and respected The Piano Teacher, but I wasn’t a fan of either Code Unknown or Caché. The White Ribbon has been receiving an extroninarie amount of praise, and many believe this movie will win the Best Foreign Language category. It is also a movie which is highest on my anticipation to watch this year.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
- George Clooney for Up in the Air
- Colin Firth for A Single Man
- Morgan Freeman for Invictus
- Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Jeremy Renner’s performance didn’t stand out, but that was because The Hurt Locker was so good all round. Morgan Freeman was good as Nelson Mandela in Invictus, but nothing groundbreaking. George Clooney was very natural in Up in the Air, an effortless performance, and the best performance of the movies nominated in this category that I have actually seen.
However, as my friend points out in his predictions for the 2010 Oscars, many people believe that Jeff Bridges is going to take home this award for his portrayal of a down on his luck forgotten country musician in Crazy Heart.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Matt Damon for Invictus
- Woody Harrelson for The Messenger
- Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
- Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
- Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
People are commenting that Matt Damon should’ave been nominated for Invictus, but instead for his outrageous performance in The Informant!, I would say that he shouldn’t win for either (and his role in The Informant! is more of a leading role). Stanley Tucci was very creepy in his role as a serial killer in The Lovely Bones, but the Oscar should definitely go to Christoph Waltz.
Starring in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Christoph Waltz plays “The Jew Hunter” a calm but insane German officer who steals every scene he is in. He won best supporting actor at this years BAFTAs and many believe he is guaranteed to win this category. The Film School Rejects has a good run down of this category.
Best Original Screenplay
- The Hurt Locker
- Inglourious Basterds
- The Messenger
- A Serious Man
- Up
Although the The Hurt Locker won the BAFTA for best original screenplay, I think that Quentin Tarantino might pick up this award for Inglourious Basterds, like he did for Pulp Fiction back in 1994. Again, I agree with the Film School Rejects opinion about Up, but only for this category. They also share my thoughts on A Serious Man;
…they’re trying too hard to make a “Coen Brothers movie.” … the script is lacking an ending for Christ’s sake.
The Rejects, along with a lot of other opinion believe that Quentin Tarantino will take home his second best original screenplay Oscar.
Best Adapted Screenplay
- District 9
- An Education
- In the Loop
- Precious
- Up in the Air
Although District 9 was very original, I do not think this genre movie will win best screenplay. I felt Precious tried too hard to be a heartfelt movie and good movies should be effortless, however, my grudge might be with the heavy handed direction and not necessarily with the screenplay. Precious has too much melodrama and for that alone I do not think it should win this category. Having not seen An Education I am unable to comment on it. That leaves In the Loop and Up in the Air.
In the Loop is a spinoff comedy of unrelenting satire, based on the BBC series “The Thick of It”. I am not usually a big fan of comedy movies, especially because the majority are either slap-stick or stoner movies, but In the Loop is a brilliantly written and intelligent movie. Full of explitives and wit, the movie cuts a bleak depiction of English/American politics — all with some of the sharpest dialogue of the year. However, there is one problem with this movie, and that is the story, which I felt was under developed and was often lost behind the charactures and their dialogue.
Having praised In the Loop, I actually think Up in the Air will win this category. The story was incredibly layered, pertinent and skillfully crafted. The journeys you follow for the main characters are each so unique but well rounded. You can related to their lives, decisions and their goals in life. These two reasons are why Up in the Air should win best adapted screenplay.
Best Achievement in Cinematography
- Avatar
- The White Ribbon
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- The Hurt Locker
- Inglourious Basterds
Although The Hurt Locker had an beautiful and consistent style throughout, I am unsure whether this will win this category. Avatar was breathtaking, but I think that is more down to the world vision than the cinematography itself. Nothing in Inglourious Basterds stood out, although it was perfectly fine with some well designed shots. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was dark, but aside from that I felt the cinematography was average. I have heard that The White Ribbon is breathtakingly beautiful and I hope this foreign black and white movie wins this category.
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
- Coraline
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
- The Princess and the Frog
- The Secret of Kells
- Up
Pixar do it again. For the third time in a row I don’t think there can be any doubt that Up will win this years best animated feature category. The opening sequence was so simple, heartfelt and incredibly emotional. Although aimed more at kids that last years winner WALL·E, Up had some funny jokes and set pieces but it’s the story which steals the show once again.
Coraline was quite a dark look at the imagination of a child following her adventures “down the rabbit hole” to another world, one which mirrors the one she has escaped from, but with sinister secrets. The stop animation was top notch but I am not a massive fan of the Tim Burton-esque gothic / spindly characterisations.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a Wes Anderson movie, and that should tell you quite a lot. Again, the movie employs stop animation as it’s technique to bring the classic Roald Dahl story to life. The animation itself was impeccable, especially in it’s ability to capture the very weird world and the Wes Anderson-isms. But the story was average and although relevant, the American translation of the story felt lacking.
I haven’t seen Disney’s return to the classic handdrawn technique in The Princess and the Frog, nor have I seen The Secret of Kells.
