Unfortunately I've been too busy to write a follow-up article after Sunday night's ceremony, so here it is.
I will preface this post by stating that I was not especially pleased with this year's show, mainly because I found it to be painfully predictable. Aside from the short film and documentary categories, which I was not acquainted with, none of the winners came as an upsetting, or even pleasant, surprise to me.
To those who didn't watch on March 7th, here's the complete list of winners:
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique for Precious
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Best Animated Feature: Up
Best Foreign Language Feature: The Secret In Their Eyes
Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker
Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious
Best Original Score: Up
Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria
Best Documentary Feature: The Cove
Best Documentary Short Subject: Music By Prudence
Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Makeup: Star Trek
Best Animated Short Film: Logorama
Best Live Action Short: The New Tenants
Best Sound Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Sound Mixing: The Hurt Locker
Best Visual Effects: Avatar
I would argue that if you had any knowledge of the Oscars prior to the ceremony, then every single winning actor would come as no surprise. Mo'Nique and Waltz have been locked in for months, and over the last couple of weeks it became very evident that Bullock and Bridges would take home their awards too.
Some would argue that the Best Picture category was a tight race between The Hurt Locker and Avatar, but I think, that if you look with hindsight, Avatar probably wasn't a frontrunner because the Academy has a tendency to not favor commercial blockbusters. I also understand that it's a big deal that Kathryn Bigelow took home the Best Director award, as she is the first female director to do so. However, it's been expected that she would win for so long that I wasn't legitimately surprised with her win.
I will not deny that I'm very happy for some of the winners (Bridges, Up, Waltz, etc.), but I would've almost been happier if there were more upsets in more categories. A great awards show will be full of shocks and twists and turns. There were very few at the 82nd Academy Awards, and that's why I think this ceremony will be easily forgotten a few years down the road. I've watched the Oscars for the past few years, and I have to say that this is easily the least memorable ceremony I have viewed.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
UP
Whenever Pixar releases a new film, it is nearly bound to receive a Best Animated Feature nomination (and has a good shot at winning in that category as well). The company's latest film, Up, has achieved just that, as well as also being nominated for Best Picture. Up's five Oscar nominations are well-deserved, as I would argue that this film is perhaps the best one to come out of Pixar's doors.
The film revolves around the life of Carl Fredericksen, a once beaming, world adventurer who has now been reduced to a stereotypical elderly curmudgeon after the death of his wife, Ellie. Carl's loneliness, and reclusiveness, has lead him to receiving insistent offers from retirement homes. When he simply can't take it anymore, Carl attaches thousands of balloons to his house and flies away.
The elderly man's mission is to reach Paradise Falls in South America, a place he always wanted to visit with Ellie, but never had the opportunity to. However, Carl has brought along an unexpected companion: a neighbordhood Boy Scout, Russell, who is eager to go on an adventure.
I don't want to delve into too many details anymore, but I will let you know that the movie deals with the two high-flying adventurers becoming entangled in a conspiracy involving endangered birds and talking dogs.
I will also tell you that Up is one of the finest films released in theaters this year, animated or otherwise. There's real, laught out loud humor in this movie, unlike some Disney films, which often only include kiddie jokes or jokes which will only get a chuckle or a smile out of a grown viewer. However, Up, like all Disney movies, has some seriously heart-wrenching, poignant moments, but, like the best Disney movies, the message it is trying to convey is never shoved down your throat.
Since this will probably be my last post before the Oscars air this Sunday night, I will let you know that I would personally love for either Up or Inglourious Basterds to take home the Best Picture statue. However, I know that the award will most likely go to either frontrunner, Avatar or The Hurt Locker. Nevertheless, as detailed in my earlier post, the super-sized Best Picture race could lead to a lot of mystery and suspense come March.
I feel that the acting nominations are pretty much already decided, with Jeff Bridges, Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz all taking home statues. The only close call will be in the Best Actress race, with a deadlock between Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock.
Overall, I believe that Sunday night will be an exciting event for movie-goers, as evident by all of the pre-season buzz this year. Next week, assuming I don't post until Sunday, I will include a detailed wrap-up of how the night went, and probably how I felt it SHOULD have went.
As for Up, I give it a solid 10/10
The film revolves around the life of Carl Fredericksen, a once beaming, world adventurer who has now been reduced to a stereotypical elderly curmudgeon after the death of his wife, Ellie. Carl's loneliness, and reclusiveness, has lead him to receiving insistent offers from retirement homes. When he simply can't take it anymore, Carl attaches thousands of balloons to his house and flies away.
The elderly man's mission is to reach Paradise Falls in South America, a place he always wanted to visit with Ellie, but never had the opportunity to. However, Carl has brought along an unexpected companion: a neighbordhood Boy Scout, Russell, who is eager to go on an adventure.
I don't want to delve into too many details anymore, but I will let you know that the movie deals with the two high-flying adventurers becoming entangled in a conspiracy involving endangered birds and talking dogs.
I will also tell you that Up is one of the finest films released in theaters this year, animated or otherwise. There's real, laught out loud humor in this movie, unlike some Disney films, which often only include kiddie jokes or jokes which will only get a chuckle or a smile out of a grown viewer. However, Up, like all Disney movies, has some seriously heart-wrenching, poignant moments, but, like the best Disney movies, the message it is trying to convey is never shoved down your throat.
Since this will probably be my last post before the Oscars air this Sunday night, I will let you know that I would personally love for either Up or Inglourious Basterds to take home the Best Picture statue. However, I know that the award will most likely go to either frontrunner, Avatar or The Hurt Locker. Nevertheless, as detailed in my earlier post, the super-sized Best Picture race could lead to a lot of mystery and suspense come March.
I feel that the acting nominations are pretty much already decided, with Jeff Bridges, Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz all taking home statues. The only close call will be in the Best Actress race, with a deadlock between Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock.
Overall, I believe that Sunday night will be an exciting event for movie-goers, as evident by all of the pre-season buzz this year. Next week, assuming I don't post until Sunday, I will include a detailed wrap-up of how the night went, and probably how I felt it SHOULD have went.
As for Up, I give it a solid 10/10
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