Showing posts with label 2010 Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 Oscars. Show all posts

Monday, March 8, 2010

Heretical Jargon: Me Vs. The Oscars

I've decided to go out on a limb a name my Oscar winners here on my blog.  I no way do I think my decisions are better than the Oscar winners, however I do think there are some films that deserve an Oscar when they received none.  So, here we are, my Heretically Awesome Oscar Winners are.....

Best Visual Affects: Avatar
Actual Winner: Avatar
I mean c'mon, who isn't going to put Avatar in for the win?  It took the Oscar by a landslide, no one could touch it.  It was astounding how much work it took to bring this animated phenomenon to life.  CG films will now be based on what Avatar accomplished.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious 
Actual Winner: Precious
Seriously, this might be one of the best adapted films from a book I've ever seen.  Such a wonderfully handpicked cast is what made this film so good.  I'm so glad the academy recognized this film as the best for the year.

Best Original Screenplay: Up In The Air
Actual Winner: The Hurt Locker
Up In The Air was a spectacular film, I was very surprised to see the Hurt Locker beat it out.  I loved how everything tied together about the nature of meaningful relationships and the disconnect we try to put on them.

Best Sound Mixing: Nine
Actual Winner: The Hurt Locker
It's a matter of taste I guess.  I was astounded by how well balanced the entire film was.  I never felt anything was so loud it became out of context, and vice versa with the low volume sections.

Best Original Score: Up!
Actual Winner: Up!
The emotional impact the music had in relationship to the story was perfect.  But of course, Pixar is perfect so all is well!

Best Film Editing: Inglorious Basterds
Actual Winner: The Hurt Locker
Both were edited well, but Inglorious Basterds had something a little different...that Quentin Tarantino touch.  Again, this becomes a matter of taste, but I honestly feel Inglorious Basterds should have taken it.

Best Cinematography: The White Ribbon
Actual Winner: Avatar
I'm sorry, but I have trouble figuring out why a completely animated film won best cinematography.  I think with the White Ribbon, what did it for me was the incredible use of cameras and light.  A good cameraman can take the ugliest and most fowl landscape and turn it into a gorgeous piece of earth.  The White Ribbon, hands down!

Best Art Direction: Nine
Actual Winner: Avatar
I don't know about you, but I think I was impacted more so with Nine's blazingly awesome musical numbers than I was with Avatar's scenery.  I think Avatar was amazing in this aspect, but Nine really got me.  Nine was truly an inspirational and moving visual masterpiece.

Best Animated Feature: Up!
Actual Winner: Up!
I was going between two films, Up! and Coraline.  Claymation typically gets overshadowed by the animated films, but in the end I do think Up! deserved the Oscar.

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique
Actual Winner: Mo'Nique
I wish she had been in a leading role, she might have actually taken best actress!  But Best Supporting Actress is just as good.

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer
Actual Winner: Christoph Waltz
Eh, to each his own.  I'm a huge fan of Plummer and think his performance was more deserving.

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Actual Winner: Jeff Bridges
Nuff said!  Best role I've seen him in, period!  It was a nice redemption from that awful role he was given in Iron Man.

Best Actress: Meryl Streep
Actual Winner: Sandra Bullock
Good God people, what the hell are you thinking?  Meryl Streep is beaten by a second rate actress?  Please help me Lord!  The only woman who could have beaten her in pure acting ability was Mo'Nique.  Ugh, how disappointing.  I'm probably more disappointed with this decision than anything else.

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Actual Winner: Kathryn Bigelow
She did a great job, no more needs to be said.  She deserves it.

Best Picture: Precious 
Actual Winner: The Hurt Locker
I thought Precious was the best film of the year by a LONG SHOT.  The performances were top notch and the storyline was an emotional train wreck that left an impact on me more than any of the other films nominated.  I like it when a film is produced that isn't set on making you feel good about life.  It dares to take a risk, and I think it paid off.  Not negating the quality of the Hurt Locker, I just feel Precious was a better film.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

2010 Oscar Winners

The Oscars are done and I'm in agreement with almost everything.  However, I can't speak for the Hurt Locker as I haven't seen it yet.  Netflix is queued up though!  I am happy to see Avatar only receive the awards that it deserved, and that James Cameron did not receive Best Director.  I was a little disappointed that Up In The Air did not receive an award, but it's not a big deal.  I do wonder how close Up! got in receiving the Best Picture award or if Nine was closer.  In any case, this was a good year!  Below are the results....


Best Visual Affects - Avatar
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones


Best Adapted Screenplay - Precious
Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher 


Best Original Screenplay Writing - The Hurt Locker
Written By Mark Boal


Best Sound Mixing - The Hurt Locker
Paul N.J. Ottosson


Best Live Action Short Film - The New Tenants
 Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson


Best Animated Short Film - Logorama 
Nicolas Schmerkin


Best Original Song - Crazy Heart
The Weary Kind
Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett


Best Original Score - Up!
Michael Giacchino


Best Makeup - Star Trek
Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow


Best Foreign Film - The Secret In Their Eyes
Directed by Juan José Campanella


Best Film Editing - The Hurt Locker
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis


Best Short Documentary - Music By Prudence
Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett


Best Documentary Feature - The Cove
Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens


Best Costume Design - The Young Victoria
Sandy Powell


Best Cinematography - Avatar
Mauro Fiore


Best Art Direction - Avatar
Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg (Art Direction); Kim Sinclair (Set Decoration)


Best Animated Feature - Up!
Pete Docter


Best Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire


Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz
Inglourious Basterds


Best Actor - Jeff Bridges
Crazy Heart


Best Actress - Sandra Bullock
The Blind Side


Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow
The Hurt Locker


Best Picture - The Hurt Locker
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow