Oscar predictions 2010.

Finally! The annual wait for Oscar is exhaustive, but we are mere hours away from our reward. The ceremony itself may prove more exciting than the winners, who have been pretty much decided for weeks now. Can the show’s face lift of 2009 continue its success? Could it be its funniest with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting and Tina Fey, Sacha Baron Cohen, Martin Short, etc. presenting? Is there any possibility of an upset? And will I manage to stay awake through the whole thing?!?

Best Picture

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Avatar

Wish: Inglourious Basterds

Director

Win: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Upset: James Cameron for Avatar

Wish: Kathryn Bigelow

Leading Actor

Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Upset: Colin Firth for A Single Man

Wish: Colin Firth

Leading Actress

Win: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Upset: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Wish: Carey Mulligan for An Education

Supporting Actor

Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

Upset: Woody Harrelson for The Messenger

Wish: Christoph Waltz

Supporting Actress

Win: Mo’Nique for Precious

Upset: Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air

Wish: Julianne Moore for A Single Man (I’m pretending she was nominated!)

Original Screenplay

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Inglourious Basterds

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Adapted Screenplay

Win: Up in the Air

Upset: An Education

Wish: In The Loop

Cinematography

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Avatar

Wish: The White Ribbon

Art/Set Direction

Win: Avatar

Upset: Sherlock Holmes

Wish: Avatar

Costume Design

Win: The Young Victoria

Upset: Coco Before Chanel

Wish: Bright Star

Editing

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Avatar

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Music (Original Score)

Win: Michael Giacchino for Up

Upset: James Horner for Avatar

Wish: Michael Giacchino (oh so much!)

Music (Original Song)

Win: Crazy Heart for “The Weary Kind”

Upset: Nine for “Take It All”

Wish: Nine

Foreign Language Film

Win: The Secret In Their Eyes

Upset: The White Ribbon

Wish: The White Ribbon

Make-Up

Win: The Young Victoria

Upset: Star Trek

Wish: District 9

Sound Editing

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Avatar

Wish: Up

Sound Mixing

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Avatar

Wish: Inglourious Basterds

Visual Effects

Win: Avatar

Upset: Star Trek

Wish: Avatar

Documentary (Feature)

Win: The Cove

Upset: Burma VJ

Wish: Prodigal Sons

Animated (Feature)

Win: Up

Upset: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wish: The Secret of Kells

BAFTAs 2010 predictions.

My love/hate opinion of the BAFTAs erodes – albeit momentarily – as I anticipate the ceremony itself. Their – adequate – celebration of all things British should finally crown Carey Mulligan with an award (or two!) while I’m just excited to see Kristin Scott Thomas return to the awards circuit (if only she’d win…). The icing on top of this sweet -and very British! – cake would be a win for Colin Firth, yet this win over the eventual Oscar winner, Jeff Bridges, may be too much to ask for. BAFTA, after all, doesn’t like to stray too far from Oscar.

Best Film

Win: An Education

Upset: The Hurt Locker

Wish: An Education

Leading Actor

Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Upset: Colin Firth for A Single Man

Wish: Colin Firth

Leading Actress

Win: Carey Mulligan for An Education

Upset: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Wish: Carey Mulligan

Supporting Actor

Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

Upset: Alfred Molina for An Education

Wish: Christoph Waltz

Supporting Actress

Win: Mo’Nique for Precious

Upset: Kristin Scott Thomas for Nowhere Boy

Wish: Kristin Scott Thomas

Outstanding British Film

Win: Fish Tank

Upset: An Education

Wish: In the Loop

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Win: Sam Taylor-Wood for Nowhere Boy

Upset: Lucy Baily, Andrew Thompson, Elizabeth Morgan Hemlock, David Pearson for Mugabe and The White African

Wish: Duncan Jones for Moon

Director

Win: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Upset: Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Wish: Kathryn Bigelow

Original Screenplay

Win: Inglourious Basterds

Upset: The Hurt Locker

Wish: Inglourious Basterds

Adapted Screenplay

Win: An Education

Upset: Up in the Air

Wish: In the Loop

Film not in the English Language

Win: Let the Right One In

Upset: The White Ribbon

Wish: Let the Right One In

Animated Film

Win: Up

Upset: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wish: Up

The Orange Rising Star Award

Win: Carey Mulligan

Upset: Nicholas Hoult

Wish: Carey Mulligan

Music

Win: Up

Upset: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Wish: Up

Cinematography

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Inglourious Basterds

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Editing

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: District 9
Wish: The Hurt Locker

Production Design

Win: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Upset: Avatar

Wish: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Costume Design

Win: Coco Before Chanel

Upset: Bright Star

Wish: Bright Star

Sound

Win: The Hurt Locker

Upset: Avatar

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Special Visual Effects

Win: Avatar

Upset: Star Wars

Wish: Avatar

Makeup & Hair

Win: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Upset: Coco Before Chanel

Wish: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Oscar nomination predictions 2010.

An unexciting year for the Academy Award nominations despite the initiation of the ten-film Best Picture list. I expect Avatar to earn the most nominations, with The Hurt Lock and Inglourious Basterds close behind.

The only real excitement arrives from the Supporting Actress category, where there are eight possibilities. I suspect, however, that this excitement may lead in disappointment and the exclusion of Julianne Moore (boo!). And yes, it is my not-so-secret wish that A Single Man stuns everyone and features heavily when the nominations are announced this Tuesday.

Best Picture

Avatar

An Education

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Upset: Nine, Star Trek

Wish: Avatar, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Julie & Julia, Precious, The Princess and the Frog, A Single Man, Star Trek, Up

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

James Cameron for Avatar

Lee Daniels for Precious

Jason Reitman for Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

Upset: Clint Eastwood for Invictus

Wish: Bigelow, Cameron, Tom Ford for A Single Man, Tarantino, Lars von Trier for Antichrist

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Helen Mirren for The Last Station

Carey Mulligan for An Education

Gabourey Sidibe for Precious

Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Upset: Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria

Wish: Mulligan, Zoe Saldana for Avatar, Sidibe, Streep, Tilda Swinton for Julia

Best Actor

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

Upset: Tobey Maguire for Brothers

Wish: Firth, John Krasinski for Away We Go, Renner, Sam Rockwell for Moon, Ben Winshaw for Bright Star

Best Original Screenplay

(500) Days of Summer

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

A Serious Man

Up

Upset: District 9

Wish: Away We Go, Bright Star, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Rage

Best Adapted Screenplay

An Education

Crazy Heart

Invictus

Precious

Up in the Air

Upset: A Single Man

Wish: In the Loop, Precious, A Single Man, Star Trek, Up in the Air

Best Supporting Actress

Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air

Diane Kruger for Inglourious Basterds

Mo’Nique for Precious

Samantha Morton for The Messenger

Upset: Julianne Moore for A Single Man/Melanie Laurent for Inglourious Basterds/Sigourney Weaver for Avatar

Wish: Farmiga, Kruger, Laurent, Moore, Mo’Nique

Best Supporting Actor

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

Upset: Christian McKay for Me and Orson Welles

Wish: Peter Capaldi for In the Loop, Harrelson, Matthew Goode for A Single Man, Tucci for Julie & Julia, Waltz

SAG Awards predictions 2010.

I do like this particular ceremony. It is less afraid to root for the underdog (as long as this underdog is a firm contender for an Oscar nod, not some wild card SAG nominee) and usually brings an element of surprise to its winners.

Unfortunately it is unlikely there will be many surprises this year, perhaps Stanley Tucci can topple Christoph Waltz ? Tucci is an old hand adored by fellow actors after all. Otherwise the excitement will depend on the Ensemble Cast and Actress awards. The former could go to The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds or Precious but but can only prove fruitful for The Hurt Locker‘s Oscar hopes (nothing can change the fact that Oscar simply won’t bite the untraditional stylings of Basterds and Precious). The latter category, however, could prove crucial in the battle between Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep: if Streep wins a second consecutive SAG then she will take home that award.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Win: Inglourious Basterds

Upset: Precious

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Upset: George Clooney for Up in the Air

Wish: Colin Firth for A Single Man

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Win: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Upset: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Wish: Carey Mulligan for An Education

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

Upset: Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Wish: Stanley Tucci

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Win: Mo’Nique for Precious

Upset: Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air

Wish: Mo’Nique

10 thoughts on…the Golden Globes 2010

1. I do not like Ricky Gervais.
2. I am SO happy that Michael Giacchino won Best Original Score! Hoorah!
3. The double win of Film (Drama) and Director for Avatar has only increased my love for The Hurt Locker. (Although I really have to see Avatar now!)
4. I do love Sandra Bullock but I can’t help but feel a little bit guilty for any joy felt for her win. Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe deserve the recognition more.
5. Is it just me or is Penelope Cruz becoming Sophia Loren?!?
6. The most perfect pairing. I can’t wait to see A Single Man again! (Isn’t Tom Ford the most beautiful man on the planet?)
   
7. Mo’Nique still scares me. She may have put down that TV but now it seems she picked up the Bible. I like my acceptance speeches without a slice of devote Christianity. (He did not get you that Globe dear.)
8. What happened to glamor? Everyone went low key or sickly (Nicole Kidman) or desperate (Jennifer Aniston) or pregnant (Amy Adams)…wait…oh yes. Thank God Mr & Mrs Ford for Tom. Mmmm…he did look the part!
9. I think Nicole Kidman has lost all appeal for me. This is a worrying development. Her presentation of Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture just irritated me. Especially with its cuts to Keith Urban. Urgh.
10. (To answer my question from my predictions) Meryl Streep gave a better speech than Bullock’s. Both were of an unexpectedly serious nature, but Streep felt new while Bullock came across as a cliche.

Golden Globe 2010: Predictions.

The Golden Globes has (during my limited experience, at least) proven less predictable, and therefore more enjoyable than the Academy Awards. A big drunken celebration of celebrity and glamor rather than the pretentious-driven aura of Oscar. Where else would Jennifer Lopez dare to tell the elite of Hollywood that “Mama’s talking” without being jeered offstage? Hopefully the show doesn’t suffer from its own pretentiousness now it has donned a host, Ricky Gervais…

The following our my predictions/wishes. Outside of the two lead actress and both supporting categories, I think anything is possible and could be telling for Oscar in March.

Best Picture – Drama

Win: Inglorious Basterds

Upset: Any of the other nominees.

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Best Picture – Comedy/Musical

Win: Julie & Julia

Upset: The Hangover

Wish: Julie & Julia

Best Actor – Drama

Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Upset: George Clooney for Up in the Air

Wish: Colin Firth for A Single Man

Best Actress – Drama

Win: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Upset: Carey Mulligan for An Education

Wish: Carey Mulligan

Best Actor – Comedy/Musical

Win: Matt Damon for The Informant!

Upset: Michael Stuhlberg for A Serious Man

Wish: Michael Stuhlberg

Best Actress – Comedy/Musical

Win: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Upset: Sandra Bullock for The Proposal

Wish: Meryl Streep

Best Supporting Actor

Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds

Upset: Woody Harrelson for The Messenger

Wish: Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress

Win: Mo’Nique for Precious

Upset: Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air

Wish: Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air

Best Director

Win: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

Upset: Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds

Wish: Kathryn Bigelow

Best Screenplay

Win: Up in the Air

Upset: Inglorious Basterds

Wish: The Hurt Locker

Best Original Song

Win: Brothers

Upset: Crazy Heart

Wish: undecided (AKA uninterested).

Best Original Score

Win: Up

Upset: The Informant!

Wish: Up (oh so much!)

Best Animated Film

Win: Up

Upset: None.

Wish: Up

Best Foreign Language Film

Win: The White Ribbon

Upset: A Prophet

Wish: A Prophet

So who will have the best acceptance speech? Bullock or Streep?

The 81st Academy Awards: The Predictions.

Here is my complete list of my predictions for the 81st Academy Awards.

They are neither controversial or fresh as the winners have been pre-ordained for some time now; Slumdog Millionaire will dominate, Kate Winslet will mercily end her desperate Oscar hunt and everyone will drool over this year’s host, Hugh Jackman.

Here’s hoping that Best Actor (AKA Rourke vs. Penn), Best Original Screenplay and Penelope Cruz’s potentional win for Supporting Actress will make-up for the high predictability of the year. Still, it is nice to actually appreciate the eventual winners.

Enjoy!

Best Picture
Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Upset: None.
Wish: Milk

Best Director
Win: Danny Boyle
Upset: None.
Wish: Danny Boyle

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Win: Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Upset: Sean Penn for Milk
Wish: Mickey Rourke or Sean Penn

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Win: Kate Winslet for The Reader
Upset: Meryl Streep for Doubt (is this possible?)
Wish: Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Win: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Upset: None.
Wish: Heath Ledger

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Win: Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Upset: Amy Adams for Doubt (Controversial)
Wish: Penelope Cruz

Best Adapted Screenplay
Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Upset: None.
Wish: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay
Win: Milk
Upset: Wall-E
Wish: In Bruges

Best Cinematography
Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Upset: The Reader
Wish: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Editing

Win: Slumdog Millionaire

Upset: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Wish: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Costume Design
Win: The Duchess
Upset: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wish: The Duchess

Best Art Direction
Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Upset: The Duchess
Wish: The Duchess

Best Make-Up
Win: The Dark Knight
Upset: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wish: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Best Score
Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Upset: Wall-E
Wish: Milk

Best Original Song
Win: “Jai Ho” – Slumdog Millionaire
Upset: “Down To Earth” – Wall-E
Wish: “Jai Ho”

Best Sound
Win: The Dark Knight
Upset: Slumdog Millionaire
Wish: Wall-E

Best Sound Editing
Win: Wall-E
Upset: Iron Man
Wish: Wall-E

Best Visual Effects
Win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Upset: The Dark Knight
Wish: The Dark Knight

Best Animated Film
Win: Wall-E
Upset: None.
Wish: Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film
Win: The Class
Upset: Waltz With Bashir
Wish: Waltz With Bashir

Documentary Feature
Win: Man On Wire
Upset: Trouble the Water
Wish: Man On Wire

And the nominees are…(?)

Here are my predictions for this years Oscar nominations. Not that they differ from the general consensus of a largely predictable year. Only time is stopping Slumdog from getting a hold of those Oscars…

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Frost/Nixon

Milk

Slumdog Millionaire

Note: It would be nice to see Wall-E, The Wrestler or Rachel Getting Married take a surprise slot here (perhaps ousting either The Dark Knight or Frost/Nixon) although a nomination for the undeniably, and unapologetically, queer Milk is enough to comfort me with any other nominee here. However, Doubt remains in the game and Milk is more vulnerable than I would like to believe (no Golden Globes love and, as previously stated, very gay for Oscar).

I doubt the above line-up will be messed around. (Snore!).

Best Director

Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ron Howard Frost/Nixon

Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight

Gus Van Sant for Milk

Note: Similarly it would be nice to see Andrew Stanton, Darren Aronofsky or Jonathan Demme nominated here (in place of the undeserving Howard) but any surprise nod would undoubtedly go to the beloved Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino, who has a history of surprising at the Oscars (to my dismay).

Best Actor

Richard Jenkins for The Visitor

Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn for Milk

Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler

Note: This list would look pretty solid to me if it wasn’t for Eastwood who could spoil the Director and Actor line-up with Gran Torino. But who will go? Is there a possibility that the golden couple that is Brangelina can be snubbed together? (Yes). Or will the lesser known Jenkins be ignored? (I hope not).

Best Actress

Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married

Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky

Meryl Streep for Doubt

Kristin Scott Thomas for I’ve Loved You So Long

Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road

Note: Ok so I went out on a limb here, Thomas is an incredibly vulnerable candidate. Can she beat the solid precursor support, and Hollywood power, of Angelina Jolie? And the recent surge of critical praise for Melissa Leo? I can only hope…at least I will have Poppy/Hawkins’ cheery disposition on the list (right?).

Perhaps the Academy will wake up and put Winslet’s better performance in lead (in The Reader), dutifully ignoring Revolutionary Road and saving the Supporting Actress nominees from daylight robbery. Unlikely.

Best Supporting Actor

Josh Brolin for Milk

Robert Downey Jr for Tropic Thunder

Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt

Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

Dev Patel for Slumdog Millionaire

Note: This seems like a solid line-up, although I would love a surprise nomination for James Franco (Milk), Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky) or Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges). Is is possible they could take Patel’s slot? (The answer is A – No, everyone loves Slumdog. Don’t be silly!). Perhaps Brolin or Downey Jr are not as strong as once thought? (There needs to be a surprise somewhere!).

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams for Doubt

Penelope Cruz for Vicky Christina Barcelona

Viola Davis for Doubt

Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler

Kate Winslet for The Reader

Note: Adams and Winslet (may I be mistaken?) are vulnerable here due to internal competition and category fraud, respectively. Benjamin Button‘s Taraji P Henson may take their slot (I’m guessing Adams’ unless Winslet shifts category as she did with the crazies at BAFTA). It would be nice to see Alexis Zegerman (my personal choice for supporting actress of 2008 with Happy-Go-Lucky), Vera Farmiga (because she needs a breakthrough) or Rosemarie DeWitt (for Rachel Getting Married) nominated, but its unlikely.

Best Original Screenplay

Milk

Rachel Getting Married

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Wall-E

The Wrestler

Note: Woody Allen is back at the Oscars? Time will tell as this race is particularly strong (see also Burn After Reading, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, The Visitor). It would be nice to see Happy-Go-Lucky and/or In Bruges mentioned.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Doubt

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Note: I would be surprised if this is not the line-up, unless support for The Dark Knight is overwhelming (please say its not!) or they pick Revolutionary Road as their prestigous literary adaptation over The Reader (impossible if you’ve seen RR, right?).