Cinespastic: Oscar Picks
So it’s Oscar time again my friends. I accidentally scheduled myself for other plans on Oscar night, so I won’t be watching live. And not to be a jerk or snob about it, but I really don’t care. I do want to know who wins, but don’t put too much stock in them- politics prevails over quality too often, and the Oscars are no exception.  They certainly get some awards right, but it is less about the art of film and more about the celebrity of Hollywood, but we all know that, right?
I’m going to present to you now who I would vote for if I was a member of the Academy. And I’ll tell you why. Refute me if you please…….
Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
MoNique in Precious
This is a case where the hype is real- this is Mo’Nique’s award. Her portrayal of the monstrous mother Mary is certainly showy, but carries within it a nuance that is released in some of the film’s final moments. Mo’Nique is so good that you’re just not quite sure whether to believe her or to take her monologue as another manipulation of an abusive and reckless human being.
I must add that Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are both worthy of their nominations, and turn in excellent performances in Up in the Air. I am a Penélope Cruz fan, but am baffled by her nomination. Sure she’s good in Nine, but the movie is bad and her character is poorly written. She also just won last year for Vicky Christina Barcelona, which was completely deserved. Similarly, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character only drags Crazy Heart down. I am also a Gyllenhaal fan, but this is not an award-worthy performance, not even a nomination-worthy performance. If it were up to me I’d dump Cruz and Gyllenhaal and replace them with the performances of Mélanie Laurent and Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Speaking of Inglourious Basterds, holy hell, if Christoph Waltz doesn’t win this award, it will be criminal.  Seriously, this is the performance of the year. His portrayal of Col Hans Landau, the Nazi officer, registers as one of the great film performances period. Waltz plays every emotion across the Tarantino spectrum- at once being both chillingly sadistic and hilariously funny. I can’t imagine Inglourious Basterds without him. Just as with Mo’Nique, the hype here is beyond real.
Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep as Julia Child
This is a tough one for me between Sidibe and Streep. I happen to love Julia Child’s autobiography, and I must say that Streep and writer/director Nora Ephron both do an excellent job with the half of Julie & Julia based on that book. Streep not only fully inhabits Child, but does so without making her a caricature. Sidibe does just the same, giving a believable performance that the whole film hinges upon, and does it masterfully. This is not easy, but if I’m picking one, I’m picking Meryl Streep. But it hurts. Sandra Bullock please go away.
Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Colin Firth in A Single Man
Well, it’s basically a done deal that this is Jeff Bridges’ award, but if it were in my hands it would go to Colin Firth. Under Tom Ford’s careful direction, Firth turns in a powerful performance that is full of so much emotion behind such a stoic façade. This is not to say that Bridges is not deserving (he is), it’s just that I find Firth’s performance much more interesting to watch, and it doesn’t hurt that A Single Man is a much better movie than Crazy Heart.
Directing
James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Mélanie Laurent at the beginning of Chapter 5 of Inglourious Basterds
I don’t know what is the bigger crime- that a woman has never won an Oscar for direction or that Tarantino has never won an Oscar for direction. For all the same political reasons I would like to see Kathryn Bigelow win this Oscar, and I think she will. She will be deserving, as her direction of The Hurt Locker provides for an unrelenting and action-filled look at war, and is done with expert direction. But, still, Tarantino turns in the best direction of the bunch, and this award should be his. The opening sequence to Chapter 5 of Inglourious Basterds, “Revenge of the Giant Face”, set to David Bowie’s “Cat People (Putting Out Fire),” is the best direction I’ve seen this year.
Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds
Full disclosure- as I am writing this, I still have yet to see Avatar and A Serious Man, but I can’t imagine that seeing them would change my mind much. Without a doubt, far and away, the film I would pick for Best Picture would be the one that I finally saw this past weekend, Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino’s film is so good, it’s ridiculous. The writing, the direction, the acting, the attention to detail, the respect it gives to the intelligence of its audience, and its love and reverence of the cinema makes Inglourious Basterds the most deserving of the award, and the best film I saw from 2009.
For more information on the Academy Awards and the films nominated, visit www.oscar.go.com.
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I agree RE: Inglourious Basterds. Hands down film of the year. That Laurent wasn’t nominated is a fucking shame. And Mo’nique’s performance was unexpectedly good, even with the hype. But like you, I can’t really make myself care all that much about the Oscars. Also, of the mentioned films I’ve only seen Basterds, Up in the Air, District 9, Precious, and Invictus and the Lovely Bones (the last two were picked by friends and I didn’t think they were all that good). Going to the movies is pricey.
I vote for Blindside for everything. Because I hate the Oscars and myself.
And I’m still angry about the shut-out for Where the Wild Things Are. Not even a technical nomination? Or the score?
I still find it totally unbelievable that not only is it Sidibe’s first ever film, but that she has no acting experience at all. That’s totally amazing.
But yeah, Sandra Bullock needs to go away…She should go do Speed 3 or something.
I’m not watching it this year, especially since they cut out any and all performances of the Best Original Song nominees.
I haven’t seen Avatar either; the only reason I might consider watching it is for Sigourney Weaver.
Shit I’d like Carey Mulligan to win best actress because the other actresses were not as good as she was. Sure Sidibe was decent, but Precious is all hype. Word of advice, do not see Avatar. That movie will make you want to gouge your eyes out. See A Serious Man though. I want Hurt Locker to take home the big prize. That movie was amazing.If only the White Ribbon was nominated for best picture though.
Diane Kruger is my pick for best supporting actor. The picture was really not good at all. It was a comic strip at best and an exploitation and delusional fantasy about Jews and although Pitt is an excellent actor he over played his part to suit the violence and stupidity of the picture itself. However, Kruger was on top of the role like white on rice. Every time she was on screen that is all you looked at.
Agree about Pe and I am a fan. (BTW, if you can Netflix “Don’t Tempt Me” also with VIctoria Abril, you will see how excellent she is in Spanish. A fun watch for Lesbians. I vote for Streep because she has the ability and does it every time to become the character without any buts ifs and maybe’s and takes us on a journey into that character, beginning with Sophie’s Choice and she is nominated every year and it is about time she got the O again. I read the book “Push” and was not impressed maybe for me it was another “Color Purple.” I felt it was a tad two dimensional and exploitative. I feel it will win several Oscars on its redemptive value for Hollywood and the self proclaimed “progressives” that visit our misery for their profit.
The Hurt Locker well let me put it this way, it is the meat and potatoes of the film industry, violence, male hubris and exploding anything, tanks, cars, building and bodies. All this to let us know once again how horrible was is and how boring returning to the super market can get. I would love to have a woman win an Oscar for direction just like I would love to see a non white person be POTUS, yet not at the expense of integrity, honesty and content. We failed with the POTUS, I hope we don’t do the same with a woman director, or actor.
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