Oscar Wrap-Up

The 82nd Academy Awards proved to be a big night for the little movie that could. "The Hurt Locker," a gritty movie about a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, was nominated for nine Oscars and took home six, including Best Picture. The film's director, Kathryn Bigelow, became the first woman to ever win an Oscar. If you were like me and supported this little film, it was a good night for the awards themselves. Mostly.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are talented actors, but their shtick grew tiresome in a hurry. Even their opening was trite and dull. I'm not sure how to solve this problem of who hosts the Oscars, but after last night I know for sure having two hosts just makes it worse. Maybe next year it should be hosted by Ben Stiller. He was the best presenter of the evening and seemed to be one of the few people having a good time.

And another thing: enough already with the interpretive dance numbers! Look, I respect dancers as athletes and the dancers last night themselves were fine. However, the dance numbers at the Oscars never make any sense. Really, when you saw "The Hurt Locker" were you thinking "gee, that's music I can really dance to?"

The "in memoriam" segment was curiously missing Farrah Fawcett. James Taylor's performance during the segment was decent, but something about that segment is always a little off to me.

While much of the scripted parts were dull and the telecast went on way too long, there were a few bright spots. Mo'Nique's acceptance speech for best supporting actress in "Precious" was honest and heartfelt. The same can be said of Jeff Bridges. The veteran actor and five-time Oscar nominee won for his performance in "Crazy Heart." He took time to thank his parents for getting him into such a "groovy profession." This statement should comes as no surprise. After all, he was "the Dude." As someone noted on The Huffington Post: "and the Dude abides."

For me the other highlight was Bigelow and all the wins for "The Hurt Locker" which proved you don't have to spend a ton of money to be a great film. All you need is a gripping story, great acting, and a camera. How ironic that it beat out the biggest box office hit of all time and against it's director's ex-husband no less. I actually was at the point Sunday where I would have been emotionally anguished had Bigelow not won. Thankfully she did.

I should also say this: I don't understand all the hate for "Avatar" as of late. Yes, the story has been done before, most notably in "Dances With Wolves." It was predictable yes, but it was very well done stylistically. Credit James Cameron for being a technological pioneer once again. And it should also be noted that even if you have all the technology in the world, it's a waste if no one is acting to go with the visual splendor/technology. Sam Worthing and Sigourney Weaver in particular deserve kudos.

Finally, it's not an Oscar ceremony without a fashion critique. Well, I'm no fashionista, but most of the dresses were dreadful, especially Zoe Saldana's. The only people that new how to dress were Meryly Streep, Kathryn Bigelow, and Mo'Nique. I don't break-down the men because they all wear basically the same thing. Bottom line: future attendees should go to the few actresses I mentioned, especially Streep who looked stunning in classic white.

That's it for my Oscar recap. Here's hoping more people will go out and rent "The Hurt Locker" and that next year's telecast is more lively.

Oscar Predictions: How Did I Do?

Now that the Oscars have come and gone, let's see how I did with my predictions.

Best Picture:

I picked: "The Hurt Locker"

Won: "The Hurt Locker

Best Actor:

I picked: Jeff Bridges

Won: Jeff Bridges

Supporting Actor:

I picked: Christoph Waltz

Won: Christoph Waltz

Best Actress:

I picked: Sandra Bullock

Won: Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actress:

I picked: Mo'Nique

Won: Mo'Nique

Best Animated Feature:

I picked: "Up"

Won: "Up"

Art Direction:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "Avatar"

Cinematography:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "Avatar"

Costume Design:

I picked: "Coco Before Chanel"

Won: "The Young Victoria"

Best Director:

I picked: "Kathryn Bigelow"

Won: "Kathryn Bigelow"

Documentary Feature:

I picked: "The Cove"

Won: "The Cove"

Film Editing:

I picked: "The Hurt Locker"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

Foreign Language Film:

I picked: "The White Ribbon"

Won: "The Secret in Their Eyes"

Makeup:

I picked: "Star Trek"

Won: "Star Trek"

Original Score:

I picked: "Up"

Won: "Up"

Original Song:

I picked: "The Weary Kind"

Won: "The Weary Kind"

Animated Short:

I picked: "A Matter of Loaf and Death"

Won: "Logorama"

Live Action Short:

I picked: "Instead of Abracadabra"

Won: "The New Tenants"

Sound Editing:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

Sound Mixing:

I picked: "Star Trek"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

Visual Effects:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "Avatar"

Adapted Screenplay:

I picked: "Up in the Air"

Won: "Precious"

Original Screenplay:

I picked: "Inglorious Bastards"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

My crystal ball went 15/24 for 62.5%!

2010 Oscar Predictions

The Oscars will be handed out this Sunday. Here are my predictions for Oscar night 2010:

Best Picture:

· “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers

· “The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers

· “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers

· “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers

· “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers

· “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer

· “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers

· “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers

· “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer

· “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Should win: "The Hurt Locker"

Will win: "The Hurt Locker

A few months ago "Avatar" seemed to be the front-runner. But slowly "The Hurt Locker" has been sweeping many of the awards leading up to the Oscars. I would love to see "District 9" pull off an upset of epic proportions, but "The Hurt Locker" will win and it is also a worthy winner.

Best Actor:

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney in “Up in the Air”

Colin Firth in “A Single Man”

Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”

Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Should win: Jeff Bridges

Will win: Jeff Bridges

All are worthy nominees, but this is the year of Bridges. It's not just an award for "Crazy Heart," but for his body of work, which I think is still underrated.

Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon in “Invictus”'

Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”

Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”

Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”

Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Should win: Christoph Waltz

Will win: Christoph Waltz

This award is his to lose.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”

Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”

Carey Mulligan in “An Education”

Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Should win: Meryl Streep

Will win: Sandra Bullock

Bullock has won all the awards leading up to this, so it seems like this is her year. However, I think Streep should win for her charming portrayal of Julia Child. Streep has re-invented herself in the last few years in the comedy genre after spending so many years in heavy dramas. Other actresses should hope to have such a second act in their careers.

Supporting Actress:

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”

Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”

Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”

Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”

Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Should win: Mo'Nique

Will win: Mo'Nique

The Oscars have this habit of rewarding supporting actors that play villains. 'Nuff said.

Animated Feature:

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Should win: Up

Will win: Up

The Pixar people have yet to make a bad movie. Up touched a chord with audiences and critics alike. It will win and it should win for it's beautiful look and beautiful storytelling.

Best Director:

James Cameron, 'Avatar'
Kathryn Bigelow, 'The Hurt Locker'
Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'
Lee Daniels, 'Precious'
Jason Reitman, 'Up in the Air'

Should win: Kathryn Bigelow

Will win: Kathryn Bigelow

All credit in the world to James Cameron for "Avatar." He has changed how movies are made once again and given us a splendid movie. However, Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" managed to do the impossible: make a film set in Iraq that wasn't political. For that, the fact that it affected me more than any film last year, and that no woman has ever won this award, it's hers.

Best Original Screenplay

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'
'The Messenger'
'A Serious Man'
'Up'

Should win: "Up"

Will win: "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

'District 9'
''An Education'
'In the Loop'
'Precious'
'Up in the Air'

Should win: "District 9"

Will win: "Up in the Air"

Best Foreign Language Film:

"Ajami," Israel

"El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Argentina

"The Milk of Sorrow," Peru

"Un Prophete," France

"The White Ribbon," Germany

Will win: "The White Ribbon"

Art Direction:

"Avatar"

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"

"Nine"

"Sherlock Holmes"

"The Young Victoria"

Will win: "Avatar"

Cinematography:

"Avatar"

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

"The Hurt Locker"

"Inglourious Basterds"

"The White Ribbon"

Will win: "Avatar"

Costume Design:

· “Bright Star” Janet Patterson

· “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier

· “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme

· “Nine” Colleen Atwood

· “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Will win: “Coco before Chanel”

Documentary Feature:

· “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller

· “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens

· “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein

· “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

· “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Will win: "The Cove"

Documentary (short subject)

· “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

· “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher

· “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

· “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

· “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Will win: “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”

Film Editing:

· “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron

· “District 9” Julian Clarke

· “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

· “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke

· “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Will win: "The Hurt Locker"

Makeup:

· “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano

· “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

· “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Will win: "Star Trek"

Music (original score):

· “Avatar” James Horner

· “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat

· “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

· “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer

· “Up” Michael Giacchino

Will win: "Up"

Music (original song)

· “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

· “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

· “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas

· “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

· “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Will win: "The Weary Kind"

Best Animated Short:

· “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert

· “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell

· “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia

· “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin

· “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Will win: "A Matter of Load and Death"

Live Action Short:

· “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn

· “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström

· “Kavi” Gregg Helvey

· “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey

· “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Will win: “Instead of Abracadabra”

Sound editing:

· “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

· “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson

· “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman

· “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin

· “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myer

Will win: "Avatar"

Sound mixing:

· “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson

· “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

· “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano

· “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin

· “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Will win: "Star Trek"

Visual Effects:

· “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

· “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken

· “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Will win: "Avatar"