Lexington, KY - The nominations for best picture at the 2010 Academy Awards were announced on Feb. 2, but we here at this magazine had an early deadline. Instead of missing out on the fun, here's my attempt to predict the 10 nominations this year, up from five slots previously. Keep score to see how I did.
Avatar
Few films had as much advance hype and as many reasons to fail as James Cameron's "Avatar," except maybe his last movie, 1997's "Titanic." But, funny thing, people actually sat down and watched the movie and, like "Titanic," proceeded to be blown away. Sure, the sci-fi adventure about big blue aliens on the distant moon of Pandora may not be a perfect movie-it borrows freely from other conquerors vs. natives films, and can be a bit preachy. But Cameron's stunning vision of the future is something to behold. "Avatar" not only belongs on the list of nominees, it should be a frontrunner to win it all.
The Hangover
I fear that "The Hangover" will make the cut, since the voters have to select 10 nominees, and especially now that it has won a Golden Globe. Its nomination will be a nod to the raunchy guy movie genre -
and to the movie's staggering box office numbers. My problem was that I failed to see the humor in watching four guys turn a bachelor party into a train wreck. It could have been a cautionary tale of how not to spend the night before your wedding. It turned out to be a disturbing celebration of really bad choices, lewdness and debauchery.
The Hurt Locker
Limited distribution and a gritty subject matter -
defusing roadside bombs in Iraq -
kept "The Hurt Locker" out of many theatres. But those who did see it had an unnerving film experience. Director Kathryn Bigelow kept the suspense at an unbearable level, and Jeremy Renner, playing the fearless explosives expert, turned in a ticking time bomb of a performance.
Inglorious Basterds
Critics weren't all that kind to Quentin Tarantino's revisionist version of World War II. But, surprisingly, it started to show up on awards lists. Tarantino's brand of unrestrained violence is definitely not for the faint of heart. But he served it up with such relish, and even humor, that it was hard not to get hooked. And Christoph Walz as a gleefully vicious Nazi villain is a sure thing for a supporting acting Oscar.
Invictus
Clint Eastwood brought to the screen a real-life tale of rugby and racial reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa, with strong performances by Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as the captain of the national rugby team. It was an inspirational story of healing wounds and uniting a country, but the championship game that serves as the movie's climax went on forever and killed any good vibe the movie may have had. I'm predicting "Invictus" will be nominated, but not win the Oscar.
Nine
Rob Marshall breathed new life into the movie musical seven years ago with "Chicago." This year, he took on an even greater challenge with Broadway's "Nine." It's the story of an arrogant Italian film director (Daniel Day-Lewis) who is tortured by a full-blown mid-life crisis and by having to watch over-the-top song-and-dance numbers by the women in his life. The film didn't give us much reason to care whether the chain-smoking, self-obsessed hero gets out of his funk, and the gaudy production numbers were ultimately forgettable. I'm saying it gets nominated because there are no other musicals in the running, and this is a hugely ambitious one. And Fergie does a really good job on "Be Italian." But that's as far as it goes.
Precious
Like "Avatar," "Precious" arrived in the theaters with a ton of hype surrounding it, including top awards at Toronto and Sundance. Unlike "Avatar," it hasn't been embraced by audiences. For good reason. It's as bitter and harsh a film experience as you're ever going to have. To be clear, unpleasantness should not exclude a picture from Oscar consideration. But the pain of watching the incredible abuse heaped on Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) by her demonic mother (Mo'Nique) was almost too much to bear. "Precious" will receive a nomination for its uncompromising look at poverty and abuse, and for its outstanding performances, especially the frightening one turned in by Mo'nique. But it's a long shot to win best picture.
Star Trek
This picture seems to be a deserving beneficiary of expanding the list to 10 movies. Last year, "The Dark Knight" failed to make the cut and millions of fans turned their backs on the Oscars in disgust. This year, "Star Trek" will be the first big box-office, summertime popcorn movie in a long time to be nominated. But there was much more to this movie than explosions and gadgets. It was a rip-roaring, old-fashioned thrill ride that reinvented familiar characters and also told a compelling story. "Star Trek" pulled in audiences who weren't necessarily Trek fans and revived the franchise.
Up
For the first time, an animated picture will be promoted from the best animated category to compete with the big boys in the feature films category this year. I know, I predicted that would happen with outstanding animated movies in the past and it didn't happen. But the Academy seems poised to give animated films their due this year, and "Up" is in the right place at the right time. "Up" may not be the best animated film ever -
for one thing, its final act didn't quite live up to the opening. Despite its failings, "Up" is still a soaring and life-affirming picture, and the 3-D effects enhanced the story without ever being gimmicky. It will be an honor just to be nominated for this little animated gem.
Up in the Air
Jason Reitman's seriocomic portrait of a smooth-talking corporate hatchet man was a masterful multitasker. It was a romance (George Clooney and Vera Farmiga), a conflict between a veteran (Clooney) and a smarty-pants youngster (Anna Kendrick), a primer on how to avoid the hassles of modern air travel, and a sobering picture of the human toll of layoffs. A delicate balancing act, to be sure, but "Up in the Air" managed to do them all, and do them well. Like the character Clooney plays, the picture was slick and professional, but left you feeling empty on the inside.
My Personal Top 10: I would remove "The Hangover," "Invictus," "Nine" and "Precious" from the list above and substitute "District 9" (a great sci-fi twist with the aliens as the downtrodden), "The Blind Side" (it transcended sports movies to be the most heartwarming film of the year), "Sin Nombre" (a taut tale of survival for young Latinos escaping to a new life north of the border) and "(500) Days of Summer" (an anti-romantic comedy about a relationship that was not so happy ever after).
My Number One: "Avatar," a thrilling and visionary film that truly transports audiences to another world.
Keeping score? Click here to see the official list of nominees.
One World Film Festival
Lexington's unique film festival devoted to issues of culture, race and gender kicks off later this month with "Departures" on Feb. 25, "Sita Sings the Blues" on Feb. 28, and continues into March. All films are free. For a complete schedule and all the info, go to www.oneworldfilmfestival.org.