Its been a great year for film lovers but still no clear favourite to take home half a dozen oscars. So here is my pick for the 83rd Academy awards :)
Best Picture
Probably the toughest category along with best art direction. 8 of the 10 nominations have a realistic chance of winning the coveted trophy. A very good reason for all of us here to wake up early to catch the event.
Black Swan: Aronofsky's psychological thriller is a contender but its lack of wide appeal and open intepretation quality certainly works against it when counting the odds. Neverthless its a sure shot for another category :)
Fighter: David Russel's boasts of spectacular performances from its cast and houses some terrific drama but at the end of the day its a sports drama and its cliches bog it down against the competition.
The King's speech: Like almost every year there is a costume period drama competing this year but labelling King's speech just a costume drama would be doing injustice to it. Director Tom Hooper's historically accurate(supposedly) drama is a major contender this year but its 'triumph of the underdog' basic storyline could work against it.
127 Hours: Danny Boyle's 127 hours has the underrated-till-now James Franco in terrific form and has a great soundtrack from our very own ARR. Ofcourse it is a tough film to sit through but a super good one at it. But Boyle should've known where to draw the line when it came to editing it. :)
Toy Story 3: Sheriff Woody and Co. are back after a long hiatus to give us a superb film that gave most of its viewers a lump in the throat. These are characters that many of us have to come to adore over the years and that to me is the film's biggest weak point at the oscars. As an independent film and for people who arent familiar with the characters it doesn't work like an academy worthy film should.
True Grit: The Coen's first tryst with a full-on western has yielded great results with Jeff Bridges almost bettering John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn and finding a terrific actress in Hailee Steinfield. Superbly shot and acted, True Grit is a major contender but at the end of the day it is just a very very good western.
Social Network: David Fincher's sort of return to form Social Network is a superbly written and greatly directed supplemented by a spectacular music score. It is easily one of the coolest films to come out of hollywood in a long time. Great performances from a young cast and a story half the world can relate to, this film is the punter's favourite at this year's oscars.
Inception: Let me tell you first thing that I'm a sucker for blockbusters. But Inception isn't just a blockbuster that insulted out intelligence but an unbelievably written heist film. Nolan created a Pandora with dreams thats multi-layered and demands multiple viewing to comprehend. Yes, it does leave a lot of questions and open ends but it leaves us with enough awe to overlook that. But yeah, the anti-blockbuster mindset of the academy isn't going to do any favours.
What should win: Inception. Yes it is this year's Avatar and Social Network isn't quite the new-age filmmaking that Hurt Locker was.
What will win: The Social Network. the coolness quotient should do it for Fincher's film.
Best Actor
Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in Biutiful
Jeff Bridges in True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth in The King's Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours
Who should win: Colin Firth for The King's Speech. No two ways about it.
Who will win: Colin Firth. Rooster Cogburn gives a touch chase but King George should do it comfortably.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in The Fighter
John Hawkes in Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech
Who should win: Christian Bale for Fighter. Geoffrey Rush is terrific but Bale's physical commitment and immersion in the role is just unmatched.
Who will win: Christian Bale.
Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
Who should win and who will win: Natalie Portman for Black Swan. The biggest no-brainer of the lot. She was just born to do this.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
Who should win: Mellissa Leo for the Fighter. Easily the most annoying, disturbing and in turn effective potrayal of a mother in a long time.
Who will win: If not for Melissa, the academy might just show some star love and give it to Amy Adams for the same film who also by the way, gave a very good performance.
Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
The Illusionist Sylvain Chomet
Toy Story 3 Lee Unkrich
What will win and should win: Toy Story 3
Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit
What should win: Inception. Yes, Alice in wonderland had great art direction but you have to give it to the way art direction in Inception complemented its screentelling of Nolan's vision. Harry Potter had nothing new to offer in terms art from its predecessors and King's speech had a fairly been-there art direction with immense detail.
What will win: Alice in wonderland if not Inception. This could be Tim Burton's consolation prize. Won't be surprised if they give it to King's speech too. After all the academy does have a bunch of old pricks.
Cinematography
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
The King's Speech, Danny Cohen
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
What shoud win: Inception.
What will win: Inception
Documentary (Feature)
Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
Gasland, Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
Inside Job, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Restrepo, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
Waste Land, Lucy Walker and Angus
What should win and will win: Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz. He might not make it for the function but he has enough reason to cheer from home :) This one just rocked.
Film Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
What should win: The Social Network
What will win: 127 hours is their only other choice but still Social Network should do it.
Music (Original Score)
How to Train Your Dragon, John Powell
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The King's Speech, Alexandre Desplat
127 Hours, A.R. Rahman
The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
What should win: Social Network. It sucks to predict this as I am a huge ARR fan but Social Network has a splendid score enough to win it. And i'l only be too happy if I'm proven wrong and ARR wins it.
What will win: Hans Zimmer gives a very tough fight but it isn't the breath of fresh air that the OST of Social Network was. Suprised Tron Legacy wasn't nominated.
Music (Original Song)
Coming Home from Country Strong, Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
I See the Light from Tangled, Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
If I Rise from 127 Hours, Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
We Belong Together from Toy Story 3, Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Who should win and will win: A.R Rahman for If I Rise. **** you if you dont agree with me. He deserves this one.
Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland, Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter, Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
Inception, Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Iron Man 2, Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
What should win and will win: Inception. No two ways about it.
Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
True Grit, Written for the screen the by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter's Bone, Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
Who should win and will win: Aaron Sorkin for Social Network. No other screenwriter in recent times has got as much recognition for a screenplay as much as Aaron Sorkin got for this. Sorkin redefined coolness with his spectacular writing.
Original Screenplay
Another Year, Written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King's Speech, Screenplay by David Seidler
Who should win and will win: Christopher Nolan for Inception. Finally Nolan gets to go up the stage to collect his first oscar. Though Fighter and King's spech does come under this category, they had a source story they could write from. But Nolan created his dream pandora out of thin air. It has to be appreciated with an oscar :).
Director
Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky
The Fighter, David O. Russell
The King's Speech, Tom Hooper
The Social Network, David Fincher
True Grit, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Who should win: Darren Aronosfky for Black Swan. The most wonderfully and intensely directed film I've seen in a long time, director Aronofsky dives deep into the world of ballet(like he did with wrestling in The Wrestler), with immaculate detail, extracting great performances, with carefully crafted nuances and all of this with the kind of expertise that would put a ballet insider to shame. This is Aronfosky at his sheer best.
Who will win: David Fincher for The Social Network. Like I said, the positive wave for the film should do the trick for it.
Now we come to the end of my oscar picks. Fingers crossed.
