Oscars 2010

Really I don't know why I keep watching the Oscars. Once again I think the academy screwed up.

Lets take a look at the categories...

Best Documentary

I've only seen Food Inc and The Cove which are both about food industry. One pokes the finger at the chinese and another at both Europe and America. Who is worse? Can't really tell, both movies raise very important issues about the food industry, whereas food inc is a reserach effort, the cove is more like an undercover operation so I supposed the last makes up for a more entertaining movie thus yeah its a worthy win.

Best Foreign Movie

This was really a surprise. I haven't seen the winer (Secret in their eyes) but I doubt it is better than the white ribbon or even a prophete. I can't really judge as I haven't seen the winner but my vote would have gone to Haneke's masterpiece the White Ribbon.

Best Animated

This is the hardest one to choose. I haven't seen Secret of the Kells (has anyone??) but I have seen all the others and they are all great. Up has the best opening sequence of any movie this year and it's one of the finest animated moments of all time, the rest of the movie was quite funny but definatly not Pixar's best (not even top5). The Princess and the Frog was a surprise to me a real return to form from the Disney studios, great characters and the music was great, definatly one for the ages, as good as early stuff. Fantastic Mr. Fox was awesome and had the best comedy timing of any movie this year, some really fantastic characters and some cool stop motion. Coraline was also another stop motion masterpiece, yeah maybe not as good as Nightmare Before Christmas, but nevertheless the 3D was fantastic... In the end I might have given the vote to Fantastic Mr Fox, but Up is a worthy winner.

Best Special Effects

Avatar is a revolution, enough said right?

Best Origin Song

The songs from the Princess and the Frog were great and there should have been more nominations for that movie, but The Weary Kind is a truly fantastic song. The academy got it right

Best Score

Up had by far the most memorable music from any of the movies this year so well done Academy for giving Giacchino the oscar.

Best Art Direction

All the movies deserved the win really, but its become a cliche that a period piece wins this (and costume design for that matter) so I was glad to see a Sci-Fi movie like Avatar taking home the award. Then again all the other movies deserved it too.

Best Editing

I thought District 9 should have won this.

Best Cinematography

Avatar is a worthy winner. Ok, so all the cinematography was done with computers but does that diminsh the fact that the movie looks gorgeous??

Best Adapted Screenplay

I would have given the gold man to District 9 but i suppose Precious is a worthy winner.

Best Original Screenplay

What??? The Hurt Locker? Not in a million years. Tarantino (alongside with Woody Allen, he should have been nominated for Whatever Works) is the best script writer cinema has and since his movie wasn't going to win anything else tonight it should have at least won screenplay. Shame on the academy really.

Best Director

Katherine Bigelow won because she's a woman, that is the only reason I can think of for the academy to give her the oscar. They wanted to make history but even if you hate James Cameron you'll gave to admit that Bigelow directed a few dozen people whereas Cameron directed a fuckin army, and came up with the entire Pandora's world by himself, and was on the forefront of the development of a technology that will be the future of cinema, oh and Avatar has made 2.5b worldwide... Really, help me find a reason Cameron should not have won!! Katherine wouldn't even be my second choice, Tarantino would (she would have been my third choice)

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope shouldn't have been nominated, Cotilard was much better in that movie. Gyllenhall had a fine performance but really it was Jeff Bridge's movie. The girls from Up in the air were average at best. Mo'Nique was a tour de force, so yeah there was no what she wasn't going to win this.

Best Supporting Actor

When I watch Inglorious Basterds I was thinking “wow this guy is great, I bet he's going to win the Oscar”. Guess what... he did and it was really deserved. Waltz was funny and menacing and a joy to watch. His win left a smile in my face and what a speech.. a true legend (also he basically had no competition...)

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock is lovely but her role is a straighforward one... nothing special. Meryl is, alongside with Kate Winslet, the best actress in movies today. Helen Mirren is also a classy choice but neither of them were really in the competition. Carey Mulligan is cute and her movie is actually quite good but she was just there to fill the group. Bullocks main competition was Gabourney Sibile and in the end she should have taken home the award. It's a depressing role, I mean she is raped, has a kid, has AIDS, can't read... fuck me that requires some acting... Bullock was just playing an interesting yet simple woman... The Academy got it wrong I think, still it was quite funny that last night Bullock won a Razzie and tonight she won an oscar.

Best Picture

Finally the main category. If it were me these would have been the 10 nominees:

Avatar

Inglorious Basterds

The Hurt Locker

Watchmen

Star Trek

(500) Days of Summer

Fantastic Mr Fox

Sherlock Holmes

Where the Wild Things Are

Distric 9

Out of these 10 the only ones worthy of the Oscar, in my humble opinion, were Inglorious Basterds or Avatar. The first one had the best story, best screenplay, best acting and it was perhaps Tarantino's masterpiece (yes it might even be better than Pulp Fiction). The second had amazing cinematography, special effects, sound, art direction and a tour de force director who, like I said above basically directed a small army of people, granted storywise it could have been better, but it was still one of the best cinematic experiences ever. There is no way the Hurt Locker should have won this, don't get me wrong, it's a fine fine movie but is just not a “best picture winner” and it only won because people think its cool to hate everything that is popular (like Avatar). If I had to vote I would have probably gone for Inglorious Basterds but Avatar would have been a close second and is definatly a much better cinematic experience than the Hurt Locker.