Paul’s Academy Award Review

Well it’s official. The Academy Awards have come and gone. While most people seem not to care anymore, to the film fan, it’s like our Super Bowl! We pick our favorite film to root for and stand by in every aspect hoping that it gets the well deserved appreciation from The Academy!

There was a juggernaut in the midst of the contenders though. James Cameron “coached” his “team”, Avatar, to perfection. The media and public easily made this film the heavyweight of the bunch. Many outlets predicted that Avatar would suck up all the awards like a Hoover Vacuum.

I didn’t buy it though. I was rooting for the underdog when I made my picks because personally, every other movie connected with me in a way that Avatar didn’t. Would The Academy feel the same way?

(For the Nominees, if I hadn’t seen the films, or had nothing to really say about the category, I did not make a pick.)

• Motion Picture: “The Hurt Locker”
  • My pick: “The Hurt Locker”
  • Who I thought The Academy would pick: “Avatar”
    • With the addition of more choices for best picture this year, this decision was very tough. So many to choose from, and each with their own positives! I chose “Hurt Locker” because I felt that film connected on multiple levels. I thought “Avatar” would win though because with all the technological advancements that it made for the film industry.
• Actor: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
  • MY: Jeff Bridges
  • Academy: George Clooney
    • I simply loved “Crazy Heart” a lot. Jeff Bridges role as “Bad Blake” was moving and had me feeling his highs and lows in his life. I have yet to see “Up in the Air” (comes out on DVD Tuesday!) but I have heard nothing but good things so I assumed Clooney would nail it.
• Actress: Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
• Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
  • MY: Christoph Waltz
  • Academy: Christoph Waltz
    • Have you SEEN Basterds?! No contest.
• Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
  • MY: Mo’Nique
  • Academy: Mo’Nique
    • Though I have not seen Precious, I know that it is intense. Knowing the content in this film and comparing it to the others, I believed that she would win hands down.
• Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
  • MY: James Cameron
  • Academy: James Cameron
    • While I don’t care for the movie, Avatar had to be one hell of a beast to film and direct. Working with new tech and this crew could not have been an easy task.
• Foreign Film: “El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” Argentina
• Adapted Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher, “Precious: Based on the Novel `Push’ by Sapphire.
• Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker”
  • MY: Inglorious Basterds
  • Academy: Inglorious Basterds
    • Basterds was Tarintino’s first film in a while that isn’t overly focused on the action aspect. It seemed to be heavy on the drama and tension that built up in the scenes with the actors, especially the ones involving Christoph Waltz.
• Animated Feature Film: “Up”
  • MY: Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • Academy: Up
    • I knew that Pixar was going to take the award, but I really loved “Fox”. I thought Wes Anderson really delivered with an awesome cast, and a animation style that doesn’t get used enough too often in major films.
• Art Direction: “Avatar.”
• Cinematography: “Avatar.”
  • MY: Hurt Locker
  • Academy: The White Ribbon
    • I love cinematography and would want to be a Director of Photography later on. Maybe I’m a newbie, but I don’t understand how Avatar pulled this off. It was done mostly on sound stage and green screen. I thought something filmed on location would be held higher than Avatar, but I guess not. I’m not criticizing it, I’m just curious in a way.
• Sound Mixing: “The Hurt Locker.”
• Sound Editing: “The Hurt Locker.”
• Original Score: “Up,” Michael Giacchino.
• Original Song: “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart,” Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.
• Costume: “The Young Victoria.”
• Documentary Feature: “The Cove.”
• Documentary (short subject): “Music by Prudence.”
• Film Editing: “The Hurt Locker.”
• Makeup: “Star Trek.”
• Animated Short Film: “Logorama.”
  • I actually saw this a while ago. Pretty creative, and I’m glad to see it won!
• Live Action Short Film: “The New Tenants.”
• Visual Effects: “Avatar.”
  • No Contest.

There you have it! Some other notable things in the show that impressed me included a tribute to John Hughes and also a entire montage dedicate to horror films.

One last note:

Steve Martin is awesome.

Until next time movie buffs!