How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
The Rest of the Eligible Films: Despicable Me, The Dreams of Jinsha, Idiots and Angels, Legend of the Guardians, Megamind, My Dog Tulip, Shrek Forever After, Summer Wars, Tangled, Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Fifteen films are eligible this year, making this a three nomination category. (Sixteen films are required to widen the field to five.) The animated race is interesting because voters are required to see at least 80% of the qualified pictures before they can cast their votes. This sometimes allows for surprise nominees - like last year's The Secret of Kells. That's why I'm predicting The Illusionist, a French critical darling, over box-office hits Despicable Me and Tangled for the third slot. The latter two films were well-reviewed, but they don't have the arty flair of The Illusionist. The other two slots will almost assuredly go to Toy Story 3 (a Best Picture contender) and the much-beloved How to Train Your Dragon. The actual Oscar is Toy Story's to lose.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Subject matter in brackets.
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer [Title says all]
Exit Through the Gift Shop [Graffiti artists]
Inside Job [Economic crisis]
Restrepo [US troops]
Waiting for Superman [Education system]
The Other Finalists: Enemies of the People, Gasland, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, The Lottery, Precious Life, Quest for Honor, The Way of Life, The Tillman Story, Waste Land, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
Despite the fact that Waiting for Superman has the win pretty much locked up before it has even been nominated, the documentary category is quite competitive this year. A lot of films have gotten a lot of love. There's the eccentric Exit Through the Gift Shop, the serious Inside Job, and the show biz-centric Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, which didn't even make the top fifteen. One way to sift through the plethora of contenders is to focus on subject matter; the more topical, the better. Being pensive doesn't hurt either. I've listed the five films I think will make the cut, but the truth is that any of them (besides Superman) could be snubbed.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Countries submitted from in brackets.
Biutiful [MEXICO]
Kokuhaku (Confessions) [JAPAN]
Life Above All [SOUTH AFRICA]
In a Better World [DENMARK]
Incendies [CANADA]
Other Finalists: Dogtooth, Outside the Law, Simple Simon, Tambien la Lluvia (Even the Rain)
Although In a Better World took home the Golden Globe, I still think Biutiful will win the Oscar, what with its international movie star (Javier Bardem) and Hollywood-respected director (Alejandro González Iñárritu). One thing to note, however, is that at the last few ceremonies, the "big foreign film of the year" didn't win.* You never know what surprises could occur.
*2009: The Secret in Their Eyes beat The White Ribbon, 2008: Departures beat Waltz with Bashir, 2006: The Lives of Others beat Pan's Labyrinth.
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
The Rest of the Eligible Films: Despicable Me, The Dreams of Jinsha, Idiots and Angels, Legend of the Guardians, Megamind, My Dog Tulip, Shrek Forever After, Summer Wars, Tangled, Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Fifteen films are eligible this year, making this a three nomination category. (Sixteen films are required to widen the field to five.) The animated race is interesting because voters are required to see at least 80% of the qualified pictures before they can cast their votes. This sometimes allows for surprise nominees - like last year's The Secret of Kells. That's why I'm predicting The Illusionist, a French critical darling, over box-office hits Despicable Me and Tangled for the third slot. The latter two films were well-reviewed, but they don't have the arty flair of The Illusionist. The other two slots will almost assuredly go to Toy Story 3 (a Best Picture contender) and the much-beloved How to Train Your Dragon. The actual Oscar is Toy Story's to lose.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Subject matter in brackets.
Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer [Title says all]
Exit Through the Gift Shop [Graffiti artists]
Inside Job [Economic crisis]
Restrepo [US troops]
Waiting for Superman [Education system]
The Other Finalists: Enemies of the People, Gasland, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, The Lottery, Precious Life, Quest for Honor, The Way of Life, The Tillman Story, Waste Land, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
Despite the fact that Waiting for Superman has the win pretty much locked up before it has even been nominated, the documentary category is quite competitive this year. A lot of films have gotten a lot of love. There's the eccentric Exit Through the Gift Shop, the serious Inside Job, and the show biz-centric Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, which didn't even make the top fifteen. One way to sift through the plethora of contenders is to focus on subject matter; the more topical, the better. Being pensive doesn't hurt either. I've listed the five films I think will make the cut, but the truth is that any of them (besides Superman) could be snubbed.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Countries submitted from in brackets.
Biutiful [MEXICO]
Kokuhaku (Confessions) [JAPAN]
Life Above All [SOUTH AFRICA]
In a Better World [DENMARK]
Incendies [CANADA]
Other Finalists: Dogtooth, Outside the Law, Simple Simon, Tambien la Lluvia (Even the Rain)
Although In a Better World took home the Golden Globe, I still think Biutiful will win the Oscar, what with its international movie star (Javier Bardem) and Hollywood-respected director (Alejandro González Iñárritu). One thing to note, however, is that at the last few ceremonies, the "big foreign film of the year" didn't win.* You never know what surprises could occur.
*2009: The Secret in Their Eyes beat The White Ribbon, 2008: Departures beat Waltz with Bashir, 2006: The Lives of Others beat Pan's Labyrinth.
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