Here's the nominations and our winners
Avatar
James Cameron and Jon Landau
An Education
Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey
A Serious Man
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
District 9
Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham
Inglourious Basterds
Lawrence Bender
Lawrence Bender
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness
The Blind Side
Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson
The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro
Up
Jonas Rivera
Up In The Air
Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman
Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness
The Blind Side
Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson
The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro
Up
Jonas Rivera
Up In The Air
Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman
This year, the choices were varied and doubled (for the first time the Academy nominated 10 movies in this category from customary 5) from uplifting Up In The Air to gritty The Hurt Locker; from soul riveting Precious to historically hilarious Inglourious Basterds; and finally two movies on extra-terrestrial lives -- Avatar and District 9 -- that had aliens as main characters but the underlining subject was not alien, instead earthly.
In this category, the top three movies end up being Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Precious. It's a tight race but Precious may have its day or perhaps the big night on March 7. The reason being its pure life-size story and not the Avatar's king-size drama.
In this category, the top three movies end up being Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Precious. It's a tight race but Precious may have its day or perhaps the big night on March 7. The reason being its pure life-size story and not the Avatar's king-size drama.
And the OSCAR goes to
PRECIOUS
Achievement in Directing
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
James Cameron
for Avatar
Jason Reitman
for Up In The Air
Kathryn Bigelow
for The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels
for Precious
Quentin Tarantino
for Inglourious Basterds
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
James Cameron
for Avatar
Jason Reitman
for Up In The Air
Kathryn Bigelow
for The Hurt Locker
Lee Daniels
for Precious
Quentin Tarantino
for Inglourious Basterds
The five directors nominated this time are excellent in their own style of filmmaking and that makes them unique. While James Cameron, as usual, told the story on a gargantum and fantastic scale, his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow kept it amateurish. Jason Reitman's USP has been his simplistic narrative sans drama, for Lee Daniel's it was the sentimental dose; and finally Tarantino's chapter wise, thrilling and bloody cold fantasy.
But our prediction is clear. The winner in Bigelow has been her unique ability to remain away from being judgmental and making the audience experience the fear, anxiety and addiction of war in a same way that a marine feels on the streets of Baghdad. A history in the making -- Bigelow may, we predict, will turn out to be the first woman director to carry home the Oscar uncle.
But our prediction is clear. The winner in Bigelow has been her unique ability to remain away from being judgmental and making the audience experience the fear, anxiety and addiction of war in a same way that a marine feels on the streets of Baghdad. A history in the making -- Bigelow may, we predict, will turn out to be the first woman director to carry home the Oscar uncle.
KATHYRN BIGELOW
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Colin Firth
for A Single Man
George Clooney
for Up In The Air
Jeff Bridges
for Crazy Heart
Jeremy Renner
for The Hurt Locker
Morgan Freeman
for Invictus
Last year, Mickey Rourke had created a pre Oscar buzz with his 'return'. Indeed it was one of the finest performance but we believed that Sean Penn had better chance. We were right. Hope this time too we are right in saying that the contenders for the trophy in this category are Colin Firth, George Clooney and Morgan Freeman; and not Jeff Bridges despite his Golden Globe trophy. I think the Academy members will give a nail-biting finish to this and alas we can't keep ours fingers crossed. So despite the brush of history by portraying Mandela, Freeman will not be able to make it to the podium of Kodak Theatre. Firth's commendable scene of agony may miss the chance too. And we believe that this will be the best chance for gracious and a wonderful looking Clooney to get the coveted award. If Firth brings our prediction crashing down, it'll make history too, as for the first time back-to-back the Academy will honour another straight actor for portraying a gay man on the screen.
GEORGE CLOONEY
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Carey Mulligan
for An Education
Gabourey Sidibe
for Precious
Helen Mirren
for The Last Station
Meryl Streep
for Julie & Julia
Sandra Bullock
for The Blind Side
When Giants like Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep are the nominees, could this year be the Year of Minnows. Possibly. Carey Mulligan has chance to upset Bullock for the latter's role as a strong mother whose encouragement helps her African American adopted son to make big on soccer field. But we feel that Bullock will bull (pull) it out.
SANDRA BULLOCK
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Christopher Plummer
for The Last Station
Christoph Waltz
for Inglourious Basterds
Matt Damon
for Invictus
Stanley Tucci
for The Lovely Bones
Woody Harrelson
for The Messenger
Here there is not an iota of ambiguity. For the second consecutive year, the winner in this category is crystal clear. If it was Heath Ledger last year whose chances of getting the golden statuette was sealed within moments he appeared on the screen as the menacing Joker, this time too it is an equal menacing Christoph Waltz as the Nazi officer whose presence on the screen made your gut wrench.
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Christopher Plummer
for The Last Station
Christoph Waltz
for Inglourious Basterds
Matt Damon
for Invictus
Stanley Tucci
for The Lovely Bones
Woody Harrelson
for The Messenger
Here there is not an iota of ambiguity. For the second consecutive year, the winner in this category is crystal clear. If it was Heath Ledger last year whose chances of getting the golden statuette was sealed within moments he appeared on the screen as the menacing Joker, this time too it is an equal menacing Christoph Waltz as the Nazi officer whose presence on the screen made your gut wrench.
And the OSCAR goes to
CHRISTOPH WALTZ
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Anna Kendrick
for Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal
for Crazy Heart
Mo'Nique
for Precious
Penélope Cruz
for Nine
Vera Farmiga
for Up In The Air
Nominations (in alphabetical order)
Anna Kendrick
for Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal
for Crazy Heart
Mo'Nique
for Precious
Penélope Cruz
for Nine
Vera Farmiga
for Up In The Air
Ooh la la! Two ladies of Up In The Air have made to the coveted nomination list. But will it increase the probability of the film getting another Oscar among the top categories? Not really, we feel. Despite Anna's very real portrayal as an ambitious young corporate employee whose immature emotional tryst and very disconnect from practicality to that of theoretical aspects of life could get her the second maximum number of Academy members' ayes, it will fall significantly short from the number of votes that Mo'Nique will garner. Sadly, gorgeous Penélope Cruz will only smile, again.
And the OSCAR goes to