Oscar-nomics: Overall Predictions

Here is a quick overview of my picks, I am sticking to guns on most of the categories I was originally in question. I see Hugo being the big runner-up of the night. Personally, I am so close to picking it over War Horse for sound, but I just can't do it. Same with Costume, but again I think its deserving win for Art Direction will be good enough for the film. Now, if Hugo takes Visual Effects, which is highly possible mind you, then it good be a big night for Hugo in the tech and artistic categories. This could, in turn, make War Horse the biggest loser of the night, which is a possibility as well. Foreign Language film and Cinematography are also up for grabs. I am picking Monsieur Lazhar but hoping A Separation takes it, personally. Don't be surprised if In Darkness takes it either, remember the voters in this category are generally older and they love war films (but who doesn't, right?). I am changing Best Documentary Short (the only shorts category I didn't see) because other predictors are swaying me into a different direction. I am switching to Saving Face because it resembles many past winners in this categories. It could be Cherry Blossom or Incident in New Baghdad, we shall see. Other than that, I stick by my decisions. Here is just a quick look at my picks, with my runner-up to keep track that if I am wrong, at least I was close. Here are my picks:


Best Picture: The Artist
        Runner-Up: Hugo


Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius The Artist
        Runner-Up: Martin Scorcese Hugo


Best Actor: Jean Dujardin The Artist
        Runner-Up: George Clooney The Descendants


Best Actress: Viola Davis The Help
        Runner-Up: Meryl Streep The Iron Lady


Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer Beginners
        Runner-Up: Kenneth Brannagh My Week with Marylin


Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer The Help
        Runner-Up: Berenice Bejo The Artist


Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
        Runner-Up: The Artist


Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
        Runner-Up: Moneyball


Best Film Editing: The Artist
        Runner-Up: Moneyball


Best Animated Feature: Rango
        Runner-Up: A Cat in Paris


Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
        Runner-Up: Hell and Back Again


Best Foreign Film: Monsieur Lazhar
        Runner-Up/Should Win: A Separation


Best Original Score: The Artist
        Runner-Up: Hugo


Best Original Song: "Man or Muppet" The Muppets
        Runner-Up: "Real in Rio" Rio


Best Art Direction: Hugo
        Runner-Up: The Artist


Best Sound Mixing: War Horse
        Runner-Up: Hugo


Best Sound Editing: War Horse
        Runner-Up: Hugo


Best Documentary Short: Saving Face
        Runner-Up: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom


Best Live Action Short: Raju
        Runner-Up: The Shore


Best Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
        Runner-Up: Wild Life


Best Cinematography: The Tree of Life
        Runner-Up: Hugo


Best Costume Design: Jane Eyre
        Runner-Up: Hugo


Best Makeup: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows pt. 2
        Runner-Up: The Iron Lady


Best Visual Effects: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
        Runner-Up: Hugo


I haven't fully decided on whether or not I will blog during the show or if I will just post my thoughts afterwards. For now, have fun and enjoy the show everyone...

Oscar-nomics: Best Picture Predictions

VS

So, here we are, Best Picture. After two years of expanding then changing the category to possible expansion (depending upon number of votes), guessing the nominations have become a bit more tougher. That isn't to say there are films that are front-runners long before the announcement, but to guess the other possibles have now come to be a bit harder to figure out. That being said the list is both intriguing, and infuriating at the same time. Now, while there is a presumed front-runner, the fun part now, with the expanded list, is guessing what films would've made the top five, or for that matter what ranking did they make in the list. That being said, lets break down the sure fire contenders from the pretenders:


1. The Big Three: As with every year, there are three categories that unless you are, at the very least, nominated in each of these categories, your chances of winning are limited. Chalk it up to widespread love, as long as they have Screenplay, Directing and Editing nominations, they stand a shot. Many will say acting is important too, but not as much (though it doesn't hurt). With that in mind, lets look at the nominations and who survive to the next round:
The Artist: Directing (Y), Writing (Y), Editing (Y) 
The Descendants Directing (Y), Writing (Y), Editing (Y)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Directing (N), Writing (N), Editing (N)
The Help: Directing (N), Writing (N) Editing (N) 
Hugo: Directing (Y), Writing (Y) Editing (Y) 
Midnight in Paris: Directing (Y), Writing (Y), Editing (N) 
Moneyball: Directing (N), Writing (Y), Editing (Y) 
The Tree of Life: Directing (Y), Writing (N), Editing (N) 
War Horse: Directing (N), Writing (N), Editing (N)


All right, now that we have gone through the ranks, it seems The Artist, The Descendants and Hugo are the frontrunners, and though we already have a presumed winner, we go on to our next category:


2. Who fills out the list?: With three films already locks, what would've been #4 and #5 on the list? To me, the safe bet would be Moneyball, because despite lacking the Directing nomination, it received a lot more love many didn't think it had (it landed a sound nomination for crying our loud). I think the editing nomination is also a reason why I consider it a safer bet, can't be in the hunt without it. Could it pull an upset? Not a chance, at least compared to the top 3. Now the other spot? The easy answer would be Midnight in Paris, which landed 2/3 of the necessary nominations. Many would like to see The Help make the list, but I am not so sure. I was assuming it would at least land a Screenplay nomination. Even though the acting branch, which is where The Help received its other nominations, I don't think even they would be enough to make it. Extremely Loud came out of nowhere, but it only has one other nomination, so that is unlikely. Tree of Life probably would be polarizing enough that while it probably received its fair share of 1st place votes, it probably wouldn't rank any closer on other voter's list. War Horse was a presumed lock, but it lost much momentum as the season went on. The Best Picture nomination was going to happen under these rules, but if it were still 5? Not likely. Here is my thoughts on what would've made the top five (in alphabetical order):


-The Artist
-The Descendants
-Hugo
-Midnight in Paris
-Moneyball

Now, to the big question:

3. Who Wins?: While The Descendants received love with an editing nomination, it didn't receive any other technical nominations so I think the love is mostly skin deep. Now if we are talking about widespread love, look no further than the nomination leaders Hugo and The Artist. There are great claims as to why both should win, cause they really should. The only difference is Hugo got Sound nominations and The Artist received nominations (and likely at least one win) in acting. So, who gets the trophy? When in doubt, follow the guilds. The Artist can't be stopped, so I see Hugo as the night's big runner-up. That is, I am predicting it to win in some categories, it will probably rank second in all the other categories. This may prove to be vital in creating an upset, as the tech and artistic categories do have me flip flopping (except for score and art direction, I think those shall be split between the two). That being said, I see The Artist taking it, with Hugo close behind. So, with that I give you my power rankings:

Predicted Winner/Power Rankings:

1. The Artist

2. Hugo

3. The Descendants

4. Midnight in Paris

5. Moneyball

6. The Help

7. War Horse

8. The Tree of Life

9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

My Personal Choices/Power Rankings:

1. Hugo

2. The Tree of Life

3. Midnight in Paris

4. The Artist

5. Moneyball

6. The Descendants

7. The Help

8. War Horse

9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

(Note: I have yet to see the last two, I may have slipped War Horse ahead of The Help, but without having seen it, I can't make that call)

What Should Have Been Nominated (In no real order):

-Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

-Shame

-Contagion

-Beginners

Osar-nomics: Best Film Editing Predictions

This is one of my favorite categories, which is why I saved it for last (besides Best Picture). Not only is it integral to the whole process of film-making (what good is a film if its not put together properly), but it is also just as necessary in predicting the Best Picture. The last film to take Best Picture and not be nominated in this category was Ordinary People back in 1980. You also get some non-Best Picture nominees, but worthy candidates to show that not all of the Best Picture nominees were truly the year's best in this category (it also helps narrow down the list). We lost that the past years when they made a mandatory 10 Best Picture list, but this year with new rules, its great to see a non-Best Picture make it (even though I thought it would make the list). That being said, I like the list, even though my favorite, Contagion, was not nominated. That being said, lets take a look at the nominees:

The Artist Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
To be a Best Picture front-runner, you almost have to have a nomination in this category. I do think this is a worthy nomination, and likely win. The editing is seamless and it helps move the story along when music isn't there at its aide (the composer can only do so much). Whoever has won the ACE Eddie (Editing guild) has gone on to win this award. Though they have split the award between Comedy and Drama, if one of them were to win this year, it would be this one, since the other one was...

The Descendants Kevin Tent
Not to belittle his work, I just didn't find it all that impressive. I think this is a nominee that is a telling sign of the Academy's love for the film. I say this because not even Payne's Sideways made the cut a few years back.That being said, I don't think the editing is flashy enough to get the win. I think a win in this category means they really loved it, and I have serious doubts they loved it more than The Artist or Hugo.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Now, this is a nomination I am extremely happy about. It is extremely difficult to make almost 3 hours of footage anything but long and tiresome, and the duo did it wonderfully. This also shows a level of respect for the duo, having scored their third nomination in a row (Curious Case of Benjamin Button and won for the Social Network). I think it any film should be able to upset, its this one, I am hoping for this one to win, but truth be told it might be in the 3rd spot overall. Mind you, its the kind of flashy editing that does well in this category. However, by not being a Best Picture nominee, its clearly at a disadvantage, and is clearly not as loved as The Artist and...

Hugo Thelma Schoonmaker
Talk about best Director-Editor in the business, she and Martin Scorcese have worked together for decades. She won for the Departed The Aviator and Raging Bull, so she is rather well respected in the editing community. Add in that her film is a beloved Best Picture nominee, whose film does have its flashy moments of editing. Whether its the hustle and bustle of the train station, the wondrous adventures in Paris, or the detail put in each scene of Mr. Scorcese's love of film-making and Goerges Melies. I'd put this as the most possible spoiler, because even though it is loved and flashy, I don't think its as loved as The Artist.

Moneyball Christopher Tellefsen
Another great choice, and possible player for the win. The smooth editing of each baseball game as well the whip smart dialogue (which is key for any Aaron Sorkin film) makes this a viable candidate. Add in the fact that its a Best Picture nominee, it stands a chance. That being said, I think it may be in the weakest spot (aside from Dragon Tattoo). The Academy's love for the film is clear with its 6 nominations, and its as flashy as Dragon Tattoo to be strongly considered a contender. However, I just see this film coming up short, probably ahead of Dragon Tattoo, maybe behind The Descendants out of sheer love for the former. I'm putting this one in the should win, because while I am backing Dragon Tattoo, I think of the two Moneyball is the safer bet of the two, but don't get me wrong these are two solid nominees I am talking about.

Winner: The Artist
Runner-Up: Hugo


Should Win: Moneyball
Should Have Been Nominated: Contagion


gee, I wonder what the next category will be???

Oscar-nomics: Best Actor Predictions

This is the category I take most umbrage with, and not because who is in it, the list is respectable, but who is not. I thought Michael Fassbender not only had the biggest breakout year by far but also the best performance in Shame. He threw himself into every scene he was given and gave each scene no less than his all, which he did flawlessly. I was worried he would be snubbed since he failed to land a SAG nomination, but I was hoping the Academy would overlook that mess up and let him in. Oh well, lets see who got in instead, here are the nominees:

Demián Bichir A Better Life
No offense to Mr. Bichir, this is a well earned nomination, but its his nomination I am most upset about. While I am sure his performance is strong, it had a very little release. This, to me is one of those "hmm, maybe I will finally go check out this film," kind of nominees that happen every once in a while (such as Jacki Weaver last year for Animal Kingdom). That being said, he hasn't the momentum or the mentioned release time to truly mount an upset, so the nomination is the reward.

George Clooney The Descendants
This is arguably one of my favorite George Clooney performances. Not only do we see him be the George Clooney we all know and love, we also see his emotional side as a father trying to handle family and business all during a tragic accident. He was long since to be considered your winner, but I am not so convinced now. Lately, there has been a shift in momentum towards a new sheriff in town. I think Mr. Clooney will fall just short of...

Jean Dujardin The Artist
I knew this nomination was coming from a mile away, but I never considered him the frontiersmen. Then I started thinking about it and it actually makes the most sense. Being in a silent film, he must be able to act out each and every scene with only his body movements not his voice, which is hard to do. Granted, it throws subtlety out the window, but after seeing Mr. Dujardin on the awards circuit, there isn't a single bit of subtlety in his bones, and that's actually a compliment. He is a very charismatic man, he is in a Best Picture front-runner, and in a way he does the most acting than all the others combined (and they have the luxury of verbal conversations). I think Dujardin will squeak out a win here, and deservedly so (I mean since Fassbender is out).

Brad Pitt Moneyball
Now, I am really happy for this nomination, and I was hoping he would get more love than he did. Many were playing this category (and to a lesser extent the Adapted Screenplay category) as a Pitt vs Clooney battle. I was pulling for Mr. Pitt because while his is the most subtle of the two but also the most impactful, in my opinion, on the scene at had (Clooney was already surrounded by the emotional context of the scene). Pitt worked the dialogue with intelligence and humor, allowing us to better understand the logic of the game as well as Mr. Billy Beane. I only wish he had gained more momentum to win, because the man deserves to very much. That being said, I think he has been stuck in the #3 spot right now, but hey I'm pulling for you man (and this is coming from a devout Cardinals fan).

Gary Oldman Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Now, if you want to talk about subtle performances, look no further than Mr. Oldman's performance. I personally felt his performance, as well as the film, was too subtle for their own good and the plot kind of got a little muddled because of it. Also, this being his first nomination, you can't help but wonder if the nomination is to say, "See, we have nominated the guy," because he has often been snubbed of an Oscar nomination. That being said, he has no chance of winning, he's not carrying a Best Picture nominee, he's had little award's season love and his performance isn't really much of a standout. The nomination is the reward.

And this was about as restrained as I can be in terms of holding back my hatred of the Academy for snubbing Mr. Fassbender, now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go and blow off some.... steam....

Winner: Jean Dujardin The Artist
Runner-Up: George Clooney The Descendants


Should Win: Brad Pitt Moneyball (but Jean Dujardin would be runner-up in this category)
Should've been Nominated: Michael Fassbender Shame

Oscar-nomics: Best Adapted Screenplay Nominations

 VS

Okay, I was waiting a while to predict this because, truth be told, I haven't seen the front runner in this category yet (at least the presumed frontrunner). That being said, it is a respectable list, don't have any major problems with this list. Honestly, most of the films I have seen are Original, so I was more bias when writing that one. Needless to say, like Original, we are in a position where we have some welcomed nominees, but in the end, only two here are on the radar for a win. Here are the nominees:

The Descendants: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash from The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

For awhile now, this film has been hailed as the one to beat and that so far stays true. Its an emotional film with many well written characters with a good sense of humor that doesn't belittle everything going on. Payne had previously won for the wonderful Sideways so while there has been a long standing thing lately of spreading the wealth, I think he's the safe money to win, especially since there is a good chance this film may get shut out in a few other categories. Still, I am reserved to say this in fact will win, even though I am predicting so. There is one other film that stands a chance at dethroning it.

Hugo: John Logan from The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

While I loved the film, there were some problems with the script which make me feel like this is one of the weak links in the category. If there was one thing the film could've done better, it would've been to make the script a little more subtle than it was. It felt like too much was given to us rather than simply allowing us to explore the film on a deeper level. While I do see Hugo having a strong night in the technical categories, I'm afraid all the love for the film (which I suspect got it here) can't bring it a win here (if so, than ladies and gentlemen, I give you your Best Picture, this is how sure I am it won't win here).
  
The Ides of March: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon from Farragut North by Beau Willimon

Honestly, I am not terribly surprised this made it in, since there was a late in the game boom going for it. It is also a taut, suspenful political drama filled with many great performances. I thought it kind of got bogged down with a melodramatic love triangle, but it didn't completely destroy the film for me. That being said, being the films only nominee, I think the nomination is the reward and it just doesn't have enough love to carry on to the win.
  
Moneyball: Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin from Moneyball by Michael Lewis

 Now, if you want to talk about a film that might have enough love to gain a win, than Moneyball could be an upset in the making, and for good reasons. It took a book many couldn't translate well into a smart, funny and inspirational movie. Bolstered by great performances, this is a very well made movie. I have a sneaking suspicion that this film may end up winning here for several reasons. For starters, it received more nominations than the Descendants which shows broader love (though the Descendants did gain a directing nom) and it took material no one thought could be made into a film and made a fantastic one at that. Granted, its Aaron Sorkin, the guy who made a film about Facebook. Granted, this would be back to back wins for the man, as well as Zaillian's second after Schindler's List, but lets be honest, would you complain if these two won again? Here's hoping...

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

Personally, I had some problems with how this film played out, mostly since I found it a little hard to follow at times. That being said, I enjoyed it for the Thriller/Espionage film that it is and the nomination is surely a welcomed one. That being said, though, it stands no chance. Its not a Best Picture nominee and it hasn't quite had the run to merit an upset status. Still, congrats for them, the nomination is certainly the reward here.

Winner: The Descendants
Runner-Up: Moneyball

Should Win: Moneyball
Should've been Nominated: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 

Oscar-nomics: Sound Editing/Mixing Predictions

 VS

Not my best of display pictures, but what can you do?

Seeing as how I missed posting yesterday, I would figure I would do a double header to make up for lost time. I was thinking of doing both of the writing categories, but I feel those deserve there own, separate time. I picked doing both of the sound categories for two reasons: 1) I am never 100% on this and 2) I am predicting the same movie to win both so as to avoid having to explain the difference. Generally, when you are nominated in both categories, you are already the presumed frontrunner, which makes a bit of sense. Take last year, Inception won both and its closest competition was True Grit, the only other double nominee. I am not saying that this is an absolute but given 4/5 slots are double nominees, I'm going to assume there is a slight chance this will happen. And for my rant of the day: WHERE THE F!@* IS TINTIN!!! Now, with that out of the way, here are the nominees:

Moneyball: Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick (Sound Mixing only)
I am rather happy that this made the list, cause it has every right to be here. The mixing of the sounds in the baseball games is subtle in that it works to its advantages of raising the suspense of each hit and every tense moment. That being said, I think its too subtle and being that it is not also nominated for editing, I'd say its a long-shot, but A for the nomination.

Drive: Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis (Editing only)
Again, another solid choice, the sound designs were excellent and definitely helped set the mood. However, this is the film's sole nomination, following the rude snub of Mr. Brooks, which means the film's lack of overall love gives this little hope.

Now, for the dual nominees:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin (mixing) Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn (editing)
As bad as the Transformers films are, the sound designs are generally top notch. They help keep the action sequences from being unbearable (which is no mean feat in a Bay film) and actually makes them fun to watch at times. That being said, the Academy generally never had much love for the franchise, so seeing them take either of these would probably be the longest shot of the double nominees.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson (Mixing) Ren Klyce (editing)
Personally, this is my favorite of the lot. The mixing of the music to the scene as well as the editing of the creepy tones and intense sequences makes this a worthy nominee, and almost worthy winner. In another year, I would be picking this one hands down, but I don't see the film quite taking down these next two nominees.

Hugo: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley (mixing) Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton (editing)
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if this is your winner. The sound design team does a wonderful time with the design and editing of the sounds that go on within the clock tower, as well as the train station (such as the scene with the train going through the station). This would be a welcomed win and a deserving one at that, but I am putting this as my runner up with a dark horse chance against this nominee (GwDT is also a dark horse, but I think Hugo stands a better chance at an upset).

War Horse: Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson (Mixing) Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom (editing)
Like how I noted in Best Original Score Prediction, this has everything going for it in the way of a win. Its a war film that has strong sound effects. This is from the same team that did Saving Private Ryan, and have won 7 of these bad boys in the past. Its hard to bet against them since they are in there comfort zone, which is why I have a sneaking suspicion they might end up losing. I am picking this film for a double win, but something tells me they might be set up for an upset, it just seems to easy the choice. I know that isn't the best excuse for a reason, but I have a feeling Hugo might overtake it. The Academy clearly loves Hugo with the 11 nominations, and there thoughts on War Horse weren't as loving as many had originally thought. Still, the safe money is War Horse, but I would be pleasantly surprised if Hugo upsets, or maybe even takes a split (personally I'm pulling for an editing upset for Hugo, or even Dragon Tattoo, but Hugo seems more likely).

That's it for today, fingers crossed I'm back tomorrow for more predictions...

Winner: War Horse (both editing and mixing)
Runner-up: Hugo (both editing and mixing)

Should win: Dragon Tattoo (editing) and Hugo (mixing)
Should've been nominated: The Adventures of Tintin (for both mixing and editing)

Oscar-nomics: Best Supporting Actor Predictions

Here comes, yet again, another category in which I am extremely upset about. There are less welcoming nominees than there are welcomed nominees. I overlooked SAG for snubbing Albert Brooks, I knew an actual Oscar win was a long shot. BUT TO NOT BE NOMINATED!!!! Argh. Oh well, I am going to contain my disdain for this category at that was my favorite category last year. This is also the category where while there maybe a race early on, we generally see one person take the "way out front" position and can't possibly lose (I thought Brooks had that for a little bit, but oh well). I like to take the stance that they are 90-95% probably going to win, mostly out of respect for the nominees. This one, however, I have no problem picking as the winner, but first the nominees:

Kenneth Brannagh- My Week with Marylin


He's only 1/2 people who have been consistently nominated on the awards circuit, so this was not all that surprising. Personally, I saw this coming the day I heard Brannagh would play Olivier (a match made in heaven). While I am glad to see him here, he has gained little to no momentum towards an actual win, so at least he got to enjoy the fun ride (unlike Brooks should've, sorry).




Jonah Hill-Moneyball
 

This nomination was a bit out of left field (sorry for the pun). My gut says this was a filler nominee, but I have nothing to back that up with (I am waiting to see it, one reason why I haven't released a top 10 yet). Its nice to see the film was liked so much that he got in, but he doesn't quite have the momentum to even come close, though its nice to see him here (even if Brooks is not).



Nick Nolte- Warrior



Here's a man that I have mixed feelings about. On the one side, his film did poor at the box office, so the prospects at a nomination was a long shot. He did get some awards nominations love, but it was still not certain. Now, here we are. While it is nice to see box office not being an issue here, the fact is he doesn't stand a chance. His film, while it got good reviews, the film never found an audience to gain further momentum for him. Another man where the nomination is the reward.







Christopher Plummer- Beginners

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is your winner, and I am completely happy with this. He has earned this beyond simply being an honorary award. He brings life to a character who, for 75 years, has contained his homosexuality and has chosen now to experience the life he never had but always wanted. Plummer is a seasoned vet who deserved this many years ago, but I am happy with him winning for this awesome film. He's been tearing up the awards circuit (save for Brooks of course), and come oscar night, its all his.


Max von Sydow- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Now this is a nominee I didn't see coming. I mean, I was thinking it was a possibility early on. The problem is the film was not liked by critics, its not doing well at the box, I thought this film was dead in the water. Seeing him here (over Brooks grrrr). While its a surprise to see him here, I would be even more surprised if he wins. The only plausible chance would be for honorary reasons, but Plummer debunks that. Oh well, I guess the nomination is, you guessed it, the reward.

Will Win: Christopher Plummer

Runner-Up: Kenneth Brannagh

Should Win: Christopher Plummer

Should be here: Albert Brooks "Drive" 

Tune in next Monday for more exciting Oscar predictions...

Oscar-nomics: Producer's Guild Nominations

Sorry for the laziness in my postings. I will rectify this today with a bunch of Guild updates. Figured I would start with the Producer's Guild, since its kind of old. We have the usual Suspects of The Artist, The Descendants and Hugo as well as personal favorites (though Hugo is included on this part, I wanted the usual suspects section to have some more weight) of Midnight in Paris and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am glad Moneyball is getting love, even though I have yet to see it. I am surprised by the love Bridesmaids is getting, but  I don't see it lasting. The Help and Ides of March aren't exactly thrilling choices, in my opinion, since such films as Drive or, dare I say, Tree of Life getting shut out, oh well. As for the Animation, I'm putting it as a Tintin  vs. Rango with other filler films to fill in the nominations list (I'm not trying to sound mean, but this year was a weak year for Animation). Documentary is filling out as I was expecting it to, I'm holding true to Project Nim and Bill Cunningham as the contenders, but we shall see. here is the list below:

Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann

BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend

THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO 
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin

THE HELPProducers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green

HUGO 
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese

THE IDES OF MARCH 
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS 
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

WAR HORSE 
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTINProducers: Peter Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

CARS 2 
Producer: Denise Ream

KUNG FU PANDA 2
Producer: Melissa Cobb

PUSS IN BOOTS 
Producers: Joe M. Aguilar, Latifa Ouaou

RANGO
Producers: John B. Carls, Gore Verbinski

The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

Producers: Michael Rapaport, Edward Parks (*additional producers eligibility pending arbitration completion)

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK

Producer: Philip Gefter

PROJECT NIM

Producer: Simon Chinn

SENNA

Producer: James Gay-Rees

THE UNION

Producers: Cameron Crowe, Michelle Panek

Oscar-nomics: Golden Globe Nominations

So, today the Golden Globes were announced today. Quick thoughts, I’m kind of surprised how stacked the Musical/Comedy side is. I generally prefer the Drama section, but there are a lot of good films in this section. I think the Drama section is good, but I’m getting a little upset with Jessica Chastain’s campaign for The Help taking off instead off the Tree of Life (which got snubbed, AGAIN!!!). The Help was good, but I don’t think it deserved Best Drama nomination. I would have given it to Tinker Tailor (another surprising snub) or maybe even Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, though the latter is wishful thinking on my part. Glad Brooks got back into the supporting actor ring, may he never leave again. Also good to see Moneyball and Midnight in Paris getting a strong showing, even though I must admit I haven’t seen the former, I think these two are the ones to pose threats to the Artist and the Descendants, the obvious frontrunners.

The Inclusion of the Ides of March is also surprising. I thought it was good, but I don’t see it getting much traction going into awards season, but its good to see Ryan Gosling getting love for a strong year. This is all nice and well, except for one major snub, and that is the Muppets. NOT A SINGLE NOMINATION!!! I felt Man or Muppet was a sinch for best song, oh well. Fingers crossed for Midnight in Paris, among a few other films.

Here are the nominations below:

(Maybe I should also do the nominees for television… Nah…)

Best Motion Picture - Drama

"The Descendants"

"The Help"

"Hugo"

"The Ides of March"

"Moneyball"

"War Horse"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

"50/50"

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Midnight in Paris

My Week with Marilyn

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Georege Clooney, "The Descendants"

Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"

Michael Fassbender, "Shame"

Ryan Gosling, "The Ides of March

Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis, "The Help"

Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"

Tilda Swinton, "We Need To Talk About Kevin"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Jodi Foster, "Carnage"

Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"

Kristen Wiig, "Bridesmaids"

Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"

Kate Winslet, "Carnage"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

Joseph Gordon Levitt, "50/50"

Ryan Gosling, "Crazy Stupid Love"

Brendan Gleeson, "The Guard"

Owen Wilson, "Midnight in Paris"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Berenice Bejo,  "The Artist"

Jessica Chastain, "The Help"

Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"

Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"

Albert Brooks, "Drive"

Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"

Viggo Mortensen, "A Dangerous Method"

Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Best Director - Motion Picture

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"

George Clooney, "The Ides of March"

Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"

Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

"Midnight in Paris"

"The Ides of March"

"The Artist"

"The Descendants"

"Moneyball"

Best Animated Feature Film

"The Adventures of Tintin"

"Arthur Christmas"

"Cars 2"

"Puss in Boots"

"Rango"

Best Foreign Language Film

"Flowers of War"

"The Land of Blood and Honey"

"The Kid with A Bike"

"A Separation"

"The Skin I Live In"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

"The Artist"

"W.E"

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

"War Horse"

"Hugo"

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

“HELLO HELLO” — "Gnomeo & Juliet"

Music by: Elton John

Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin

“THE KEEPER” — "Machine Gun Preacher"

Music & Lyrics by: Chris Cornell

“LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN” — "Albert Nobbs"

Music by: Brian Byrne

Lyrics by: Glenn Close

“THE LIVING PROOF” — "The Help"

Music by: Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason, Jr.

Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas

 “MASTERPIECE” — "W.E."

Music & Lyrics by: Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry