This may be the year the Oscars get out of their ratings slump. The expanding of the Best Picture category from five to ten was a smart move. Its big enough to include red state crowd pleasers (The Blind Side), fan boy fare (District 9), the biggest movie ever (Avatar), and at least one ballsy art house choice (A Serious Man). But even after this some of the most important films of the year (35 Shots of Rum, Still Walking, Summer Hours, Two Lovers, House of the Devil) still didn’t stand a chance. For one reason: Most academy members simply haven’t even heard of them much less seen them.
After looking at the box office returns the weekend after the nominations anyone can see they have very little effect. Crazy Heart was the only film that saw a significant increase. After millions spent in Oscar campaigning you wonder why studios would go through all the trouble for such modest returns. The films that would truly benefit are the ones who can barely afford the distribution. The Headless Woman has only little over $88,000 in Box Office Returns, a single nomination would be a miracle for that film financially.
I’m not in any way against populist films to get nominated, just as long as they take chances and are at least technically innovative. Avatar, Inglorious Basterds, Up, and District 9 fit the bill perfectly and they It wouldn’t kill them to have spots open for some deserving films (Summer Hours, Two Lovers). Look what happed to the unexpected nomination of the animated film The Secret of the Krells. It was almost completely unknown outside of Ireland and with its recent nomination tons of buzz has built on the film with movie buffs and industry insiders. It wont make 100 million dollars but its creator is a big new name in animation.
In the acting categories How can the Media not want a success story? The media would have a full batch of new success stories with unknowns (Alycia Delmore, Peter Capaldi, Tom Hardy, Maria Onetto) thrust in the spotlight. Fresh new faces keep things from being boring.
The Oscars are all about exposure. People want to see their favorite films get their due and they want to be exposed to films they have never head of. And I think just about everyone is sick and tired of Oscar bait (Invictus, Nine, Up in the Air). They simply take their mediocre scripts and spread the sheen of prestige over the production. The latest Oscars are a step in the right direction but they still reflect the tastes of the America’s over 40 demographic. They need to start reflecting other kinds of cinema movements from right here and around the world.
The blind side just doesn’t cut the mustard
Here are my picks:
Best Picture
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
District 9
The White Ribbon
Avatar
Where the Wild Things Are
A Serious Man
Summer Hours
Up
Two Lovers
Best Director
Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)
Clare Denis (35 Shots of Rum)
James Grey (Two Lovers)
Kathryn Bigalow (The Hurt Locker)
Sam Raimi (Drag Me to Hell)
Best Actor
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Tom Hardy (Bronson)
Sam Rockwell (Moon)
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
Best Actress
Tilda Swinton (Julia)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Abbie Cornish (Bright Star)
Maria Onetto (The Headless Woman)
Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist)
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Christian McKay (Me and Orson Wells)
Peter Capaldi (In the Loop)
Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover)
Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Melanie Laurent (Inglorious Basterds)
Monique (Precious)
Alycia Delmore (Humpday)
Gwyneth Paltrow (Two Lovers)
Best Animated Feature
Coralline
Up
Fantastic Mr. Fox
A Town Called Panic
Ponyo
Original Screenplay
Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective)
Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)
Roy Andersson (You the Living)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Sugar)
Adapted Screenplay
Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
Armando Iannucci; Harold P. Manning; Ian Martin; Jesse Armstrong; Simon Blackwell; Tony Roche (In the Loop)
Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers (Where the Wild Things Are)
Joel and Ethan Coen (A Serious Man)
Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!)
Best Foreign language film
Dogtooth (Greece)
A Prophet (France)
The White Ribbon (Germany)
Mother (South Korea)
The Maid (Chile)
Best Documentary
Anvil: The Story of Anvil
The Cove
The Beaches of Agnes
Burma VJ
Of Time and the City
Best Cinematography
Tetro
Revanche
The White Ribbon
Inglorious Basterds
The Girlfriend Experience
Best Editing
Duplicity
A Serious Man
Inglorious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
Revanche
Best Original Song
“Loin de Paname” Paris 36
“All is Love” Where the Wild Things Are
“The Weary Kind” Crazy Heart
“Fly Farm Blues” It Might Get Loud
“Trust Me” The Informant!
Best Score
Marvin Hamlisch (The Informant!)
Bad Rabbit (The Limits of Control)
Alexandre Desplat (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
James Newton Howard (Duplicity)
Michael Giacchino (Up)
Best Costume Design
The Brothers Bloom
Inglorious Basterds
The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus
Whip It
The Limits of Control
Best Art Direction
Moon
The Road
Avatar
Where the Wild things Are
The Brothers Bloom
Best Make Up
Il Divo
District 9
The Road
Watchmen
Whip It
Best Visual Effects
Avatar
Where the Wild Things Are
Star Trek
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Best Sound
Revanche
The Hurt Locker
Avatar
Star Trek
District 9
Best Ensemble Cast
House of the Devil
Summer Hours
Inglorious Basterds
In the Loop
A Serious Man
Adventureland
Still Walking