Monday - Art & Design, Music
Tuesday - Technical Achievements
Wednesday - Short Films, Special Feature Films
Thursday - Writing & Directing, Acting
Friday - Best Picture
Films I haven't seen are marked accordingly.
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Nominees: Exit Through the Gift Shop, Gasland, Inside Job, Restrepo, Waste Land (have not seen)Who Will Win: Inside Job
Who Should Win: Exit Through the Gift Shop
I hope this is a close vote. Both of the leaders in this category are very solid films, but they represent very different ideas concerning the role of a documentary film. Inside Job is a strong, compelling examination of the factors that led to our current financial crisis. It's an exemplary social commentary doc, which shines a light on important issues and backs up its argument with strong reasoning and factual information. On the other hand, Exit Through the Gift Shop might be an elaborate work of fiction. British graffiti artist Banksy directed this thought-provoking film, which appears to follow a fan of street art. However, there has been much speculation that this character himself is one of Banksy's creations, commenting on media's relationship to art, intention and perception. I expect the Academy to side with the more traditional, while, personally, I like the second style more. Either way, both of these films deserve top honors.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Nominees: Biutiful (have not seen), Dogtooth, In a Better World (have not seen), Incendies (have not seen), Outside the LawWho Will Win: Biutiful
Who Should Win: Dogtooth
Logic dictates that Biutiful should win, since it's the only film here that's nominated for anything else. Mind you, that didn't help The White Ribbon last year (nominated for Cinematography) or Pan's Labyrinth a few years ago (nominated for all kinds of things), but Javier Bardem's Best Actor nomination is nothing to ignore. They don't just hand those things out, you know. As you can tell, I haven't seen many of the films in this field, but I'm pretty certain that when I eventually do, Dogtooth will remain my favorite. This surreal, unsettling and bleakly funny Greek film ranks as one of the best movies I saw all year, regardless of language.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Nominees: How to Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3Who Will Win: Toy Story 3
Who Should Win: Toy Story 3
Don't let them slam-dunk nature of this category fool you. All three of these films rank among 2010's Top 10 in my book and each is quite different from the others. How to Train Your Dragon is a superb family film, offering true entertainment that you can enjoy at all ages. The Illusionist aims much higher, offering a subtle and artsy narrative that would fly over most kids' heads but is perfect for jaded adults who think animation is beneath them. Finally, of course, we have Toy Story 3, an emotional (and oddly existential) journey through nostalgia and what it means to grow up. It absolutely deserves its eventual victory, but the other two films should not be ignored. This isn't the most competitive field this year, but it probably features the most overall quality and talent assembled in one place.
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