Simon's Oscar Preview 2012: Art & Design

The Academy Awards air this Sunday and, for the second year in a row, I'm letting the movies take over my blog for a week. I'll be running through every award category, offering up predictions and commentary. Be sure to watch the show on Sunday night and see how many of my educated guesses hit their marks.

This week's schedule:
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.

ART DIRECTION

Nominees: The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, War Horse

Who Will Win: Hugo
Who Should Win: Hugo

Within its first two minutes, Hugo more than presents its very compelling case for this award. Swooping in on a idealized vision of Paris, the camera zooms through a train station, filled with bustling travelers, merchants, orphans, animals and so forth. The art team on Hugo did a fantastic job, constructing a magical world for the story to unfold within. From the intricate clockworks to the quaint little toy stores, few details are left ignored. None of the other candidates should be able to triumph here.

COSTUME DESIGN
Nominees: Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E. (not seen)

Who Will Win: Hugo
Who Should Win: Hugo

Again, not a terribly difficult choice. The ruffles and fluff of Anonymous border on ridiculous, while Jane Eyre and W.E. languish in Generic Period Costume purgatory.  That leaves the crisp suits and flapper dresses of The Artist battling against the imaginative flourishes in Hugo. Ultimately, I feel the imagination and charm of Hugo should prove victorious. Sacha Baron Cohen's sharp inspector uniform alone deserves some acknowledgement. Hugo may be lacking a bit as an overall film, but no one can say the art department didn't uphold their end of the bargain.

MAKEUP
Nominees: Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, The Iron Lady

Who Will Win: The Iron Lady
Who Should Win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Without any single nominee that exists only to showcase makeup (ahem, last year's The Wolfman), this seems like a bit a crap shoot. The general consensus is that The Iron Lady will take home the award after plastering Meryl Streep with wrinkles, though Albert Nobbs could easily swoop in and nab the top honors. Personally, my vote will go to Harry Potter, simply because they're unlikely to win anything else and making Daniel Radcliffe that grimy for a movie that long takes some dedication.