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)
Who Will Win: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Who Should Win: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Those predictions above may look simple, but this is actually one of the categories that could go several ways. Not unlike last year, we find an artistic, aesthetically intriguing film (Pina) battling it out with a more traditional, but strongly executed social issue doc. The Academy swung toward the social issues last year with Inside Job and I believe this year will be the same. The Paradise Lost series played a significant role in saving the lives of three prisoners, who were almost certainly wrongfully accused. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky devoted almost two decades of their lives to this project and I'm all for seeing them get some damn recognition for it. Of course, Pina is quite strong in its own right and the Academy could elect to spread the wealth around. Or, one of the other three could win. It's just so hard to argue with a film that saved lives...
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Who Will Win: A Separation
Who Should Win: A Separation
The Foreign Film nominees were not that easy to track down this year, making this the category I have the least first-hand experience with out of all twenty-four. However, I could not be more sure that A Separation will run away with this one. The stunning Iranian drama has won heaps of awards leading up to this point, it's got an Original Screenplay nomination from the foreign-film-phobic Academy and is also simply one of the year's best films. Bullhead was strong, but nothing special. I'm sure the other three have their charms as well. However, if anything besides A Separation wins on Sunday, I'll be throwing things at my TV screen.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Who Will Win: Rango
Who Should Win: Rango
Can we all just take a moment and observe that The Adventures of Tintin was not nominated here? It's a decision that simply makes no sense. Were Tintin to be present in this category, it would effortlessly win the top honor. However, in its absence, it appears that one of my favorite films from 2011 has a chance to swoop in. Gore Verbinski's warped, surreal children's movie was a wonderful surprise, infusing modern kid's cinema with some needed edge, danger and all-out weirdness. There may be some snooty, high-brow-loving voters who will make a push for Chico & Rita, a foreign nominee about Cuban jazz, but I'm rooting for the Western about lizards. Obviously.
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