Simon's Oscar Preview 2012: Special Feature Films

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.

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

Nominees: Hell and Back Again, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Pina, Undefeated (not seen)

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

Nominees: Bullhead, Footnote (not seen), In Darkness (not seen), Monsieur Lazhar (not seen), A Separation

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

Nominees: A Cat in Paris, Chico & Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango

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.

Simon's Oscar Preview 2012: Short Films

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.

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Nominees: Pentecost, Raju, The Shore, Time Freak, Tuba Atlantic

Who Will Win: The Shore
Who Should Win: Tuba Atlantic

To be honest, none of this year's live action shorts really grabbed me. As a group, they seemed undercooked, poorly developed and clumsy. The Shore would appear to be the front runner, since it features recognizable actors (Ciaran Hinds) and functions as a kind of cutesy nostalgic dramedy. My hypothetical vote would have to go to Tuba Atlantic, which makes up for its slightly twee premise with some nice, dark touches. None of the nominees are overtly bad, but without a particular standout, this category is really anyone's guess.

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Nominees: Dimanche/Sunday, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, La Luna, A Morning Stroll, Wild Life

Who Will Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Who Should Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Every year, the animated shorts are one of my favorite groups of nominees to dig into. If you don't already, be sure to attend the organized screenings that happen all over the country. It's hard to find a more charming evening than one spent with twelve minute animated movies. As for this year's crop, we've got some good (Books, La Luna) mixed in with some bad/boring (Dimanche/Sunday) and weird (A Morning Stroll). We even have Wild Life represented the less-than-comedic genres. Ultimately, I have to believe that the overwhelming excellence and joy behind Fantastic Flying Books will win the award. I encourage everyone to track it down and see it, simply for the happy, fluttering feeling you're left with when the film is over. It's possible that dark horse candidate A Morning Stroll could vulture a win if the voters are feeling a bit risky. That said, Books effortlessly combines beautiful animation with a wonderful, simple story. It deserves this award in my book (see what I did there?).

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Nominees: The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, God is the Bigger Elvis (not seen), Incident in New Baghdad, Saving Face, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Who Will Win: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Who Should Win: Saving Face

As with the live action shorts, this year's group of short doc nominees leave a fair bit to be desired. They all have significant issues, either in passing off personal stories as universal experiences or not delving deep enough into the subject at hand. The established frontrunner, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, certainly packs a punch with it's opening footage, but promptly losses steam as the filmmakers try to shoehorn an awkward metaphor into their story. As for Saving Face, the subject matter (Pakistani women who are the victims of acid attacks) is astonishing and deeply moving, making it my favorite of sorts. However, it lacks in depth, making its forty minute running time very apparent. Perhaps the unseen God is the Bigger Elvis is the gem of this bunch and the licensing deals have kept us simple bloggers from witnessing its genius. We'll find out soon enough, I suppose. 

Simon's Oscar Preview 2012: Technical Achievements

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.

FILM EDITING

Nominees: The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball

Who Will Win: The Artist
Who Should Win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

With the American Cinema Editors giving out their Eddie Awards last night, the Editing category has become fairly clear cut. Mirroring the Golden Globes, The Descendants won for drama, while The Artist won for comedy/musical. As I've mentioned many times in the past, there is a trend of Best Editing and Best Picture going to the same movie, meaning The Artist has to be the favorite here. As for my Dragon Tattoo pick, some might question how well edited a two-and-half-hour movie really can be. I suggest those skeptics pay a closer attention to every scene in the film where a character drives, walks or moves from one location to another. A poorly edited movie would drag those pensive moments of travel out until they were unbearable. Dragon Tattoo wastes no time, giving you one establishing car shot before throwing its next barrage of abuse at you. Impressive stuff, I'd say.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Nominees: The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse

Who Will Win: The Tree of Life
Who Should Win: The Tree of Life

All five nominees bring some impressive work to the table here, but five-time Oscar nominee Emmanuel Lubezki should finally win his long-deserved award. The Tree of Life is nothing short of gorgeous and the Cinematography Guild Awards have already given it their blessing. Lubezki's expansive vision and technical skill are excellent pairings with Terrence Malik's methodical brand of storytelling and ambition. This is likely the only award Tree will win on Sunday, but it will certainly be deserved.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Nominees: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Real Steel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Who Will Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Who Should Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

It's nice to see a category this year that isn't easy to predict. The VES Awards were split between Hugo and Apes, making this seem like a battle between understated, subtle cinema magic and highly expressive monkeys. My vote is currently with the apes and I feel the Academy will agree with me. There was some talk about Andy Serkis getting a Supporting Actor nom for his excellent, motion-captured performance as the ape Caesar, but the character's charisma comes from the outstanding effects work as much as it does from Serkis' physical acting skills. Sorry, fighting robots. You'll have to wait yet another year to make it onto the Oscar stage.

SOUND EDITING

Nominees: Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse

Who Will Win: Hugo
Who Should Win: Hugo

Not much drama here. All those ticking clocks and screeching prosthetic legs in Hugo seem to have locked this one up. My beloved Drive received its only nomination here and I'd love to see in win just out of spite towards the whole Academy. That said, I can't say that Hugo doesn't deserve this award. Yes, the film is a technical achievement. It should win these technical awards. As long as it doesn't win Screenplay, I'm fine.

SOUND MIXING

Nominees: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse

Who Will Win: Hugo
Who Should Win: Hugo

Similar award, similar nominees, similar result. I wish I could have been present at the meeting where the Academy decided that Moneyball's sound mixing was this exemplary, but I just have to assume that someone, somewhere knows what they're doing. Maybe the dry crack of the bat on the baseball will strike a chord with voters. Maybe that grating noise you hear every time a robot turns into a car in the Transformers movies has finally brainwashed the Academy. Any of these movies could win. Technically. The chance of victory for each one is above zero percent. Yet, Hugo will win. Almost certainly.   

Simon's Oscar Preview 2012: Music

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.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Nominees: The Adventures of Tintin, The Artist, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse

Who Will Win: The Artist
Who Should Win: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Ludovic Bource's score is the favorite here and not without reason. Smartly referencing the music of many old Hollywood classics, the score helps The Artist sound the part of a silent movie. Ironic, right? However, Bource's score has not been without controversy, since it borrows a recognizable theme from Hitchcock's Vertigo. Whether this splits the voters, who have historically been wary of works that are not deemed purely original, is yet to be seen. As for myself, I adore Alberto Iglesias' work on Tinker Tailor, with the weary jazz horns and funereal pacing matching the tone and theme of the film perfectly. Seeing Iglesias win would be a wonderful surprise on Sunday.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

Nominees: "Man or Muppet" - The Muppets, "Real in Rio" - Rio

Who Will Win: "Man or Muppet"
Who Should Win: "Man or Muppet"

Yup, only two nominees. Perplexing indeed, considering the number of other original songs floating out there in recent movies. Hell, the Golden Globes found five whole nominees, none of which are included here. Whatever. Either way, Oscar night should be Muppet-tastic, with Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame earning a little golden statuette. Neither song here is particularly wonderful, but at least "Man or Muppet" is fun. "Real in Rio" is about as forgettable as they come. Outside of the nominees, I would have loved to see Ben Nichols' "Shelter" from Take Shelter get some recognition here. You'd think emotional, twangy ballads would play well with the voters. I'll never understand those silly Academy folks.

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.