Ah, spring (well, almost) — when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love, a sports fan starts dreaming about hot dogs, beer, and baseball, and Hollywood begins buzzing about… the Oscars!
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Yes, the Academy Awards are almost upon us again, and this time — in one category at least — there is more to choose from than ever. The powers-that-be have decided that this year (and depending on how it goes, possibly for many years to come), there won’t be only five nominees for Best Picture but (count ’em) ten. That’s right: ten. They had to spread the pickin’s a bit thin to come up with that many — and at least one of the movies has no business even being on the list — but hey, at least it gives us critics something to write about.
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Here are the five nominated films we think are MOST deserving of an Oscar this year, starting at the top:
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“Precious”
The first nominated film we saw, and still our favorite. No other contender packed the emotional wallop of this down-and-dirty tale of an overweight, inarticulate black teen and her abusive mother. Beautifully played by a cast of performers not exactly known for their acting chops, this was a gut-wrencher from start to finish.
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“Inglourious Basterds”
More Nazi-as-buffoon revisionist history (although they were clearly very DANGEROUS buffoons) in film auteur Quentin Tarantino’s brutally violent, yet expertly directed tale of gun-toting Jews in occupied France. Thanks to Mr. T’s remarkable craftsmanship and ability to coax impeccable performances out of an international cast, “Basterds” ranks as one of the most satisfying motion picture experiences of the year.
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“The Hurt Locker”
Bombs, bullets, and brazen enemy snipers fill the sun-baked landscape in this taut wartime thriller about the suicidal members of an elite American bomb squad and their daily struggle to survive. Kathryn Bigelow directed it, Jeremy Renner starred. A spellbinder.
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“Up in the Air”
George Clooney as a professional corporate hatchet man at the crossroads of his life. Should he go on jetting from city to city firing innocent rank-and-filers from their downsizing companies — or hand in his own resignation, kick his feet up, and settle down? With Vera Farmiga as the woman who awakens him to life’s possibilities, and Anna Kendrick as his apple-cheeked young protégé. Jason Reitman directed it all with skill and intelligence. A quiet movie, and a good one.
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“District 9”
The fifth spot on our list goes to this aliens-vs.-earthlings sci-fi’er about a race of extraterrestrials who have landed in Johannesburg, South Africa only to be crowded into a shantytown ghetto while the government tries to decide what to do with them Undeniably political but also breathlessly exciting — and featuring some of the most believable CGI-generated space creatures ever seen on film — this was, truly, a visual feast.
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HONORABLE MENTION:
“Up”
The cream of this year’s cartoon crop, this touching, fanciful story of a lonely old man and his balloon-powered journey to the other side of the world probably would not have been a Best Picture finalist in the past — and a win in the animated category might be all it can hope for — but make no mistake: it’s a charmer.
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MOST OVERRATED NOMINEE:
“Avatar”
Yes, the images were spectacular. Yes, the Pandorans looked real. Sure, the climactic battle scene was a nail-biter. But thanks to the skimpy backstory, corny dialogue, and nondescript acting, King James’ gazillion dollar 3D extravaganza turned out to be little more than a bloated graphic novel come to life. A shame.
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MOST UNDESERVING NOMINEE:
“The Blind Side”
Sandra Bullock is earning lots of kudos for her work in this film about an upper-middle-class Southern mom and momanthe the unschooled young black football player she takes under her wing, but the script is so hackneyed, the “twists” so predictable, that we were left wondering how much better Bullock would have been if only the movie itself had been done with more care. In past years, “The Blind Side” wouldn’t have come within sniffing distance of Best Picture. But this time around, thanks to the Academy’s “the more, the merrier” philosophy, here it is — sharing the spotlight with a number of movies that truly deserve the honor. How unjust is that?
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AND, A FEW FINAL COMMENTS…
A loud cheer for Mo’Nique and Gabourey Sidibe, the mother and daughter in “Precious”. Mo’Nique should win for Best Supporting Actress, and probably will. Sidibe deserves to win for Best Actress, but probably won’t. No matter what happens, though, kudos to them both — they turned in extraordinary performances.
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And, in perhaps the closest race of them all — the Best Director race –we think Quentin Tarantino (“Inglourious Basterds”) earns the nod, just barely, over Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”) and Lee Daniels (“Precious”).
Watching “Basterds” was like going to film school — with a popcorn and soda in your lap!
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OSCARS 2010 by Stuart R. Brynien
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