2012 Academy Awards Nomination Predictions
24 Jan 2012 1 Comment
in 2012, Awards Season Tags: 2012, 2012 Oscars, Academy Awards, Awards, Awards Season, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, Oscars, The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, The Tree of Life
It’s that time of year again. I made a point not to follow the awards season here on the blog. I certainly enjoy and follow the awards season, and am aware of where the various films stand in their chances, but I don’t invest in it more than I feel I should. I don’t like to limit what I see to only checking off the awards contenders. And I don’t want this blog to be about tracking the long and windy road to the Academy Awards. But I do like to indulge in posting Oscar Predictions, because why the hell not? Earlier this afternoon I posted my Dream Ballot. Now here are my predictions for tomorrow’s announcements. My strategy is usually to play it safe. So I won’t be throwing anything too out of the ordinary here outside of a few of my choices for the alternate. I’ll do a brief explanation for each category. I did very little research on others picks, taking maybe four groups of predictions into consideration. If I spend more than a couple of hours deciding these I tend to get a little annoyed with myself. And it I ever find myself trying to ‘get into the head of the AMPAS groupthink’, as if there was such a thing for God’s sake, that’s my sign to finish as quickly as possible.
Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
Moneyball
6. Midnight in Paris
7. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
8. Bridesmaids
9. The Tree of Life
10. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Those last five are in order. So for example, if eight nominees are announced tomorrow, I think it will be the top five and then my numbers six, seven and eight. Those first five are incredibly safe bets and all of them will appear tomorrow. I am not as sold on Dragon Tattoo’s supposed presence tomorrow, but there is nothing else that is particularly sticking out to me. I do have ‘Tattoo’ getting in a number of places because people are putting it for a number of different categories. I really just do not buy War Horse showing up here. It boggles my mind how people would feel passionate enough for Spielberg’s output this year to actually put that on their ballots. I think The Tree of Life stands a chance because it the people who are advocates for the film will likely be placing it in their top slot, allowing it a much larger shot.
Best Director:
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Alternate: David Fincher – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Taylor and Miller getting in for The Help and Moneyball seem like outside shots, although Miller could very well come into play. I have Fincher as my alternate because everyone else seems to think he stands a shot, so I feel I should put him. But for as well directed as Dragon Tattoo is, it feels somewhat ridiculous for him to pop up. And if he does, it won’t be a pity vote for last year’s Hooper preference. I can guarantee that zero individuals of this organization have this mindset. That line of thinking is entirely thanks to awards pundits who put infinitely more time into this than anyone who actually votes.
Best Actor:
George Clooney – The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Michael Fassbender – Shame
Brad Pitt – Moneyball
Alternate: Michael Shannon – Take Shelter
Apparently the AMPAS don’t like Shame. Again, I do not buy into this collective groupthink. I’m sure the word around town is that the members who have seen it, at least the ones who have been vocal about it, have done so negatively. However, while I doubt Shame will show up tomorrow in almost all categories, I still think Michael Fassbender has the power to impress voters enough for them to recognize the performance without it being an endorsement for the film. The man has risen to the A-list in one year and, if the nomination happens, it will feel like a rite of passage for him into the Hollywood elite. Because the man is a star now. I see Oldman continuing his lifelong streak of being ignored for these awards. I could see DiCaprio being snubbed, but I don’t think it’ll happen. He is playing a historical figure across decades and the technicality of the performance I see being undeservedly recognized.
Best Actress:
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn
Alternate: Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Four of these nominations are all locks as far as I am concerned. Close will get in more for the decades in the making passion project aspect of Albert Nobbs. The reason I choose Mara over Swinton is because is feels logical. ‘Kevin’ will not show up anywhere else tomorrow. ‘Dragon Tattoo’ will. And it would make no sense if Girl with the Dragon Tattoo shows up in several other categories when the one thing that should be recognized, Mara, is absent.
Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn
Albert Brooks – Drive
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Alternate: Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Of all the acting categories, this one is the flimsiest. I’m unsure about everything here outside of Plummer. People are prepared for a Brooks snub and it very well could happen. Young Adult being largely ignored by all precursors everyone took Oswalt out of the running. I have doubts enough voters will have seen Warrior to put Nolte, but the idea of seeing the film and not putting Nolte on the ballot is unthinkable. Mortensen is someone I am taking a chance on and it is mostly wishful thinking. If I picked the nominations and winners, he would take the award home.
Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help
Alternate: Shailene Woodley – The Descendants
Considering that Janet McTeer is the only reason to see Albert Nobbs, I chose to put her in. The Help will make two showings here, unless Chastain splits votes over her different eligible performances. I think McCarthy has more than enough momentum to get in here.
Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist
Beginners
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
A Separation
Alternate: Young Adult
There is a lot of love and affection for Beginners out there, and that likely transfers to the AMPAS voters who have seen it (and if they put Plummer, they probably have) making it feel right to me. A Separation has a ton of momentum, making it likely to break out of the Foreign Language category.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
Moneyball
Alternate: The Ides of March
These feel fairly set to me. I don’t have anything to add. They are all major contenders for the Oscars this year and they succinctly fill out the five slots. But I desperately want Tinker, Tailor in here.
Best Editing:
The Artist
The Descendants
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
Alternate: Moneyball
Not really much to say here either, except that I really hope Moneyball makes it in tomorrow. It’s the only possible nominee that made my Dream Ballot. It has a wonderfully lively and entirely seamless pace that keeps up with the back-and-forth energy the dialogue generates.
Best Cinematography:
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Alternate: War Horse
War Horse could really get in here for it’s very vocal use of old-school celluloid. I feel if Tinker, Tailor shows up in technical categories, it will show up in several or none. I don’t see it randomly popping up in two categories (hypocrite that I am, I only have it in for 3). This could be a category where something shows up that only shows up in one other place. For the sake of safety, I’m sticking with these choices.
Best Art Direction:
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
War Horse
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Alt. The Artist
The Harry Potter series always boasts top-notch art direction. Tinker, Tailor and Hugo are best in show from the possibles this year. War Horse and Midnight in Paris seem likely.
Sound Mixing:
The Artist
Hugo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Super 8
Mission Impossible
Alternate: Hanna
Sound Editing:
The Artist
Harry Potter
Super 8
Mission Impossible
War Horse
Alternate: Hugo
One of these years I will gain enough of a basic understanding of these categories to make predictions that feel somewhat knowledge-based.
Costume Design:
Anonymous
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Jane Eyre
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Alternate: Hugo
Impeccably dressed men in 1970′s period costume must go rewarded. I demand it! Anonymous is seemingly sure to pop up in a couple of categories for its period lavishness.
Score:
The Artist
Hugo
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Jane Eyre
War Horse
Alternate: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Anything John Williams is a sure bet, even if it is for the obnoxiously distracting score that was War Horse. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are building a good track record, even if I don’t get the big deal over their contribution this year. Hugo hits all the notes it needed to with the quality we expect from Howard Shore. The Artist is a total lock. Jane Eyre feels fairly certain, but I really hope that Alberto Iglesias is recognized for his stellar work in Tinker, Tailor.
Foreign Language
A Separation
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
Pina
Altnerate: Bullhead
No idea what to do here outside of A Separation, so I went with the films I know about, even though the AMPAS never ‘works’ that way.
Documentary:
Bill Cunningham, New York
Paradise Lost 3
Project Nim
We Were Here
Undefeated
Alternate: Pina
There is no rhyme or reason here. I chose to have Pina get in for Foreign Language as opposed to Documentary, but it could split votes and get in for neither or both. If Project Nim does not get in….I shouldn’t be surprised but I really will be. And if Buck does get in…how sad. I think it’s got a real shot, but I spitefully snubbed it here.
Animated Feature:
Adventures of Tintin
Cars 2
Rango
4. Chico and Rita
5. Puss in Boots
Tintin has Spielberg, Cars 2 has Pixar and Rango is just too damn good to ignore in an otherwise completely lackluster year for animation.
Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Captain America
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Tree of Life
Alternate: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Hugo has 3D, Rise of the Planet of the Apes has motion-capture, The Tree of Life has the cosmos, Captain America has a digitally wimpy Chris Evans and Harry Potter has quantity.
Makeup:
Anonymous
Gainsbourg
The Iron Lady
Alt. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
People seem to be putting Gainsbourg, and if one thing for Makeup is certain, it’s that the most random films possible show up here. We are working with a small finalist list, greatly narrowing the field. Gainsbourg being the most obscure and otherwise absent film on the list means it will probably make it. The Iron Lady is a sure thing. Anonymous feels right.
Best Original Song:
Albert Nobbs
The Help
Muppets – Life’s a Happy Song
Muppets – Man or Muppet
Muppets – Pictures in My Head
Alternate: Star-Spangled Man – Captain America: The First Avenger
I decided to go with 3 Muppets songs, because I feel confident that the AMPAS will overall be more receptive to The Muppets than the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was. If there is one place to reward the film it would be here and only here. Will 3 songs be nominated? Hell no. But I want them there and there they shall stay.
No Guts, No Glory:
Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain – Take Shelter
Actress: Charlize Theron – Young Adult
Score: The Chemical Brothers – Hanna
Tallies:
The Artist – 11 nominations
Hugo – 10 nominations
The Help – 6 nominations
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – 6 nominations
The Descendants – 5 nominations
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – 5 nominations
Midnight in Paris – 4 nominations
The Tree of Life – 4 nominations
Moneyball – 4 nominations
2012 Academy Award Dream Ballot
23 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in 2012, Awards Season, Wish List Tags: 2012, 2012 Oscars, Academy Awards, Awards, Awards Season, Dream Ballot, Oscars
This being a Dream Ballot, I count everything that received a 2011 release in the US. I do not restrict this ballot to the films eligible for the Oscars, or to the official submissions for the Oscars. This is my ballot with the imagined scenario of every single film with a 2011 release being eligible for all categories. The only categories I chose not to include were Original Song, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.
Best Picture:
Certified Copy
Drive
Hugo
Melancholia
A Separation
Take Shelter
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Tree of Life
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Young Adult
Best Director:
Tomas Alfredson – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Abbas Kiarostami – Certified Copy
Lee Chang-dong – Poetry
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive
Best Actor:
Carlos Areces – The Last Circus
Demian Bichir – A Better Life
Michael Fassbender – Shame
Ryan Gosling – Drive
Michael Shannon – Take Shelter
Best Actress:
Juliette Binoche – Certified Copy
Olivia Colman – Tyrannosaur
Rooney Mara – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Charlize Theron – Young Adult
Best Supporting Actor:
Albert Brooks – Drive
Tom Hollander – Hanna
Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method
Nick Nolte – Warrior
John C. Reilly – Terri
Best Supporting Actress:
Sareh Bayet – A Separation
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Sarina Farhadi – A Separation
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Melancholia
Carey Mulligan – Shame
Best Original Screenplay:
Diablo Cody – Young Adult
Abbas Kiarostami – Certified Copy
Asghar Farhadi – A Separation
Jeff Nichols – Take Shelter
Lars von Trier – Melancholia
Best Adapted Screenplay
Hossein Amini, Drive
Moira Buffini – Jane Eyre
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Steve Zaillan and Aaron Sorkin – Moneyball
Best Editing:
Zachary Stuart-Pontier, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Molly Malene Stensgaard – Melancholia
Christopher Tellefson – Moneyball
Chris King and Gregers Sall – Senna
Joe Bini – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Cinematography:
Jody Lee Lipes – Martha Marcy May Marlene
Emmanuel Lubezki – The Tree of Life
Christopher Blauvelt – Meek’s Cutoff
Hoyt van Hoytema – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Manuel Albert Caro – Melancholia
Best Art Direction:
Antxón Gómez – The Skin I Live In
Dante Ferretti – Hugo
Maria Djurkovic – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Chi Pang Terrance Chung – Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Bo Welch – Thor
Best Costume Design:
Alison Byrne – Cracks
Paco Delgado – The Last Circus
Jacqueline Durran – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Michael O’ Connor – Jane Eyre
Bruce Yu – Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Best Original Score:
Dario Marianelli – Jane Eyre
Alberto Iglesias – The Skin I Live In
Alberto Iglesias – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Chemical Brothers – Hanna
Antonio Pinto – Senna
Best Foreign Language Film:
A Separation
I Saw the Devil
The Last Circus
Le Quattro Volte
Poetry
Best Documentary:
Project Nim
Senna
The Arbor
Tabloid
Bobby Fischer Against the World
Best Animated Feature:
Rango
Kung Fu Panda 2
Winnie the Pooh
Best Makeup:
The Artist
Jane Eyre
The Last Circus
Best Visual Effects:
The Adventures of Tintin
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Tree of Life
Hugo
7 Nominations – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
5 Nominations – A Separation
5 Nominations – Drive
5 Nominations – Melancholia
4 Nominations – We Need to Talk About Kevin
4 Nominations – Certified Copy
4 Nominations – Jane Eyre
4 Nominations – The Last Circus
4 Nominations – The Tree of Life
3 Nominations – Young Adult
3 Nominations – Senna
3 Nominations – Hugo
3 Nominations – Take Shelter
2 Nominations – Hanna
2 Nominations – Moneyball
2 Nominations – The Skin I Live In
2 Nominations – Poetry
2 Nominations – Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
2 Nominations – Shame
2 Nominations – Martha Marcy Marlene
Like this:
2011 Academy Award Dream Ballot
26 Feb 2011 1 Comment
in 2011, Awards Season, List Tags: 2010, 2011, Academy Awards, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Dream Ballot, Oscar, Oscars
The fun part; what I would have nominated. Keep in mind, I am paying no attention to what was actually submitted this year. If it came out in the States in 2010, it qualifies for consideration, regardless of whether or not it was in competition.Some categories I am not doing due to not having seen enough or not being able to judge with any capacity what might have been the ‘best’ in those fields (best being arbitrary of course)
Best Picture:
Animal Kingdom
Another Year
Black Swan
Dogtooth
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Fish Tank
I Am Love
Last Train Home
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank
David Fincher – The Social Network
Georgos Lanthimos – Dogtooth
Mike Leigh – Another Year
Best Actor:
Jim Broadbent – Another Year
Lars Eidinger – Everyone Else
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
Ryan Gosling – Blue Valentine
Best Actress: (this category is more packed than any other this year. Hence the absence of Portman and so many other incredible performances)
Isabelle Huppert – White Material
Jeon Do-yeon – Secret Sunshine
Catherine Keener – Please Give
Birgit Minichmayr – Everyone Else
Tilda Swinton – I Am Love
Best Supporting Actor:
Niles Arestrup – A Prophet
Christian Bale – The Fighter
Andrew Garfield – Never Let Me Go
John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone
Ben Mendelsohn – Animal Kingdom
Best Supporting Actress:
Dale Dickey – Winter’s Bone
Rebecca Hall – Please Give
Lesley Manville – Another Year
Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit
Kiersten Waring – Fish Tank
Best Original Screenplay:
Another Year
Dogtooth
Everyone Else
Fish Tank
Greenberg
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Never Let Me Go
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
White Material
Best Original Score:
The Ghost Writer
I Am Love
Inception
The Social Network
White Material
Best Art Direction:
Everyone Else
The Ghost Writer
The King’s Speech
Shutter Island
Winter’s Bone
Best Cinematography:
Black Swan
Enter the Void
Fish Tank
The Social Network
White Material
Best Costume Design:
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky
I Am Love
The King’s Speech
The Runaways
True Grit
Best Editing:
Another Year
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
I Am Love
The Social Network
Best Visual Effects:
Enter the Void
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Splice
Oscar Predictions 2011
26 Feb 2011 2 Comments
in 2011, Awards Season, Predictions Tags: 2010, 2011, Academy Award Predictions, Academy Awards, Oscar, Oscar Predictions, Oscars, Picks, Predictions
For the record, this year is harder than most. I won’t even tell you how long it took to come up with these. I’m not very happy with them, but it’s hard to feel confident with all the back and forth going around this year. I only put what I want to win for the categories in which I saw the majority of the nominees. In the case of the Sound categories, I don’t feel like I know enough to pick what I want wih accuracy. That being said, if there is one thing I want to happen tomorrow, it is a win for Dogtooth. Considering the reaction it had to screenings for the Academy though, to say it is impossible is an understatement. Coming up…my long overdue Dream Ballot.
2011 Academy Award Predictions:
Best Actor:
Think: Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
Want: Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
Best Actress:
Think: Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Want: Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Think: The Social Network – Aaron Sorkin
Want: The Social Network – Aaron Sorkin
Best Animated Film:
Think: Toy Story 3
Want: Toy Story 3
Best Animated Short:
Madagascar: A Journey Diary
Best Art Direction:
Think: The King’s Speech
Want: The King’s Speech
Best Cinematography:
Think: Roger Deakins – True Grit
Want: Roger Deakins – True Grit
Best Costume Design:
Think: Jenny Beavan, The King’s Speech
Want: Antonella Cannarozzi, I Am Love
Best Director:
Think: David Fincher – The Social Network
Want: Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
Best Documentary:
Think: Inside Job
Want: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Best Documentary Short:
Think: Poster Girl
Best Editing:
Think: Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall – The Social Network
Want: Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan
Best Foreign Language Film:
Think: In a Better World
Best Live-Action Short:
Think: Wish 143
Best Makeup:
Think: The Wolfman
Best Original Score:
Think: Alexandre Desplat – The King’s Speech
Want: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Social Network (by a hair. It’s hard to pass up the Inception score and the brilliance of Johnny Marr’s guitar)
Best Original Screenplay:
Think: David Seidler – The King’s Speech
Want: Mike Leigh – Another Year
Best Original Song:
Think: “We Belong Together” – Randy Newman – Toy Story 3
Want: “We Belong Together” – Randy Newman – Toy Story 3
Best Picture:
Think: The King’s Speech
Want: The Social Network
Best Sound Editing:
Think: Inception
Best Sound Mixing:
Think: Inception
Best Supporting Actor:
Think: Christian Bale – The Fighter
Want: John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone
Best Supporting Actress:
Think: Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Want: Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit
Best Visual Effects:
Think: Inception
Want: Inception
Academy Award Nomination Predictions
24 Jan 2011 1 Comment
in Awards Season, Predictions Tags: 2010, 2011, Academy Awards, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Nomination Predictions, Nominations, Oscars, Predictions
Here they are folks; my useless Oscar predictions. Every year I manage to pick the wrong things and this year will likely be no different. I’m really hoping for a few shockers on Tuesday morning. A couple of my choices are wishful thinking as well as a few purposeful omissions from categories due to reverse wishful thinking. The inclusion of Dogtooth in Foreign Film is completely unrealistic but I have high hopes for it and refuse to not put it in. I’ll do my Dream Ballot soon enough which is the ultimate wishful thinking activity as I allow everything that came out in 2010 to be eligible, neglecting to edit films that were not submitted (it is a dream ballot after all).What do you think of these? What are your predictions and what are the surprise nominations you wish to see Tuesday morning?
Oscar Predictions:
Best Actor: 4/5
Jeff Bridges – True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
Ryan Gosling – Blue Valentine
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
James Franco – 127 Hours
Alternate: Robert Duvall – Get Low
Best Actress: 4.5/5
Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone
Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right
Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine
Alternate: Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole
Best Supporting Actor: 4.5/5
Christian Bale – The Fighter
Andrew Garfield – The Social Network
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Mark Ruffalo – The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech
Alternate: John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone
Best Supporting Actress: 4.5/5
Amy Adams – The Fighter
Helena Bonham-Carter – The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis – Black Swan
Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit
Alternate: Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom
Best Adapted Screenplay: 5/5
Simon Beaufoy, Danny Boyle – 127 Hours
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Michael Arndt, Toy Story 3
Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit
Debra Granik, Anne Rosselini, Winter’s Bone
Alternate: Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer
Best Animated Feature: 3/3
Toy Story 3
The Illusionist
How to Train Your Dragon
Alternate: Tangled
Best Art Direction: 3.5/5
Geoffrey Kirkland, Get Low
Guy Hendrix Dyas, Inception
Eve Stewart, The King’s Speech
Dante Ferretti, Shutter Island
Jess Gonchor, True Grit
Alternate: Stuart Craig, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Best Cinematography: 5/5
Matthew Libateque, Black Swan
Wally Pfister, Inception
Danny Cohen, The King’s Speech
Jeff Cronenweth, The Social Network
Roger Deakins, ASC, True Grit
Alternate: Robert Richardson, Shutter Island
Best Costume Design: 3.5/5
Colleen Atwood, Alice in Wonderland
Amy Westcott, Black Swan
Michael Kaplan, Burlesque
Jenny Beavan, The King’s Speech
Mary Zophres, True Grit
Alternate: Sandy Powell, The Tempest
Best Director: 4.5/5
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
David Fincher – The Social Network
Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan – Inception
David O’ Russell – The Fighter
Alternate: Joel and Ethan Coen – True Grit
Best Documentary: 3/5
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
Alternate: Client 9
Best Editing: 4/5
Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan
Pamela Martin, The Fighter
Lee Smith, Inception
Tariq Anwar, The King’s Speech
Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall, The Social Network
Alternate: Jim Helton, Ron Patane, Blue Valentine (I fail to see why this is on nobody’s radar)
Best Foreign Language Film: 4/5
Biutiful, Mexico
In a Better World, Denmark
Life, Above All, South Africa
Incendies, Canada
Dogtooth, Greece
Alternate: Confessions, Japan
Best Makeup: 1.5/3
Alice in Wonderland
True Grit
The Wolfman
Alternate: Barney’s Version
Best Original Score: 5/5
AR Rahman, 127 Hours
John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon
Hans Zimmer, Inception
Alexandre Desplat, The King’s Speech
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network
Alternate: Alexandre Desplat, The Ghost Writer
Best Original Song: 3/4
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me Yet” – Burlesque
“I See the Light” – Tangled
“If I Rise” – 127 Hours
“We Belong Together” – Toy Story 3
“Shine” Waiting for Superman
Alternate: “Sticks and Stones” – How to Train Your Dragon
Best Original Screenplay: 4.5/5
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin, Black Swan
Christopher Nolan, Inception
Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Alternate: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, The Fighter
Best Picture: 10/10
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Fighter
The Social Network
True Grit
Toy Story 3
Winter’s Bone
Alternate: The Town
Best Sound Editing: 3.5/5
127 Hours
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
Alternate: Unstoppable
Best Sound Mixing: 3/5
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network
TRON: Legacy
Alternate: True Grit
Best Visual Effects: 4/5
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
Iron Man 2
TRON: Legacy
Alternate: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Review: An Education (2009, Scherfig)
29 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Film Review Tags: 2009, An Education, blog, blog review, Carey Mulligan, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, film review, Lone Scherfig, older review, Oscars
An Education (2009, Scherfig)
8.3/10
We have all seen this story before. A young inexperienced girl meets an attractive older man who seems to have everything. He is not what he seems and her world comes crashing down but through all of it she has learned a lesson and it has all been a growing experience. The goal for these types of films, because they are so familiar, is to find a new level of authenticity within the story and characters and to essentially bring something new to the table. With the combination of Lone Sherfig’s direction Nick Hornby’s screenplay and the ensemble cast, An Education does that.
Jenny (Carey Mulligan) has an idea about what she wants in life. She wants to lead an interesting life filled with interesting people and not be stuck in the place she grew up which she sees as being populated by dull people. Her parents want very badly for her to go to Oxford which she is studying constantly for. One day she meets David, an older man who has the culture and sophistication she has been looking for, especially compared to Graham the local boy her age who likes her (adorable!). She soon finds herself involved with him and his friends Helen and Denny. She begins to question everything about her life leading up to this point. She questions her studying and where that will eventually take her. She questions what she really wants in life and whether or not an education will provide her the life experience she is looking to have. As far as she can tell, it will not and she uses her English teacher Miss Stubbs as a prime example of what her life could potentially be if she continues her education and all she sees is dull and boring. Soon though, we can see the cracks in David and his friends’ lives and even though Jenny is much slower on the uptake, or rather on making the right choice, she eventually learns a lesson and is left to reassess her life and what she ultimately wants from it.
There is so much going on in this film and a lot of elements that are worth touching upon. It is important to mention Danish director Lone Scherfig’s accomplishments. She does an admirable job of transferring Jenny’s views on both her school life and her life and times with Davis to the audience. The school scenes are all very monotone in color, using lots of blues and steady shots. All of the scenes with David and his friends pop with color and even have a slightly unsteady camera as Jenny tracks through unfamiliar waters. The Paris montage is a prime example of this. The scenes with only Jenny and David that have anything to do with sex take on a very different vibe. They are darker in visually in tone. Scherfig also take a slightly unconventional way of shooting certain scenes that really enhances the content of the scene as opposed to having technique overshadow everything. The scene that springs to mind is the one where Jenny first meets David and gets into his car. The scene is shot with two different POV shots going back and forth. We either see David looking at the camera because of Jenny’s point of view or we see Jenny looking at the camera because of David’s point of view. The effect makes itself known but never distracts and is very effective.
What is there to be said about Carey Mulligan’s performance that has not already been said? She has had a bit of buzz surrounding her in the UK since her appearance on the critically acclaimed Doctor Who episode “Blink” aired 2 years ago in which she has a starring role and made a remarkable impression on fans of the show with some declaring Sally Sparrow (her character) as their favorite Companion of the Doctor’s despite her appearing in only one episode. Her role in The Seagull on stage with Peter Sarsgaard last year earned her a lot of buzz as well. All she needed was a role like this in a film to allow for an official public entrance into the world of film. Very rarely is there this much buzz anticipating the potential in a young woman’s career. I know I have not been this excited for quite some time. Ellen Page is the last person I could think of. But before that…I have no idea. Next year she will appear in an adaptation of my second favorite novel Never Let Me Go with Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield (of Boy A), Sally Hawkins and Charlotte Rampling. (Words cannot explain how nervous and excited I am by the film and especially with this ridiculous cast)
Back to Mulligan though, she radiates every second here. There are so many moments when her face reads so clearly and so authentically to anyone watching her. We fully believe every moment Jenny is living through. The scene when she lowers her nightie for David was incredible. There were so many emotions reading on her face in that one moment. Jenny makes a lot of bad decisions but can we blame her? She shows off a bit too much but can we blame her for that either? While Jenny is not perfect, Mulligan and the script make it impossible to be upset or frustrated with her because both the performance by Mulligan and the script make Jenny’s actions so relatable and understandable. Would any of us do anything differently? Mulligan even steals scenes from Emma Thompson. Emma Thompson! Carey Mulligan has an ageless quality about her. She could belong in any time. She appears to be wise beyond her years and extremely mature but she captures the naiveté, youth and inexperience of Jenny so well. She also excels in showing us Jenny’s progress as a character and her growing maturity by the end.
All of the other actors excel here as well. While the character of Jenny’s father Jack borders on caricature much of the time, Alfred Molina is superb in the role and brings humor to the proceedings. He also really nails the scene when he brings Jenny tea and biscuits at the end; powerful stuff. Olivia Williams, while not having any flashy scenes, manages to create the film’s most interesting character besides Jenny and David, Miss Stubbs. Cara Seymour, a highly underrated actress is great as Jenny’s mother. She wants to relate to her and she can but she never allows herself to outright link herself with her daughter. Emma Thompson has a pretty flat role but its monotony sort of outlines all of the sexism going on within girls’ schools at the time, an issue I wish had been explored slightly more blatantly. Even Matthew Beard as Graham did a great job. He was so adorable! I needed to mention that again. Also, thank you Sally Hawkins for popping up in one scene, a great scene, and leaving me to want more Sally Hawkins. Thanks a lot.
For me the standout besides Mulligan was Peter Sarsgaard in what I believe to be his best performance yet. Ok so the accent was only passable but it did not distract at all. Sarsgaard’s performances have always been too subtle for Academy voters. Molina’s performance will be the one recognized and not undeservedly but I wish Sarsgaard was getting more attention. David is not nearly as simplistic as other roles like this have been portrayed. He is a scumbag, charming, manipulative and all of those lovely traits we have come to know and hate in these characters. There is an ambiguity with David though that is beautifully played by the actor. He really does like Jenny and her parents even but he is unable to harness the genuine feelings he has for people into anything healthy. The speech he makes to Jenny about being clever after she finds out about his job pertains to more than just his job. He is really talking about the way he lives in every respect and the audience does not catch onto this until after it is revealed that he is married. We get the sense that he has never really grown up. The nicknames he places with Jenny and he is creepy, but oddly sincere and very very childlike. He reveals the different layers of David through little moments such as the way he treats Jenny when they go to the old woman’s house, the way he looks at her as she dances with Denny, etc. The scene when David asks Jenny to marry her is why his performance should be getting serious awards consideration. The subtleties are spellbinding. I was taken aback by his facial expressions in these moments. Then there is the moment in the car which I did not see coming. Sarsgaard plays the charming schemer role in An Education but he brings so much more to the role which is one of the reasons that the film brings something new to the table with this story.
There are other reasons that An Education brings something new to the table. One very important reason is the constant assertion that sex does not play a role in Jenny’s newfound lifestyle. It IS the lifestyle and her love for French things, sophistication, interesting conversations, jazz clubs, fun clothes and exciting adventures that is causing her to stray from her studies. It is not some passionate romance. Sex plays such a small part as can be seen in the great short scene after Jenny has sex when she observes “All of that poetry and all of those songs for something that lasts no time at all”. There are also a lot of little moments that make the film quite special. An example is the auction scene and the way David signals to Jenny to bid. The film also allows Jenny to be manipulative as well. She is shown manipulating her parents along with David in order for them to get what they want instead of the predictable route of Jenny watching amazed as David does all of the work.
The film is not perfect. The consequences of Jenny’s actions and of David’s actions are not very felt and last for too short a time. The film also wraps up all of Jenny’s problems with a montage of her studying. I love the scene when she goes to Miss Stubbs to apologize but once she asks for the help, the film does not observe nearly as acutely as it did before. I do wish a few issues had been touched on a bit more like as I mentioned the conditions of women’s schools in the 60’s. Then there is the last scene. My friend who I saw it with said after it was over “It’s like they showed the film to a moronic test audience that needed even more finalization to the already too wrapped up ending and this was the result”. I said “I feel like I just walked out of a mediocre film even though I really loved it.” That last minute is a killjoy. There is the narration that makes no sense. There is the confirmation that she indeed went to Oxford even though the scene before shows us that she was accepted!! There is the overly clichéd statements about life and learning that the film already blatantly depicts throughout. What a horrible note to end on. Horrible, just horrible.
Despite these problems, An Education on the whole is a marvelous and deftly observed story about a girl growing up in the 60’s and grappling with her options. Featuring a star making performance by Mulligan, a great ensemble cast, a nicely layered script by author Nick Hornby and subtle and creative direction by Lone Scherfig, An Education is one of my favorite films of the year.
