UNFLINCHINGLY CINEMATIC

2010 Oscar Predictions and Desires

BEST PICTURE
What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: It’s a tough year, with a lot of strong candidates. The timeliness of Up in the Air will never quite be matched, the bold imagination of Tarantino makes Inglourious Basterds a viable candidate, but The Hurt Locker hits all the right notes and when it takes home Oscar gold tomorrow night, it will be well-deserved.

BEST DIRECTOR
Who will win: Kathryn Bigelow
Who should win: Kathryn Bigelow. It takes guts for a chick to handle such male-dominated material with such a light hand. The Hurt Locker is visually stunning and beautifully intimate, and we have Bigelow to thank for that.

BEST ACTOR
Who will win: Jeff Bridges
Who should win: Jeff Bridges. Crazy Heart may not be his most solid performance, and it may not be what made him a star, but if Kate Winslet taught us anything, sometimes there’s a long-overdue exception lurking amongst the candidates. It’s Bridges’ year.

BEST ACTRESS
Who will win: Sandra Bullock
Who should win: Carey Mulligan. She showed us that delicacy and progression is a little harder to hone into than a fashionable Southern accent and a faux blonde hairdo. Mulligan is a star, and her turn as 16-year-old Jenny in An Education is a performance that won’t soon be forgotten, which isn’t likely the case for any of the other nominees.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who will win: Christoph Waltz
Who should win: Christoph Waltz. No other actor could have made Colonel Hans Landa as effectively lovable and sinister all in one go. Waltz is a marvel.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who will win: Mo’nique
Who should win: Mo’nique. She rises through her comedic ashes to play a powerhouse role, with just enough dignity to keep her from going over-the-top.

BEST ORIGNAL SCREENPLAY
What will win: It’s a toss-up between Inglourious Basterds and The Hurt Locker, with The Hurt Locker taking a slight advantage 
What should win: Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino took a multi-layered script, told in four different languages, with an enormous cast, and somehow kept it cohesive, engaging, and within the realms of his wildest imagination. The Hurt Locker will have it’s fair share of Oscar glory - Tarantino deserves at least one piece of recognition for this feat.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
What will win: Up in the Air
What should win: Up in the Air. Jason Reitman loosely adapted a book, making it more timely, cinematic, and beautiful. And like Tarantino, he deserves condolences for delivering such a solid film.

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: Inglourious Basterds. Sally Menke weaved through Tarantino’s spindling narrative meticulously. What could have been muddled was concise. She’s the master of her game.

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar. If anything, it’s beautiful to watch, and was an enormous special effects milestone. And while it may be a lonelier night for Avatar than previously expected, it should tick through the visual awards with ease.