Best Picture nominations

Predicted nominees:

• Avatar
• District 9
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Invictus
• Precious
• A Serious Man
  
• Up
• Up in the Air

I would nominate:

• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• The Messenger
• Moon
• Precious
• The Road
• A Serious Man
• A Single Man
  
• Where the Wild Things Are

Little movies without studio hype machines are often overlooked by the Academy in this category. There were several great ones this year, particularly Moon and The Messenger. I hope that I'll be proven wrong and that these two get nominations on Tuesday, but I'm not counting on it.

Where the Wild Things Are will probably miss the cut as well. Not everyone can deal with ten-foot-tall muppets in serious cinema. But this movie is fascinating, visually remarkable, and surprisingly moving, gently prodding viewers to confront their own deep-seated childhood fears. It's a wonderful film.

I've seen Up in the Air twice, trying to figure out why the reviews are so rapturous. Other than a great supporting performance from Anna Kendrick, the movie left me cold. The most affecting part of the movie for me was the footage of actual laid-off workers. Maybe I would have preferred a documentary about them.

Avatar has amazing visuals, but the story is beyond awful, so I can't stomach putting it on my list of favorites. But the flying dragons, especially the big red-orange-yellow one, totally rocked my world. A more palatable and interesting sci-fi movie this year was District 9. The political backdrop gave the movie gravitas. I think it would have made my top ten list if not for the cutesy E.T.-phone-home ending.

A Serious Man is a difficult film. It's not for everyone. I loved the cinematography, art direction, costumes, lighting, even the make-up. The scene inside the house of the sexy neighbor was insanely gorgeous, making me want to time-travel back to the 60's.

I have now seen A Single Man twice, and I liked it more the second time. Tom Ford's visual style is breathtaking, but the real treasure here is Colin Firth's perfectly measured performance, full of nuance, deeply moving. He is perhaps at his best in his solo scenes at home, which he narrates as if from the great beyond. The home of Julianne Moore's character is supremely gorgeous and perfect for her well-defined character. But my favorite scene takes place in the parking lot of a convenience store....

Precious and An Education keep fighting it out inside my head for my favorite movie of the year. An Education has so many wonderful elements and no apparent flaws. Superbly drawn supporting characters, a clear narrative arc, wonderful costumes and sets, beautiful camera work, a complicated and satisfying ending...and Emma Thompson! But at the end of the day I think I have to go with Precious because it is like nothing I've ever seen, because of the totally unique and fascinating lead performance by Gaboureh Sidibe, because of a truly shocking and heartbreaking story, and because of the unexpected excellent supporting work by several celebs who previously hadn't been known for their acting talents: Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Sherri Shepherd, and most of all Mo'Nique. Precious is a vitally important film with sweeping social relevance, but simultaneously it's an incredibly intimate story. Shocking, devastating, dazzling, hopeful. Fantastic. Also, openly gay director!

Best Supporting Actor Nominations

Predicted nominees:

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

I would nominate:

• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
• Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
• Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Christian McKay was a vibrant life-force as the great filmmaker Orson Welles, bringing needed humor and depth to an otherwise corny tale starring the already-past-his-prime Zac Efron. Woody Harrelson gave what might be his career-best performance as a cocksure military man trying to mentor Ben Foster while dealing with his own demons. In The Hurt Locker, Anthony Mackie provided the human counterpoint to Jeremy Renner's machine-like anti-hero. While Stanley Tucci was fine as the murder in The Lovely Bones, I preferred his charming supporting work as Mr. Child in Julie & Julia. Christoph Waltz dominated Inglourious Basterds with his wicked intensity camouflaged with a creepily endearing smile.

Honorable Mentions: The wonderful Jim Broadbent as the only actor with a pulse in the dreary The Young Victoria; Liev Schreiber as the quietly confident tranny-with-a-gun in Taking Woodstock; Fred Melamed as the intensely creepy "friend" of Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man.

Best Actor nominations

Predicted nominees:

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

I would nominate:

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Ben Foster, The Messenger
• Viggo Mortensen, The Road

In A Single Man, Colin Firth gave the most devastating and emotionally resonant performance by a lead actor since Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. Robert Downey Jr. brought a delirious energy to the character of Sherlock Holmes, and his rhythm with co-star Jude Law was perfection. Viggo Mortensen provides the ultimate portrait of a loving father in The Road. Ben Foster is fascinating to watch in The Messenger; he builds his character ever so gradually until we finally understand him at the end (or do we?). And Jeff Bridges is a joy to behold, so self-assured and likable as a broke-down singer in Crazy Heart.

Honorable mentions: Jeremy Renner, intense and troubled in The Hurt Locker; Morgan Freeman painting new and unexpected shades onto the heroic character of Nelson Mandela in Invictus; and Sam Rockwell, slowly going mad on The Moon.

Best Supporting Actress Nominations

Predicted nominations:

• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo'Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
• Samantha Morton, The Messenger

I would nominate:

• Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies
• Mo'Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
• Samantha Morton, The Messenger
• Rosamund Pike, An Education

Samantha Morton has a knack for bringing unexpected layers to standard "female love interest" roles. In The Messenger she is simultaneously intimate with and distant from the soldier played by Ben Foster. Her scene in the kitchen with the sunshine outlining her profile is intensely beautiful.

The entire supporting cast of An Education is first-rate. Rosamund Pike stands out as Helen, the glamorous friend of young Jenny (Carey Mulligan) who represents what Jenny's life could be like if she were to remain with her older beau (Peter Saarsgaard). Helen reveals herself to be a bit dim intellectually, but she is not naive; she knows, and seems resigned to, the moral ambiguities of her position in life. Olivia Williams plays the dowdy teacher who represents the other path that Jenny might take. Her character is straight-laced, driven, admirable, and keenly aware of the obstacles facing young women of Jenny's generation. I would love to have included both Pike and Williams on my list of five, but alas, one must make brutal choices in this arena.

I adore Marion Cotillard. While she did a fine job as the dissatisfied wife of Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine, her most compelling work this year was her portrayal of Billie Frechette, the beautiful singer and lover of the outlaw John Dillinger played by Johnny Depp in Public Enemies. The film as a whole lacked emotional impact, but Cotillard brought tremendous depth and beauty to her scenes.

The first time I saw A Single Man, I was underwhelmed by Julianne Moore's performance as Colin Firth's friend and confidante. But on a second viewing I came to appreciate the intensity and bravery that she brought to the role. Moore does great supporting work here; her characterization helps us to understand Colin Firth's situation while not detracting focus onto herself.

As for Mo'Nique...an incredibly brave performance. Her scene at the social worker's office near the end is amazing. She is able to make the viewer understand her monstrous character and, maybe, even feel sorry for her. This is the sort of performance that comes around only once or twice in a decade.

Best Actress Nominations

We are fast approaching the announcement of the Academy Awards nominations for films from 2009. I'd like to give you my predictions as well as the ones I would nominate if I were in charge.


Predicted nominees:

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gaboureh Sidibe, Precious
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

I would nominate:

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gaboureh Sidibe, Precious
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Although I wasn't crazy about The Blind Side generally, Sandra Bullock was fantastic. Of the two British ingenues with breakout performances this year, I had a slight preference for Abbie Cornish as the devastated soulmate of John Keats. Carey Mulligan didn't tug at my heartstrings, but she gave a polished, convincing performance in An Education. Meryl once again proved that she is our greatest living actor with her layered portrait of Julia Child. And Gaboureh Sidibe brought dignity and spirit to Precious Jones, the year's most challenging role.

Honorable mentions: Catalina Saavedra's weird, wonderful performance in The Maid; Penelope Cruz, shown off to beautiful effect again by Pedro Almodovar in Broken Embraces; and Maya Rudolph, who gave the only interesting performance in the otherwise awful Away We Go.