I know that I’ve written about the Academy Awards over several of my columns, but I can’t stop. I can’t help it. The Oscars are the Super Bowl for movie geeks. Instead of the playoffs we have the Golden Globes and various Guild awards. After following the race, I’m happy that the awards season is coming to an end, but questions still remain before the big night — namely who will take the top prize.
Before delving into the Best Picture race, which is perhaps the most competitive of the past decade, it’s important to knock off the films that don’t stand a chance — the “you’re lucky to be nominated” entries, if you will. First off the list is “The Blind Side.” Without any other nomination apart from Best Actress, this film doesn’t stand a chance. Sandra Bullock will, regrettably, garner “The Blind Side” its sole Oscar victory.
The wise, clean-cut British film “An Education” will not pose a threat here, either. With only a few scattered critics’ awards under its belt, the film doesn’t stand a chance against its stronger competitors. “A Serious Man,” “District 9” and “Up” all won critics’ praise — and audience support for the latter two — yet without Best Director or any acting nominations to speak of, it’s going to be a battle for the top honor.
Earlier in the year, critics and entertainment industry bloggers all knighted “Precious” and “Up in the Air” as the frontrunners in the race. Although “Precious” and “Up in the Air” have made very strong showing throughout the awards season, their victories have surfaced in the Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay categories, respectively.
Now this is where things get murky. Any of the three remaining films, “The Hurt Locker,” “Avatar” and “Inglourious Basterds” are all plausible winners. Logistically speaking, “The Hurt Locker” has won nearly every critics award for Best Picture, as well as the Producers and Directors Guild Awards. In terms of financial success, which plays a larger part in the race than you’d think, “Avatar” is, well, “Avatar.” Back in 2005 when “Crash” surprised everyone and took the Best Ensemble Cast award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, upsetting “Brokeback Mountain,” and won the top prize at the Oscars, the SAG award has come to pack quite a punch in the race. This is largely because actors constitute the largest demographic of the Academy voting body. When Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi-huntin’ circus “Inglourious Basterds” won the award a few weeks ago, I got to wondering if history was about to repeat itself, “Basterds” being “Crash” and “Hurt Locker” being “Brokeback.”
Although I’m definitely rooting for “The Hurt Locker” to upset James Cameron’s stupid sellout of a film (yeah, I said it), a “Basterds” win would be fantastic — a sensational twist, and a film that merits such an accolade. As long as it’s not “Avatar.”
I know I’m in the minority here, but now, two months after I took the plunge to Pandora like everyone else, I’m profoundly indifferent. Sure, the visual effects were astounding and unlike anything I’ve seen before (and it should damn well be with that astronomical budget), but those aren’t grounds for bestowing the film a Best Picture Oscar — especially because the film is essentially a cheap rip-off of “Pocahontas” with atrocious acting and a script that felt written by a feral child hocked up on Adderall.
In the end, I think along with Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best Actor (Jeff Bridges), Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique), Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz), this year, the right nominee will triumph — that nominee for Best Picture being “The Hurt Locker.” With its revolutionary guerrilla filmmaking methods and its dual timeless and timely message, “The Hurt Locker” achieves on a shoestring budget what “Avatar” achieves (in the broad public’s opinion, certainly not mine) with a budget of over $200 million more. Nothin’ green about that, now is there, Mr. Cameron?
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
