You could say the price of an Oscar nod got cut in
half this year. Chagrined that box-office and critical favorite “The
Dark Knight” wasn’t nominated last year, the academy honchos decided to
double the number of nominees for best picture. That means 10 films,
not five, will be up for the big kahuna come March.
We decided to take a stab at picking 10 worthies in
advance of next week’s official nominations, keeping in mind the
academy’s goal of recognizing the popular without snubbing the good
and-or good for you. This isn’t a top 10 list for 2009, or a prediction
of results. It’s just a suggestion as to how the five extra choices
might be used. The real nominations will be announced Tuesday.
And our nominees are:
—”Avatar”
You might have heard of this one.
fueling water-cooler conversation on a weekly basis. It’s also a
titanic leap ahead in technical know-how, one of the rare movies you
leave thinking, “I’ve never seen anything like that.” So “Avatar” has
both the stamp of public approval and a bona fide claim to artistry.
It’s in.
—”The Hangover”
This one’s a little tricky. Like “Avatar,” it got a
Golden Globe, for best musical or comedy. It also enjoyed the rare
double whammy of box-office success (it’s now the best-selling comedy
DVD ever) and generally favorable reviews. But the Oscar folk, who seem
averse to comedy in the first place, may find it a little bawdy to give
it their official imprimatur. We say show some love for “Fat Jesus” and
the gang and recognize the funny.
—”Public Enemies”
middling to the ecstatic. But this is really the kind of movie the
Academy should love: Big names (
Marion Cotillard); period Americana; larger-than-life antihero. The
story was a little too densely packed for mass success, but this
quality
—”Star Trek”
Here’s a true test of the Academy’s new populism.
The ideal franchise reboot made enough money to buy a lifetime supply
of dilithium crystals. It was also a heck of a ride, with a great young
cast led by
The franchise has major boomer appeal. There’s nothing “important”
about “Star Trek,” and with the expanded field that should no longer
matter. This is a good movie that also happens to be as entertaining as
you could ask.
—”Up in the Air”
This choice is a no-brainer and the best candidate
to steal the “Avatar” glory. There’s been some minor backlash and cries
of “overrated,” but it still hits the Oscar sweet spot: great writing,
timely and humanistic storytelling, multiple acting nominations (
—”Up”
Let’s hope the new nomination 10-pack smiles on
animated films, this year and beyond. It’s no secret that Pixar cranks
out Oscar-worthy movies regularly, yet somehow they’ve never snagged a
best-picture nod. Time for that to change, especially since “Up” is
easily one of the year’s best. Death to the animated-film ghetto!
—”Precious”
It was pretty much assured a spot even in a field of five. The question is whether
has ever been nominated for best director. Yo, Oscar! Put some more
brothers on the wall!
—”The Hurt Locker”
… And some sisters. Here’s another shoo-in, especially after its triumph with the
“The Hurt Locker” scores as white-knuckle entertainment and as
cinematic art. I don’t remember any war movie that gave such a visceral
feeling that its characters could die at any moment.
—”An Education”
Another area where Oscar’s generous new policy
should spread the wealth in future years: the modestly budgeted, deftly
written and acted import that gets great reviews and equally positive
audience feedback.
—”Inglourious Basterds”
I wasn’t a fan. But one person’s hollow sadism is
another’s brilliant dark comedy, and the “Basterds” have garnered an
impressive mix of industry approval and fan support. Plus the Academy
should still feel guilty for picking “Forrest Gump” over “Pulp
Fiction.” (Really, Oscar? Really?)
—
(c) 2010, The Dallas Morning News.
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