The Oscars- Early Theories

After Halloween weekend, we will officially be in Awards Season, where the studios' prestige films will be released in hopes of gaining award glory. There may be some that I'm currently overlooking, but here are some to consider:

Shutter Island- Possible Awards- Picture, Actor (DiCaprio), Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Musical Score. This expertly crafted thriller is a wonderful showcase of the joined talent of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. Some theater-goers were left disappointed by the ending, but in a year of many so-so movies, perhaps the intelligence and craft of this picture will earn it love, despite its early release.

Inception- Possible Awards- Picture, Actor (DiCaprio again), Supporting Actor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Supporting Actress (Ellen Page), Director, Original Screenplay, Visual Effects, Cinematography, Musical Score, Editing, and just about everything else. I'm currently naming this the year's best film because this juggernaut requires and demands multiple viewings, something that studios love. Sure, it made a ton of money and was a huge risk, but just about everyone who saw the movie loved it. Every element has been put in place perfectly. It's a masterpiece.

The Social Network- Possible Awards- Picture, Actor (Jesse Eisenberg), Supporting Actor (Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield), Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing. I do believe that this is one of the year's best films, but I left feeling somewhat underwhelmed. This will probably fade with time, but the rapid-fire dialogue and pacing of the funniest comedy imaginable (no, it is not a comedy- it just has the pacing of one) make this fascinating portrait of a man no one wants but everyone seemingly needs is fascinating.

The Ghost Writer- Possible Awards- Picture, Actor (Ewan McGregor), Supporting Actor (Pierce Brosnan), Supporting Actress (Olivia Williams), Adapted Screenplay, Musical Score, Director. This thriller has been called absorbing, masterful, addictive, fascinating, and brilliant, and I found it to be a wonderful combination of those terms. Although it was a box office flop, the Academy would be mistaken to overlook this wonderful thriller with expertly crafted performances.

Those three are the only Best Picture-worthy films I have personally watched, but here are some possible nominations with titles to look out for.

Kick-Ass- Best Supporting Actress (Chloe Moretz, but it's probably not happening)
Let Me In- Best Actress (Chloe Moretz), Best Visual Effects
Leaves of Grass- Best Actor (Edward Norton)
Winter's Bone- Picture, Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Adapted Screenplay.
The American- Best Actor (George Clooney)
Waiting for Superman- Best Documentary
The Kids are All Right- Picture, Original Screenplay, Actress (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore), Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo)
Restrepo- Best Documentary
Black Swan- Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Actress (Natalie Portman), Supporting Actress (Mila Kunis)
Hereafter- Best Actor (Matt Damon)
The King's Speech- Best Picture, Actor (Colin Firth), Actress (Helena Bonham Carter), Director, Original Screenplay

Of course, this is a simply preliminary list, and many of the films mentioned I have not seen. We should also consider the Razzie Awards which dis-honor the worst achievements of the year:

Life As We Know It- Worst Picture, Actress (Katherine Heigl), Screenplay
The Last Airbender- Picture, Screenplay, Director
The A-Team- Picture, various
Sex and the City 2- Picture, Actress x4, Screen Couple
Nightmare on Elm Street- various
Killers- Picture, Actor (Ashton Kutcher), Actress (Katherine Heigl), Screen Couple, various.