2010/2011 Award Season

2010/11 Award Season

As the year comes to a close Award season begins. We have had already some nominations announced and a few awards already presented. And while there have been a few (or more) surprises, the movies we had expected to be honored were (and that's kind of a sad thing, being so predictable). So anyway, here are a few thoughts that I have for this season:


Part I: The Award Ceremonies

Golden Globes:
The nominations for this year's Golden Globe were already announced, and they came with a few surprises. For the Best Motion Picture - Drama category the films that were expected to be nominated (or at least most of them) were, and these were Inception, Black Swan, The King's Speech, The Socia Network and The Fighter. I was expecting 127 Hours instead of The Fighter, but I can't really complain here. My real complain is with the comedy nominations: The Kids Are All Right (the only one really worthy), Red, Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque and The Tourist. Three of the five got a Rotten rating at RT. I would have changed Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque and The Tourist for Toy Story 3, Greenberg and Cyrus maybe, and maybe even Red for Love and Other Drugs (though that one also got a Rotten rating but it is more of a comedy). I seriously doubt the credibility of this year's Golden Globes...

Critics Choice Awards:
The critics choice awards are a ceremony that, even if they have a lesser prestige than the Oscars or BAFTAs, are highly important in Hollywood. This year we have good nominations and I dare to say that they are similar to what the Oscars may be. For Best Picture the nominees were: 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Social Network, The King's Speech, The Town, True Grit, Toy Story 3, and Winter's Bone. I think this comes close to the 10 Oscar nominees, and I would say that I feel comfortable with them (though I would have liked The Kids Are All Right to get in). The six favored films are the ones nominated in the Best Director category, and those are Inception (Christopher Nolan), Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky), The Social Network (David Fincher), The King's Speech (Tom Hooper), True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen) and 127 Hours (Danny Boyle). I would place my bet on David Fincher and his movie, and most of the time this gets what the Oscars get too.

Screen Actors Guild Awards:
Another ceremony of high pedigree, very important for the Actors (especially when winning here is almost a lock for the Oscars), the Screen Actors Guild Awards have also announced their nominations and are good too. For Best Actor we have Jeff Bridges for True Grit, Robert Duvall for Get Low, Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network, Colin Firth for The King's Speech and James Franco for 127 Hours. I would vote for Colin Firth, and I would also like to say that I would have liked too to see Bardem being nominated for his role in Biutiful. For Best Actress we have Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrene for Winter's Bone, Natalie Portman for Black Swan and Hilary Swank for Conviction. I think it is bewteen Portman and Bening, and, while I haven't seen the film, the critics seem to be favoring Portman slightly. I would have liked to see Tilda Swinton for I Am Love, but it will now be hard since she has been overlooked for several ceremonies now.

Gotham Independent Film Awards:
The spirit of Independent cinema is here at the Gotham Independent Film Awards. The big winner has been Winter's Bone, with the awards for Best Film and Best Ensemble. The other four nominees for Best film were Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right, Blue Valentine and Let Me In.

BAFTAs:
Though the nominations haven't been announced yet I'd like to speak a little about the BAFTAs. The BAFTAs are as important as the Oscars for British films. I think this year the winner may be The King's Speech, as they ted to favor British productions, but it may also be The Social Network (hopefully, winning the Trifecta). The other nominees may be 127 Hours, Black Swan and maybe The Ghost Writer? or rather The Kids Are All Right. I don't know, but I don't see them nominating Inception for a lot this year.

Oscars:
Ahh, what is probably the most important award in the film business. The ceremony that gets all the attention, the mighty (and may I say flawed) Oscars. This year there is big competition, but I think it is safe to guess who will the winner be. Anyway, if you want to know more about my thoughts on the Oscars keep an eye for my next predictions...


Part II: The Favored Films

The Social Network
I think it is not hard to guess that this will be the big winner at the Oscars. The critics were raving about it when it was released and now it has been receiving alot of praise from these ceremonies. The film is most ikely to win the Oscar for Best Picture, the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama (though here they tend to go with more commercial films) and possibly the BAFTA. The film will also receive Best Director and Adapted Screenplay, as well as other minor awards like Editing and maybe music. Who knows? It has already received numerous awards that it is hard to count.

Inception
Christopher Nolan's epic follow up to The Dark Knight may have become his most financially and possibly critically succesful film. It has already been nominated several times for the desired Best Picture and Best Director in many ceremonies, and it has won a few other awards too. However, I think this movie is destined to lay under The Social Network's shadow, but if Warner Bros gives a strong campaign, who knows what could happen. Whatever is the case, I'm sure this will be a hell of a competition.

The King's Speech
The British production of the year (apparently). I think this may rule the BAFTAs, and other ceremonies too. However, when its about winning Best Picture it is very hard to win over The Social Network. Nevertheless, the praise this movie will receive this season is in the acting categories. Most likely, Colin Firth will win Best Actor in most of the ceremonies, and Helena Boham Carter for Best Supporting Actress is too a good bet, plus Geoffrey Rush in the Supportin Actor department is good. Most likely, the film may win Best Ensemble and Best Actor in many ceremonies, including the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Oscars, while the Supporting categories may fall short in the big awards.

Black Swan
Aronofsky's new project, a psychological thriller where everything is not what it seems like a delicate Ballet Ballerina can be a monster. The film has received excellent critical praise and many are saying that Portman may win the Oscar for Best Actress, while the film itself has good odds in Best Picture. It has already won a couple of awards in recent ceremonies, including Best Actress in the New York film critics Online, and I think they won't stop here.

127 Hours
James Franco and Danny Boyle have appeared in several ceremonies already. Franco has won already but I think Boyle hasn't yet (though maybe he'll get it soon). The critics love Franco's performance and many have speculated that he may take the Oscar too. And while he'll have to to Firth for that, he does stand a good chance.

The Fighter
Another film whose power lies in the performances and another strong contender for Best Ensemble at the SAGs. Receiving outstanding praise is Christian Bale as Mark Wahlberg's crackhead troublemaker brother. When I first saw the trailer I said to myself "he's got a chance to win the Best Supporting Actor award", and he's done it... several times. Also, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are getting nominated for a few ceremonies, and Mark Wahlberg has too. And while this film may not have big chances to win Best Picture, it definitely has for Performances.

Toy Story 3
The animated film of the year. Pixar's return. A new adventure of Woody and Buzz. The film that captivated the hearts of millions has been nominated in all Best Animated Feature that has already been announced, and in all that have been presented it has won. The film stands a big chance to be nominated for Best Picture too.

True Grit
The film isn't out yet so I can't really say much about it, only that it is going to be awesome. With a 96% in the Tomatometer for early reviewers and a casting of this caliber, not to mention that the two masterminds that brought us No Country for Old Men and Fargo are behind it, I am sure this will get alot of Oscar attention. It has been nominated more than one time for Best Pictur and/or Best Director. I am not 100 per cent sure that this will make the Oscar 10, but I think it stands a great chance.

The Kids Are All Right
Boosted by excellent performances from its cast all around and a marvellously charming script, Lisa Cholodenko's family film has received great reviews and it is most likely to be garner a few nominations with the Oscars. For the ceremonies it has already they have been nominated for its screenplay and performances (mostly Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo). Bening stands a real good chance for Best Actress (and she has already won in many), but I do think that Moore should get nominated too. Sadly, it all points that she won't.


There are a few others that I would like to mention but I don't want to make this post longe than it already is. So the point of this blog was to express my thoughts on the award season this year. Soon I'll be posting another update in my Oscar predictions, and now it will be much more easier. So anyway, this award season brings alot of surprises but also alot of exciting competition to see. It will all close in February 27.