Avatar

A film that could prove to be a turning point in the history of movies, Avatar is both a stunning achievement in film technique and a well-told story: a paraplegic former Marine infiltrates an indigenous tribe on the distant planet Pandora and falls under the spell of its beauty and its natives. It’s a testament to the movie’s power that, in the midst of all the special effects—to call them groundbreaking would be an understatement—the most disturbing moment is the destruction of a tree. Twelve years ago, the Academy rewarded James Cameron’s Titanic with a Best Picture Award, despite its flaws and middling reviews. Cameron has released a movie that is a game-changer and he will likely be rewarded accordingly.

An Education

Could this be the little movie that pulls out a surprise win? Probably not, which is a shame. An Education is an almost-perfect movie with a great story (a middle-aged man woos a teenage girl with a life of art, music and excitement in 1960s England), coupled with tremendous acting (particularly Alfred Molina as the father and a breakout performance by newcomer Carey Mulligan). It’s smart and dignified, but also great fun to watch. The nomination alone gives this terrific film the attention it deserves, but not enough to pull off a miracle win on Oscar night. But hey, if enough Academy members actually see this little underdog, anything could happen.

Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire

The darling of last year’s Toronto Film Festival (as well as Sundance), Precious is alternately brutal and beautiful, horrific and hilarious. Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire, it’s the story of an illiterate 16-year-old single mother (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) and her dysfunctional mom (Mo’Nique). It has garnered lots of attention and has done decent box office numbers. Strong supporting performances by Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey (yes, Mariah Carey) add to the buzz surrounding this shocking, emotional and ultimately uplifting film. It’s definitely this year’s Slumdog Millionaire.

Up in the Air

A good movie that doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts, Up In The Air is driven by three excellent performances, particularly by George Clooney, who plays a charming (and ultimately pathetic) corporate hatchet man who takes pride in his air miles points and his ability to fire people with finesse and a deft touch. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are strong in support, but the movie’s ambiguous ending could hurt its chances with Academy voters. Up In The Air may boast a great cast and strong direction (by Juno director Jason Reitman), but what was once an early Oscar favorite may have lost some of its momentum.

The Hurt Locker

An apolitical movie about the Iraq war, The Hurt Locker tells the story of a very small group of dedicated and professional American soldiers who desperately try to establish a little order and sense in the chaos of war. They are brave (Anthony Mackie), reckless (Jeremy Renner) and terrified (Brian Geraghty). The filmmaking (confidently directed by Kathryn Bigelow) could serve as a case study in tension. Just about every scene has an air of potential catastrophe (and often ends that way), but not one drop of blood is shed gratuitously. The Hurt Locker rolls into the Oscars with a full head of steam (and tons of year-end awards), but might need a bit more popular support to rack up a win.

The Blind Side

The compelling true story of the life of Michael Oher (currently an NFL player with the Baltimore Ravens), The Blind Side is one of this year’s Oscar underdogs, in the same way that Rocky was in 1976. Fuelled by strong performances by Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, The Blind Side has quietly conjured up some amazing box office numbers. In fact, it has become the highest-grossing sports drama of all time, raking in receipts that would even impress the NFL’s highest-paid athletes. Yet the competition on the field on Oscar night could be overwhelming. But then again, that’s what they said about

Inglourious Basterds

With this film that was ten years in the making, Quentin Tarantino has admitted he had high hopes for Inglourious Basterds. In fact, he was determined to make it his masterpiece. Telling the tale of two separate plots to assassinate the Nazi leadership during World War II (one of them led by Brad Pitt), Basterds is typical Tarantino: violent, funny, dark and very twisted. It’s also his most successful movie at the box office, topping even the 1994 Oscar-nominated classic Pulp Fiction. The movie has had its share of attention at other awards ceremonies (particularly Christopher Walz’s performance), but likely not enough to make it an Oscar favorite.

District 9

A not-too-subtle allegory for the oppressive South African Apartheid regime, District 9 is also a pretty cool alien flick. But unlike Avatar, D9 is not pretty or awe-inspiring. In fact, it’s ugly and gritty. It’s also wildly original. Produced by Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings) and directed by first-timer Neil Blomkamp, District 9 was both a critical and box office smash that has earned more than six times its $30-million-dollar budget. An impressive mixture of brain and brawn, District 9 was the talk of the summer of 2009. But what was a deafening buzz seven months ago has since died down—and that will hurt D9’s chances when Academy members vote.

A Serious Man

Usually, a Coen brothers movie elicits much attention, but despite strong reviews, this film has flown under the radar. It’s a black comedy about a professor whose life begins to unravel when his wife decides to leave him. Set in the Coen brothers’ hometown of St. Louis Park in Minnesota, A Serious Man is mean-spirited, dark and weirdly funny. The film is helped along by the memorable performance of Michael Stuhlbarg (who’s won a number of year-end awards). But being a darling of the critics isn’t enough to make this offering a major contender.

Up

When the Academy announced that it was expanding the Best Picture category to ten nominations, it was widely believed that it would make more room for comedies and animated movies. That has turned out to be the case for this modern Disney/Pixar classic. It’s an outlandish tale (a large clump of balloons transports a house to a South American paradise) told in such a simple fashion that it somehow becomes believable. Up is charming, moving and great fun. Its nomination will also make young kids more interested in the Oscars than ever before.

 

By Tom Jokic