MovieManiac's Oscar Predictions 2010

On Sunday March 7th, Hollywood's gold rush will reach its grand finale. At the historic Kodak Theater, this year's Oscar award will be handed out. MovieManiac's is here with her Oscar Predictions.

Legendary movie critic Roger Ebert says in this column at Chicago Sun Times, "I can't remember a year when it seemed easier to predict the Oscars." True. Just look at this year's nominees and you can say why the legend himself has tough time predicting 2010 Oscar winners.

For 2010 Oscar Awards, the categories I am most interested are: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director.

Best Picture: Who is going to win Academy Award for Best Picture this year? Avatar with its huge global success is the front runner but don't count Hurt Locker out, yet.

Hurt Locker is a very realistic and honest movie about war and what conflict means to those who are on the front lines. Focused on the Iraq war, Hurt Locker not just focuses on the American soldiers' view of the war but also presents local Iraqis as real people-in a way the movie humanizes the Iraqis. Humanization of Iraqis is something missing from America's media's war coverage.

Avatar is a path breaking moving with superb technology and its a triumph when it comes to using animation, but that is not enough. A movie is not a technical project, it has touch human sentiments and leave a mark in one's soul. Avatar's technology is thrilling but the movie lacks the human touch of Hurt Locker.

Other Best Picture Oscar nominees don't compare to Hurt Locker and Avatar, so thought it is reasonable to limit our discussion to just these two movies.

MovieManic predicts that 2010 Best Picture Oscar will go to Hurt Locker.

Best Supporting Actor: There is no doubt that Christoph Waltz is the sure winner in this category. He is a veteran actor who is a proven talent. In Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards, his performance is amazing. He is smooth, refined and also very unaffected-perfectly playing a murderous Nazi colonel.

Christoph Waltz' also has a great buzz around his work which does not hurt his chances of winning. New York Times article calls him Tarantino's secret weapon who is now tasting glory. Various new sources and magazines have also praised Christopher Waltz's performance.

Other nominees in Best Supporting Actor category include Matt Damon, Woody Harrelson,Christopher Plummer, and Stanley Tucci. I am sure you have not heard of these other nominees as much as you have heard of Christoph Waltz. I believe that is because Christoph Waltz surprised everyone with his superb performance that all other nominees got sidelined.

MovieManic predicts that 2010 Best Supporting Actor Oscar will go to Christoph Waltz.

Best Director: This is the category, I am still debating myself.From the list of nominees, here are the front runners-James Cameron, Avatar,Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker and Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Bastards.

Various writers and critics have said that either James Cameron or Kathryn Bigelow is going win the 2010 Best Director Oscar. But I don't agree. Quentin Tarantino cannot be ignored like that. Yes, Inglorious Bastards has some graphic scenes, but Hurt Locker is also not a fairy tale. Tarantino has managed to wave an excellent storyline, and look at what he got out of Christoph Waltz!

But in the end, my sentimental favorite is Kathryn Bigelow. She made a fine war movie, proving that women can be good directors and don't have to be limited to directing candy floss love stories and romantic comedies. She has lot of support too,it is time that a woman wins Best Director award at the Oscars ( hard to believe no woman has ever won!) James Cameron, may be this is just not his year at the Oscars.

MovieManic predicts that 2010 Best Director Oscar will go toKathryn Bigelow.

I can't wait for Sunday. This year, history will be made at the Kodak Theater!

Sources:

Chicago Sun Times, 2010
Washington Times, 2010