10. The Blind Side
Possibly the biggest surprise in the Best Picture inclusion given it was a pretty mediocre film, The Blind Side is still an traditional Oscar fave thanks to its 'inspired by true events' plot and its 'triumph over adversity' tale. The plot involving real-life American Football star Michael Ohr and his adoption by a wealthy family, has been winning Sandra Bullock awards left, right and centre. It is a perfectly acceptable middle-of-the-road film and it is competently made but there's no wow factor about it and certainly nothing to mark it out from the rest of the pack and that's why it has to be at the bottom of the list.9. Inglourious Basterds
Those who know me know I was never a big fan of the film, but having been forced to sit through it a second time I've realised my main problem with it is that it never establishes a tone. Anytime the plot involving Christoph Waltz and Melanie Laurent comes on the screen this is pretty tense dramatic war film but then when Brad Pitt appears, or there's a scene with Mike Myers as a comedy British Captain or their very comedic Hitler's on screen then it's a whole different film. There are things to admire - Waltz especially deserves all the praise he is getting and Diane Kruger and Michael Fassbender are perfectly fine as well. It's just that Tarrantino just needs to learn to edit and not put in every little idea he has into his screenplay.
8. Precious: Based on The Novel Push by Sapphire
Another one that has Oscar favourite written all over it as it features domestic abuse and a character with a disability, Precious is another one that has problems striking a tone and also finding an audience. It's a fine film and there's lots to admire, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique in particular are brilliant as Precious and her abusive mother while there's surprisingly compotent support from Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz of all people. But there's just too much grit and not enough triumph for me and at the end of the day although it was a worthy and well-directed effort it left me a little cold.
7. Avatar
Despite its many,many problems there's no denying that Avatar is a pretty impressive visual spectacular. The production design and special effects are the best of any of the films nominated and it deserves all the techincal plaudits its getting. But as a film as a whole it is just a bit messy. It's overlong, it's point is hammered home too much and the dialogue is very sloppy indeed almost reeking of straight-to-DVD action cliches a lot of the time. A lot of people enjoyed it as it was their first experience of 3D film but speaking as someone who saw it in both formats the 3D adds little to the overall feel of the film. The film is the definite favourite mainly due to the fact that it impressed at the Box Office but I'm not sure if that's enough to make it Best Picture.
6. Up
This is where it gets tricky because from this point on are films I really enjoyed so it's really hard to rank them. I'm going to start with Up, mainly because although it's the best Animated Film of last year I'm not sure there's enough it for it to contend with the big boys. Ask anyone their favourite section of te film and most will say the first ten minutes which made them cry but after that it does lapse into pure Disney enjoyment. The screenplay is rightly up for an award but my feeling is that Wall-E was far superior and that didn't feature in the Best Picture Category last year but it's nice to see an animated film in here all the same.
5. An Education
Another film I really enjoyed thanks to its use of both style and substance transporting you back to the early 1960s but at the same time giving you a compelling story and plenty of well-rounded characters. Although the direction is pretty standard, it's Nick Hornby's script which itself is based on a chapter of Lynn Barber's memoirs that makes the 90 minute run-time whizz by. The ensemble cast, especially Carey Mulligan in the lead, are stunning as is the music, costume and set design. I just feel that there was a little bit lacking in the overall feel of the film to make it a real classic. Still one of the best of the year though.
4. District 9
Again, a film that I really enjoyed at that more than deserves its plaudits, but at the same time is a little out of its depth in terms of overall structure. The idea of dramatising the Arpatheid as a sci-fi film is an intriguing one and the 'prawn' aliens are one of the highlights of the film, which begs the question why is the film not nominated in the Best Make-Up category? Sharlto Copley is brilliant in the lead as he goes from beaurocratic middle man to alien protector. Neil Blokamp's direction is great and overall this could be a surprise contender although I feel its filling the 'sci-fi' role in this year's varied Top 10. So a good film but no chance at awards glory.
3. A Serious Man
Along with The Blind Side and District 9 this was a film that no-one expected to see in the Top 10 list. But the Coen Brothers' latest tale of surburban woe is definitely up there with Fargo and No Country For Old Men as one of their best. Another film that perfectly captures its period aspect thanks to Roger Deakins' cinematography it also has a great lead performance from Michael Stuhlbarg. A stunning piece of cinema, it just doesn't have anything that the academy will latch onto and the Coens had their glory two years ago so they won't be able to repeat that success again. Despite that one of my favourites of last year and I'm glad to see it here.
2. Up in the Air
A classic Hollywood tale of a man who is afraid to let others in, until he finally does. The film combines the effortless talents of George Clooney and the direction of Jason Reitman who again proves that he is one of the best young directors after producing both Juno and Thank You For Smoking. The film flows along superbly and also has two great supporting performances from Vera Farmiga as a strong love interest and Anna Kendrick as a young go-getter. Because of the ranking system this year, Up in the Air may be the film that a lot of the more mature academy members mark quite high on their list. It does have the feel of somethig that Cary Grant or James Stewart may have produced in their time. And if The Hurt Locker and Avatar both count each other out I reckon Up in the Air has a shot at the trophy.
1. The Hurt Locker
More about what it's like being a soldier than whether we should actually still be in Iraq, The Hurt Locker is a breath of fresh air in the Iraq War genre. Straight away we are in the wolrd of the bomb disposal unit and for just under two hours we are hooked following these three men as they try and survive the pitfalls of their job and each other. Katherine Bigelow's direction has definitley got Oscar writen all over it as has the script but will this win the Best Picture award? It's certainly the tightest contest in years between this and Avatar both have big support within the academy but I think it might be the right time for a war film to win. I thoroughly enjoyed the picture and it is also my pick for the Best Picture award.
Join me soon for the full predictions list.
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