ACADEMY AWARDS 2018: PLAYING THE PREDICTIONS GAME

Here we go again.  In my humble opinion, The Oscar will go to:

Best Picture: (Hope I am wrong, Get Out is satire, horror and comedy rolled into one)
Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Threads
The Post
*The Shape of Water
Three Billboards in Ebbing, Missouri


Best Actor:
Timothée Chalamet: Call Me By Your Name (don't think so despite a superb performance)
Daniel Day-Lewis: Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya:  Get Out
*Gary Oldman:  Darkest Hour (because great past performances have been overlooked)
Denzel Washington:  Roman J. Israel, Esq.


Best Supporting Actor:
*Willem Dafoe:  The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson:  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins:  The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer:  All The Money in the World
Sam Rockwell:  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (favored to win, but I'm going out on a limb here with Dafoe since his performance was superb)

Best Actress:
Sally Hawkins:  The Shape of Water
*Frances McDormand  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie:  I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan:  Lady Bird
Meryl Streep:  The Post


Best Supporting Actress:
Mary J. Blige:  Mudbound
*Allison Janney:  I, Tonya
Lesley Manville:  Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf:  Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer:  The Shape of Water


Best Director:
Paul Thomas Anderson:  Phantom Thread
*Guillermo del Toro:  The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig:  Lady Bird
Christopher Nolan:  Dunkirk (A++ job)
Jordan Peele:  Get Out (another A++ job, but think its del Toro's year)


Best Adapted Screenplay:
Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green; Story by James Mangold:  Logan
*James Ivory:  Call Me By Your Name
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber:  The Disaster Artist
Aaron Sorkin: Molly's Game
Virgil William and Dee Rees:  Mudbound


Best Original Screenplay:
Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, Story by Guillermo del Toro:  The Shape of Water
Greta Gerwig:  Lady Bird
Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani:  The Big Stick
Martin McDonagh:  Three Billboards in Ebbing, Missouri  (may take it from Peele, but I hope not)
*Jordan Peele:  Get Out


Best Original Song:
Mighty River (Mudbound)
Remember Me (Coco)
Stand Up For Something (Marshall)
The Mystery of Love (Call Me By Your Name)
*This is Me (The Greatest Showman)


Best Original Score:
*Alexandra Desplat, The Shape of Water
Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Johnny Greenwood, Phantom Thread
John Williams, Star Wars: The Last Zedi
Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk

Best Animated Feature Film:
The Boss Baby 
The Breadwinner
*Coco 
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent


Best Animated Short:
*Dear Basketball
Garden City
Lou
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes


Best Visual Efforts:
*Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes


Best Feature Documentary:
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
*Faces Places
Icarus
Last Men in Aleppo
Strong Island


Best Short Documentary:
*Edith + Eddie
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop (may be a surprise winner)


Best Foreign Language Film:
*A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
The Insult (Lebanon)
Loveless (Russia)
On Body and Soul (Hungary)
The Square (Sweden)

The Greatest Showman, All The Money in the World, Molly's Game

Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum

Every one of us is special.  Nobody is like anyone else - that's the point of our show."

The Greatest Showman, inspired by the most familiar aspect of the multifaceted life of P.T. Barnum, is a well adapted musical (story by Jenny Bicks, screenplay by Bicks and Bill Condon) with a tight narrative, strong cast and fleeting moments of energetic, engaging visuals.  Director Michael Gracey does not over-tell the story, and without prolonging the inevitable or overstating the obvious, he exposes Barnum’s unusual yet innate sense of humanity and perseverance.  We are given enough to get a feel for Barnum’s gift for orchestrating the spectacular, pulling off the near unbelievable and creating innovative performances that spawned a worldwide show business phenomenon.  In the midst of hoaxes and other effective persuasive devices are candid vignettes on his keen imagination, resilience and family life.  There is also a healthy, albeit short, glimpse into the complex offstage lives of circus performers whose experiences are typically minimized in film through monolithic portrayals as mere sideline fillers, jokers or freaks.  P.T. Barnum’s climb from poverty and social inconsideration to financial success and worldwide recognition is told succinctly through a strong performance by Hugh Jackman, whose dramatic scenes and musical numbers are delivered equally well, and contributions from a credible support cast led by Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya and Keala Settle.  While the history-based narrative itself is original, much of the choreography is reminiscent of well-known Michael Jackson dance routines, although the sequencing and execution are adapted to the story and delivered in ways that would probably please the King of Pop himself.  I was not blown away by the film (Jackman came close), but I was entertained and respect its overall quality. In the end, that, perhaps, may be what matters most.

B+

Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty, Sr.

"I have 14 grandchildren, and if I pay a penny of ransom, I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren."

All The Money in the World is a crime thriller directed by Ridley Scott, written by David Scarpa and based on John Pearson’s book Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty (1995). The film is based (taking some liberties) on the 1973 kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty, III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempts by his mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to persuade his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom.  Williams gives a strong performance as a woman pushed towards the edge by greed from both sides of the equation with her son’s life on the line.  Challenged by Getty, Sr.’s refusal to pay, threats from the abductors and mobs of reporters who do not buy the story that she is broke, Gail finds an unexpected ally in Getty’s trusted advisor J. Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) as the race against time and emotions intensifies.  Williams is convincing and impressive as the pressured ex-daughter-in-law of the wealthy investor, with Wahlberg holding his own as a support character.  But it is Christopher Plummer, with his utter consumption of the role of the tenacious senior Getty, who holds the ultimate key to the film’s suspense, and underscores how the abduction brings to the forefront the billionare's complex, uncompromising philosophy of life, love, family, loyalty and wealth, with the greatest of these being wealth.  Boundaries between winning and losing are blurred along with connections between causes and effects not fixed in monetary terms. What, if any lessons were learned remain unclear.  As for the movie, Plummer will likely be rewarded for his fine performance, with some form of recognition possibly being afforded Williams as well.  

A-

Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom

"...because it's my name. It's all that I have."

Molly’s Game is the true story of competitive skier Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), who went from being an Olympic-class athlete to running the most exclusive high-stakes underground poker game in the world. With players that included powerful, elite and famous figures in Hollywood, Wall Street, the sports world, and (unknown to her), members of the Russian mob, she was arrested in the middle of the night at her home by FBI agents after ten years of operation. Her reluctant criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) becomes her sole ally and quasi-therapist who discovers her tabloid-driven public image falls tremendously short of the real Molly Bloom. Chastain and Elba are superb, and although Kevin Costner gives a strong dramatic performance as Bloom’s conflicted father, it is the on-point candor, timing and chemistry between client and attorney that brings weight to this film. Written and directed by celebrated screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, this overview of Bloom’s response to loss, the need for self reinvention and risky, difficult choices against the backdrop of family dysfunction and professional secrecy will likely bring him recognition in directorial terms as well.

B+

Oscar 2016: My Two Cents Worth

Oh, what a night it is going to be for Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs...(Bless Her Heart)....enough said... MY PREDICTIONS: BEST PICTURE: “The Big Short” or “The Revenant”...... BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”)...... BEST ACTRESS: Brie Larson (“Room”)...... BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”)...... BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”)...... BEST DIRECTOR: Alejandro G. Iñárritu (“The Revenant”)...... BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (“Spotlight”)...... BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (“The Big Short”)...... BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: "Son of Saul" (Hungary)...... BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: “Amy...... BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki (“The Revenant”)...... BEST FILM EDITING: Hank Corwin (“The Big Short”)...... BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Colin Gibson, Kate Shamrock, Lisa Thompson (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)...... BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Paco Delgado (“The Danish Girl”)...... BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: "The Hateful Eight” (Ennio Morricone)...... BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "Til It Happens To You" ("The Hunting Ground")...... BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"...... BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Lesley Vanderwalk, Damian Martin, Elka Wardega (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)...... BEST SOUND MIXING: Jon Taylor, Frank Montaño, Randy Thom, Chris Duesterdiek (“The Revenant”)...... BEST SOUND EDITING: Mark Mangini and David White (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)

My 2014 Oscar Predictions

Here they are: Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave: will win...... Best Actor: This should be a dead heat between Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) and Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), but Hollywood will likely make their stellar annual screw-up this year by giving the statue to Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), whose best performance of his career was in Mud. Bruce Dern (Nebraska) and Christian Bale (American Hustle) gave strong performances, contributing to the strength of the category this year. The big question is: Why was Tom Hanks not a nominee?...... Best Actress: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) will win and should win, edging out Meryl Streep (August: Osage County). The performances of Amy Adams (American Hustle) and Judi Dench (Philomena) warranted nominations. Melissa McCarthy (The Heat) should have been nominated instead of Sandra Bullock (Gravity)...... Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) will win even though Barkhad Abdi is superb in "Captain Phillips". Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave, and Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)are the remaining nominees, although James Franco deserved acknowledgement here for "Spring Breakers"...... Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) will and should win, unless upset by "American Husttle's" Jennifer Lawrence. More distant nominations went to Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), and June Squibb (Nebraska...... Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón will probably win for "Gravity" over Steve McQueen who deserves equitable accolades for "12 Years a Slave". This is a strong category with other contenders being David O. Russell for "American Hustle", Alexander Payne for "Nebraska", and Martin Scorsese for "The Wolf of Wall Street"...... Best Animated Film "The Wind Rises" should win, and has only the slightest chance of upsetting "Frozen", this year's clear favorite. "Despicable Me 2", "The Croods", and "Ernest and Celestine" round out the category...... Best animated short: "Git a Horse"...... Foreign Language Film: "The Great Beauty" from Italy will be victorious over "The Broken Circle Breakdown" from Belgium, "The Hunt" from Denmark, "The Missing Picture" from Cambodia, and "Omar" from Palestine...... Best Documentary, Feature: "20 Feet from Stardom" will probably edge out "The Square" and "The Act of Killing" in a very strong category rounded out with nominations going to "Dirty Wars" and "Cutie and the Boxer"...... Best Documentary, Short Subject: "Facing Fear" stands a slight chance of upsetting "The Lady in Number 6", that I believe will win over it and "Cave Digger", "Karama Has No Walls", and "The Last Days of Private Jack Hall"...... Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: "12 Years a Slave" by John Ridley will and should win with others being duly rewarded for "Before Midnight" (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke), "Captain Phillips" (Billy Ray), "Philomena" (Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope), and "The Wolf of Wall Street" (Terence Winter)...... Best Writing, Original Screenplay: "American Hustle's" Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell will win with "Her" writer Spike Jonze being a possible upsetter, and a more distant possible deserver being Bob Nelson for "Nebraska". "Blue Jasmine" creator Woody Allen and "Dallas Buyers Club" writers Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack are recognized also in the group..... Visual Effects: Gravity will win...... Best Film Editing: The battle here is between "Gravity" (Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger) and "Captain Phillips (Christopher Rouse...... Best Cinematography: Gravity” Emmanuel Lubezki will probably win for "Gravity", although Bruno Delbonnel should win for “Inside Llewyn Davis”; and "12 Years a Slave" should have been nominated...... Best Production Design: "12 Years a Slave"...... Best Make-up and Hairstyling: The "Jackass" movie...... Music, Original Score: “Gravity”, Steven Price, will win. Hans Zimmer, had be been nominated here for "12 Years a Slave" would have been a formidable challenger and possible winner...... Music, Original Song: "Happy" from DESPICABLE ME 2 "Let It Go" from FROZEN will win. It would be nice if "The Moon Song" from HER would upset, but I don't think so.

Star Trek Into Darkness, World War Z, Man of Steel, Place Beyond The Pines...How I Spent My Spring Vacation...

When a seemingly unstoppable force from within the ranks of Starfleet threatens the future of the organization, Kirk leads a search for the terrorist in a forbidden war zone. Chris Pine reiterates the fact that he has nailed iconic Captain Kirk essentials without being imitative or gimmicky while simultaneously collaborating with J.J. Abrams to reinvent the central character. Zachary Qunito as Spock is equally effective and impressive. The two - Kirk and Spock - are on screen emotive polar opposites whose interactions often charge scenes with tension, humor and ambivalence as the layers of warfare and discovery unfold. Other Enterprise crew are also well cast. Karl Urban as Bones (Dr. McCoy) captures the highly opinionated, fear of space, metaphor-recitation behavior uniquely ascribed to his character. John Cho as Sulu is focused, cool and tough with impeccable exactness. Simon Pegg is as hyper, smart, and funny as Scotty should be. Zoe Saldana as Uhura is the greatest stretch, but only on the surface, as her relationship with the hard-core-logic-driven Spock points to the character's romantic appeal. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a formidable interpretation of villain John Harrison, whose reappearance is cleverly set up to become focal in the next episode. J.J. Abrams and Company have taken creative license with some popular Trek story elements, but have pulled it off so successfully in this case with a production that is action-packed, visually slick and interesting, tightly sequenced, and having a broad visual stamp that repeatedly, subtly, restates the Star Trek brand. In my humble opinion, Star Trek: Into Darkness is an example of what good franchise filmmaking is supposed to be. Grade: A Even though I am not into Zombie flicks, and the horror genre is not among my favorites, I give a good grade to World War Z. Brad Pitt delivers a solid performance as former United Nations troubleshooter Gerry Lane who has essentially retired to Philadelphia with his wife and two daughters when a global crisis erupts. Lane is recruited to assist by traveling the world in search of means to stop the Zombie pandemic. Directed by Marc Forster and based on the Max Brooks book World War Z: An Oral History of The Zombie War (2006) in a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, the apocalyptic horror film fluctuates between shutter speed action, panoramic scenes of devastation, and candid narration by Lane, whose drive to save the world is only superseded by his desire to save his family. While each cast member delivers most appropriately in "Z, special note is due Daniella Kertesz who is unforgettable as Israeli soldier Segen. This faux-documentary can get into your head. It is suspenseful, disturbing, and intense with just enough comic relief to allow occasional moments of normal breathing. Not all questions raised are answered, and while a sequel is probably inevitable, there is much more to be told, explained, and resolved. Grade: B+ A funny thing happened on the way to the latest rendition of Superman...somebody tried too hard to humanize a character whose very definition and characteristics are underscored by the fact that he is from Krypton, not Earth. Somehow, the fact was overlooked that we have bought into the notion that he is "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings In a Single Bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton! The man of steel. "Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"...Sentimentalism is not needed here. Audiences of various types have bought into the basic concept since 1938. The opening scenes setting up the story of Man of Steel are too slow, the fight scenes in the film are dragged out too much, and the movie overall is too long. With 30 more minutes of careful editing it probably would be a much improved film. Russell Crowe is strong as the birth father. Warrior Crowe does his usual impressive thing when cast in such roles. He did all he could. Diane Lane is convincing as a loving mother figure. Kevin Costner plays Lane's husband and Superman's "earth" father. There are some glitches in the script, but the main issue, in my humble opinion, is with the Man of Steel himself...the storyline around Superman, not actor Henry Cavill, who is stoic enough at times, has the right physique, and seems to offer enough eye-candy for those who go to movies for such treats. With better action sequencing; more timely (and thus, convincing) conclusions to fight segments, and a toning down of Batman, Hulk, Iron Man and Matrix rip-offs, and this maybe would have been a truly exciting comic-action movie (yes, everybody does it, but does Superman need it?). Grade: C+ Take a fearless motorcycle stunt man who lives a day-to-day existence as a free spirit; stir in the emotional charge of him discovering he has a newborn son with his lover; add the decision to provide for both with the quick financial fix of carefully-planned bank robberies; mix in his clash with an ambitious young cop who seeks a meteoric rise in a department held underfoot by a corrupt detective, and you have a super-nutshell synopsis to a great film called The Place Beyond The Pines. Ryan Gosling delivers an on-target performance as the conflicted, gritty, loner bike rider Luke, who lives for the moment, makes questionable choices and takes extreme risks, but melts down to a soft-spoken, adoring daddy at the sight and touch of his infant son. Eva Mendes conveys with sharpness the uncertainty of a lover caught up in the range of emotions experienced when faced with a chance for relative security and comfort, contrasted with the equally powerful realization that she still loves someone (Luke) who is the perfect storm in her life. Bradley Cooper confirms he is equally capable of delivering a strong dramatic performance as he is a comedic role as he plays the rookie cop Avery whose fate is dramatically affected by a collision with Luke. Dane DeHaan is gripping as the quiet, introverted Jason, son of Luke as a teenager. DeHaan commands undivided viewer attention in every scene in which he appears. Emory Cohen also comes through with strength as Avery's troubled son, AJ, epitomizing the callous, insensitive well-to-do teen who seeks out, lures and manipulates the peer classmate with no friends - in this ironic case, Jason. Some of the more intense, enigmatic interactions occur between these two young actors, who are naturals on film as they strike all the necessary marks to bring believability to their roles. A quick mention must be made of the menacing portrayal of Ray Liotta as a bad cop. His impact is felt despite limited time on screen. Derek Cianfrance should be proud of this independent film for his contribution as director and co-screenwriter along with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder. The Place Beyond The Pines is worth seeing. Grade: A

THE HELP: Mothers, Ma'ams and Maid Matters

The Help will make you laugh, cry, reflect, think, and at times feel uncomfortable or a little angry, but it will not leave you empty and it will not disappoint. Filmed and set in Mississippi, the story unfolds in the 1960s built on the surface around relationships between African American maids and the white children they care for. The deeper structure is set around the voice and principles of domestic Aibilene Clark – powerfully played by Viola Davis (who reiterates in this film that she is an A+ actress); Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan – well-played by Emma Stone - a recent graduate of Ole Miss who returns home to Jackson with aspirations of becoming a writer about things that are important; and, Octavia Spencer, who flirts with stealing the whole film as Minny, a no-nonsense domestic who knows how to be a maid, but also knows how to get even. There are no easy leads in this film. Bryce Dallas Howard takes her role as the manipulative, self-righteous, Southern Belle bigot Hilly Holbrook to iconic proportions, supported superbly by Ahna O’Reilly as Elizabeth Leefolt, Hilly’s strongest co-hort in maintaining Jim Crow social traditions; Anna Camp as her quietly cunning and giggly socialite friend Jolene; and, Sissy Spacek as Hilly’s aging, psychologically abused mother who despite dementia, remembers “two things”. Accolades are also due Jessica Chastain as the vulnerable, social outcast Celia Foote, wife to Hilly’s ex-boyfriend; Allison Janney as “Skeeter’s” ailing, remorseful mother; and Aunjanue Ellis, who gives an emotional portrayal of a mother willing to pay a tremendous price to educate her sons.

Love is a core element. No one epitomizes its implications more acutely than Aibilene, who loves others with such intensity, restraint and purity that she has little left for herself and who struggles in the face of this depletion with the scriptural mandate to “love your enemies”. The unlikely bonds, risky alliances, and ironic courses of events reverberating through this racially sensitive film are intensified by the obvious chemistry and dramatic synergy of the performers themselves. Director/writer Tate Taylor brought a cohesive believability, candor, and spirit to the screen in The Help – it is a model of good filmmaking and good acting. It’s also memorable largely because of some great (at least one graphic) one-liners. Kudos to author Kathryn Stockett for writing the book and for assisting longtime friend Taylor in translating this story of humanity into a meaningful film.

There should be great reward when Oscar nominations come around, and it should not come as a surprise to anyone if a statue or two ends up in the hands of an actor, its director or its writers.


Grade: A

My 2011 GOLDEN GLOBE PREDICTIONS

There were a number of clear winners this year, in my opinion, although, we know how quirky, partial, and unpredictable the foreign press can be, but here goes:

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE: DRAMA
a. BLACK SWAN
b. THE FIGHTER
c. INCEPTION
d. THE KING’S SPEECH
e. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
WINNER – THE KING’S SPEECH

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
a. HALLE BERRY FRANKIE AND ALICE
b. NICOLE KIDMAN RABBIT HOLE
c. JENNIFER LAWRENCE WINTER’S BONE
d. NATALIE PORTMAN BLACK SWAN
e. MICHELLE WILLIAMS BLUE VALENTINE
WINNER – NATALIE PORTMAN

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. JESSE EISENBERG THE SOCIAL NETWORK
b. COLIN FIRTH THE KING’S SPEECH
c. JAMES FRANCO 127 HOURS
d. RYAN GOSLING BLUE VALENTINE
e. MARK WAHLBERG THE FIGHTER
WINNER – COLIN FIRTH

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ALICE IN WONDERLAND
b. BURLESQUE
c. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
d. RED
e. THE TOURiST
WINNER – THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (ALICE/WONDERLAND could be a spoiler)

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ANNETTE BENING THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
b. ANNE HATHAWAY LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
c. ANGELINA JOLIE THE TOURIST
d. JULIANNE MOORE THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
e. EMMA STONE EASY A
WINNER – ANNETTE BENNING (JULIANNE MOORE could upset her co-star)

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. JOHNNY DEPP ALICE IN WONDERLAND
b. JOHNNY DEPP THE TOURIST
c. PAUL GIAMATTI BARNEY’S VERSION
d. JAKE GYLLENHAAL LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
e. KEVIN SPACEY CASINO JACK
WINNER - JOHNNY DEPP (ALICE/WONDERLAND)

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. DESPICABLE ME
b. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
c. THE ILLUSIONIST
d. TANGLED
e. TOY STORY3
WINNER – TOY STORY 3

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
a. BIUTIFUL (MEXICO/SPAIN)
b. THE CONCERT (FRANCE)
c. THE EDGE (Kpaй) (RUSSIA)
d. I AM LOVE (IO SONO L’AMORE) (ITALY)
e. IN A BETTER WORLD (Hævnen) (DENMARK)
WINNER – THE EDGE

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. AMY ADAMS THE FIGHTER
b. HELENA BONHAM CARTER THE KING’S SPEECH
c. MILA KUNIS BLACK SWAN
d. MELISSA LEO THE FIGHTER
e. JACKI WEAVER ANIMAL KINGDOM
WINNER – HELENA BONHAM CARTER

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. CHRISTIAN BALE THE FIGHTER
b. MICHAEL DOUGLAS WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
c. ANDREW GARFIELD THE SOCIAL NETWORK
d. JEREMY RENNER THE TOWN
e. GEOFFREY RUSH THE KING’S SPEECH
WINNER – CHRISTIAN BALE

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
a. DARREN ARONOFSKY BLACK SWAN
b. DAVID FINCHER THE SOCIAL NETWORK
c. TOM HOOPER THE KING’S SPEECH
d. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN INCEPTION
e. DAVID O. RUSSELL THE FIGHTER
WINNER – TOM HOOPER

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
a. DANNY BOYLE, SIMON BEAUFOY 127 HOURS
b. LISA CHOLODENKO, STUART BLUMBERG THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
c. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN INCEPTION
d. DAVID SEIDLER THE KING’S SPEECH
e. AARON SORKIN THE SOCIAL NETWORK
WINNER – AARON SORKIN

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
a. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT THE KING’S SPEECH
b. DANNY ELFMAN ALICE IN WONDERLAND
c. A.R. RAHMAN 127 HOURS
d. TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS THE SOCIAL NETWORK
e. HANS ZIMMER INCEPTION
WINNER – TOO CLOSE TO CALL

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
a. “BOUND TO YOU” — BURLESQUE
Music by: Samuel DixonLyrics by: Christina Aguilera, Sia Furler
b. “COMING HOME” — COUNTRY STRONG
Music & Lyrics by: Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges
c. “I SEE THE LIGHT” — TANGLED
Music by: Alan Menken Lyrics by: Glenn Slater
d. “THERE’S A PLACE FOR US” — CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
Music & Lyrics by: Carrie Underwood, David Hodges, Hillary Lindsey
e. “YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ME” — BURLESQUE
Music & Lyrics by: Diane Warren
WINNER – THERE’S A PLACE FOR UR or I SEE THE LIGHT – TOO CLOSE