OSCARS 2010...

The 82nd Academy Awards kicks off State-side this evening and will continue well into the wee hours of the morning. Sadly, due to work commitments and the lack of SKY TV I shan't be staying up to watch the show (something I used to do every year back in the day). However, one tradition I am sticking to is filling out a ballot sheet pre-show in order to try my hand at predicting the winners. The full list of nominations can be found here and below I have indicated my predition (as well as my personal preference if different based on the films I've actually seen) in several of the categories.

Picture
- Avatar (prediction)
- Up (preference)

Director
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker (prediction)
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds (preference)

Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart (prediction)
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker (preference)

Actress
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious (prediction)
Carey Mulligan - An Education (preference)

Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds (prediction & preference)

Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique - Precious (prediction)
Vera Farmiga - Up In The Air (preference)

Animated Feature
Up (prediction & preference)

Art Direction
Avatar (prediction & preference)

Cinematography
The Hurt Locker (prediction)
Avatar (preference)

Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker (prediction)
Up (preference)

Adapted Screenplay
Up In The Air (prediction)
District 9 (preference)

Foreign Language Film
The White Ribbon (prediction)

Costume Design
The Young Victoria (prediction)

Editing
The Hurt Locker (prediction)
District 9 (preference)

Makeup
The Young Victoria (prediction)
Star Trek (preference)

Original Score
Up (prediction & preference)

Original Song
Crazy Heart (prediction)
The Princess and the Frog (preference)

Animated Short
A Matter of Loaf and Death (prediction & preference)

Sound Editing
The Hurt Locker (prediction)
Star Trek (preference)

Sound Mixing
The Hurt Locker (prediction)
Star Trek (preference)

Visual Effects
Avatar (prediction & preference)

For my money's worth Pixar's Up was easily the best film of the year and I really would like to see it win in every category it is nominated. Elsewhere the battle between Avatar and The Hurt Locker leaves my slightly cold as both are hugely over-hyped and over-rated in their own ways. As films, out of the two I preferred Avatar but only just. Elsewhere, I think it is a real oversight that District 9 wasn't nominated in more categories and Let the Right One In should be recognised as one of the best films, regardless of genre or language, of the past year (although the latter may be disqualified due to it being a 2008 film in its country of origin?).

Anyway, enjoy the show! Some like it, others loathe it but for me the OSCARS are always entertaining and I look forward to catching up with a broadcast of the ceremony in the coming days.