AAN: Oscar predictions - the 'Bests' and Visuals

Welcome to Part Two of my Oscar predictions - the big one that Annual Awards Nerdism for 2011 has come down to.

Key:

My Leo - The one I would most like to win

My Zuck - The one that I predict to win

My Steve - The longshot.

Todays categories are:

-The 'Bests': Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, Best Documentary-Features

-Visuals: Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects

The 'Bests' Awards.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

This category is better explained in the piece I did for this years 'LAMB Devours the Oscars'. But basically, we all know who's going to win, don't we?

My Leo: Toy Story 3

My Zuck: Toy Story 3

My Steve: The Illusionist

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Being as sheltered as we are here in New Zealand, there is only one film of this lot that has come out here, but of course, I'm too young to see it. And, unfortunately, because no one in Dannevirke likes reading a movie, I'll probably never get to see any of these unless I fork out and buy 'em all. So I'm just all about the statistics with these ones.

In a Better World, Haeven, Civilization...whatever you call it, has a good chance of winning if it capitalizes on its Golden Globes win. Biutiful has a good chance of winning because it stars Javier Bardem in his Oscar nominated performance and you can't go wrong with Alejandro González Iñárritu. Dogtooth might win because it has been widely viewed...and it looks pretty disturbing. Incendies might win because it has some very high ratings in high places. Outside the Law might win because it tackles an Oscar favourite topic: WW2. My money is going with Civilization.

My Leo: Civilization

My Zuck: Civilization

My Steve: Outside the Law

Best Documentary-Features

Also, being as sheltered as I am in Dannevirke, Documentaries don't get very far here, either. I plan to watch Exit Through the Gift Shop some time soon...it has been out on DVD here for two months but we never got it at Blockbuster so I shall wait for it to get really cheap or get it off iTunes or something. So of course, I haven't seen any of these either (slack, I know), and it looks like I'll be going with the statistics.
They all tackle very serious topics. I've heard great things about all of them. But I'm hoping that Exit Through the Gift Shop will win, because of all the Banksy hoopla. Wouldn't that be interesting? I think Inside Job will probably win though, seeing as it has gained so much momentum of the past few months.
My Leo: Exit Through the Gift Shop
My Zuck: Inside Job
My Steve: Waste Land

Visual awards.

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Though, essentially, some of my favourite cinematography happens in Black Swan, and whatever Matthew Libatique does is amazing, I simply can't ignore Wally Pfister's achievements in Inception. This definitely has to be the year for him. His main competiton comes in the form of the beautiful, show stopping cinematography in True Grit, which has a major chance of winning, also. You can't dismiss the work done in The King's Speech and The Social Network though. There is just too much goodness in this category!

My Leo: Black Swan

My Zuck: Inception

My Steve: The King's Speech

Best Achievement in Editing

Without Inception here, this category feels like a bit of a blur. Oh well, here's an award which The Social Network can take the lead in, and The King's Speech has no chance with. The editing in Black Swan is a favourite of mine too, because Darren Aronofsky's films need perfect editing otherwise they all just fall flat. 127 Hours has brilliant editing too, with all the split screens and what not. The Fighter is a likely chance too, but its down to The Social Network with slight competition from Black Swan, I think.

My Leo: The Social Network

My Zuck: The Social Network

My Steve: The King's Speech

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

This is a strange wee lineup here, but we all know who will win: none other than glorious Inception. The other nominees? Meh. Alice in Wonderland is too bright and Tim Burton-y for my liking. HP7PT1 is Harry Potter, so it has a nice chance. Hereafter didn't even get a cinema release here, which is weird considering its a Clint Eastwood flick. Weird thing is, you wouldn't expect a Clint movie to be in this category, would you? Iron Man 2...now that is a strange nomination. Come to think of it, the visual effects aren't too shabby. If Inception doesn't win, though, there will be a riot on my behalf.

See you back here tomorrow, same place, around the same time because it will be Friday (!). I will take a look at the writing awards and the directors.

DVD--How to Train Your Dragon

or: Animated movies do it again.

One word to sum it up: Delightful.

Sometimes I wonder why animated films are so sucessful with both critics and audiences. I'm fairly certain that animated films do better than the actual live action ones. However, when I look at the evidence (i.e. every movie ever made by PIXAR), it's easy to see why these animated movies are such a hit. They can be as imaginative as they want to be, if they entertain the kids then they can entertain just about anyone, and most of these films are cleverly scripted. Even though I am a little skeptical about animated movies which aren't made by PIXAR, Dreamwork's didn't do a bad job on How to Train Your Dragon, a film which provides futher evidence that animated films are the best entertainment around at the moment.

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup (voiced by Jay Bauchel), wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast (Gerard Butler) , will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he names Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged dragons. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destruction which is coming for their world.

To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed with How to Train Your Dragon, but I guess that was because this movie was given heaps of hype in it's cinema release, and failed to reach my high expectations. Despite my disappointment, I still absolutely adored the movie, as I do with any other animated flick. From the beginning it is cleverly funny; it seems to use it's intelligence as it's sense of humour, and I really admired that. Because of that trait, the film will obviously be a hit with the older generations too, making this a great watch for the whole family. How to Train Your Dragon follows a very basic formula to a successful childrens film: dazzling action sequences, a great ensemble of funny characters and a message. That formula, like always, works to its advantage.

In the way of voices, How to Train Your Dragon has a lot of charming people making up the wide variety of characters. Sometimes these voices seem a little stiff (particularly Jay Baruchel's), but this barely matters when all the films flaws are covered up by it's instant entertainment and happiness. Seriously, the movie won't fail to make you laugh lots, grin from ear to ear, and keep you entertained for 90 minutes, no matter your age.

THE VERDICT: How to Train Your Dragon is a sweet and ultimately entertaining family film, which is more than capable to give those PIXAR movies a run for their money.

7/10