Good Deeds - Mediocre

5/10

Decent, or at least Mediocre Romance about a Troubled Rich Man

While this Tyler Perry work is negatively user-rated widely and apparently under-performing at the box office, it is in fact a decent love story about a rich businessman, Tyler Perry, who has never been chasing his dreams his entire life. That is, indeed, up to the point Thandie Newton, the female lead who has difficulty earning a living and raising her daughter without any support, enters his life.

The slow-paced setup of the first half tends to give viewers a certain degree of boredom and negative aspect of the movie. Despite the seemingly planned organization of the plot, the complete story is glued together by separate events that somewhat relate, but never really cohere tightly, which costs an interesting story the loss of a natural flow. Though it's not at all fatal, the length of the movie with incoherent sections does seem to add to the disadvantage of storytelling. In other words, the first half and second half are at the fault of imbalance and the development is jumpy at times, especially in the second half.

It is a movie that is more romance than drama and comedy, though it does have its share of laughable moments. Such are nothing too intense but it does help the over-seriousness of the setting. The focus is placed mostly over Perry and Newton, which undoubtedly leads to the impression that other relationships are simply being mentioned and neglected with a somewhat abrupt closing.

Many actions are not explained; they are just shown to be "good deeds". When the movie begins, it feels like an in-depth story about Newton and her life which is nothing but bad. As the story develops, we are shown a relationship that quickly evolves. The abrupt closure is not well-tackled. Indeed, we are back to the problem of imbalance. Viewers enjoy a start with over-explained and over-described matters which inevitably make people tedious, while in the end, it is too quick and make people feel that there is not enough explaining done, which leaves them disappointed.

In a crowd of satisfactory performances, Newton easily stands out with her scenes when she is with her daughter, played by Jordenn Thompson. Those moments are the only that give this flat romance and drama some sentimental value. Writing and directly the movie himself, Tyler Perry manages to offer an okay performance as the title character. Brian White has done a fine job playing the "loser" brother of Perry.

It is a script with certain imbalance and some organizational issues. Nevertheless, as a light romance story about a man's desire to chase his dreams, it is a movie that delivers sufficiency, and warmth occasionally. It is not a movie that shines, but it remains a simple and interesting story with an attempt to tell a message.

Extremely Loud - Review

 EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

Deeply Sentimental and Utterly Inspiring

A simple story and a long journey characterize "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", but if you are expecting masterful storytelling and a well-organized plot with a natural flow, this may not be your cup of tea. This is a movie that prevails on emotions, on its inspirational and sentimental messages that connect with the audience, especially the ones who have lost something in the 911. It's easily the most touching movie of the year for people who love it. If you don't like it, well, the score on IMDB or RT explains it.

Nevertheless, Thomas Horn (Oskar) becomes the star of the movie the moment the film begins, and he learns and reflects through his adventure, till the very end of the movie when he realizes the truth and the message from his father. The performance is a completely Oscar-worthy one, and from what I'm seeing here I can easily put it on the level of George Clooney in "The Descendants", or even above. Even more credit should be given to him for this being his very first appearance on a screen. I'd rather the Academy recognizes this by nod on Thomas Horn for Best Actor, instead of a Best Picture and a Best Supporting Actor nod, but then I keep telling myself that this is the Academy that has a long history of hating children and teens in the industry, especially young male actors. Personally, I would be happier to see Thomas Horn replacing Demian Bichir. They both play characters that are striving so hard to look for something and protect something, but the performance we get from the former is a much more all-round one that keeps an entire movie developing. Horn is basically the center of the movie.

"Extremely Loud" is presented in fragments, and some may find it confusing and somewhat pretentious. I see it as a way to display the emotions and the development of Oskar better. So it seems the critics are wrong this time, and I'm glad the Academy has corrected such a mistake by nominating this as Best Picture. Though it won't win, it certainly has received the recognition it deserved. Like "The Help", this is one the most moving movies of the year, but "The Help" seems to appeal to the audience more with its more conventional and linear storytelling technique. But for me, they are equally touching and are movies that can easily make people cry. I would even say the message in this is much stronger and enforced than the one in "The Help", which makes use of an issue that has been done over and over again.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (Reminder: bring some tissues)

Take Shelter - A Work of Suspense

Depends on Whether You Like Ambiguousness - 6/10

"Take Shelter" is probably another one of those controversial films for its courageous take on ambiguousness. One moment you think you know where the plot's headed, the next second you find yourself still deep in the pool of ambiguousness and confusion.

It is true that the film is rather slow-paced and suspenseful but if you're enjoying every minute of it, it doesn't matter. This is the kind of film that involves or even demands a lot of imagination for your own version of interpretation of everything going on. There's no correct answer and no correct explanation. The reasons behind the events that take place in "Take Shelter" are what you want them to be, and the ending can mean different things from different viewpoints. What matters most is that the ending does mean a conclusion to things, though it can be one that differs in everyone's eyes.

Two elements are found most valuable. The first is the mystery, and the second are the amazing performances from Chastain and Shannon.

When it comes down to liking this or not, it certainly differs even more. For the ones that love it, they enjoy the ambiguousness in this suspenseful thriller. For the ones that hate it, it has to be the nature of it being slow-moving, which will directly translated into boredom.

I am not a big fan of works of ambiguousness but I find the suspense element very well-organized throughout and I just love the strong acting, but frankly speaking, I do find the film boring at times.

Politics on Screen - The Ides of March

Politics On-screen

9/10 - The Ides of March

 

 

And to talk about alternate thrillers, put this next to also Academy Award-nominated "Margin Call" for screenplay you easily spot the difference, both in the quality of performances and the power of the script. This thriller-drama revolves around Stephen (Ryan Gosling), a smart staffer for a campaign who learns the true face of politics the quick way.

The script is captivating and it draws the audience at the exact moment the film starts, but what satisfies more than the changes in Gosling from the beginning to the end? Ryan Gosling delivers his transition realistically through events that unfold in front of him, with solid and believable performances scene after scene that prove he is a highly capable actor. Gosling's mask-like portrait of the nameless hero in "Drive" is amazing and exciting, but his performance in "The Ides of March" undoubtedly expose to us more of his if not flawless, masterful and flexible acting abilities. And we shouldn't leave out Hoffman and Giamatti, who are both incredible and perfect for their roles, Paul Zara and Tom Duffy, respectively. Clooney is great, but credits should definitely be given to him for the whole package, for his directing and writing rather than his performance alone. Evan Rachel Wood plays a supporting role as Molly Stearns, who is much related to the entire campaign itself and many characters. She is also the key that motivates Gosling's actions.

"The Ides of March" is certainly one of the most powerful and believable political thrillers or dramas out there, so don't miss this for certain. 

"The Ides of March" is highly recommended.

Contagion "Review"

A Disappointment When You Were Over-expecting

"Contagion", for me, is a mediocre thriller drama about an epidemic
that spreads over the globe. It presents itself along with a lot of
scientific background to consolidate the sense that this epidemic is a
reality. I was expecting an exciting thriller, but this was no where
near the excitement in "28 Days/Weeks Later".

This isn't a documentary; it's supposed to be a movie. Sure, there are
multiple story lines and they seem to be handled fairly appropriately
and there are a few dramatic moments, but nothing is special enough to
make this movie good. It hasn't done well on the side of excitement,
and on the side of drama it is definitely sentimentally inadequate and
powerless.

And you can't help but think this is a waste of talents with such a
all-star cast, and all they are told to do is something that many
average or rookie actors can manage.

Then again, perhaps it was my expectations that went in overdrive and I
was hoping for something huge. I would say the movie isn't poor, but
it's not satisfying on many levels.

I give this a 6 out of 10.

Summing Up 2011...My Top 20 Picks

So I've watched pretty much every single movie I planned to watch and it's probably time I summed it up once and for all and went on with the year of 2012. 

20 -  X-Men: First Class

What's better to expect in a summer of blockbusters than the return of a great series with some surprises to offer that actually makes the series even more lovable? "First Class" successfully managed to go easy with the crazy visuals and focus more on character development, which is indeed a job well done. The prequel is still presented in an atmosphere of uncertainty despite the existence of the the 3 original "X-Men" movies, and the consolidation of personalities of the two leading roles through a well-written story generates nothing but more love from fans.

19 - Margin Call 

"Margin Call" is masterful as a thriller built on an excellent script, fitting dialogue and solid acting. It also has a touch of documentary back in the days when the financial turmoil had just started. The thriller carries its different moral values held by different characters. Those values are motivated in different ways, and when a financial market crisis hits a company head-on and its employees are expecting what most outsiders are not expecting so soon, the values and actions clash and conflicts arise. Perhaps it's not a thriller in the conventional sense, but still it has the right elements.

18 -  We Need to Talk About Kevin

Resting in "We Need to Talk About Kevin" is a ultimately depressing and incredible dark-themed story. This is definitely not aiming at a wide audience, but the way it depicts a journey of a "monster" is intriguing. Don't expect a cause-and-effect relationship and try to be the clever guy to link the stuff together, because it certainly does not work that way in this movie. The appreciation for this greatly-crafted piece sets in when it comes to the performances and the understanding of the dark side of mankind, and of course the real fear lies in the very question: Can someone be "born evil"?

17 - The Art of Getting By

A light and relaxing flick about hard work is what "The Art of Getting By" is. Beside the fascinating performances by Emma Roberts and Freddie Highmore, the movie brings messages, encourage and satisfaction. Centering around a school-boy who never works hard in his life, it is his encounter with another, and an unforeseen change that is injected into his life.

16 - We Bought a Zoo

In this movie in a zoo, we can take away invaluable time lessons and have a blast. Matt Damon plays an adventurer at heart whose wife has just died. He has to find the new meaning in his life by following his dream and in the meantime he also has to take care of his two children. The story is about how he strikes a balance between the two, and how he overcomes hardships. "We Bought a Zoo" is perfect for a whole family to watch and learn from.

15 -  Another Happy Day

It is not the kind that makes you feel all good and laugh when you walk out of the cinema but it is the kind that has a lot of depth. The ensemble of performances is superb and the portrait of the family involved in the movie is comprehensive and detailed. The accumulation of fear and anger of a mother when she visits her parents is progressively displayed by her gradually aggressive behavior. While the old generation is taken care of, the story does not in any way neglect the issues of the younger members in the family, as they are another focus of the plot.

14 - That's What I Am

Yes, you don't have to ask. Ed Harris is outstanding. I'd consider this a better alternative for "Terri", which has a similar theme. "That's What I Am" revolves around a regular kid and an outsider in the crowd. You know, the odd one out. The nerd, the retarded, whatever names you're giving the one that doesn't fit in. You guessed it right. It is about how the regular one discovers there's a lot more to the outsider than what he seems. It's that predictable, but it's still a great movie. You'll have to watch it yourself to see the greatness behind, but as the title suggests, the message thoroughly given through out the movie is that you should be who you are and you should be proud of yourself, like the characters in the movie are.

13 - Win Win 

Win Win's a pretty darn good comedy. The movie never fails at making you laugh, and close to end it gets more satisfying than that. A simplistic comedy is transformed into a moving drama that has the power to make you cry. I believe I don't have to mention that Paul Giamatti is in-fxxxing-credibly good and so are most of the rest of the cast. It's released pretty early in the year so it may not be so well remembered. But that's when my list-making serves me well and stops me from committing the terrible mistake of excluding this in my year-end top films list.

12 - Rise of the Planet of Apes

Looking back, this summer has really given us a great bunch of good choices for us movie-goers. James Franco as a nurturing father of an ape and the establishment of the ape itself as the central character of the entire movie are rewarding enough, and then there are the breath-taking stunts and the heavy involvement of CGI. Thank you Andy Serkis. You gave us a living and wonderfully human-like ape with various emotions. As for the story itself, it is not to be called a masterpiece, but it's still brilliant.

11 - Bridesmaids

A movie that chicks rule. A movie that men have no place. Yet a movie that not only women but men also enjoy. "Bridesmaids" is hilarious and is a milestone for all-female films. Not only is it funny, it also holds some of the best performances of the year. Kristen Wiig's jealousy shown in her funny acts and Melissa McCarthy with her laugh-generating moments that can make everyone roll on the floor laughing, these are all reasons that "Bridesmaids" is great.

10 - War Horse

If you say "War Horse" is the best movie of the year, I wouldn't really agree. However, if you say it is amazing, I would most definitely nod. Steven Spielberg is good, and "War Horse" lets us witness one thing: Even if Spielberg is not at his best, he is still good. You can complain it's all the old tricks Spielberg has played before, and you can complain about the usual cliches. But if I were you, I would praise and appreciate the movie for its beautiful story about a horse, and us, humans. As Spielberg says (though I don't totally agree), "War Horse" is not a war movie, but rather a movie about how a horse that goes through war pulling humans together. Instead of whining, you can also be loving its flawless cinematography and its great music. As usual, Spielberg has done something unique, and this is certainly a movie to be remembered.

9 -Moneyball

First of all, there are the great performances from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. Then we have a sports movie, and a not-so-typical one at that. Moneyball is clearly an attempt to study baseball in the statistic and commercial side, and while that is totally prevailing, the important message of tireless striving is not diminished. You may be able to win by analyzing in depth the various statistics but you still have to be bothered to put efforts into that. Moneyball is also sentimental at times and when it comes to those times the movie is still highly effective. 

8 - Real Steel 

Right, extremely appealing visual effects. But this time they're not overdone, and we're also rewarded with a thrilling and ultimately touching story. Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo are exceptionally excellent with their mending father-son relationship, and along its development we're taken on a ride of exciting robot-boxing. "Real Steel" pretty much has it all. It's moving. It has stunning visuals. It's ever-exciting without boring scenes. Perhaps the only thing that it lacks is depth, but I don't think that is always necessary for a movie to be good. For this genre of movie, it's already 10 times better than many.

7 - Drive

"Drive" may not be a masterpiece, but it's indeed very stylish. And the fact that it has its very own style will make it a memorable movie for at least years. Don't get me wrong. The storytelling is not weak though I wouldn't call it top-class. Albert Brooks is the perfect evil bastard, and Ryan Gosling's mask-like look hides a true hero. "Drive" is full of violence, but it soars from the good heart of our driver-hero and his driver-jacket.

6 - The Artist

Unique. No, it should be very unique. It was shot in black-and-white. Not shocking enough? It's a silent film. You know, the kind in which people don't speak, the kind with fancy background music playing. These seem to all be turn-downs for the audience, but "The Artist" turned it all around and made them the very things to love in this love letter to Hollywood. There's not much to complain about this movie, but when it comes to my preference, it's not No. 1. Why? Well, I think the reason why this is good is that it's special. I mean, think of it: Shooting a black-and-white silent movie when 3D and effects are emphasized. It's indeed a hell of an attempt, and great courage. So it's success is based on its being special, and well, I also can't deny the great acting. But it stops there for me. "The Artist", in my book, is just a very good film with good performances that is special because of the time it sets foot on, but is not what I would call a movie of the year.


5 - Crazy, Stupid, Love

Funny? Yes, it's very funny. I laughed almost from the beginning to the end. Touching? Yes, it has its share of sentimental moments and some very moving moments especially near the end. So what we have here is a combination of super-funny movie and a highly touching story. There's also the message, which encourages us to fight for love. It may not be the serious kind, but it's brilliant.

4 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

No, if you for a second think I would leave HP out of list like the Academy did you're so wrong. But I'm so not doing this because it's the last installment. It's because it's good. I mean, really good. In fact, out of the eight Harry Potter films, this will undoubtedly be the best, mostly because of the ending. The usual downside of the previous HP films is that they often have not given the best endings, but this one is not the case. This complete finish of a saga has given the film much more power. The performances and visual effects also seem to be the best I've seen in the series. Know what would be better? Combine HP 7.1 and HP 7.2.

3 - The Help

"The Help" marks Emma Stone's potential as a serious drama actress. As for the film itself, it is indeed dealing with a familiar topic. But it's effective, and it's very, very, very touching. It's hard not to have tears rolling down your faces or not to at least get watery eyes when the movie is ending. Other than that, it has one of the best ensembles of the year. On another level, it is also a very hilarious movie. I mean, who didn't laugh when Jessica Chastain ate sh!t. 

2 - The Descendants

"The Descendants" is a very nice combination of drama and comedy. Hidden behind the story are two great performances by Clooney and Woodley. Alexander Payne is great for making something so simple so great. Set in Hawaii, "The Descendants" tells the story of a struggling family after the mother's death. Clooney investigates his dead wife's affair while at the same time tries to be a good father for the kids.

1 - Hugo/Super 8 

It's hard to pick one, so it becomes two. Plus the fact that they are quite hard to compare. 

"Hugo" brings 3D to a whole new level and behind the overwhelming effects it is a touching story that brings us to the beginning of films. Asa Butterfield and Ben Kingsley offer two incredible performances that make the movie even better.

What can I say? I loved ET. I can't say "Super 8" is totally original but so what? It's exciting and touching, and a suitable amount of horror is put into the story. And the train wreck scene, it just marked my best minute of the year.

Troye Dchgl' Oscar Winner Predictions

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

The Artist and The Descendants were said to be frontrunners, right? But with The Descendants receiving merely five nominations (though those are the said to be the most determining categories for BP), it is not looking good for this modern-day drama set in Hawaii. The Artist's nods double that, and with all the awards it has won before the nominations it is quite a safe bet to pick.

However, I'm not losing anything if I guess wrong so I'd go with the dangerous choice here. Hugo takes home Best Picture, not because it is my personal favorite, but because of the wide support and love for Martin Scorsese as a legendary director and for his truly amazing usage of 3D that has re-defined the term "visual effects" in his family film. So however slight the chance may be, I'm putting Hugo on top of The Artist here, and I'm predicting it to be the first 3D film to win Best Picture.


Best Leading Actor:

Demián Bichir for A Better Life

George Clooney for The Descendants

Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Bichir and Oldman are the two odd ones out in this category. Their surprising nods are surprising enough, and we can probably agree on the fact that these two can be taken out of consideration when it comes down to who actually has a shot of winning. They are less mentioned, and more importantly, their performances are not from BP nominees.

Clooney and Dujardin are the frontrunners that surface here, and after them it has to be Pitt, but how far behind is Pitt? No one knows. No matter The Artist wins BP or not, I still pick Clooney to receive the honor in this group of competitors.


Best Leading Actress:

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis for The Help

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn

I do not think Meryl Streep will win on account of two reasons. First, The Iron Lady as a movie does not favor many. Second, it has been the habit of the Academy since Streep's last win to keep nominating her but not letting her win. The Iron Lady does not appear to provide a turning point here for the voters.

If Streep is out, Viola Davis has the biggest chance of all. The Help is a crowd-pleaser as well as the greatest box-office hit among the BP nominees, plus its acting is what makes the movie so strong and Viola Davis has certainly contributed a lot to this strength.

Michelle Williams and Glenn Close should not be far behind in this race while Rooney Mara probably won't win.

Best Supporting Actor:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill for Moneyball

Nick Nolte for Warrior

Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

It's been Plummer since the very beginning. It has to be him. Enough said.

Best Supporting Actress:
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist

Jessica Chastain for The Help

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer for The Help

My picks are Spencer and Chastain, but Spencer has a stronger boost from the awards she has already won for her performance. If the Academy gets too crazy about The Artist, Bejo may have a shot here.


Best Director:

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

Alexander Payne for The Descendants

Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Since this usually holds hands with Best Picture, I'm picking Scorsese because I've picked Hugo. But even if The Artist wins BP, Scorsese may still have a shot. This looks like one of those years when there is possibility for a mismatch between BP and Best Director.

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist : Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids : Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo

Margin Call : J.C. Chandor

Midnight in Paris : Woody Allen

A Separation : Asghar Farhadi

Though Allen may not even bother to show up, this award is going to be his. I would say Bridesmaids and Margin Call have no chance at all. To be honest, I would nominate 50/50 an Win Win instead of these two, but obviously the Academy disagrees with most.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Descendants : Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Hugo : John Logan

The Ides of March : George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball : Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy : Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

I think it's 3-way match between The Descendants, Hugo and Moneyball. Of these three, I think the Academy will award Moneyball for this, and it will probably be the only win out of the 6 nods Moneyball scored.

Best Animated Feature:

A Cat in Paris : Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli

Chico & Rita : Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal

Kung Fu Panda 2 : Jennifer Yuh

Puss in Boots : Chris Miller

Rango : Gore Verbinski

This has to be the hardest-to-predict category in this year's Oscar. If Tintin's not here, can you think of anyone that can even come close to Rango? I don't think so.

But brace yourself. Expect the unexpected. If the Academy can make this category's nods so shocking, they may as well do the same when it comes to announcing the winner.


Best Foreign Language Film:

Bullhead : Michael R. Roskam(Belgium)

Footnote : Joseph Cedar(Israel)

In Darkness : Agnieszka Holland(Poland)

Monsieur Lazhar : Philippe Falardeau(Canada)

A Separation : Asghar Farhadi(Iran)

The simple fact that A Separation nailed a nomination for Original Screenplay proves only one thing - it is going to win this category.

Best Cinematography:

The Artist : Guillaume Schiffman

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : Jeff Cronenweth

Hugo : Robert Richardson

The Tree of Life : Emmanuel Lubezki

War Horse : Janusz Kaminski

Except for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, anyone that wins here won't surprise me much, but I'm personally going for The Tree of Life, and it is probably the only potential win that the movie has in store.


Best Editing:

The Artist : Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants : Kevin Tent

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

Hugo : Thelma Schoonmaker

Moneyball : Christopher Tellefsen

Hugo is my BP pick, and since this is most of the time associated with BP, I'd pick Hugo here too. I think only The Artist, The Descendants and Hugo can win here, and whichever wins it will probably also take BP.


Best Art Direction:

The Artist : Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 : Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan

Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

Midnight in Paris : Anne Seibel, Hélène Dubreuil

War Horse : Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

The Academy may finally decide to award the Harry Potter series its first and probably the only Oscar here, but I still think Hugo is the most-deserving candidate in this category and will most likely win.


Best Costume Design:

Anonymous : Lisy Christl

The Artist : Mark Bridges

Hugo : Sandy Powell

Jane Eyre : Michael O'Connor

W.E. : Arianne Phillips

It's a hard to predict this category, but if the Academy decides to award BP nominees, it will be a stiff competition between Hugo and The Artist.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs : Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, Matthew W. Mungle

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 : Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin

The Iron Lady : Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland

Again, it may be the first and only Oscar the Potter series will get. The Academy may as well decide to let the wish of many come true in this less crowded category.

Best Original Score:

The Adventures of Tintin : John Williams

The Artist : Ludovic Bource

Hugo : Howard Shore

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy : Alberto Iglesias

War Horse : John Williams

The Artist is great at this, but the score in Hugo by Howard Score is simply beautiful.

Best Original Song:

The Muppets : Bret McKenzie("Man or Muppet")

Rio : Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett("Real in Rio")

I still can't stop thinking about the fact that there are only two nominees. While I'm still whining about the missing Living Proof, it is going to be Man or Muppet.

Best Sound Mixing:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Bo Persson

Hugo : Tom Fleischman, John Midgley

Moneyball : Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, Ed Novick

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin

War Horse : Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Stuart Wilson

Best Sound Editing:

Drive : Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : Ren Klyce

Hugo : Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl

War Horse : Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom

What can I say? Hugo is masterful on the technical aspects. It is a film so well-crafted down to every little detail.

Best Visual Effects:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 : Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson

Hugo : Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning

Real Steel : Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, Swen Gillberg

Rise of the Planet of the Apes : Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Daniel Barrett

Transformers: Dark of the Moon : Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew E. Butler, John Frazier

How often does a BP win Visual Effects? Well, not often, but this may be the year for such a thing to happen. I would say Rise of the Planet of the Apes equally deserves this award, and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be Potter.

OVERALL PREDICTION
- Hugo - 9 wins
- The Help - 2 wins
- Beginners - 1 win
- The Descendants - 1 win
- Midnight in Paris - 1 win
- Moneyball - 1 win
- Rango - 1 win
- A Separation - 1 win
- The Tree of Life - 1 win
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - 1 win
- The Muppets - 1 win

What have I done? I've just predicted The Artist to be last year's True Grit (10 nods and no win). How silly of me. Well, I'm going to stick to my predictions. If Hugo wins fewer, the ones that it doesn't win probably will go to The Artist. The same happens to the ones that The Artist doesn't win. I'm just expecting a scenario that the awards are all headed for one direction, but believe me, it is a possible scenario.

Now all I have to do is just sit back and wait for the Feb 26.