1. Lincoln (Predicted Winner) 2. Argo 3. Life Of Pi 4. Anna Karenina 5. Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Alternates: 6. Zero Dark Thirty 7. The Master 8. Cloud Atlas 9. Skyfall 10. On The Road 11. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 12. The Impossible 13. Frankenweenie 14. The Dark Knight Rises 15. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 16. Brave 17. Hitchcock 18. Snow White And The Huntsman 19. Rise Of The Guardians 20. Flight 21. Wreck-It Ralph 22. The Hunger Games 23. Dark Shadows 24. The Sessions 25. Prometheus
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories! See Original Score predictions for other yearsHERE. Like words with your music? Check out theOriginal Song predictions. See predictions for other categories at the 85th OscarsHERE. Switch to another year:85th, 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th .
The Artist’s Ludovic Bource seems primed to win this, although the fact that the branch nominated John Williams twice may reflect a desire by the Academy to break some more records.
I correctly predicted three out of 5 of these nominees (60%), with the other two nominees being from my top 8 in my previous predictions.
1. Ludovic Bource for The Artist (Predicted Winner) (previous rank 1) 2. John Williams for War Horse (previous rank 2) 3. Howard Shore for Hugo (previous rank 3) 4. Alberto Iglesias for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (previous rank 8) 5. John Williams for The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (previous rank 6)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories! To see how I am doing in each race, check out myTrack Record Page. See Original Score predictions for other yearsHERE. Like words with your music? Check out theOriginal Song predictions. See predictions for other categories at the 84th OscarsHERE. Switch to another year:84th, 85th, 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th
A few weeks ago the Academy released a list of 97 films that are eligible for this year’s original score race. Of the 50 films that I had on my previous long list, 33 of them made the cut, and if you count one film that I had previously listed in the 85th Oscar race (The Flowers of War), that gives me a track record of 67%. The rest of my predictions had been made up of films that apparently didn’t have sufficient original content, were pushed into next year, or were penned by Hans Zimmer, who took himself out of the race this year. You can see how I am doing in the other races on my Track Record Page.
Here are today’s rankings for the 84th Oscar Original Score race, with previous ranking shown in parenthesis after each entry. It has been a while since I updated this category, but interestingly my top 5 nominees have not changed, although I admit that I am less certain about that fifth spot. Additionally, whatever you may have heard about Simon & Garfunkel composing the Sound Of Silence, we all know that nobody does this better than Ludovic Bource.
1. Ludovic Bource for The Artist (Predicted Winner) (previous rank 2) 2. John Williams for War Horse (previous rank 3) 3. Howard Short for Hugo (previous rank 1) 4. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (previous rank 4) 5. Alexandre Desplat for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (previous rank 5)
Alternates: 6. John Williams for The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (previous rank 6) 7. Alexandre Desplat for Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close (previous rank 19) 8. Alberto Iglesias for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (previous rank 35) 9. Tom Rowlands for Hanna (previous rank 17) 10. Dario Marianelli for Jane Eyre (previous rank 12) 11. Michael Giacchino for Super 8 (previous rank 9) 12. Alexandre Desplat for The Ides Of March (previous rank 20) 13. Thomas Newman for The Help (New) 14. Alberto Iglesias for The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito) (previous rank 15) 15. Ouseppachan for DAM999 (New) 16. Cliff Martinez for Contagion (previous rank 8) 17. Abel Korzeniowski for W.E. (previous rank 39) 18. Harry Escott for Shame (New) 19. Mychael Danna for Moneyball (previous rank 25) 20. James Newton Howard for Water For Elephants (previous rank 16) 21. Patrick Doyle for Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (New) 22. Qigang Chen for The Flowers Of War (Jin Li Shi San Chai) (previously listed in 85th Oscar race, rank 15) 23. Alan Silvestri for Captain America: The First Avenger (previous rank 26) 24. Rachel Portman for One Day (previous rank 22) 25. Thomas Newman for The Iron Lady (previous rank 49) 26. Jon Thor Birgisson for We Bought A Zoo (previous rank 32) 27. Jonny Greenwood for We Need To Talk About Kevin (previous rank 42) 28. Mark Isham for Warrior (previous rank 44) 29. Clint Eastwood for J. Edgar (previous rank 10) 30. Brian Tyler for Fast Five (New) 31. John Powell for Happy Feet 2 (previous rank 28) 32. John Powell for Rio (previous rank 43) 33. Gabriel Yared for In The Land Of Blood And Honey (New) 34. Michael Giacchino for Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol (New) 35. Alex Heffes for The First Grader (New) 36. Rachel Portman for Snow Flower And The Secret Fan (previous rank 13) 37. Trevor Morris for Immortals (previous rank 47) 38. Nico Muhly for Margaret (New) 39. Henry Jackman for Winnie The Pooh (previous rank 38) 40. Michael Giacchino for Cars 2 (previous rank 18) 41. Ilan Eshkeri for Coriolanus (previous rank 41) 42. Brian Byrne for Albert Nobbs (New) 43. Patrick Doyle for Thor (previous rank 27) 44. Thomas Newman for The Adjustment Bureau (New) 45. Nicholas Hooper for African Cats (New) 46. Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser for Anonymous (New) 47. Thomas Newman for The Debt (New) 48. Henry Jackman for Puss In Boots (previous rank 50) 49. Eric Serra for The Lady (New) 50. David Wingo for Take Shelter (New)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories! See Original Score predictions for other yearsHERE. Like words with your music? Check out theOriginal Song predictions. See predictions for other categories at the 84th OscarsHERE. Switch to another year:84th, 85th, 86th, 87th, 88th, 89th
Really? This is the film that fanboys have been dying to see? Fincher fanboys, Larsson fanboys, Lisbeth fanboys, Mara fanboys and possibly some Craig/Blomqvist fangirls too, have hyped this movie all year long, insisting that it was going to be David Fincher’s glorious response to his Social Network loss, and Rooney Mara’s ticket to the Kodak theater.
I’ll grant you that the opening sequence was fast paced like the first trailer, and that Lisbeth gets a few well-placed catchphrases throughout the film. I can even appreciate the artistry of the costumes and art direction which helped to set the mood of the sixties flashbacks, or the skill evident in the cinematography, editing and score. But the film didn’t effectively utilize these technical achievements to further the story, nor did they provide enough atmosphere to keep me engaged. If anything, they felt like a distraction and contributed to my lack of interest. I found that I didn’t care about any of the characters, whether heroes, villains or victims, and the investigative techniques felt stale and routine. Despite its two and a half hour running time, the movie lacked a compelling sense of mystery, and then rushed through the resolution scenes involving Harriet, Wennerstrom and Anita.
So have at it fanboys and fangirls: Keep talking about the relationship to the books, or comparing this remake to the Swedish original. Debate all you want about whether Noomi Rapace or Rooney Mara is more beautiful or badass or brutal. Keep telling me that the second and third installments of the series are where all the action is. Because each time you do, it only makes me wonder why this version turned out to be such a boring film.
Oscar Chances:
I had been suspicious enough of the fanboy chatter to keep TGWTDT out of my nominee lists for the major categories, but admit that I fell victim to it enough to keep Fincher and Mara within striking ground. It’s always possible that the Academy’s technical branch will see something that I didn’t, but at this point I think that Reznor and Ross’ score is the only serious contender for a nomination.
Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (currently ranked 4) Sound Mixing (currently ranked 2, will drop in next predictions) Film Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall (currently ranked 5, likely to drop in next predictions) Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian (currently ranked 7) Best Director: David Fincher (currently ranked 7, will drop in next predictions Cinematography: Jeff Cronenworth (currently ranked 7) Lead Actress: Rooney Mara (currently ranked 8. Holding steady due to Golden Globes nomination) Makeup (currently ranked 11, likely to drop in next predictions) Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt and K.C. Fox (currently ranked 12) Best Picture (currently ranked 13, will drop in next predictions) Sound Editing (currently ranked 20) Costume Design: Trish Summerville (currently ranked 22) Lead Actor: Daniel Craig (currently ranked 39)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories!
My Lamb Score: 1 1/2 out of 5 Lambs What is a lamb score? ClickHERE to learn more. Read more of my reviewsHERE.
Some stories are about a series of actions that fit neatly into a linear construct. Others are about the discovery of grand ideas that lend themselves to exposition. But what if the story you want to tell is about the unconscious itself?
Each character in David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method lives within the psychoanalytical theories that made them famous. Sabina Spielrien (Keira Knightley) screams, twitches and cowers as she slowly comes to understand the simultaneously destructive and transformative nature of sexuality. Her doctor, Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), struggles to embrace his self against the societal structures that dictate respectable behavior. Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) has by this point internalized the role of father figure which Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel) rejects in the spirit of anarchy and sexual liberation.
The true protagonist of the film, however, is the unconscious, which never appears on screen. (How could it?) Cronenberg uses every narrative tool at his command to uncover this internal world, from the art direction and costume design common of intellectual biopics to ample exposition of these ideas in the form of both dialogue (the talking cure) and old-fashioned letter writing. One could even argue that the designated patient at the beginning of the film ends up being the most psychologically healthy precisely because of a willingness to embrace the unconscious, while the other characters become more and more trapped inside their respective theories as a punishment for merely studying it.
Oscar Chances:
Costume Design: Denise Cronenberg (currently ranked 4) Art Direction: James McAteer and Gernot Thondel (currently ranked 6) Supporting Actor: Viggo Mortensen (currently ranked 11) Lead Actress: Keira Knightley (currently ranked 11) Adapted Screenplay: Christopher Hampton (currently ranked 11) Cinematography: Peter Sushitzky (currently ranked 12) Makeup (currently ranked 10 in a field of 3) Best Picture (currently ranked 14) Lead Actor: Michael Fassbender (currently ranked 14) Best Director: David Cronenberg (currently ranked 15) Film Editing: Ronald Sanders (currently ranked 28) Original Score: Howard Shore (currently ranked 8, will likely fall in my next predictions) Supporting Actor: Vincent Cassel (currently unranked)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories!
My Lamb Score: 3 ½ out of 5 Lambs What is a lamb score? ClickHERE to learn more. Read more of my reviewsHERE.
Watch any interview with an actor and they’re certain to start talking about how “the art” or “the work” is more important than the fame or the money. Of course, they’re also likely to define art in a way that just happens to match up with their own talents and paychecks. The Artist explores these parallel self-interests through Jean Dujardin’s character whose matrix of art, fame and wealth is on the decline, and Berenice Bejo’s character who is on the rise.
I must admit that the first ten minutes of the film had me worried. The opening sequences felt like a caricature, and the audience that I was in seemed unusually giddy about each staged laugh line, with some of them acting like they’d never seen a dog before. Luckily, director Michel Hazanavicius’ early introduction of these tropes on a large scale paves the way for their more subtle reincorporation as the story shifts from the public spotlight to the personal struggles of our artist. In hindsight, the flashy opening lovingly pokes fun at our stereotypes of the silent medium, getting them out of the way early so that modern audiences are prepared to engage with the nuance that comes later.
More than an homage to the past, The Artist plays with the themes of presence and absence that define our Western sensibilities. Rationalist dialogue is replaced by the emotive score of Ludovic Bource. Bejo dances with the trappings of an empty jacket, or partially hidden behind a screen. The most realistic sound mixing comes during surreal nightmares and moments of personal doubt. The film’s cinematography also plays with these perspectives. At one point, I could have sworn that the trees looked green, even though I knew the film was black and white. In other places, the simple act of watching a movie is portrayed differently when shown in a crowded theater or a private living room, and the view from directly ahead is different from being hidden behind the screen or gazing from a side angle in a distant balcony. And at a crucial moment in the plot, Bejo stands in a room with a checkerboard floor and horizontal blinds, while making an important discovery through the prism of a film reel that liberates our characters from the onslaught of linear progress.
Rather than a limitation, the silent black and white structure of the film feeds the imagination and corresponds to the narrative exploration of how presence and absence are often as much about our perspectives as our realities. Dujardin commands the loyalty of the girl, a dog, his butler and the audience, but feels as though he can’t even rely upon his own shadow. A fleeting picture in the newspaper can make fans imagine that they know you, or make your wife upset that you don’t talk to her. A movie mogul (John Goodman) is alternately in control and at the mercy of his stars. The slightest gimmick can make you stand out among the crowd, whether it be a painted on mole or the discovery of tap dancing. And what worked in your favor yesterday may be your undoing today, or lead to your reinvention tomorrow. It’s all about how you choose to define your art.
As I did with Hugo and My Week With Marilyn, this feels like an appropriate space to introduce my readers to some classic film styles that The Artist represents, all courtesy of my fellow bloggers at The LAMB.
Silent Volume has over 150 excellent movie reviews from the silent era, all searchable by name and genre. He even provides information on how to find these films so that you can enjoy them for yourself!
Silent Stanzas features reviews, poetry, photos and stories about silent films.
Film: Ab Initio takes a historical approach to film’s evolution, with a special focus on the early days.
And if you want to know what life is like for a real, modern day silent film accompanist, be sure to check out Silent Film Music.
Oscar Chances:
I’ve been predicting that The Artist will win best picture since September, and the precursors of this past week don’t give me any reason to change now. As of today (12/16/11), my prediction pages currently show the artist receiving 8 nominations, and as I update them in the next few weeks that number could potentially rise to 10 or 11.
Best Picture (Predicted Winner) Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius (Currently my Predicted Winner, although Woody Allen’s Midnight In Paris could easily usurp this spot in my next predictions) Score: Ludovic Bource (currently ranked 2) Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (currently ranked 3) Lead Actor: Jean Dujardin (currently ranked 3) Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo (currently ranked 7, but will rise into the top 5 with my next predictions. Also cross-listed in the Lead category, rank 34, although at this point why would she rock the boat?) Film Editing: Anne-Sophie Bion (currently ranked 4) Cinematography: Guillaume Shiffman (currently ranked 5) Art Direction: Laurence Bennett (currently ranked 7, likely to move up in my next predictions) Costume Design: Mark Bridges (currently ranked 5) Makeup (currently ranked 6 in a field of 3 nominees) Supporting Actor: John Goodman (currently ranked 43, but will rise in my next predictions) Sound Editing (currently ranked 34, but will rise in my next predictions) Sound Mixing (currently ranked 50, but expect a big jump the next time I update these predictions, possibly even into the top 5)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories! My Lamb Score: 4 ½ out of 5 Lambs What is a lamb score? ClickHERE to learn more. Read more of my reviewsHERE.
