On January 25, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their annual Oscar nominations for the Best Achievements in Film for the year 2010. One day prior to the announcement, I made my nomination predictions in all categories barring the Shorts. Turns out I did pretty well – I got 87% of my predictions in the top categories right. Now, with the Academy Awards little less than a month away, I’ve decided to kick off my winner predictions through a new daily column called “Countdown to Oscar.” Every weekday from now until the Oscars on February 27, I’ll pick a category (sometimes two) and make my analysis and prediction of who will win, who should win and who should have been nominated.
Here are the categories I’ve covered so far
And now… BEST ART DIRECTION
Best Art Direction is short for best backgrounds, best furniture, best architecture and best interior design. That’s essentially it. The more stylish and bizarre the designs are the better. This was one of the technical categories that I found the easiest to predict since almost everyone who follows the award season had been settling on the same five to six films. The five eventual nominees were also all nominated by the Art Directors Guild. Like the Best Costume Design category, this one also tends to go to period pieces, epics or fantasy films. All genres are represented in this year’s slate of nominees and thus it’s going to be one of the more difficult categories to pick. The Art Directors Guild isn’t going to make things easier either since all three frontrunners (“The King’s Speech,” “Inception” and “Alice in Wonderland”) are competing in separate categories.
Nominees:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
TRUE GRIT
The “Harry Potter” saga has been a favorite of the art directors branch – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” is the third film in the series to score a nomination in this category after the first and fourth films. Though Craig’s work here is once again brilliant, this is sadly, the film least likely to win the award. Things could take a twist next year if the Academy decides to reward renowned designers Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan’s work on the series as a whole – which I hope they will.
A majority of “True Grit” was set in the great outdoors so it was a bit odd to see it pop up here. Still, the old town environment showcased in the film’s opening half hour was extremely realistic so full credit to art directors Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh. There’s no chance it will win though – especially when it’s competing against the following three nominees.
Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” was literally, a dream job for art director Guy Hendrix Dyas. So much of the film revolves around the concept of architecture, mazes and different worlds like the upside down Parisian environment, the rainy city environment, the snowy fortress environment, the spinning hallway, the Penrose staircase, Saito’s exquisite Japanese mansion, and Cobb’s limbo world filled with crumbling skyscrapers. Dyas’ work in “Inception” was undoubtedly the best designed work of the year and he has been justly been rewarded for his work by the critics groups. But the Academy is different. They don’t vote for the best – but rather, the most art directed film or the film that they love the best. Therefore the winner will sadly be, one of the following two films.
Tim Burton is one of Hollywood’s most visual storytellers and thus it shouldn’t be surprising when I say that whenever a Burton film is nominated in this category, it wins. With three nominations and three wins (“Batman,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “Sweeney Todd”), Burton has a 100% track record here. Will the over-the-top and ugly art direction of “Alice inWonderland” make it four-for-four? Thankfully, it doesn’t look like it since it’s once again up against the Best Picture frontrunner and likely benefactor of a sheep vote… “The King’s Speech.”
“The King’s Speech” largely takes place in one room but for some odd reason, it’s the frontrunner for the Art Direction Oscar which is more than a little disgusting. But considering that the Academy threw this film undeserved nominations for Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Score and this category, you know that this film is absolutely beloved by the members of the organization. Their blind devotion will likely translate to a win too because that’s how the Academy votes. I have nothing else to add.
WILL WIN: “The King’s Speech”
SHOULD WIN: “Inception”
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED: “Shutter Island”
YESTERDAY: Best Costume Design
TOMORROW: Best Supporting Actress
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