I know what you're thinking. I should have posted my thoughts on last Sunday's Oscars immediately after they ended, or even the following day. But I didn't. Well, you see, I would say I've been busy, but that's rather untrue, so let me just say that I was still unsure as to what my post should include. Instead of including a recap of the show itself--Billy Crystal was, in my opinion, not as energetic as usual, but still hilarious and entertaining--I'm just focusing on the winners...and losers. (J'adore l'Artiste!). Guess = what/who I had predicted would win; Winner = duh; Pick = what/who I wanted to win (& Runner-up: who/what I would've like to have won in a year without stronger nominees).
Best Actor
Guess: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist
Winner: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist
Pick: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist (Runner-up: George Clooney -- The Descendants)
Clooney may have been the frontrunner for the majority of the awards season, but Dujardin, a new face in the U.S. but well-known in his native France, picked up some important pre-Oscar awards (SAG, BAFTA, etc.), which caused me to guess he would take home the Oscar. His was well-deserved; how many actors can show so much expression without uttering a word? Clooney's work this year is arguably the best of his career, but he has already won an Oscar (for Supporting Actor for Syriana), so I cannot feel bad for him in the slightest. Plus, Dujardin made us laugh and cry, and even tap danced.
Best Supporting Actor
Guess: Christopher Plummer -- Beginners
Winner: Christopher Plummer -- Beginners
Pick: Christopher Plummer -- Beginners (Runner-up: Jonah Hill -- Moneyball)
Plummer's Oscar-winning performance was pitch-perfect, and at 82, he is the oldest Oscar winner, and rightfully so; it was about time the Academy recognized the Canadian (he's actually not British) who wowed us decades ago in The Sound of Music. Hill seemed incredibly shocked when he learned of his nomination, but I was equally shocked to see him make the transition from raunchy comedies to dramas look so believably easy. Hopefully this was not just a fluke, because I know I am not the only one who wants to see what else he can do.
Best Actress
Guess: Viola Davis -- The Help
Winner: Meryl Streep -- The Iron Lady
Pick: Viola Davis -- The Help (Runner-up: Rooney Mara -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
I doubt I was the only one who was utterly surprised when Colin Firth called Streep's name. But, upon further contemplation, it became clear to me that the Academy felt it was time to reward her with her third Oscar, the first since 1983 (Best Actress for Sophie's Choice). While many, including yours truly, would be reluctant to admit that this year's role was her most deserving in nearly 30 years, her 17 nominations prove that she is one of the most versatile and talented living actresses. Her impersonation of Margaret Thatcher was spot-on, but as Roger Ebert so accurately stated that she was "all dressed up with nowhere to go." Davis appeared to be the frontrunner, but like Clooney, she began losing footing when Streep won more overall pre-Oscar awards. Mara was the surprise entry here, but it was a happy surprise; although Noomi Rapace was terrific in the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, Mara brought something unique and even more magnificent to the role, and somehow made the troubled character as believable as could be.
Best Supporting Actress
Guess: Octavia Spencer -- The Help
Winner: Octavia Spencer -- The Help
Pick: Berenice Bejo -- The Artist (Runner-up: Janet McTeer -- Albert Nobbs)
With the exception of Melissa McCarthy--I'm sorry I wasn't wowed by her performance--the nominees in this category were all exceptionally talented and worthy, but it was Bejo's lovely and wordless performance that truly amazed me. Maybe I am more than a little biased because The Artist was my favorite film of the year, but she suited that role so well (and vice versa). Speaking of that, Spencer's comedic timing was perfect, and her character unforgettable nor just because she delivered a special pie to the evil Bryce Dallas Howard. That said, I thought Bejo's and McTeer's performances were stronger. Glenn Close commitment to her role in Albert Nobbs is undoubtedly commendable, but there's something so fantastic about McTeer in this role that I couldn't stop thinking about it after viewing the movie.
Best Animated Film
Guess: Rango
Winner: Rango
Pick: Kung Fu Panda 2 (Runner-up: Chico & Rita)
I have to admit that, although I did not enjoy Rango as much as I should (or could) have, I have to give it credit for its originality. There are some moments of pure brilliance and even so hilarious jokes that would not be understood by its intended [young] audience, but it was too bizarre for my liking.
Best Art Direction
Guess: Hugo
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II)
While Hugo's set direction is incredible, especially that of the train station, much of it is--I imagine--visual effects, which is why I was drawn to The Artist's black-and-white scenes. I am no expert in this category, but I also loved the attention to detail in the final Harry Potter, which features some devastatingly excellent sequences of the destruction of Hogwarts.
Best Cinematography
Guess: The Tree of Life
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
I was so sure that Terrence Malick's love-it-or-hate-it--I was erring on the "love" side--confusing but beautifully-shot movie would win here. Whether or not you liked it, you have to admit that the time spent on filming various tiny, beautiful moments is admirable. But Hugo picked up most of the technical awards, so it's not a surprise that it won for cinematography, but I would not say it was the most deserving (perhaps it is because Martin Scorcese's 3D kids' flick did not strike me as touching and/or wonderful.) I was hoping The Artist would become the first black-and-white film to win this award since before color in movies was the norm, or perhaps The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, whose brilliant use of camera angles made it easy for those who had not read Stieg Larsson's book to understand what was occurring.
Best Costume Design
Guess: The Artist
Winner: The Artist
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: Hugo)
Typically, the films with the showiest costumes win this award--see: Alice in Wonderland--but somehow the outfits in The Artist were as flashy and lovely in black-and-white as they would have appeared in real life. If, however, the movie had been released in another year (or not released at all, which is something it pains me to imagine), I would have more than satisfied with Hugo winning all the technical awards.
Best Director
Guess: Michel Hazanvicius -- The Artist
Winner: Michel Hazanvicius -- The Artist
Pick: Michel Hazanvicius -- The Artist (Runner-up: Alexander Payne -- The Descendants)
After his DGA win, there was about a one-in-ten chance of Michel Hazanavicius losing this award, and his win was richly deserved. If it did nothing else, his film reminded us why we go to the movies: to be entertained. Unfortunately for Payne, who does not make nearly enough movies--we all remember his hilariously touching dramedy Sideways--his little film in Hawaii could not overcome the magnificence that is The Artist.
Best Documentary
Guess: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Winner: Undefeated
Pick: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Runner-up: If a Tree Falls: the Story of the Earth Liberation Front)
Unfortunately, I had only seen two of the films, but all it took was a couple clips from the third installment of Paradise Lost to convince me that it was the most deserving of the nominees. For some reason or another, I am drawn to stories about people who have been wrongfully accused of crimes. Therefore, I was thoroughly surprised to see Undefeated win, but considering I had not seen the whole movie, I am not one to judge. I was, though, intrigued by If a Tree Falls, which portrayed two sides of a little-known issue.
Best Documentary, Short Subject
Guess: Saving Face
Winner: Saving Face
Pick: Saving Face (Runner-up: God is the Bigger Elvis)
Unfortunately, unlike the live-action and animated shorts, none of these films were made available on iTunes--they were not playing in a theatre near me--but I was able to watch clips of them on the Academy's Livestream. The one that most impressed and moved me was Saving Face, about women in Pakistan with terrible acid burns. God is the Bigger Elvis, about a nun who starred in films with Elvis Presley, was undeniably enjoyable, and perhaps could have been the one to cause an upset.
Best Editing
Guess: The Artist
Winner: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Typically, the film that wins Best Picture wins for Best Editing, which would mean that The Artist would win. However, in recent years, this has not always been the case. Last year, David Fincher's The Social Network won in this category, and it was a bit of a pleasant surprise to see another Fincher film take the gold. Perhaps Academy voters felt guilt about not nominating Dragon Tattoo for Best Picture, so this award was a bit of a consolation. Although it was my favorite film before I had seen Hazanavicius' masterpiece, I cannot deny I wanted The Artist to win.
Best Foreign Film
Guess: A Separation
Winner: A Separation
Pick: A Separation (Runner-up: Monsieur Lazhar)
Not only was Iran's film the best-reviewed film of the bunch, but it was one of the best-reviewed movies of the year (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), and deservedly so. Unfortunately, I had not seen any of the other films, but perhaps the only one that might come close is Canada's Monsieur Lazhar.
Best Make-up
Guess: The Iron Lady
Winner: The Iron Lady
Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II (Runner-up: Albert Nobbs)
Of course I wanted Harry Potter to finally win something, but of course it did not. Maybe it was because I felt underwhelmed by Streep's film, but it is cute that this make-up artist has been with her for many years. However, I believed the make-up work in Albert Nobbs to be more effective, especially in the sense that it hid Glenn Close's famous look as best as it could.
Best Original Score
Guess: Ludovic Bource -- The Artist
Winner: Ludovic Bource -- The Artist
Pick: Ludovic Bource -- The Artist (Runner-up: John Williams -- War Horse)
The Artist, because it is a silent film, thoroughly relies on its lovely music to fill that silence. I do not think there was anything that came close, except for perhaps John Williams' score for War Horse, which helped make it the "sweeping epic" it was meant to be.
Best Original Song
Guess: "Man or Muppet" -- The Muppets
Winner: "Man or Muppet" -- The Muppets
Pick: Neither
Because of the new rules for this category, two mediocre [at best] songs were nominated. I listened to both, and neither were worthy. However, "Man or Muppet" is considerable less unbearable than the poorly-sung "Real in Rio." Additionally, the winner's speech was hilarious.
Best Picture
Guess: The Artist
Winner: The Artist
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: The Help)
As I mentioned earlier, The Artist was my favorite film of the year. I will not go into why that is the case, but let me just say that my second and third favorites, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Harry Potter, did not make the cut here. I absolutely loved The Help when I saw it an advanced screening last summer, and I still do.
Best Animated Short
Guess: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Winner: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Pick: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Runner-up: A Morning Stroll)
This film was truly beautiful, and it is amazing how much can be said without actually uttering a word (i.e. The Artist and Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close). It is about the love of books, and undeniably had the best message out of the bunch. However, A Morning Stroll intrigued me quite a bit, though I cannot say I completely understood its intentions.
Best Live Action Short
Guess: Time Freak
Winner: The Shore
Pick: Time Freak (Runner-up: Raju)
I thought (and hoped) that Time Freak would win, because last year a similarly funky and unique short won in this category. It is crazily inventive (pun intended), and would make a fantastic full film. The Shore was one of my least favorites in this group, primarily because it was slow and not exciting in the slightest. Granted, it did have Ciaran Hinds, a well-known actor, but I was still surprised it won. I also thought Raju was excellent, but depressing.
Best Sound Editing
Guess: Hugo
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Runner-up: War Horse)
It was of no surprise to me to see Hugo win more technical awards, though I wanted Dragon Tattoo to win, primarily because I enjoyed it much more. However, it may have been too gritty and disturbing for some voters. Also, although I am no expert in this category by any means, I was impressed with the battle sequences in War Horse, but would expect nothing less from a Spielberg flick.
Best Sound Mixing
Guess: Hugo
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Runner-up: War Horse)
(see above)
Best Visual Effects
Guess: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II
Winner: Hugo
Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II (Runner-up: Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
I really went out on a limb here; I suppose I thought that the brilliant visual effects in Harry Potter would finally get recognized, but unfortunately it was defeated yet again. While Hugo's visuals were certainly impressive, if anything were to beat Potter I would have liked it to be Planet of the Apes, which its excellent motion-capture effects.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Guess: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, & Jim Rash -- The Descendants
Winner: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, & Jim Rash -- The Descendants
Pick: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, & Jim Rash -- The Descendants (Runner-up: Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin -- Moneyball)
I knew this would be the only award Payne's drama would receive, but it was well-merited. While last year's winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network), again turned a work of non-fiction into a compelling script, Payne and company created a unique balance of comedy and drama that touched hearts.
Best Original Screenplay
Guess: Woody Allen -- Midnight in Paris
Winner: Woody Allen -- Midnight in Paris
Pick: Michel Hazanavicius -- The Artist (Runner-up: Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig -- Bridesmaids)
Am I the only one who did not love Midnight in Paris? Granted, the script is extremely original in every sense of the word, but the movie itself did not fascinate me like The Artist did, despite the fact that no actual words are uttered in the latter. Special recognition, of course, goes to Mumolo and Wiig's hilariously raunchy flick that proves that women can be funny.
Best Actor
Guess: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist
Winner: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist
Pick: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist (Runner-up: George Clooney -- The Descendants)
Clooney may have been the frontrunner for the majority of the awards season, but Dujardin, a new face in the U.S. but well-known in his native France, picked up some important pre-Oscar awards (SAG, BAFTA, etc.), which caused me to guess he would take home the Oscar. His was well-deserved; how many actors can show so much expression without uttering a word? Clooney's work this year is arguably the best of his career, but he has already won an Oscar (for Supporting Actor for Syriana), so I cannot feel bad for him in the slightest. Plus, Dujardin made us laugh and cry, and even tap danced.
Best Supporting Actor
Guess: Christopher Plummer -- Beginners
Winner: Christopher Plummer -- Beginners
Pick: Christopher Plummer -- Beginners (Runner-up: Jonah Hill -- Moneyball)
Plummer's Oscar-winning performance was pitch-perfect, and at 82, he is the oldest Oscar winner, and rightfully so; it was about time the Academy recognized the Canadian (he's actually not British) who wowed us decades ago in The Sound of Music. Hill seemed incredibly shocked when he learned of his nomination, but I was equally shocked to see him make the transition from raunchy comedies to dramas look so believably easy. Hopefully this was not just a fluke, because I know I am not the only one who wants to see what else he can do.
Best Actress
Guess: Viola Davis -- The Help
Winner: Meryl Streep -- The Iron Lady
Pick: Viola Davis -- The Help (Runner-up: Rooney Mara -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
I doubt I was the only one who was utterly surprised when Colin Firth called Streep's name. But, upon further contemplation, it became clear to me that the Academy felt it was time to reward her with her third Oscar, the first since 1983 (Best Actress for Sophie's Choice). While many, including yours truly, would be reluctant to admit that this year's role was her most deserving in nearly 30 years, her 17 nominations prove that she is one of the most versatile and talented living actresses. Her impersonation of Margaret Thatcher was spot-on, but as Roger Ebert so accurately stated that she was "all dressed up with nowhere to go." Davis appeared to be the frontrunner, but like Clooney, she began losing footing when Streep won more overall pre-Oscar awards. Mara was the surprise entry here, but it was a happy surprise; although Noomi Rapace was terrific in the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, Mara brought something unique and even more magnificent to the role, and somehow made the troubled character as believable as could be.
Best Supporting Actress
Guess: Octavia Spencer -- The Help
Winner: Octavia Spencer -- The Help
Pick: Berenice Bejo -- The Artist (Runner-up: Janet McTeer -- Albert Nobbs)
With the exception of Melissa McCarthy--I'm sorry I wasn't wowed by her performance--the nominees in this category were all exceptionally talented and worthy, but it was Bejo's lovely and wordless performance that truly amazed me. Maybe I am more than a little biased because The Artist was my favorite film of the year, but she suited that role so well (and vice versa). Speaking of that, Spencer's comedic timing was perfect, and her character unforgettable nor just because she delivered a special pie to the evil Bryce Dallas Howard. That said, I thought Bejo's and McTeer's performances were stronger. Glenn Close commitment to her role in Albert Nobbs is undoubtedly commendable, but there's something so fantastic about McTeer in this role that I couldn't stop thinking about it after viewing the movie.
Best Animated Film
Guess: Rango
Winner: Rango
Pick: Kung Fu Panda 2 (Runner-up: Chico & Rita)
I have to admit that, although I did not enjoy Rango as much as I should (or could) have, I have to give it credit for its originality. There are some moments of pure brilliance and even so hilarious jokes that would not be understood by its intended [young] audience, but it was too bizarre for my liking.
Best Art Direction
Guess: Hugo
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II)
While Hugo's set direction is incredible, especially that of the train station, much of it is--I imagine--visual effects, which is why I was drawn to The Artist's black-and-white scenes. I am no expert in this category, but I also loved the attention to detail in the final Harry Potter, which features some devastatingly excellent sequences of the destruction of Hogwarts.
Best Cinematography
Guess: The Tree of Life
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
I was so sure that Terrence Malick's love-it-or-hate-it--I was erring on the "love" side--confusing but beautifully-shot movie would win here. Whether or not you liked it, you have to admit that the time spent on filming various tiny, beautiful moments is admirable. But Hugo picked up most of the technical awards, so it's not a surprise that it won for cinematography, but I would not say it was the most deserving (perhaps it is because Martin Scorcese's 3D kids' flick did not strike me as touching and/or wonderful.) I was hoping The Artist would become the first black-and-white film to win this award since before color in movies was the norm, or perhaps The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, whose brilliant use of camera angles made it easy for those who had not read Stieg Larsson's book to understand what was occurring.
Best Costume Design
Guess: The Artist
Winner: The Artist
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: Hugo)
Typically, the films with the showiest costumes win this award--see: Alice in Wonderland--but somehow the outfits in The Artist were as flashy and lovely in black-and-white as they would have appeared in real life. If, however, the movie had been released in another year (or not released at all, which is something it pains me to imagine), I would have more than satisfied with Hugo winning all the technical awards.
Best Director
Guess: Michel Hazanvicius -- The Artist
Winner: Michel Hazanvicius -- The Artist
Pick: Michel Hazanvicius -- The Artist (Runner-up: Alexander Payne -- The Descendants)
After his DGA win, there was about a one-in-ten chance of Michel Hazanavicius losing this award, and his win was richly deserved. If it did nothing else, his film reminded us why we go to the movies: to be entertained. Unfortunately for Payne, who does not make nearly enough movies--we all remember his hilariously touching dramedy Sideways--his little film in Hawaii could not overcome the magnificence that is The Artist.
Best Documentary
Guess: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Winner: Undefeated
Pick: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Runner-up: If a Tree Falls: the Story of the Earth Liberation Front)
Unfortunately, I had only seen two of the films, but all it took was a couple clips from the third installment of Paradise Lost to convince me that it was the most deserving of the nominees. For some reason or another, I am drawn to stories about people who have been wrongfully accused of crimes. Therefore, I was thoroughly surprised to see Undefeated win, but considering I had not seen the whole movie, I am not one to judge. I was, though, intrigued by If a Tree Falls, which portrayed two sides of a little-known issue.
Best Documentary, Short Subject
Guess: Saving Face
Winner: Saving Face
Pick: Saving Face (Runner-up: God is the Bigger Elvis)
Unfortunately, unlike the live-action and animated shorts, none of these films were made available on iTunes--they were not playing in a theatre near me--but I was able to watch clips of them on the Academy's Livestream. The one that most impressed and moved me was Saving Face, about women in Pakistan with terrible acid burns. God is the Bigger Elvis, about a nun who starred in films with Elvis Presley, was undeniably enjoyable, and perhaps could have been the one to cause an upset.
Best Editing
Guess: The Artist
Winner: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Typically, the film that wins Best Picture wins for Best Editing, which would mean that The Artist would win. However, in recent years, this has not always been the case. Last year, David Fincher's The Social Network won in this category, and it was a bit of a pleasant surprise to see another Fincher film take the gold. Perhaps Academy voters felt guilt about not nominating Dragon Tattoo for Best Picture, so this award was a bit of a consolation. Although it was my favorite film before I had seen Hazanavicius' masterpiece, I cannot deny I wanted The Artist to win.
Best Foreign Film
Guess: A Separation
Winner: A Separation
Pick: A Separation (Runner-up: Monsieur Lazhar)
Not only was Iran's film the best-reviewed film of the bunch, but it was one of the best-reviewed movies of the year (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), and deservedly so. Unfortunately, I had not seen any of the other films, but perhaps the only one that might come close is Canada's Monsieur Lazhar.
Best Make-up
Guess: The Iron Lady
Winner: The Iron Lady
Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II (Runner-up: Albert Nobbs)
Of course I wanted Harry Potter to finally win something, but of course it did not. Maybe it was because I felt underwhelmed by Streep's film, but it is cute that this make-up artist has been with her for many years. However, I believed the make-up work in Albert Nobbs to be more effective, especially in the sense that it hid Glenn Close's famous look as best as it could.
Best Original Score
Guess: Ludovic Bource -- The Artist
Winner: Ludovic Bource -- The Artist
Pick: Ludovic Bource -- The Artist (Runner-up: John Williams -- War Horse)
The Artist, because it is a silent film, thoroughly relies on its lovely music to fill that silence. I do not think there was anything that came close, except for perhaps John Williams' score for War Horse, which helped make it the "sweeping epic" it was meant to be.
Best Original Song
Guess: "Man or Muppet" -- The Muppets
Winner: "Man or Muppet" -- The Muppets
Pick: Neither
Because of the new rules for this category, two mediocre [at best] songs were nominated. I listened to both, and neither were worthy. However, "Man or Muppet" is considerable less unbearable than the poorly-sung "Real in Rio." Additionally, the winner's speech was hilarious.
Best Picture
Guess: The Artist
Winner: The Artist
Pick: The Artist (Runner-up: The Help)
As I mentioned earlier, The Artist was my favorite film of the year. I will not go into why that is the case, but let me just say that my second and third favorites, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Harry Potter, did not make the cut here. I absolutely loved The Help when I saw it an advanced screening last summer, and I still do.
Best Animated Short
Guess: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Winner: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Pick: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Runner-up: A Morning Stroll)
This film was truly beautiful, and it is amazing how much can be said without actually uttering a word (i.e. The Artist and Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close). It is about the love of books, and undeniably had the best message out of the bunch. However, A Morning Stroll intrigued me quite a bit, though I cannot say I completely understood its intentions.
Best Live Action Short
Guess: Time Freak
Winner: The Shore
Pick: Time Freak (Runner-up: Raju)
I thought (and hoped) that Time Freak would win, because last year a similarly funky and unique short won in this category. It is crazily inventive (pun intended), and would make a fantastic full film. The Shore was one of my least favorites in this group, primarily because it was slow and not exciting in the slightest. Granted, it did have Ciaran Hinds, a well-known actor, but I was still surprised it won. I also thought Raju was excellent, but depressing.
Best Sound Editing
Guess: Hugo
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Runner-up: War Horse)
It was of no surprise to me to see Hugo win more technical awards, though I wanted Dragon Tattoo to win, primarily because I enjoyed it much more. However, it may have been too gritty and disturbing for some voters. Also, although I am no expert in this category by any means, I was impressed with the battle sequences in War Horse, but would expect nothing less from a Spielberg flick.
Best Sound Mixing
Guess: Hugo
Winner: Hugo
Pick: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Runner-up: War Horse)
(see above)
Best Visual Effects
Guess: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II
Winner: Hugo
Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II (Runner-up: Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
I really went out on a limb here; I suppose I thought that the brilliant visual effects in Harry Potter would finally get recognized, but unfortunately it was defeated yet again. While Hugo's visuals were certainly impressive, if anything were to beat Potter I would have liked it to be Planet of the Apes, which its excellent motion-capture effects.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Guess: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, & Jim Rash -- The Descendants
Winner: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, & Jim Rash -- The Descendants
Pick: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, & Jim Rash -- The Descendants (Runner-up: Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin -- Moneyball)
I knew this would be the only award Payne's drama would receive, but it was well-merited. While last year's winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network), again turned a work of non-fiction into a compelling script, Payne and company created a unique balance of comedy and drama that touched hearts.
Best Original Screenplay
Guess: Woody Allen -- Midnight in Paris
Winner: Woody Allen -- Midnight in Paris
Pick: Michel Hazanavicius -- The Artist (Runner-up: Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig -- Bridesmaids)
Am I the only one who did not love Midnight in Paris? Granted, the script is extremely original in every sense of the word, but the movie itself did not fascinate me like The Artist did, despite the fact that no actual words are uttered in the latter. Special recognition, of course, goes to Mumolo and Wiig's hilariously raunchy flick that proves that women can be funny.
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