Things have just gotten plenty interesting in 2009's Oscar Race with The Hurt Locker being awarded the Best Picture Award by both LA and New York film critics.
Here are the major winners from both groups:
LA:
Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker”
Runner-up: “Up in the Air”
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Runner-up: Michael Haneke, “The White Ribbon”
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Runner-up: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Best Actress: Yolande Moreau, “Séraphine”
Runner-up: Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Runner-up: Peter Capaldi, “In the Loop”
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Runner-up: Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
New York:
Best Picture
“The Hurt Locker”
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Actor
George Clooney, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Up in the Air”
Best Actress
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique, “Precious”
So what should we make of these decisions and their ultimate effect on Oscar?
Best Picture: The Hurt Locker jumps out to the lead in the Best Picture race with Up in the Air, Invictus and Precious not too far behind. Now let's see what magic rabbit Tyler Perry and Oprah will pull out of their hats.
Best Director: It's a good two days to be Kathryn Bigelow. But will she be the first ever female winner of the Best Director award? Something in my gut says no, especially with Jason Reitman and Clint Eastwood hot on her heels.
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges is definitely the front runner. All the pieces seem to fit (a 4 time previous nominee, family is Hollywood royalty, playing a long suffering artist, the prime time to award his body of work, and a perfect Oscar winning role). I kinda wish that Colin Firth had taken the LA award because I think he needed a boost to really turn into a front runner. I am little bored by the choice of Clooney in NY. Clooney is up to his usual brilliance in Up in the Air, but it's a performance he could do in his sleep. I do like NY's joint mention of Fantastic Mr. Fox in Best Actor though. It seems like Bridges, Clooney, Freeman and Firth are locks. Day Lewis seems to be losing ground.
Best Acrtress: LA's choice of Yolande Moreau does not change the state of the race. LA has had a history of picking completely random performances to honor and those performances are no where to be seen or heard from again in the race. Case in point: 2005's Vera Farminga for Down to the Bone for Best Actress, 2006's Luminiţa Gheorghiu for The Death of Mr. Lazarescu for Best Supporting Actress, and 2007's Vlad Ivanov for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days for Best Supporting Actor. Enjoy the honor Yolande! New York, however, went to marvelous Meryl Streep. This award has really kicked off her campaign for a 3rd Oscar. However, I am inclined to say that at this point, this award is more than likely Carey Mulligan's!
Best Supporting Actor: Chris Waltz Chris Waltz Chris Waltz. We have a definitive front runner! The category looks like it will be filled out by Alfred Molina, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, and probably Christopher Plummer (who would become a first time Oscar nominee).
Best Supporting Actress: I said two weeks ago on TV that this race was over and that you could engrave Mo'Nique's name, apostrophe and all, on the statue already. Her double win proves this to me. If for some reason the academy gets its hate on for Precious, which I don't really see happening, Anna Kendrick is Mo's biggest threat!
Tomorrow are the Globe nominations! I will have a full set of predictions tonight!
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