Oh, the Oscars

Well, I suppose I can't deny it anymore. With the nominations out, Oscar hysteria is now at full throttle. Even more so this year due to a few Academy surprises, most notably the absence of Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty") and Ben Affleck ("Argo") from the Best Director list, despite both of their films being included in the Best Picture category.

But when has the Academy ever really gotten it right? Or perhaps a better question is, whose "right" are we talking about? Each year I'm amazed at how worked up everyone seems to get over the Oscar race. Either people feel vindicated when the movie they championed made the cut, or disgusted when it didn't. Maybe they think the selections are overly commercial, or they're complaining that they're too arty for a mass audience. Perhaps they blame the Academy members, calling them a bunch of old fogies. Or maybe they're saying that the voting population is packed with left wing nuts who hold political grudges against films or filmmakers.

Every year these arguments get trotted out, whipped into a frenzy in the weeks leading up to the star-studded night, then slowly seep away like a malfunctioning whoopee cushion as everyone shifts their focus to what really matters -- how boring/funny/long/controversial the awards broadcast was.

I can understand all the hoopla and hysteria over a campaign that had to do with something that actually affected our lives -- like, you know, an election.  Even if the democratic process is starting to seem like donor-backed political theater, it's still a process that, in the end, each and every eligible citizen can participate in.

But the Oscars? It's all hot air. It's movie studios spending months and millions ramping up their lobbying efforts to convince an exclusive group of individuals to support their candidate. Sometimes really amazing work is rewarded with a statue, and all the glory and money that comes with it. Just as often, a hack gets the gold. Again, it depends on who's talking and, when it comes to the Oscars, it isn't the moviegoer that anyone's listening to. More often than not, it's the Weinsteins.

The best spin I can put on it is that it's horse race political coverage with no real consequence. In politics, all that breathless minute-by-minute reporting tends to  distract and detach the voting public from what's happening in the larger context -- stuff that actually effects their lives. But with the Academy Awards we can root and hoot, complain and caterwaul, ogle designer gowns and celebrity dates, all without undermining our own democracy. I guess that's what you call entertainment!

So what do I think of the nominations.  Well, first of all I'm happy to say I interviewed two five of this year's nominees: director Ang Lee ("Life of Pi"), "Beasts of the Southern Wild" director Benh Zeitlin and lead actress  Quvenzhané Wallis, and screenwriter John Gatins ("Flight"), which is kind of cool to say. Otherwise, here are my thoughts in bullet point:

• Passing on Bigelow was an overstated and unjustified slap in the face.
• Passing on Affleck, petty.
• Love that "Amour" got so much love. Same for "Silver Linings Playbook."
• A bit baffled that "Django Unchained" made it to Best Picture, but pleased Christoph Waltz did too.
• I was sure Joaquin Phoenix would be ignored since he's so bitter about Oscar campaigning, but thrilled he wasn't because he was amazing in "The Master." 
• Disappointing that Jean-Louis Trintignant wasn't recognized for his amazing work carrying the other half of "Amour's" heavy load, but Emmanuelle Rivas' recognition is a delight.
• Nice to see "Searching for Sugarman" on the documentary list (I neglected to mention it in my cheat of a Top 10 - plus 12 more - list). Equally pleased that the overhyped, accidental commentary on the most vulgar of American consumerism, "Queen of Versailles," was left off.

If I make it through the campaign season, I'll give you my predictions when we get a little closer to the big night. In the meantime, don't you have some movie catch-up to do?

Annual Oscar Complaint and Predictions

I have a serious love/hate relationship with the Academy Awards. As a television viewing event, it's by far my favorite -- even when it's torturously long, cheezy or just plain infuriating. Ripping on it is just as enjoyable as the rare moments of spontaneous elation (Cuba Gooding Jr.'s "Jerry Maguire" glee still probably tops it).

I never really had friends who enjoyed watching the telecast, which was fine  because it's really a tradition reserved for my mom and me. We both know when it's acceptable to talk during the broadcast, when to keep our mouths shut and, most importantly, we've actually seen most of the movies.

And now, the hate. The entire premise that the Academy Awards have anything to do with the "best" films of a particular year is beyond bunk. It's politics, pure and simple, covered with the same depth and perspective as the horse race primary coverage for the Republican presidential nomination. None of it has to do with the actual quality of the candidate, but how much money he has in the bank and how many commercials he can put on the air. It's a competition, yes. But one of marketing savvy, not filmmaking (just ask the Weinsteins).

And even if it was a legitimate competition between films, what's the point of that? Can you REALLY fairly compare "Tree of Life" to "Hugo?" And why would you want to in the first place? Ranking art (or at least attempts at art) is a premise that completely undermines the idea of art in the first place.

And if that argument doesn't convince you how silly it all is, then this one should: "War Horse" was nominated for Best Picture. Yes, "Extremeley Loud and Incredibly Close" is also an injustifiable inclusion in the category, but at least I could sit through the entire thing. I found "War Horse" to be so tedious and predicatable that I actually got up and left half-way through, something I've never done before. (And this from a girl who has a slight equine obsession.)

It wasn't until I became a professional film critic that any of this really bothered me because it suddenly became part of my job to participate in the ranking, or at least comment on it. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to watch the Oscars tonight. I'll be with my mom, with Billy Crystal on-screen, just like the good old days. But when so-and-so's name is announced as the winner, I won't be thinking that anyone really "won."

So now that I've taken all the joy and relevance out of the Oscars, here are my picks for the winners. Please keep in mind that politics really isn't my beat, but I did a fair amount of research -- and made a few Hail Mary picks of faith--so this really is my best effort. Let me know how you fared!

Alison Gang's Oscar Picks

84th Academy Awards 2012

You can read my justifications for the first six categories here.

• Best Picture: "The Artist"
• Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
• Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist" (but Clooney is almost as likely a winner)
• Best Actress: Viola Davis, "The Help"
• Best Supporting actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
• Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
• Best Animated Feature Film: "Rango"
• Best Foreign Film: "A Separation"
• Best Original Screenplay: "Midnight in Paris"
• Best Adapted Screenplay: "The Descendants"
• Best Art Direction: "Hugo"
• Best Costume Design: "The Artist"
• Best Cinematography: "The Tree of Life" (this is one of the few picks I'm making out of sheer hope, because Malick's film should be recognized for something and this would be the most fitting category)
• Best Film Editing: "The Artist"
• Best Makeup: "The Iron Lady" (though I really want to be wrong. I'm pulling for "Potter." If "Albert Nobbs" wins, I might jump out a window.)
• Best Sound Editing: "Hugo"
• Best Sound Mixing: "Hugo"
• Best Visual Effects: "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (really, how could anything else win?)
• Best Original Song: "Man or Muppet" 
• Best Original Score: "The Artist"
• Best Documentary: "Undefeated" (but I'm rooting hard for "Pina")
• Best Documentary Short: "God is the Bigger Elvis" (admission: haven't seen any films in this category, but this sounds like a promising pick)
• Best Animated Short: "The Fantastic Flying Books for Mr. Morris Lessmore"
• Best Live Action Short: "The Shore" 

Scoresheet: 17 out of 24 (and pretty damn bored)

AFter getting of to a rocky start, I ended up doing better than I ever have before -- 17 out of 24 (70.8%). Does that mean I have to make an effort again next year? 


The show was awfully boring, even with Franco as a bonus. But Anne's dresses were divine (except that last one) and, well, if I didn't have my Facebook friends to snark with (and my mom in real life), I would be even grumpier. But at least it's over!


Best Picture
Winner: "The King's Speech"
My pick: "The King's Speech"

Best Director
Winner: Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
My pick: David Fincher, "The Social Network"

Best Actor
Winner: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech" 
My pick: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"

Best Actress
Winner: Natalie Portman, "Black Swan" My pick: Natalie Portman, "The Black Swan"

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Christian Bale, "The Fighter"
My pick: Christian Bale, "The  Fighter"

Best Supporting Actress
Winner:Melissa Leo, "The Fighter" 
My pick: Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: "The Social Network," Aaron Sorkin
My pick: "The Social Network," Aaron Sorkin

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: "The King's Speech," David Seidler
My pick: "The King's Speech," David Seidler

Best Animated Feature Film
Winner: "Toy Story 3"
My pick: "Toy Story 3"

Best Foreign Film
Winner: Nominees:  "In a Better World" (Denmark)
My pick: "In a Better World" (Denmark)

Best Art Direction
Winner: "Alice in Wonderland"
My pick: "Inception"

Best Costume Design
Winner: "Alice in Wonderland," Colleen Atwood
My pick: "Alice in Wonderland," Colleen Atwood

Best Documentary
Winner: "Inside Job" 
My pick: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"

Best Film Editing
Winner: "The Social Network"
My Pick: "The Social Network"

Best Cinematography:
Winner: "Inception"
My pick: Roger Deakins, "True Grit"  

Best Makeup
Winner: "The Wolfman"
My pick: "The Wolfman"

Best Sound Editing
Winner: "Inception" 
My pick: "Inception" 

Best Sound Mixing
Winner: "Inception"
My Pick: "Inception"

Best Visual Effects
Winner: "Inception"
My pick: "Inception"

Best Documentary (Short Subject)
Winner: "Strangers No More"
My pick: "Strangers No More"


Best Original Score - somehow this got left off my list of picks (along with Original song). But I swear I got it right BEFORE they announced it.
Winner: "The Social Network"
Meant to pick: "The Social Network"


Original Song - Oops (see above)
Winner: "We Belong Together," Toy Story 3
My pick (BEFORE the announcement): "If I Rise," 127 Hours

Best Visual Short Film (Animated)
Winner: "The Lost Thing"
My pick: "Madascar, carnet de voyage (Madascar, a Journey Diary)"

Best Short Film (Live Action)
Winner: "God of Love"
My pick: "God of Love"

My Oscar Ballot: I can't believe I voted on the whole thing

After much procrastination, here's my complete list of Oscar predictions. I've already elaborated on my "no-brainer," "educated guess" and "head-scratcher" reasoning in the major categories here and, if I can muster up any rationalizations for the remainder, I've included them below. Even though I regret it practically every year, I couldn't help but throw in a few votes that are more wishful thinking than the cold and likely truth. But, when it comes down to it, your heart is more valuable than your accuracy (at least when it comes to Oscar ballots).


Best Picture
Nominees: "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech," "127 Hours," "The Social Network," "Toy Story 3," "True Grit," "Winter's Bone"
No-brainer: "The King's Speech"


Best Director
Nominees: Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan;" Davis O. Russell, "The Fighter;" Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech;" David Fincher, "The Social Network;" Joel and Ethan Coen, "True Grit"
Head-scratcher: David Fincher, "The Social Network"


Best Actor
Nominees: Javier Bardem, "Biutiful;" Jeff Bridges, "True Grit;" Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network;" Colin Firth, "The King's Speech;" James Franco, "127 Hours"
No-brainer: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"


Best Actress
Nominees: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right;" Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole;" Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone;" Natalie Portman, "Black Swan;" Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"
Educated Guess: Natalie Portman, "The Black Swan"


Best Supporting Actor
Nominees: Christian Bale, "The Fighter;" John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone;" Jeremy Renner, "The Town;" Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right;" Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"
Educated Guess: Christian Bale, "The  Fighter"


Best Supporting Actress
Nominees: Amy Adams, "The Fighter;" Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech;" Melissa Leo, "The Fighter;" Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit;" Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"
Head-scratcher: Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"


Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees: "127 Hours," "The Social Network," 'Toy Story 3," "True Grit," "Winter's Bone"
No-brainer: "The Social Network," Aaron Sorkin


Best Original Screenplay
Nominees: "Another Year," "The Fighter," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech"
Educated guess: "The King's Speech," David Seidler


Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees: "How to Train Your Dragon," "Illusionist," "Toy Story 3"
No-brainer: "Toy Story 3"


Best Foreign Film
Nominees: "Biutiful" (Mexico), "Dogtooth" (Greece), "In a Better World" (Denmark), "Incendies" (Canada), "Outside the Law" (Algeria)
Head-scratcher: "In a Better World" (Denmark)
It's hard to take a category seriously that doesn't include "I Am Love" (Italy), "Carlos" (France) or "Of Gods and Men" (France), so I don't feel all that terrible that I've only seen two of the five nominees --"Dogtooth" and "Biutiful," the former an occasionally riveting but mostly disappointing excuse to get pervy on screen, and the latter an indulgent mopefest (with a good actor suffering through). So I'm going with the Danes--and most Oscar prognosticators--with my pick here.


Best Art Direction
Nominees: "Alice in Wonderland," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," "Inception," "The King's Speech," "True Grit"
Head-scratcher: "Inception"
If voters got lazy and just started checking "The King's Speech" for everything, I'm screwed in this category--if not many others. "Alice" could be a winner here as well but I'm hoping voters will recognize "Inception" for its visual appeal, which I found dazzling- and unexpectedly architectural.


Best Costume Design
Nominees: "Alice in Wonderland," "I Am Love," The King's Speech," "The Tempest," "True Grit"
Educated Guess: "Alice in Wonderland"
Colleen Atwood's designs rescued Tim Burton's film from total madcap drudgery.


Best Documentary
Nominees: "Exit Through the Gift Shop," "Gasland," "Inside Job," "Restrepo," "Waste Land"
Educated Guess: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"
Because I really want to see what happens when Banksy's name is called (plus the film is fantastic and, I believe, true).


Best Film Editing
Nominees: "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The King's Speech," "127 Hours," "The Social Network"
Head-scratcher: "The Social Network"
A pretty impressive category indeed, but I'm guessing voters will want to bump up "Social Network's" Oscar count, and this category is as justifiable as any.


Best Cinematography:
Nominees: "Black Swan," "Inception," "The King's Speech," "The Social Network," "True Grit"
Educated Guess: Roger Deakins, "True Grit"  
After nine nominations, Deakins deserves an Oscar already. And the film is simply gorgeous.


Best Makeup
Nominees: "Barney's Version," "The Way Back," "The Wolfman"
Educated Guess: "The Wolfman"
Most boring list of nominees ever and I hate that I even have to think about this crappy movie again, let alone pick it as a winner for something.


Best Sound Editing
Nominees: "Inception," "Toy Story 3," "TRON: Legacy," "True Grit," "Unstoppable"
Educated Guess: "Inception" 
I suspect voters will dump a lot of these technical awards on "Inception" and leave it out of most everything else. Appropriate, I think (except for leaving Nolan out of the director category). But it would be really fun if "Unstoppable" took home the statue.


Best Sound Mixing
Nominees: "Inception," "The King's Speech," "Salt," "The Social Network," "True Grit"
Educated Guess: "Inception"
Ditto above, with "Salt" as the most entertaining spoiler.


Best Visual Effects
Nominees: "Alice in Wonderland," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," "Hereafter," "Inception," "Iron Man 2"
No-brainer: "Inception"
I just refuse to believe that they'll snub Nolan here, especially with competition like "Hereafter" for God's sake.


Best Documentary (Short Subject)
Nominees: "Killing in the Name," "Poster Girl," "Strangers No More," "Sun Comes Up," "The Warriors of Qiugang"
Head-scratcher: "Strangers No More"
Since I've seen nothing in this category, I'm going with the one that sounds most uplifting, in this case Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon's film about an Israeli school for refugee children from around the world.


Best Visual Short Film (Animated)
Nominees: "Day & Night," "The Gruffalo," "Let's Pollute," "The Lost Thing," "Madascar, carnet de voyage (Madascar, a Journey Diary)"
Head-scratcher: "Madascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)"
Wouldn't it be nice if the Academy took a pass on Pixar this year (for "Day & Night," which I did enjoy) and gave some gold to an artist, Bastien Dubois, who transfixed us with his animated travel scrapbook? I think so.


Best Short Film (Live Action)
Nominees: "The Confession," "The Crush," "God of Love," "Na Wewe," "Wish 143"
No-brainer: "God of Love"
Probably my most cynical pick sine I really disliked writer/director/star Luke Matheny's goofy Woody Allen rip-off. But the competition is weak and Matheny has been quite savvy promoting himself around Hollywood.


There you have it. And please keep in mind I take no responsibility for how my selections harm or help your attempt to win the Oscar pool. 

Enjoy the show!

Oh, Oscar.....

Could it possibly be almost over? --oops.. I mean, almost here? I'm talking about the Oscars of course and, well, I've been sick of them since early November. Not that I haven't enjoyed the stacks of screeners that appeared in Fed Ex packages on my doorstep every afternoon or the....well, that's pretty much all I've enjoyed.

But as someone that actually gets paid to write about movies (a rarity these days), I mustered up some enthusiasm and spouted and speculated along with the rest of 'em, as you'll see in my expanded "No Brainer," "Educated Guess," and "Head-Scratcher" picks from today's paper. (Here's hoping I get my predictions for all of the categories posted before the ceremony starts on Sunday evening!)

It wasn't always this way. In fact, I was obsessed with everything Hollywood all the way into my mid 20s when I actually lived there and became a part of it--albeit a miniscule part that had me making reservations for power lunches instead of actually attending them.

The thrill of celebrity lasted for a year or two but, when I got a job as a junior publicist, I finally discovered that the emperor had no clothes. In my mind, those glossy magazines with movie stars on the cover became nothing but negotiations. All those awards shows were just pageants designed to sell movie tickets and toothpaste during commercials. And everyone was in on it. The magic was gone.

In the dozen or so years since this disillusionment, I've been able to find a middle ground. A place where I can love film, follow industry trends and manage to keep my dignity. But I still have a problem with the whole concept of picking one film as a "winner" over another. How can something as subjective as art "beat" another piece of art in a contest, let alone one with as many arbitrary rules, restrictions and barriers to entry as the Academy Awards? And yes, film is art (or it should aspire to be at least).

As a critic I find the whole thing ridiculous.

As a woman with a borderline disturbing celebrity crush on James Franco, Sunday night is gonna be awesome.

An Appetizer of Oscar Picks

While the bulk of my "big category" Oscar picks will appear in tomorrow's Union-Tribune, AOL City's Best asked me -- along with San Diego City Beat Film Editor Anders Wright and KPBS Film Critic Beth Accomando--for my opinion on Best Picture, Actor, Actress and Original Screenplay winners.

The three of us are nothing if not entirely consistent in our opinions. Could this mean I might actually have a good showing on my Oscar ballot? Well, I couldn't do any worse than last year! (Thankfully those predictions are lost in the ether, but let's just say I was all about "Avatar.")

Here's the City's Best story by Jennifer Kester.

I'll post my expanded U-T picks tomorrow and, hopefully, a comprehensive list of my predictions (guesses?) in all categories before the Sunday ceremonies. Go Franco!