We'll start with the basics:
For The Category: BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY -- this category explores the screenplay after actors and directors are chosen. This award is generally dealt to the movie with the best dialogue, however may lead to a few upsets, as it is in the adapted screenplay which is heavily edited for the big screen and differs from the original screenplay.
Nominees:
The Descendants (Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)
Hugo (John Logan)
The Ides of March (George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon)
Moneyball (Steven Zailian and Aaron Sorkin)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan)
Who Won: The Descendants -- This movie had extremely clever dialogue, so I'm not surprised that it won this award. Something really remarkable about the conversation in this movie was that it accurately portrayed legitimate family live without over-intensifying certain aspects (like sibling bickering) but it also did not grey out too many aspects (like caring for each other's health)-- if these examples don't make sense, I suggest seeing the movie.
Who Should Have Won: The Ides of March -- Personally, I thought the dialogue in this movie was much more complex and cohesive than that in The Descendants. Certain scenes could be envisioned taking place in real life, even though it was a political thriller.
For The Category: MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE) -- this category, as the name implies, deals with the music used in the movie. Usually, this is not awarded to movies that used sound mixing instead of a full orchestra and is why many movies that use generic music are not nominated.
Nominees:
The Adventures of Tin Tin (John Williams)
The Artist (Ludovic Bource)
Hugo (Howard Shore)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Alberto Iglesias)
War Horse (John Williams)
Who Won: The Artist -- This movie, like many other aspects of the film, had an extremely charming soundtrack that suited the movie perfectly. It made sure to retain the campy, elated theme that was carried through most (but not all) scenes in the movie. The soundtrack was very aware of the mood the scenes conveyed, and compensated admirably.
Who Should Have Won: The Artist -- I'm a bit biased here (I loved The Artist), but nonetheless, this movie deserved all the acclaim it got, including for its incredible score.
For The Category: DIRECTING -- This category is the recognition of fine direction in a movie. Of course, the movie is nothing without the producers and actors/actresses, but the director makes the experience the seamless piece of cinema that is screen in theaters.
Nominees:
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)
The Descendants (Alexander Payne)
Hugo (Martin Scorsese)
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
Who Won: The Artist -- Surprised? You really shouldn't be. This movie really reaped a good crop in terms of awards this year. Hopefully, we see other films as charming and timeless as this in the future, but the award for best direction, in my opinion, is a bit of overkill. Yes, the direction was stellar, but it was not the best in the category.
Who Should Have Won: The Tree of Life -- The Artist wins the award for the most outlandish this year in overall production, but The Tree of Life was a completely different experience than any other movie I've ever seen. It is by far the most confusing two and a half hours of cinema you will ever see, assuming you do, but it was composed of SUPERB direction. The camera moved on an erratic axis which made it all the more enveloping and interesting.
For The Category: ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE -- This award is given to the most superb actress in the industry. This award is considered one of the most controversial, as all the actresses nominated are phenomenal in their craft, but only one can win of the five.
Nominees:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Who Won: Meryl Streep -- For those of you who had the pleasure of seeing The Iron Lady, you understand perfectly well why Meryl Streep won this award. She. Was. Amazing. Meryl Streep is considered one of the greatest actresses of our time, and likely so. Her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher is nothing short of brilliant, and it is sure to leave you breathless. Rarely, is such fine acting captured by a camera, and rarely is accurately congratulated.
Who Should Have Won: Meryl Streep -- Contrary to what my description of Meryl Streep in the former paragraph may portray, I was actually really torn on this one. Glenn Close played a man, Viola Davis played a southern maid, Rooney Mara played a Swedish psychopath, and Michelle Williams played Marilyn Monroe... To say those roles are daunting is an incredible understatement. All of the nominees in this category deserve honorable mentions for nailing their roles so eloquently and elegantly. Meryl Streep's portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, though, was so incredibly compelling, I understand the Academy's choice; however, I imagine this category fell under ruthless review and controversy, as well it should have.
For The Category: ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE -- This award is given to the most superb actor in the industry. Like is partner, it often falls under heavy scrutiny, as all the nominees are fine actors.
Nominees:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Who Won: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist would not have been the movie it was without convincing acting from the leading roles. The fact that it was a silent film made the demand for commanding acting all the more intense, and, I am happy to say, Jean Dujardin fulfilled that demand with flying colors. There were no moments in the movie where I was not compelled by his incredible performance, and his performance was even more believable than his fellow nominees' even thought he spoke only two words in the entire film.
Who Should Have Won: Jean Dujardin -- The other nominees gave amazing performances, and they should receive recognition for that, but Dujardin's acting so so dazzling, it really made me question the abilities of the other top performers in Hollywood.
For The Category: BEST PICTURE -- This award is given to the best, most phenomenal movie produced in the year of the Oscars. This is by far the most argued and complained about award in the show. Giving any movie such a huge moniker is a risky step, as many movies have their fair share of die-hard fans. Few things are more disappointing than watching your favorite movie being shot down by "that other movie". On the other hand, few things are more satisfying than watching your favorite movie defeating the competition and getting the award it deserves.
Nominees:
The Artist (Thomas Langmann)
The Descendants (Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Scott Rudin)
The Help (Brunson Green, Chris Colombus, and Michael Barnathan)
Hugo (Graham King and Martin Scrosese)
Midnight in Paris (Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenebaum)
Moneyball (Michael de Luca, Rachael Horovitz, and Brad Pitt)
The Tree of Life (Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, and Grant Hill)
War Horse (Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kenedy)
Who Won: The Artist -- Now, this was by no means a surprise to anyone who had been watching The Artist pile up its winnings the entire award show. This movie was a truly genuine experience, and I'm in full support of its winning. That said, this was definitely a year of intense competition. All of the movies in this category had their own reasons for why they should have won. The Descendants felt like the most real of any of the movies. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close had the most sobering, but hopeful message in theaters. The Help was a compelling snapshot of the harsh inequalities that plagued southern African Americans in the past. Hugo, although I didn't much care for it, was a magical experience that took a new approach to storytelling. Midnight in Paris was a quaint film that taught an incredibly valuable message about our inexplicable fetish of nostalgia. Moneyball was the first baseball movie to be nominated for Best Picture in years. The Tree of Life was in essence a surrealist motion picture, and it was the only movie in its newly carved niche category. War Horse was a beautifully done English war story that explored the deep bond between man and horse. However, in the end, like Woody Allen (a la Midnight in Paris) knew all along, our love of the past compels us to immediately fall in love with any reminders of it.
Who Should Have Won: The Artist -- Sometimes, a movie wins just because it was incredibly original. Movie makers take that originality and milk it dry, sometimes not paying attention to the surrounding detail. The Artist takes originality and adds super acting, elegant scene design, compelling story telling, and a long living message, all wrapped in a timeless package. The Artist was the best movie produced this year and it deserves the award for Best Picture.
Who Should Have Won: The Artist -- I'm a bit biased here (I loved The Artist), but nonetheless, this movie deserved all the acclaim it got, including for its incredible score.
For The Category: DIRECTING -- This category is the recognition of fine direction in a movie. Of course, the movie is nothing without the producers and actors/actresses, but the director makes the experience the seamless piece of cinema that is screen in theaters.
Nominees:
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)
The Descendants (Alexander Payne)
Hugo (Martin Scorsese)
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
Who Won: The Artist -- Surprised? You really shouldn't be. This movie really reaped a good crop in terms of awards this year. Hopefully, we see other films as charming and timeless as this in the future, but the award for best direction, in my opinion, is a bit of overkill. Yes, the direction was stellar, but it was not the best in the category.
Who Should Have Won: The Tree of Life -- The Artist wins the award for the most outlandish this year in overall production, but The Tree of Life was a completely different experience than any other movie I've ever seen. It is by far the most confusing two and a half hours of cinema you will ever see, assuming you do, but it was composed of SUPERB direction. The camera moved on an erratic axis which made it all the more enveloping and interesting.
For The Category: ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE -- This award is given to the most superb actress in the industry. This award is considered one of the most controversial, as all the actresses nominated are phenomenal in their craft, but only one can win of the five.
Nominees:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Who Won: Meryl Streep -- For those of you who had the pleasure of seeing The Iron Lady, you understand perfectly well why Meryl Streep won this award. She. Was. Amazing. Meryl Streep is considered one of the greatest actresses of our time, and likely so. Her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher is nothing short of brilliant, and it is sure to leave you breathless. Rarely, is such fine acting captured by a camera, and rarely is accurately congratulated.
Who Should Have Won: Meryl Streep -- Contrary to what my description of Meryl Streep in the former paragraph may portray, I was actually really torn on this one. Glenn Close played a man, Viola Davis played a southern maid, Rooney Mara played a Swedish psychopath, and Michelle Williams played Marilyn Monroe... To say those roles are daunting is an incredible understatement. All of the nominees in this category deserve honorable mentions for nailing their roles so eloquently and elegantly. Meryl Streep's portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, though, was so incredibly compelling, I understand the Academy's choice; however, I imagine this category fell under ruthless review and controversy, as well it should have.
For The Category: ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE -- This award is given to the most superb actor in the industry. Like is partner, it often falls under heavy scrutiny, as all the nominees are fine actors.
Nominees:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Who Won: Jean Dujardin -- The Artist would not have been the movie it was without convincing acting from the leading roles. The fact that it was a silent film made the demand for commanding acting all the more intense, and, I am happy to say, Jean Dujardin fulfilled that demand with flying colors. There were no moments in the movie where I was not compelled by his incredible performance, and his performance was even more believable than his fellow nominees' even thought he spoke only two words in the entire film.
Who Should Have Won: Jean Dujardin -- The other nominees gave amazing performances, and they should receive recognition for that, but Dujardin's acting so so dazzling, it really made me question the abilities of the other top performers in Hollywood.
For The Category: BEST PICTURE -- This award is given to the best, most phenomenal movie produced in the year of the Oscars. This is by far the most argued and complained about award in the show. Giving any movie such a huge moniker is a risky step, as many movies have their fair share of die-hard fans. Few things are more disappointing than watching your favorite movie being shot down by "that other movie". On the other hand, few things are more satisfying than watching your favorite movie defeating the competition and getting the award it deserves.
Nominees:
The Artist (Thomas Langmann)
The Descendants (Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Scott Rudin)
The Help (Brunson Green, Chris Colombus, and Michael Barnathan)
Hugo (Graham King and Martin Scrosese)
Midnight in Paris (Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenebaum)
Moneyball (Michael de Luca, Rachael Horovitz, and Brad Pitt)
The Tree of Life (Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, and Grant Hill)
War Horse (Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kenedy)
Who Won: The Artist -- Now, this was by no means a surprise to anyone who had been watching The Artist pile up its winnings the entire award show. This movie was a truly genuine experience, and I'm in full support of its winning. That said, this was definitely a year of intense competition. All of the movies in this category had their own reasons for why they should have won. The Descendants felt like the most real of any of the movies. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close had the most sobering, but hopeful message in theaters. The Help was a compelling snapshot of the harsh inequalities that plagued southern African Americans in the past. Hugo, although I didn't much care for it, was a magical experience that took a new approach to storytelling. Midnight in Paris was a quaint film that taught an incredibly valuable message about our inexplicable fetish of nostalgia. Moneyball was the first baseball movie to be nominated for Best Picture in years. The Tree of Life was in essence a surrealist motion picture, and it was the only movie in its newly carved niche category. War Horse was a beautifully done English war story that explored the deep bond between man and horse. However, in the end, like Woody Allen (a la Midnight in Paris) knew all along, our love of the past compels us to immediately fall in love with any reminders of it.
Who Should Have Won: The Artist -- Sometimes, a movie wins just because it was incredibly original. Movie makers take that originality and milk it dry, sometimes not paying attention to the surrounding detail. The Artist takes originality and adds super acting, elegant scene design, compelling story telling, and a long living message, all wrapped in a timeless package. The Artist was the best movie produced this year and it deserves the award for Best Picture.
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