I am going to be posting my final Oscar predictions in all 24 categories tomorrow following the Costume Designer Guild awards later today, primarily because I want to see if they will be going with Hugo or The Artist in the period category. The Oscar winner, in my estimation, is going to be one of those two and I have Sandy Powell’s work in Hugo on the top line right now, but a win for Mark Bridges and The Artist could make me change my mind. So, there is still a little work to be done.
However, I don’t see any problem exploring the live-action shorts since there isn’t much to change my opinion here in the next five days and after just watching all five I have about as much information as I need at this point. After all, if there are any categories where it’s a toss-up it’s in the shorts categories.
I already gave my predictions in the animated shorts category and I’m sticking with The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore even though Morning Stroll was my favorite (and it just won the BAFTA) and even though it’s up against Pixar’s La Luna, which was great in its own right. Lessmore, however, is my pick.
When it comes to the live-action category I can say right now I was impressed with all five contenders. Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey‘s time travel comedy Time Freak is great as it centers on the inventor of a time machine who gets caught up trying to make one day perfect to the point he has already spent a year-and-a-half on the day and has managed to perfect the day up to, oh, about lunch.
Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane‘s Pentecost has a great dose of humor in it as well when it comes to a soccer loving alter boy.
The Norwegian short Tuba Atlantic from Hallvar Witzo had its share of laughs and dramatic moments as we meet an old man who just learned he has six days to live. He circles April 2 on his calendar and sets about re-connecting with the brother he hasn’t seen for the last 30 years… that is when he isn’t killing seagulls with a machine gun or a stick of dynamite in a dead fish or by dropping washing machines on them. Like I said, a little dramatic with doses of humor.
I found Raju to be a bit tonally strange in that it almost has the feel of a Tony Scott thriller at first even though you’re simply watching a German couple adopt a young child in Calcutta. Then, however, the child goes missing and things take a bit of a turn. The score playing over the opening moments always feels as if something sinister is going to take place and almost leads the audience too much. I like where it ended up going, but wasn’t a huge fan of the score and shot selection in the first half.
Finally, The Shore from Terry George (In the Name of the Father, Hotel Rwanda) and starring Ciaran Hinds and Kerry Condon stands out as the film the Academy is most likely to go for as far as I can tell.
It’s an emotional feature centering on a couple of Irish “blood” brothers that haven’t seen each other for 25 years who are re-united and the comedy, emotion and drama that ensues. It’s an incredibly effective piece of storytelling and features some great acting and certainly carries the largest names among the five nominees.
As far as ranking the five goes, in terms of how I feel the Academy might vote I’d have to go like this:
- The Shore
- Tuba Atlantic
- Pentecost
- Raju
- Time Freak
Of the bunch, there are some things to consider. Such as Time Freak has won at several film festivals, Tuba Atlantic won at the Student Academy Awards in 2011 and Raju has also won at a couple of fests. I, however, am sticking with The Shore.
The only other shorts category left to discuss is one I don’t have access to any of the films… The Best Documentary Shorts have me clueless, though I would say the support I’ve seen for Saving Face and God is the Bigger Elvis would appear to make them the two to choose from with a little more support thrown the way of Saving Face.
I will post all of my predictions for all 24 categories on Wednesday morning along with polls for you to vote on who you think will win. Then, on Sunday we will see how it all goes down. I hope you’ll be here to take part in our live blog of the event and we’ll finally be able to shut the door on the 2011 awards season. It’s been a long ride and we’ve almost survived.
