Who Should Win At The 2011 Oscars

BEST PICTURE:

THE ARTIST/THE HELP

This is a curious category this year. There are no overtly huge over-rated guy movies (IE: The Departed) and no run-of-the-mill-been-there-done-that Saving Private Ryan-esque war movies (I still revel in the fact that Shakespeare In Love trumped it). Leaving way for any wonder of the imagination to climb aboard the hefty 10 nominee possibilities train. Yet with a slip-knot of 9, the Academy more than slapped one of the best pictures of the year directly in the face--simply because it was a comedy. Bridesmaids is very much one of the best movie of the year. That being said Super 8 was also snubbed. Thankfully, The Artist, dynamic by all costs, stands a strong chance of winning the prize. It is both artful in its rebirth of the silent film technique and touching. The underdog contender is surely the controversial The Help-- one of my personal favorites. The performances are top-drawer not only from Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer--but on down the line to a scene-stealing Sissy Spacek (who should have won an Oscar for her come-back In The Bedroom), a heartbreaking-all-too-briefly-shown Cicely Tyson (Oscar nominee Sounder), and the mega-bitch Bryce Dallas Howard (of the under-rated The Village). Both The Help and The Artist stand out to me as two small little movies that could. So much so that I am unable to choose my favorite. I don't like ties, but maybe there should be one.

BEST DIRECTOR

MICHEL HAZANVICIUS, THE ARTIST

Maybe Martin Scorsese should have won for Hugo instead of The Departed. At any rate Michel Hazanvicius for The Artist certainly gained a lot trust from a lot of people to anchor the wit of a silent film boat. He did it beautifully. A snub from this category is certainly Tate Taylor of The Help. You can't drive that many great performances out of that many great females and not be a true contender.

BEST ACTOR

JEAN DUJARDIN, THE ARTIST

This is not a strong category this year. George Clooney will win for the most over-rated movie of the year The Descendants (*At second viewing I warmed up more to this film) but his work in Up In The Air was far greater. The winner should be the handsome Jean Dujardin of The Artist for acting with visual emotion and no words-- plus he has a cute little side-kick dog and all.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

JONAH HILL, MONEYBALL

I was not as excited about Beginners Christopher Plummer as everyone else seems to be. Unfortunately, I have not yet seen Warrior with Nick Nolte (who I loved in the under-rated comedy I Love Trouble). So curiously enough I am going with Jonah Hill in Moneyball who really did an excellent job taming down his comedic persona and channeling a dramatic-side none of us knew he had in him.

BEST ACTRESS

MICHELLE WILLIAMS, My Week With Marilyn

Tough one. I was taken away with Viola Davis in The Help. She was so under-stated and real. I would not mind if she won a single bit. Who I hope doesn't win is Meryl Streep-- because I feel she has been better in a better reviewed film. I also think she is a better actress when she is in a tamed down performance IE: It's Complicated. That's not to say she isn't one of the greatest actresses of all time. Because she is. And she does embody real people well. But it is unfortunate that Michelle Williams got under-rug-swept for one of the most entrancing performances of a real person we have seen since Charlize Theron in Monster (simply one of the greatest performances in history). I was skeptical of Williams as Marilyn in My Week With Marilyn. But she gave the character such depth with a combination of shyness, beauty, grace--showing a mentally unstable woman in her prime before her ultimate descent to her own demons that I can't possibly in good faith vote on anyone else. Playing someone so huge as Marilyn is a task almost inconceivable especially along side an actor very miscast. And in true Marilyn style--you can't take your eyes off of her. On a side note, Kristen Wiig is missing from this category for Bridesmaids. I agree with one critic, her airplane scene was the stuff of a modern-day Lucille Ball... and who doesn't love Lucy?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

MELISSA MCCARTHY, BRIDESMAIDS/OCTAVIA SPENCER, THE HELP

I love that so many female performances this year are so grand. Berenice Bejo was perfect in The Artist and in another year would have won. Jessica Chastain was remarkable (as well as the rest of the cast) in The Help-- especially Octavia Spencer. I enjoy the backstory of how director Tate Taylor campaigned for her (his friend) to get the part even though the part of Minny could have went to a name actress. His faith-filled campaign was admirable considering her monumental achievement. She will win. But wouldn't it be fun to see Melissa McCarthy strike back for the Best Picture snub of Bridesmaids by pulling a Marisa Tomei (so wonderful in My Cousin Vinny) and win unexpectedly? She was not only hilarious for throwing vanity to the wind (something any truly great actress can do) but also she's so moving in the scene on the couch where she gives Kristin Wiigg's character a pep talk. Again--I call a rare tie.