Saturday, February 13, 2010

My Ballot: Best Picture & Best Actor & More

So... The first half of my own annual awards is now complete. Every Oscar category I also cover is filled out. There's more to come after a couple days of other things ... I still have to bring you the more idiosyncratic categories. It's always really tough doing these things because I usually love my #6s as much as my #5s and #7s, you know? But it is what it is, a personalized celebration of the cinematic year, personalized but public. My 15 favorite pictures of the year (in alpha order) from all the films I saw.

I'm not sure why I didn't do the proper top ten list article this year... but it strangely fell through the cracks. And I would like to to add that I love Mary & Max, Valentino the Last Emperor and Prodigal Sons as much or better than some of these but they were ineligible for various reasons for my prizes. There'll be more to come on the transgendered documentary Prodigal Sons since it's finally gotten some press. And major press, too: Oprah! Don't miss this movie when it eventually comes anywhere near you. Or just "save" it on Netflix or whatever service you use for when it launches on DVD.

The FiLM BiTCH Awards
page 1: Best Picture, Director, Screenplays
page 2: Best Acting
page 3: Best of Visual Categories
page 4: Best of Aural Categories and Nomination Tallies

It was one of my rare consensus years so my three nomination leaders are exactly the same as Oscar: the basterds, the Na'Vi and the bomb squad. The major difference would be that Oscar shunned Bright Star and I haven't been able to shake it. So beautiful it t'was. And speaking of beautiful, the more I sit with the Oscar nominees for Best Picture the more comfortable I am with them representing the film year. Give or take a nomination or seven, Oscar didn't do so badly this year.

How's your awards season going?
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21 comments:

Robert Hamer said...

Interesting that you buck Academy changes and stick with five nominees.

Jim T said...

Thanks once again Nathaniel :)

I'm glad you liked Joaquin Phoenix and Joseph Gordon-Levitt although I think the latter was more promising than good. I know he's not that young in the business but I think he is still waiting for a great role.

I hope you won't hate me for my criticizing Avatar all the time but the scene you loved made me think "these poor creatures sit there without hurting anyone and a mother f** comes along and demands that one of them has to be his." I really wanted the "dragon" to kill the silly human.

Victor S said...

There is a little mistake on your nomination tally: Inglourious Basterds has 9 nominations, not 8: Director (1), Supporting Actor (2), Original Screenplay (3), Cinematography (4), Art Direction (5), Costume Design (6), Editing (7), Makeup(8) and Sound Mixing (9).
That means "Inglourious Basterds" is the Film Bitch "Dreamgirls": nomination leader, but not nominated for best picture!!!!

OtherRobert said...

I disagree on Mary's confession being the best scene in Precious. I don't even think it's Mary's best scene in Precious (that would be the house visit where little Mongo almost pulls her totally out of her sweet motherly character with a simple accident). No, the best scene for me is a toss-up between the alphabet/word scene where Precious gets into the fight or the dinner scene including the faux-Italian black and white moment. I'm also partial to "fluorescent beige" for being the one 2009 film image to always make me smile.

Howler said...

I'm depressed that yet another terrific film-blogger didn't notice how TERRIFIC Ben Foster was in "The Messenger". I love the inclusion of Joseph Gordon-Lewitt and Joaquin Phoenix, but I don't get how come you didn't notice Foster's work. Is it because Harrelson and Morton get "Oscar clips" and he doesn't? I'm in awe of all the scenes where he struggles to hide his emotions. Definitely one of the best male performances of the year.
I'd go with:
1. Ben Foster "The Messenger"
2. Sharlto Copley "District 9" (I don't think he overdid it at all. The film demanded an aggressive performance in the centre)
3. Joseph Gordon-Lewitt "(500) Days of Summer"
4. Joaquin Phoenix "Two Lovers"
5. Jeremy Renner "The Hurt Locker"

NATHANIEL R said...

victor s. thanks. i should double check all these or announce them in a more orderly fashion! :)

Anonymous said...

I thought this was a pretty underwhelming year for film.. or at least American films. Yet I'm still having a hard with my performance ranking.

Ben Whishaw or Jeremy Renner? I can't pick. Penelope or Marion?

I guess I should probably put my engery into something more usefull. Oh well.

Amir said...

i'm SOO happy for the inclusion of joaquin phoenix. nobody else noticed him.
(on my personal list, he just missed top 5, but i included tahar rahim who wasnt eligible for you!)

Luke said...

What was it about Whip It exactly that caused the viewing public to turn in the other direction? It was a perfectly delightful movie (and I'm glad to see it included here). THAT should be the 2009 sports movie that's garnering all the attention...

brandz said...

i'm surprised to see Stanley Tucci for J&J (excellent choice) but no Meryl Streep for J&J. how can that possibly be?

gabrieloak said...

I agree with Howler about Ben Foster being ignored this year for The Messenger. He was certainly more memorable than Morgan Freeman in Invictus.

Evan said...

Several comments:

1) Nate, I appreciate that you're not afraid to love Avatar. I hate the--well, hate-- that it's been getting within the filmlover crowd. You used the right word- Hokey? Yes. Good? Still yes.

2) Our Top 10s share 6 films at least-- maybe 7-- and I haven't seen two of the other three on your list.

3) I share your love for Summer Hours, especially the first act with the mother. The fact that the Prophet beat it for France's Oscar submission makes me that much more excited to see the Prophet. A friend has it downloaded and it takes all my self-control not to want to watch it right now-- I'm saving it for the theater.

Y Kant Goran Rite said...

I still can't get over how Vera Farmiga's surname in Up in the Air was 'Goran'. I feel so sleek and wise and supercool by proxy..

I think I've disagreed with about 85% of your nominations, but I've enjoyed reading about them anyway. The main snub that really stings though is no White Ribbon for Cinematography. That just does not compute at all.

tesh said...

Hey nathaniel,

I can't find the link to your pages about the Cinematic Shame, Honorable Mentions, the Runners Up and The Top Ten with your one-para comments. Can you make those available? Thanks.

Marsha Mason said...

Interesting how each of the "real" BP nominees makes your top ten, and each of the "extra" BP nominees doesn't.

And I have to agree also w/ your general assessment: average year for movies, above average year for the Academy's choices.

Assuming they choose Hurt Locker for the win, the 00s will end up a decade with at least four solid best picture winners, which is more than you can say about most decades.

Steven said...

I didn't know that you loved Avatar all that much! I know you liked it, but BP? Okay... I thought it was a very routine, overly long, and not well written sci-fi movie that is only truly enjoyable because of the visual treats that it offers. I wonder if watching it in 2D would have any effect over people's opinions of the movie, because I know I would have completely blown it off if it weren't for the 3D effects.

On another note, yay for Joseph Gordon-Levitt being mentioned somewhere! What better place than at the FB Awards?! :)

~Steven

Sean Knight said...

HOW IN THE HELL did Precious manage a best picture nomination with you over inglourious basterds when lee daniels wasnt even in any of your runner up spots for best director? film is a directors medium and i have a lot of problems with precious because of his direction, but if you are including it in best picture than im assuming you're saying that you did like his direction of the material??? if so thats fine, but the fact is he isnt mentioned anywhere in your runner up spots. I'm really not understanding this nomination.

NATHANIEL R said...

Sean... i can't explain but for that Precious works for me in a way that isn't undone by its flaws and i really think Mo'Nique's performance is one of the best I've ever seen.

I love Inglourious Basterds (and much more on second viewing) but there is still things about it that bug me a lot (the obvious sadism, the second chapter) and it's still in my top ten list! :)

BrianZ said...

Very fun read Nathaniel.

I have to say, was a bit surprised to see no Gainsbourg for Best Actress, but that's just me. Again, fun as can be read.

eduardo said...

BRIGHT STAR!!!! i'm soooo happy to see it in your best picture lineup =D

Although i'm not happy to see Avatar here =(

and kudos on the Levitt and Renner love

Bing147 said...

Eh, they're alright but not the best you've done. I can't believe you nominate Ok-bin Kim but don't even mention Kang-ho Song. And I don't get how someone can love Hunger that much without at least nominating Fassbender...