BEST ART DIRECTION
And the nominees are:
Amelie
Gosford Park
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge
This one could be the toughest to predict of the technical awards. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings both had lavish and wonderful sets and art direction on such an epic scope, and Gosford Park's art direction has been well known as this entire house was built as a soundstage. I could see either of those three winning. But I think Moulin Rouge will prevail, for its wonderful period detail of 1899, especially for those lavish sets. It's a marvel to watch, and bouyed by a win at the Art Directors Guild, I'm pretty sure it will move on to Oscar victory as well.
WILL WIN: Moulin Rouge
ACTUALLY DESERVES TO WIN: Moulin Rouge
DESERVED A NOMINATION, BUT DIDN'T GET IT: A.I. Artificial Intelligence
BEST FILM EDITING
And the nominees are:
A Beautiful Mind
Black Hawk Down
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Memento
Moulin Rouge
Best Film Editing usually goes with the Best Picture winner, but lately they've been recognizing highly technical pieces of cinema like The Matrix with this prize. I could very well see this award going to the clever editing of Memento, and even to Black Hawk Down for its fast paced editing portraying that grisly conflict in Somalia. However, I think this will be one of the technical prizes in the column for Lord of the Rings, with Memento as the possible spoiler. Another tough category to predict.
WILL WIN: Lord of the Rings
ACTUALLY DESERVES TO WIN: Black Hawk Down
DESERVED A NOMINATION, BUT DIDN'T GET IT: Mulholland Drive
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
And the nominees are:
The Accountant
Copy Shop
Gregor's Greatest Invention
A Man Thing (Meska Sprawa)
Speed for Thespians
One of the four categories at every year's Oscars which can help someone win the office pool (!) ... I still wish the Academy would make the short film nominees available on their web site for viewing, as I'd love to see all these nominees. But since I haven't seen a one, and have to make guesses each year (and don't count on my predictions in this category, my guesses are typically wrong). I have to go with Copy Shop as my guess for this one.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
And the nominees are:
Fifty Percent Grey
For The Birds
Give Up Yer Aul Sins
Strange Invaders
Stubble Trouble
One of these I've seen! So since I've seen it, I'll have to throw my prediction in for the computer animated delight For The Birds.
