Sunday 7 March 2010

Oscar predictions

It's Oscar night tonight! And it's time for me to commit my predictions to the interweb.

Usually I spend hours researching the nominees. I watch the short films online if I can. I read up about the Foreign films if I haven't seen them. I read reviews and critic's picks. This year, I did no extra research; I have seen a lot of the movies nominated this year, (in fact I've seen all 10 movies up for best picture) but I watched them for entertainment when they came out and not as research for our Oscar competition. My competitors are my sisters and even with all my research, I usually come in third (out of three). So this year, research schmeesearch, I'm gonna wing it!

In black is who I think will win and if it's different from who I want to win then I will add that in green. (update - I am adding the winners in red if they are different than who I guessed)

Best Picture
The Hurt Locker

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges
Colin Firth

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock
Gabourey Sidibe
Meryl Streep

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique

Best Director
Katheryn Bigelow

Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker
A Serious Man

Best Adapted Screenplay
Up In the Air
Precious

Best Cinematography
The Hurt Locker
Avatar

Best Editing
The Hurt Locker

Best Art Direction
Avatar

Best Costume Design
The Young Victoria

Best Makeup
Star Trek

Best Original Score
Up

Best Original Song
Crazy Heart - The Weary Kind

Best Sound Mixing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Editing
Avatar
The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects
Avatar

Best Animated Feature
Up
Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Foreign Language Film
El secreto de suis ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) Argentina

Best Documentary Feature
The Cove

Best Documentary Short
Music by Prudence

Best Animated Short
Wallace and Gromit in a Matter of Loaf and Death
Logorama

Best Live Action Short
The New Tenants

Wednesday 3 March 2010

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye Olympics.

Whew! What a ride! I have to say that the past two weeks were some of the best of my life. I had no idea that I was going to have that much fun during the Olympics.

Universities and colleges in the lower mainland were closed for the Olympics and I have to say it was such a gift having that break. I am so grateful for those 14 days off. Before the games started, I had some pretty grand ideas of how I was going to spend my two weeks off of work and school; I was going to go to movies, visit with friends, see my grandma, maybe go away for a weekend, do homework, and maybe go to a couple of the free concerts that were going to be all over town. Oddly, that is one of the few things I didn't do - I never made it out to one free concert. And there were so many great ones: Sam Roberts, Blue Rodeo, Elliot Brood, Kathleen Edwards, Sloan - just to name a few.

I have so much to say and yet am feeling like I have no idea how to write about it. It may need more than one post. I want to write about what I did but I also want to write about the amazing swelling of pride and joy that our city experienced. I want to copy and paste a lot of other things that I have read so far that say it better than I ever could. My brother-in-law wrote a really beautiful piece on his feelings about the Olympics. I think I will ask his permission to copy it here.

Basically, I loved the Olympics! I loved having them in Vancouver. I love that Canada beat records with how many gold medals we won. I loved the excitement, joy and pride on the streets of Vancouver and that everyone mingled and talked to everyone else. This 'no-fun city' became the most fun city ever! I met so many people and something shifted in me...I wanted to meet so many people. I am one of those shy, reserved Canadians and something shook loose in me. I was out there chatting up people and engaging in conversations with just about anybody - something that I would love to continue doing. Having just spent about 15 minutes talking to the guy beside me at the coffee shop here, I think I'm proving that this is doable.

Thankfully with the Paralympics starting in 9 days we aren't just going cold turkey on the whole experience. The cauldron will be lit again for 9 days and the BC pavilion and the Mint will be open to the public until March 21st. The zip line will continue to run, hopefully with shorter lines, for the duration of the paralympics and those are just a few of the things still going on.

Alas, I am back at work and school and not as free and clear to head downtown whenever I want. But I will get out here and there and I will continue to cheer and celebrate and mingle. Even when the paralympics are over.

Go Canada!!