83rd Annual Academy Awards Nominations, Predictions, Polls, and Pre-Ceremony Analysis (UPDATED WITH RESULTS)

The 83^rd annual Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 8 PM EST; James Franco and Anne Hathaway will host the presentation. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), largely comprised of filmmaking professionals and executives who vote on the Oscars, announced this year’s nominations on January 25, 2011. To view previous years’ nominees, winners, and analysis, click here.

Included below is the list of Oscar nominees. I ranked the nominees in order of how likely they are to win in their respective categories, NOT in order of my preferences. Nonetheless, I have written some thoughts, notes, and perspectives (under some categories) regarding the nominees’ chances, histories, and which are my favorites.

Also, DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! – Please vote as if you were an AMPAS member and casting your own ballot, regardless of my predictions and what you think will win. Vote for what/who you think is the best in each category.

* I shall update this post after the presentation on February 27, 2011 to highlight the winners (in red). *

The Top 10 Films of 2010

At last, here is my article listing and explaining my Top Ten Films of 2010 and other movies deserving of Honorable Mentions. I attempted to balance various considerations: which films I thought are the best made, favoritism, and critical consensus regarding the movies. I elaborate under each entry on my Top Ten and Honorable Mentions lists. Some films may be highly praised but not anywhere on my lists; in that case, I either A) did not see the film/hear great things about it, or B) I did see it/hear about it and chose not to include it in the article. As a ground rule I only chose from films that were actually released (to U.S. theaters) in 2010 and eligible for the 83^rd Annual Academy Awards (February 27, 2011), unless otherwise noted. I want this post to be both informative and entertaining; it is lengthly so come back to read more about the films if you cannot finish all of it at once.

I decided to include a decent number of honorable mentions; I did not want to leave many well-made or very enjoyable movies out of the mix. Some of the honorable mentions definitely deserve the recognition. The honorable mentions are divided into four categories. The first group mentions films that I have not (yet) seen but received widespread acclaim. The second set includes four extraordinary documentaries, none of which I have seen but read and heard great things about. The third one contains movies that I have seen and either I liked or they received high praise but not enough to warrant a spot on the Top Ten. The fourth and final category consists of films that premiered at 2009 film festivals and/or were eligible for the 82^nd Academy Awards but were not actually released in the U.S. (limited or wide) until 2010; the films in this group basically are foreign films that should be accredited.

Viewers can vote on their favorite or top film from 2010 at the end of the post. Please feel free to mention any films that I missed and you believe deserve to be acknowledged. I will probably return to update these lists as necessary until the Academy Awards’ presentation. Also please feel free to discuss and debate my choices in the comment section found at the bottom of the post.

Top 10 Trailers of 2010

The following list of previews may be either teaser trailers or full-length theatrical trailers. To qualify, the preview had to have been initially released in 2010; the movie itself did not have to be released in 2010. Furthermore, the trailer does not necessarily have to represent the movie that well; it may be far better than the actual film. I chose and ranked the following previews based on a few different factors. For instance, the trailers should excite or intrigue viewers and possibly convince them to go see the film. Also, I took into account how well the trailers have been made, from their soundtracks to editing and so on. Whether or not the previews spoil the plot is a factor too. I tried to choose the top ten based on a combination of my favorite trailers and the best made ones. I provide more analysis for each of the top ten listed and give a few notes about certain honorable mentions.

At the end of the post, you can vote on which preview is your favorite of 2010.

Film Review: 127 Hours

127 Hours, Danny Boyle‘s follow-up to his Academy Award winning Slumdog Millionaire, is clearly a vehicle for actor James Franco. His portrayal of Aron Ralston is beautiful and appears to be a front-runner for “Best Actor.” Nevertheless, the film has much more than a great performance; 127 Hours is a powerfully inspirational film.