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). *

Film Review: True Grit

I recently watched the original 1969 version of True Grit, which is led by John Wayne’s Academy Award winning performance as Rooster Cogburn; it is a charming classic Western film. Many people questioned and criticized the Coen brothers’ decision to make a new one. Critics saw a remake as wholly unnecessary and worried that the 2010 movie could tarnish the legacy of the “Duke’s” classic. However, the Coen brothers did more than just honor the original film, they have created a spellbinding, visually impressive, and at times sentimental modern re-telling of the Charles Portis novel; in addition, their version is more representative of the book than the original 1969 film. The remake features Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matt Damon who perform admirably in the film. True Grit may be one of the last movies to be released in 2010 but it is certainly not the least; in fact, it is one of the more entertaining and better-made films of the year.