83rd Academy Awards: Predictions (Cinematography, Editing and Other Technical Awards)

The technical awards are always the hardest to predict. I'll give it a go. 

Best Cinematography

Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Wally Pfister, Inception
Danny Cohen, The King's Speech
Jeff Cronenweth, The Social Network
Roger Deakins, True Grit

Any of these nominees could take out this award, and this list doesn't even include 127 Hours (which has arguably the finest cinematography of the year). Roger Deakins should be wondering when his time will come, and the Academy may just award him this year for his gorgeous work in True Grit. Personally, I loved Matthew Libatique's dazzling work in Black Swan. Using a combination of dizzying, circling steadicam, with raw hand-held, we become fully immersed in Nina's world. The use of mirrors is also wonderful. The Academy will likely give it to either Jeff Cronenweth for The Social Network (never has Harvard looked so brooding), Danny Cohen for The King's Speech or Wally Pfister for Inception. The cinematography in the latter was absolutely stunning and the film overall is a marvelous technical achievement, so I predict the award will go to Pfister, though if either The Social Network or The King's Speech take a sweep, then they will likely win. Very high quality work this year.

MY PREDICTION: Wally Pfister (Inception)

ALSO LIKELY: Jeff Cronenweth (The Social Network)/Danny Cohen (The King's Speech)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY THAT WON'T WIN: Matthew Libatique (Black Swan) 

Best Editing

Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan
Pamela Martin, The Fighter
Tariq Anwar, The King's Speech
Jon Harris, 127 Hours
Kirk Baxter, Angus Hall, The Social Network

This is another category that is full of quality work. The notable exclusion of Inception is puzzling, but I feel that the work of Weisblum, Harris and Baxter/Hall are the standouts here. The latter won the BAFTA and I think their seamless syncing of the dual lawsuits with the recounted events in The Social Network in just perfect. They are my pick.

MY PREDICTION: Kirk Baxter, Angus Hall (The Social Network)

ALSO LIKELY: Andrew Weisblum (Black Swan)

BEST EDITING THAT WON'T WIN: Jon Harris (127 Hours) 

Best Art Direction

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

I think this will either go to The King's Speech or Inception. Although Alice might win too. I think Inception deserves numerous technical awards, so I'm going with it. 

MY PREDICTION: Inception

THE BEST ART DIRECTION THAT WON'T WIN: The King's Speech

Best Costume Design

Colleen Atwood, Alice in Wonderland
Antonella Cannarozi, I Am Love
Jenny Beaven, The King's Speech
Sandy Powell, The Tempest
Mary Zophre, True Grit

I think Colleen Atwood's luscious costumes in Alice will be enough to win this. Perhaps for Alice's red dress alone. Tilda Swinton looked beautiful in I Am Love, so I'd be happy if it won. I haven't seen The Tempest, but the costumes weren't the best features of either The King's Speech or True Grit. Still, The King's Speech is the favorite for a sweep, so it may win again here.

MY PREDICTION: Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland)

ALSO LIKELY:  Jenny Beaven (The King's Speech)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN THAT WON'T WIN: Antonella Canarozi (I Am Love)


Best Make-Up

Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

I haven't seen any of these films so I really have no idea. I'm going to go with The Wolfman.
MY PREDICTION: The Wolf Man 

Best Original Score

John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon
Hans Zimmer, Inception
Alexandre Desplat, The King's Speech
A. R Rahman, 127 Hours
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network

Another great category. If you could extend this category to six or seven, you could definitely include Daft Punk's work in Tron: Legacy, which was the best part of the film, and Randy Newman's beautiful work in Toy Story 3. Nevertheless, the score of How to Train Your Dragon is superb, but is the outsider here. I don't think Alexandre Desplat will win for The King's Speech, although it was very, very good. A. R Rahman will likely win Best Song for "If I Rise" for 127 Hours but his pulsating score was a perfect accompaniment to Boyle's dynamic vision and the character's adrenalin-junkie lifestyle. Hans Zimmer's score for Inception is hugely epic. When I first walked out of the cinema after seeing Inception for the first time, I thought it was one of the greatest film scores I had ever heard. I still stand by that now. The likely winner, however, is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whose mesmerizing score for The Social Network won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice award for Best Original Score.


MY PREDICTION: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network)

ALSO LIKELY: Hans Zimmer (Inception)

BEST SCORE THAT WON'T WIN: A. R Rahman (127 Hours) 

Best Original Song

"Coming Home", Country Song
"I See The Light", Tangled
"If I Rise", 127 Hours
"We Belong Together", Toy Story 3

I have only seen 127 Hours and Toy Story 3 and if I had to choose one, it would be "If I Rise".

MY PREDICTION: "If I Rise" (127 Hours)

Best Sound Editing

Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit 
Unstoppable 

MY PREDICTION: Inception

Best Sound Mixing

Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

I just don't know. Probably The King's Speech, but both Inception and The Social Network are deserved of this award too.

MY PREDICTION: Inception

ALSO LIKELY: The King's Speech

Best Visual Effects

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2 

First of all, no Tron: Legacy! For some reason Hereafter was included, will a single scene of special effects. Sure, it was impressive, but the film shouldn't have been included here. There is no way they will award HP7 this award for being half a film. Alice in Wonderland and Iron Man 2 are outside chances. The winner will be, and should be, Inception. 

MY PREDICTION: Inception

There you have it. My entire predictions for the 83rd Academy Award ceremony on February 27th (airing around midday in Australia on the 28th). Will The Social Network reclaim the lead and take out the top award, or will the recent momentum of The King's Speech cause a surprise? 

Thanks for reading. I warmly welcome any comments or thoughts. Good luck with your picks!