2009 YEAR-END BALLOT

the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases 

These are what my nominees and *winners would be if I had any say in the self-congratulatory mess that is the Academy Awards. I'm gonna go ahead and assume the AMPAS doesn't nominate movies that are entirely in a foreign language for Best Picture anymore (They haven't since CROUCHING TIGER in 2000) Also, brief note: I have to wait for my local Magnolia theatre to screen the live action/animated shorts before I can add the BEST SHORT category. Sorry. (short categories expanded 2/23)

Top lists are my nominees, bottom lists are the actual nominees (actual winners added 3/8). In parentheses next to each category is my prediction for what I think will win the Oscar.







2009

*TWO LOVERS         
CORALINE
FANTASTIC MR. FOX

35 SHOTS OF RUM
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

STILL WALKING

PONYO

A PROPHET

MOON

TETRO

A SERIOUS MAN

UP

EVERLASTING MOMENTS

BRONSON

HALLOWEEN 2 [Director's cut]

TAXIDERMIA

THE HEADLESS WOMAN

SPARROW

YOU, THE LIVING

SUMMER HOURS

actual best picture oscar nominees:
AVATAR
THE BLIND SIDE
DISTRICT 9
AN EDUCATION
THE HURT LOCKER (won)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
PRECIOUS
A SERIOUS MAN
UP
UP IN THE AIR

actual foreign language oscar nominees:
AJAMI
THE MILK OF SORROW
A PROPHET
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (won)
THE WHITE RIBBON

prediction:

HURT LOCKER & WHITE RIBBON

2009

*James Gray for TWO LOVERS    
Claire Denis for 35 SHOTS OF RUM
Quentin Tarantino for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Wes Anderson for FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Kathryn Bigelow for THE HURT LOCKER

actual oscar nominees:
James Cameron for AVATAR
Kathryn Bigelow for THE HURT LOCKER (won)
Quentin Tarantino for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Lee Daniels for PRECIOUS
Jason Reitman for UP IN THE AIR

prediction:

Kathryn Bigelow in THE HURT LOCKER

2009

*Tilda Swinton in JULIA             
Charlotte Gainsbourg in ANTICHRIST
Carey Mulligan in AN EDUCATION
Michelle Monaghan in TRUCKER
Abbie Cornish in BRIGHT STAR

actual oscar nominees:
Sandra Bullock in THE BLIND SIDE (won)
Helen Mirren in THE LAST STATION
Carey Mulligan in AN EDUCATION
Gabourey Sidibe in PRECIOUS
Meryl Streep in JULIE AND JULIA

prediction:

Sandra Bullock in THE BLIND SIDE

2009

*Joaquin Phoenix 

                     in TWO LOVERS     
Tom Hardy in BRONSON
Tahar Rahim in A PROPHET
Sam Rockwell in MOON
Vincent Gallo in TETRO

actual oscar nominees:
Jeff Bridges in CRAZY HEART (won)
George Clooney in UP IN THE AIR
Colin Firth in A SINGLE MAN
Morgan Freeman in INVICTUS
Jeremy Renner in THE HURT LOCKER

prediction:

Jeff Bridges in CRAZY HEART

2009

*Samantha Morton 

              in THE MESSENGER    
Isabella Rossellini in TWO LOVERS
Diane Kruger in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Marcia Gay Harden in WHIP IT
Mo'Nique in PRECIOUS

actual oscar nominees:
Penelope Cruz in NINE
Vera Farmiga in UP IN THE AIR
Maggie Gyllenhaal in CRAZY HEART
Anna Kendrick in UP IN THE AIR
Mo'Nique in PRECIOUS (won)

prediction:

Mo'Nique in PRECIOUS

2009

*Christoph Waltz 

in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS 
Christian McKay in ME AND ORSON WELLES
Brad Dourif in HALLOWEEN II
Robert Duvall in THE ROAD
Niels Arestrup in A PROPHET

actual oscar nominees:
Matt Damon in INVICTUS
Woody Harrelson in THE MESSENGER
Christopher Plummer in THE LAST STATION
Stanley Tucci in THE LOVELY BONES
Christoph Waltz in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (won)

prediction:

Christoph Waltz in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS

2009

*INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS 

             - Quentin Tarantino      
A SERIOUS MAN - Ethan & Joel Coen
TWO LOVERS - James Gray; Ric Menello
LORNA'S SILENCE - Luc & Jeanne-Pierre Dardenne
THE HURT LOCKER - Mark Boal

actual oscar nominees:
THE HURT LOCKER (won)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
THE MESSENGER
A SERIOUS MAN
UP

prediction:

THE HURT LOCKER

2009

*IN THE LOOP 

                 - Armando Iannucci    
FANTASTIC MR. FOX - Wes Anderson; Noah Baumbach
BRIGHT STAR - Jane Campion
BROTHERS - David Benioff
CORALINE - Henry Selick

actual oscar nominees:
DISTRICT 9
AN EDUCATION
IN THE LOOP
PRECIOUS (won)
UP IN THE AIR

prediction:

UP IN THE AIR

2009

*FADOS                                   (THE COVE)
OF TIME AND THE CITY
LA DANSE
THE ENGLISH SURGEON
THE COVE
WHICH WAY HOME
THE BEACHES OF AGNES
TYSON
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
IN SEARCH OF BEETHOVEN


actual oscar nominees:
BURMA VJ
THE COVE (won)
FOOD INC.
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA
WHICH WAY HOME

prediction:

THE COVE

2009

*CORALINE                          
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
UP
PONYO
MONSTERS VS ALIENS
9
A TOWN CALLED PANIC
A CHRISTMAS CAROL 3D
MARY AND MAX
THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO

THE SECRET WORLD OF KELLS

GURREN LAGANN: THE LIGHTS IN THE SKY ARE STARS

actual oscar nominees:
CORALINE
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
THE SECRET OF KELLS
UP (won)

prediction:

UP

2009

*SHERLOCK HOLMES 

                      - Hans Zimmer >       
FANTASTIC MR. FOX - Alexandre Desplat >
UP - Michael Giacchino >
MOON - Clint Mansell >
AVATAR - James Horner >

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
THE HURT LOCKER
SHERLOCK HOLMES
UP (won)

prediction:

UP

2009

*MIRACLE FISH               
INTERIOR DESIGN [TOKYO! segment]
GRIZZLY BEAR: TWO WEEKS

LADY GAGA: BAD ROMANCE

THE DOOR
"SAM" [TRICK 'R TREAT segment]

I DO AIR

MGMT: TIME TO PRETEND

ATAQUE DE PANICO! [PANIC ATTACK!]

actual oscar nominees:
THE DOOR
INSTEAD OF ABRACADABRA
KAVI
MIRACLE FISH
THE NEW TENANTS (won)

prediction:

INSTEAD OF ABRACADABRA

2009

*ANGRY MAN              
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU
PARTLY CLOUDY
A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH

MC PAUL BARMAN: IT CAN ALL BE TAKEN AWAY

LOGORAMA
MOTHER OF MANY

KHODA by Reza Dolatabadi

actual oscar nominees:
FRENCH ROAST
GRANNY O'GRIMM'S SLEEPING BEAUTY
THE LADY AND THE REAPER
LOGORAMA (won)
A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH

prediction:

MATTER OF LOAF & DEATH

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

2009

*TETRO 

- Mihai Malaimare Jr., RSC, ASC      
EVERLASTING MOMENTS - Jan Troell, FSF
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Robert Richardson, ASC
BRIGHT STAR - Greig Fraser, ACS
ANTICHRIST - Anthony Dod Mantle, DFF, BSC

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR (won)
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
THE WHITE RIBBON

prediction:

THE HURT LOCKER

2009

*INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS 

                                   - Sally Menke   
THE HURT LOCKER - Bob Murawski; Chris Innis
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - James Haygood; Eric Zumbrunnen
AVATAR - Stephen Rivkin; John Refoua; James Cameron

CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE - Jakubowicz; Fernando Villena

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
THE HURT LOCKER (won)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
PRECIOUS

prediction:

THE HURT LOCKER

2009 - PRODUCTION DESIGN + SET DECOR

*AVATAR - Rick Carter                             
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - K.K. Barrett; Lisa Thompson
SHERLOCK HOLMES - Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
A SINGLE MAN - Ian Phillips; Amy Wells
IMAGNIARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS 

                              - Anastasia Masaro; Caroline Smith

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR (won)
IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
NINE
SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE YOUNG VICTORIA

prediction:

AVATAR

2009

*A SINGLE MAN 

                    - Arianne Phillips  
IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS - Monique Prudhomme
BRIGHT STAR - Janet Patterson
PUBLIC ENEMIES - Colleen Atwood
THE YOUNG VICTORIA - Sandy Powell

actual oscar nominees:
BRIGHT STAR
COCO BEFORE CHANEL
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
NINE
THE YOUNG VICTORIA (won)

prediction:

THE YOUNG VICTORIA

2009

*STAR TREK - Barney Burman, 

           Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow 
IL DIVO - Aldo Signoretti, Vittorio Sodano
DRAG ME TO HELL - Kurtzman, Nicotero, Berger
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Kurtzman, Nicotero, Berger
THE YOUNG VICTORIA - Jon Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore

actual oscar nominees:
IL DIVO
STAR TREK (won)
THE YOUNG VICTORIA

prediction:

YOUNG VICTORIA

2009

*STAR TREK                          
AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER

TERMINATOR SALVATION
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
UP

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER (won)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
STAR TREK
UP

prediction:

AVATAR

2009

*INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS    
THE HURT LOCKER
DISTRICT 9
STAR TREK
AVATAR

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER (won)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
STAR TREK
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

prediction:

AVATAR

2009

*AVATAR                            
DISTRICT 9
WHERE THE WHILD THINGS ARE
STAR TREK
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

SURROGATES

TERMINATOR: SALVATION

actual oscar nominees:
AVATAR (won)
DISTRICT 9
STAR TREK

prediction:

AVATAR

↓The following categories are inspired by The Muriel Awards

2009

*1) "REVENGE OF THE GIANT FACE" Theatre massacre  - climax of  INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
2) Jake's 1st Banshee ride with Neytiri - AVATAR

3) "Married Life" montage w/ Ellie & Carl - UP
4) "Goy’s Teeth" sequence - A SERIOUS MAN
5) Ponyo running atop waves next to Sosuke's car - PONYO

-tie- Coraline first enters the alternate world - CORALINE
6) Malik's first murder - A PROPHET
7) Parking garage sequence - DRAG ME TO HELL
8) Defusing car bomb - THE HURT LOCKER
9) The assassination of John Dillinger - PUBLIC ENEMIES
10) 3rd story finale. “Life support self-mutilation” act 

---------------------------------------------- TAXIDERMIA
11) Michelle’s broken undressing at fire escape window 

--------------------------------------------- TWO LOVERS
12) Sea side struggle w/Vampire Tae-ju waiting for sunrise 

------------------------------------------------------ THIRST
13) Old Spock mind melds with young Kirk - STAR TREK
14) Fox calls out to a lone stoic omega wolf 

------------------------------------ FANTASTIC MR. FOX

15) Delta-6 "accelerator suit" chase 

--------------------------------------- G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA

-tie- Dragons vs. G.I. Joes.. Finale 32 mins battle - AVATAR

Also this;








2009

*INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
STILL WALKING
SUMMER HOURS
BROTHERS
THE MESSENGER

TOP 10 FILMS OF THE DECADE: 2000s

*1) MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001)
2) THE NEW WORLD (2005)
3) YI YI (2000)
4) GEORGE WASHINGTON (2000)
5) ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)
6) IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000)
7) THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001)
8) L'ENFANT (2002)
9) SPIRITED AWAY (2002)
10) PLATFORM (2000)









BEST DIRECTORIAL BODY OF WORK: 2000s

*1) Wes Anderson  - ROYAL TENENBAUMS, LIFE AQUATIC, DARJEELING LIMITED, FANTASTIC MR. FOX
2) Coen Brothers - O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, MAN WHO WASN'T THERE, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN,  BURN AFTER READING, A SERIOUS MAN
3) Claire Denis - TROUBLE EVERY DAY, FRIDAY NIGHT, THE INTRUDER, 35 SHOTS OF RUM, WHITE MATERIAL
4) Bong Joon-ho - BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE, MEMORIES OF MURDER, THE HOST, MOTHER
5) Steven Spielberg - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MINORITY REPORT, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, WAR OF THE WORLDS, MUNICH
-tie- Gus Van Sant - GERRY, ELEPHANT, LAST DAYS, PARANOID PARK, MILK










BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE DECADE: 2000s

*1) Naomi Watts 

                        in MULHOLLAND DR.
2) Sally Hawkins in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
3) Tilda Swinton in JULIA
4) Kate Winslet in ETERNAL SUNSHINE
5) Emma Thompson in WIT












BEST MALE PERFORMANCE OF THE DECADE: 2000s

*1) Daniel Day-Lewis 

              in THERE WILL BE BLOOD
2) Heath Ledger in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
3) Javier Bardem in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
4) Paul Giamatti in AMERICAN SPLENDOR
5) Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER











BEST WEB-BASED FILM CRITICISM
*1) Glenn Kenny 

@ the Auteurs & Some Came Running
2) Keith Uhlich at Time Out New York & House Next Door
3) Jim Emerson at Scanners
4) Simon Abrams @ NyPress, Slant Magazine, & Ext Cut
5) Stephanie Zacharek at Salon










BEST MOVIE-RELATED WEBSITE
*1) THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR Even more so now that they've merged with Slant Magazine, THND has the smartest bunch of cinematic critical thinkers contributing to it regularly. Most of my favorite writers actually. Matt Zoller Seitz started it, and then you've got: Ed Gonzalez, Nick Schager, Rob Humanick, Vadim Rizov, Keith Uhlich, Simon Abrams, Lauren Wissot, and Bill Weber. Just a few of the intelligent voices you'll find there.
2) SERGIO LEONE AND THE INFIELD FLY RULE Besides Roger Ebert and Glenn Kenny, there's probably not another American film enthusiast capable of making me see a movie in completely new light the way Dennis Cozzalio.
3) THE AUTEURS NOTEBOOK Invaluable daily reading for all cine-freaks in love with world film
4) THE FILM TALK If you've never heard Gareth Higgins and Jett Loe passionately debate a film, you're missing out on the best film podcast around
5) GORDON AND THE WHALE My nerdy friends Chase & Rusty that run this site and all of their contributors have an infectious love for movies that is simply adorable

Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

(post what your choices would be in comments section below)