2010 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 

Just as I did with my 2009 choices last year, films entirely in a foreign language have NOT been bumped down to the Foreign Language category. To see my personal Top 30 films of 2010 go here.

Note: My Oscar winner predictions will be added towards the end of January in parentheses next to each category. Once again, I have to wait until Feb.11th for my local Magnolia to screen the live action/animated shorts of 2010 before I can add more to that category.








2010

*DOGTOOTH      
SHUTTER ISLAND

CARLOS
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

EVERYONE ELSE

SECRET SUNSHINE

MOTHER

LOURDES

TRUE GRIT

ANTON CHEKHOV'S THE DUEL

THE GHOST WRITER

PLEASE GIVE
LET ME IN

WILD GRASS

VINCERE

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

ALAMAR

INCENDIES

THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN

actual best picture oscar nominations:
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
THE KING'S SPEECH (won)
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
WINTER'S BONE

actual foreign language oscar nominees:
BIUTIFUL
DOGTOOTH
IN A BETTER WORLD (won)
INCENDIES
OUTSIDE THE LAW

prediction:

THE SOCIAL NETWORK + IN A BETTER WORLD

2010

*Giorgos Lanthimos 

                         for DOGTOOTH     
Bong Joon-ho for MOTHER
Martin Scorsese for SHUTTER ISLAND

Olivier Assayas for CARLOS

Edgar Wright for SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD

actual oscar nominees:
Darren Aronofsky for BLACK SWAN
David O. Russell for THE FIGHTER
Tom Hooper for THE KING'S SPEECH (won)
David Fincher for THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Joel & Ethan Coen for TRUE GRIT

prediction:

David Fincher for THE SOCIAL NETWORK

2010

*Jeon Do-yeon 

                in SECRET SUNSHINE  
Michelle Williams in BLUE VALENTINE
Jennifer Lawrence in WINTER'S BONE
Tilda Swinton in I AM LOVE
Sylvie Testud in LOURDES

actual oscar nominees:
Anette Bening in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Nicole Kidman in RABBIT HOLE
Jennifer Lawrence in WINTER'S BONE
Natalie Portman in BLACK SWAN  (won)
Michelle Williams in BLUE VALENTINE

prediction:

Natalie Portman in BLACK SWAN

2010

*Edgar Ramirez in CARLOS          
Andy Serkis in SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL
Joaquin Phoenix in I'M STILL HERE
Leonardo DiCaprio in SHUTTER ISLAND
Ryan Gosling in BLUE VALENTINE

actual oscar nominees:
Javier Bardem in BIUTIFUL
Jeff Bridges in TRUE GRIT
Jesse Eisenberg in THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Colin Firth in THE KING'S SPEECH  (won)
James Franco in 127 HOURS

prediction:

Colin Firth in THE KING'S SPEECH

2010

*Lesley Manville 

                in ANOTHER YEAR 
Amy Adams in THE FIGHTER
Jacki Weaver in ANIMAL KINGDOM
Hailee Steinfeld in TRUE GRIT
Keira Knightley in NEVER LET ME GO

actual oscar nominees:
Amy Adams in THE FIGHTER
Helena Bonham Carter in THE KING'S SPEECH
Melissa Leo in THE FIGHTER (won)
Hailee Steinfeld in TRUE GRIT
Jacki Weaver in ANIMAL KINGDOM

prediction:

Helena Bonham Carter in THE KING'S SPEECH

2010

*Christian Bale 

                     in THE FIGHTER   
John Hawkes in WINTER'S BONE
Matt Damon in TRUE GRIT
Andrew Garfield in THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Andrew Garfield in NEVER LET ME GO

actual oscar nominees:
Christian Bale in THE FIGHTER (won)
John Hawkes in WINTER'S BONE
Jeremy Renner in THE TOWN
Mark Ruffalo in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Geoffrey Rush in THE KING'S SPEECH

prediction:

Christian Bale in THE FIGHTER

2010

*ANOTHER YEAR - Mike Leigh        

EVERYONE ELSE - Maren Ade
CARLOS - Olivier Assayas, Daniel Leconte
GREENBERG - Noah Baumbach, Jennifer Jason Leigh
THE FIGHTER - Scott Silver, Eric Johnson, Paul Tamasy

actual oscar nominees:
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
THE KING'S SPEECH  (won)

prediction:

THE KING'S SPEECH

2010

*TRUE GRIT 

          - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen >

THE GHOST WRITER - Robert Harris, Roman Polanski

THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Aaron Sorkin     

NEVER LET ME GO - Alex Garland

WINTER'S BONE - Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini

actual oscar nominees:
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK  (won)
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
WINTER'S BONE

prediction:

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

2010

*SWEETGRASS 
NE CHANGE RIEN
OCTOBER COUNTRY
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
45365
HAVE YOU HEAR FROM JOHANNESBURG?
IF GOD IS WILLING AND DA CREEK DON'T RISE
PRECIOUS LIFE
OCEANS
RESTREPO

actual oscar nominees:
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
GASLAND
INSIDE JOB  (won)
RESTREPO
WASTE LAND

prediction:

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

2010

*HOW TO 

       TRAIN YOUR DRAGON       
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA'HOOLE
THE ILLUSIONIST
TOY STORY 3
MEGAMIND

actual oscar nominees:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TOY STORY 3 (won)

prediction:

TOY STORY 3

2010

*TRON: LEGACY - Daft Punk >    
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross >

LET ME IN - Michael Giacchino >
THE KING'S SPEECH - Alexandre Desplat >

TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN - Trent Reznor >

INCEPTION - Hans Zimmer >

actual oscar nominees:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (won)

prediction:

INCEPTION

2010

*I'M HERE                         
PARALLEL LINES: THE GIFT
WISH 143

PLASTIC BAG
THE "S" FROM HELL
DON'T HUG ME. I'M SCARED. BAD THINGS COULD HAPPEN.
OUT OF SYNC

NA WEWE

actual oscar nominees:
THE CONFESSION
THE CRUSH
GOD OF LOVE (won)
NA WEWE
WISH 143

actual oscar nominees:
KILLING IN THE NAME
POSTER GIRL
STRANGERS NO MORE (won)
SUN COME UP
WARRIORS OF QIUGANG

prediction:

NA WEWE & STRANGERS NO MORE

2010

*DAY & NIGHT
THE EAGLEMAN STAG
MADAGASCAR, A JOURNEY DIARY
THE LOST THING
THE GRUFFALO

OK GO: LAST LEAF

actual oscar nominees:
THE GRUFFALO
DAY & NIGHT
LET'S POLLUTE
THE LOST THING  (won)
MADAGASCAR, A JOURNEY DIARY

prediction:

THE LOST THING

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

2010

*TRUE GRIT  

         - Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC    
ENTER THE VOID - Benoît Debie, AFC, ASC
SHUTTER ISLAND - Robert Richardson, ASC
MICMACS - Tetsuo Nagata AFC, JSC
INCEPTION - Wally Pfister ASC, BSC

actual oscar nominees:
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION (won)
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TRUE GRIT

prediction:

THE KING'S SPEECH

2010

*SHUTTER ISLAND 

               - Thelma Schoonmaker  
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - Kirk Baxter; Angus Wall
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - Paul Machliss;Jonathan Amos
INCEPTION - Lee Smith
AMER - Bernard Beets

BLACK SWAN - Andrew Weisblum

actual oscar nominees:
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
THE KING'S SPEECH
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK  (won)

prediction:

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

2010 - PRODUCTION DESIGN + SET DECOR

*SHUTTER ISLAND 

                        - Dante Ferretti 
INCEPTION - Guy Hendrix Dyas; Doug Mowat
TRON: LEGACY - Darren Gilford; Lin MacDonald
THE KING'S SPEECH - Eve Stewart; Judy Farr
MICMACS - Aline Bonetto; Monica Alberte

actual oscar nominees:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (won)
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PT.1
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
TRUE GRIT

prediction:

THE KING'S SPEECH

2010

*I AM LOVE - Antonella Cannarozzi  
TRON: LEGACY - Michael Wilkinson
SHUTTER ISLAND - Sandy Powell
THE TEMPEST - Sandy Powell
TRUE GRIT - Mary Zophres

actual oscar nominees:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND  (won)
I AM LOVE
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE TEMPEST
TRUE GRIT

prediction:

THE KING'S SPEECH

2010

*THE WOLFMAN - Rick Baker  
SPLICE - Kurtzman, Nicotero, Berger
THE WAY BACK - Henriques, Gregory Funk, Toussieng
BARNEY'S VERSION - Adrien Morot
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Patty York, Legacy

actual oscar nominees:
BARNEY'S VERSION
THE WAY BACK
THE WOLFMAN (won)

prediction:

BARNEY'S VERSION

2010

*TRON: LEGACY                       
INCEPTION
IRON MAN 2
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
UNSTOPPABLE

actual oscar nominees:
INCEPTION  (won)
TOY STORY 3
TRON: LEGACY
TRUE GRIT
UNSTOPPABLE

prediction:

INCEPTION

2010

*SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD      
INCEPTION
TRUE GRIT
SHUTTER ISLAND
SALT

actual oscar nominees:
INCEPTION (won)
THE KING'S SPEECH
SALT
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TRUE GRIT

prediction:

INCEPTION

2010

*INCEPTION                            
ENTER THE VOID

SPLICE

THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TRON: LEGACY
HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PT.1

actual oscar nominees:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS PT.1
HEREAFTER
INCEPTION  (won)
IRON MAN 2

prediction:

INCEPTION

↓The following categories have been inspired by the almighty Muriel Awards



2010

*1) "Ash Nightmare" 

         - SHUTTER ISLAND
2) Kim Hye-ja's final dance within bus **closing shot**  

------------------------------------------------- MOTHER
3) Sheep becomes aware of camera and stares zen like 

------------------------------------------- SWEETGRASS
4) Hiccup & Astrid ride Toothless 

----------------------------- HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
5) 80's dancing for parents at dinner table - DOGTOOTH
6) Neon city + "Love Hotel" + Rebirth. last 10mins

-------------------------------------- ENTER THE VOID

7) Matthew Patel (Evil Ex #1) fight 

----------------------------- SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
8) The Jackal's OPEC siege - CARLOS
9) Chuckles the Clown tells the story of Lotso - TOY STORY 3
10) Light cycle duel - TRON: LEGACY
11) the Ghost’s off-camera fate. Final image 

----------------------------------- THE GHOST WRITER
12) Soren’s fire dive. “Fly inside” - OWLS OF GA'HOOLE
13) Talbot’s bound lecture hall transformation + slaughter 

----------------------------------------- THE WOLFMAN

-tie- Yip Kai Man VS. 10 Karate Black Belts - IP MAN 
14) Desert pursuit of ‘The Weird’ at climax 

------------------------ THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD
15) Fixed camera angle within teen’s car as it 

rolls down a hill ---------------------------- LET ME IN

Also this;









2010

*THE FIGHTER
SHUTTER ISLAND
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TRUE GRIT
MOTHER AND CHILD

My Best Web-Based Film Criticism and Best Movie-related Website picks are still pretty much the same as last year, aside from the fact that MZS now writes for Salon, Stephanie is now at Movieline, and Glenn became a chief critic at MSN Movies. Didn't feel the need to post these categories again.

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)