Toni Servillo in Il Divo (top); Gérard Jugnot, Nora Arnezeder in Paris 36 (bottom)
Oscar 2010: Very Few Surprises
This is a follow-up to my previous post on the Oscar 2010 surprises (or lack thereof). So, if you hear someone like Sandra Bullock or Jeff Bridges or Mo'Nique or even Stanley Tucci or Penelope Cruz telling the media, "Gee, whiz! By golly, this is all so totally unexpected." Feel free to call them shameless liars. Now, if someone like Joe Klotz says he was totally caught off guard when he found himself shortlisted for the 2010 Oscar, make sure to believe him.
Who's Joe Klotz? See below a few more Oscar 2010 surprises in the less media-friendly categories.
Precious for best editing
Star Trek, Nine, Up in the Air, and even (500) Days of Summer would have been more likely possibilities. Instead, the Academy's Editors Branch went for Joe Klotz and his work on the urban drama Precious, which also earned director Lee Daniels a nomination.
The Hurt Locker for best original score
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis' The Hurt Locker hadn't been mentioned very often as a possible Oscar contender. In fact, I don't recall seeing it on anyone's list — but I could be mistaken. Anyhow, most best score awards have gone to Michael Giacchino for Up. Giacchino has been nominated and he's the clear favorite in that category.
“Loin de Paname” for best original song
I wonder how many people were expecting Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas' "Loin de Paname” to get a nomination. Christophe Barratier's Paris 36 / Faubourg 36, released by Sony Pictures Classics with little fanfare in the United States, stars Gérard Jugnot (of Les Choristes fame) as a music hall stage manager accused of murder.
Il Divo for best makeup
Actually, we almost had Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano's makeup job listed in our Oscar predictions posted yesterday. In fact, we had Il Divo there and then took it out. I was the only one who had actually seen the movie. Signoretti and Sodano were nominated for transforming Toni Servillo into former Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti.
As an aside: I highly recommend Il Divo, which I find superior to the vast majority of this year's Oscar nominees.
Photos: Il Divo (MPI Media Group); Paris 36 (Sony Pictures Classics)
Il Divo? Isn't that Simon Cowell's singing trio?
Bizarro makeup. Did the Italian minister look that weird?