Toni Servillo in Il Divo (MPI)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the seven semi-finalists in the Makeup category for the 2010 Academy Awards.
The films are listed below in alphabetical order:
District 9
Il Divo
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
The Road
Star Trek
The Young Victoria
The biggest and best surprise was the inclusion of Il Divo among the seven. Paolo Sorrentino's biting satire has been mostly ignored by US critics' groups (the San Diego critics were an exception), so it's good to see that it's gotten some added recognition. The makeup job in question transformed actor Toni Servillo into Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti.
One surprising omission is that of James Cameron's Avatar. That's probably because much of the Na'vi's look is a result of computer-generated imagery, not actual makeup jobs.
On Saturday, January 23, all members of the Academy’s Makeup Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.
The 2010 Academy Award nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 2010 Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. In the US, it'll be televised live by ABC.