Cinematography The Academy typically bestows cinematography awards to films in which a substantial portion of the plot takes place outdoors—recent examples include Avatar, Slumdog Millionaire, There Will Be Blood, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Aviator, Master and Commander and the Fellowship of the Ring. But this year the only film that’s mostly outside is True Grit—the least essential Coen brothers movie since they became perennial Oscar nominees about a decade ago. That leaves Inception as the next-most outdoorsy film. It also won the American Society of Cinematographers’ award—though they only mirror the eventual Oscar winner slightly less than half the time. However, Inception looks way more like a technical achievement—it’ll probably win a couple of visual or sound awards—while it may finally be time Coen-cinematographer-of-choice Roger Deakins wins the big prize after multiple disappointments. Who should win: Black Swan, as it happens Who will win: True Grit
mentary—but rather an elaborately staged hoax. Inside Job, meanwhile, is the so-called “hit” of the bunch and by far the most professionally made—but news that Wall Street traders and CEOs acted criminally for the past decade is, sadly, not exactly revelatory. What should win: Inside Job What will win: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Documentary Short From five well-meaning, socially conscious films we choose between Chinese villagers being poisoned by a nearby chemical factory (The Warriors of Quigang), an Israeli school for refugee children of the world (Strangers No
Foreign Language Film Dogtooth—a Greek film about a husband and wife who keep their adult children imprisoned on their property by telling them a series of thought24 > controlling
Film Editing Film editing, by some accounts, is the process by which a filmmaker puts together a sequence comprised of
LOVE, SEX & SOAPS Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, plus more steamy works about romance—its ups, downs and mambos
Costume Design This award invariably goes to the film with the showiest costumes, believe it or not—making it hard to vote against that Italian-restaurant tablecloth draped around Helena Bonham Carter in Alice in Wonderland. Who should win: Alice in Wonderland Who will win: Alice in Wonderland
several separate cuts to make it flow smoothly as if shot in a single take. Boxing movies need good editing (The Fighter), as do time-lapse stories (127 Hours). Why Inception wasn’t nominated here, we’ll never know. But we’re going with the ballet of Black Swan— because film editing, by other accounts, is the choreography of cinema. What should win: Black Swan What will win: Black Swan
More), posttraumatic stress disorder in a female soldier (Poster Girl), a Muslim man fighting to stop Muslim-on-Muslim terrorism (Killing in the Name) and Carteret islanders facing relocation as climate change threatens to submerge their homeland (Sun Come Up). What should win: Sun Come Up, for those still clinging to the rumor that climate change is an exaggeration. What will win: Killing in the Name—you still can’t beat terrorists saying crazy things on camera.
Sunday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 15 at 7:30pm
QH
Alasdair Neale conducts the acclaimed orchestra
Directing The Director’s Guild of America gave this award to Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech. Only six times since its inception in 1948 has the DGA not mirrored the eventual Oscar winner. Who should win: Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan—not as good a film as The King’s Speech, but far more challenging to pull off. Who will win: Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech
Documentary Feature Another ho-hum year for docs— where’s Michael Moore or Errol Morris when you need them? Waste Land is a noble effort highlighting the plight of impoverished garbage pickers in Brazil and Restrepo is a noble effort highlighting the plight of inadequately trained U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan— but good intentions didn’t make these movies any more riveting. Exit Through the Gift Shop, about L.A. street artists, is getting tons of press due to its mysterious director-in-disguise Banksy—who was just refused an Oscar ticket following his request to attend incognito. Some people think the hard-to-swallow storyline of the film is an indication it’s not even a docu-
EISA DAVIS
MANOEL FELCIANO
Concert also includes Zipperz* (a soaPOPera) featuring soprano Eisa Davis and tenor Manoel Felciano and the Marin Symphony Chorus with opera’s hottest hits FREE pre-concert talk at 6:30 pm with Maestro Neale and guest artists INDIVIDUAL TICKETS AT THE MARIN CENTER BOX OFFICE – 415.499.6800 Students half price. Find out more at www.marinsymphony.org *Zipperz deals with adult subject matter and may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
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Alasdair Neale, Music Director Marin Center, San Rafael The historic landmark designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Concerts made possible by Bank of Marin and Embassy Suites. Additional support from the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation. FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2011 PACIFIC SUN 23