Watch "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore", Oscar'12 winner short film

Oscar results, photos, and video highlights

Over with another edition of the Academy Awards in a year I was extremely happy with many of the films, therefore leaving room in my conscience to accept many variations of the the final poles. Mainly predictable, I was only shocked right off the overture when Richardson took over Lubetzki, because despite having done a wonderful job in Hugo, this was the goal of honor Tree of Life deserved so bad. As you can see by my picks, I didn't for a minute believed Meryl would ravish her third statuette but I joyfully applauded. Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter won their second consecutive Oscar (Best Editing), after The Social Network.

My red carpet highlights would be the powerful Brad and Angie, dazzling Jessica Chastain, enthralling Penélope Cruz, gorgeous Emma Stone, sparkling Mila Jovovich, plus Nick Nolte, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin and the irreverent The Dictator (scroll to bottom to watch the video).

 

A much more sober ceremony that last year's, host by an inspired and witty Billy Crystal, dedicated in its numbers and performances as much as in its awards to the history and the past of the seventh art. We all giggled at imagining how would Dujardin deal with the necessity of a speech in case of win and I must underline it was my favorite speech of the night. The best introduction, Ben Stiller and Emma Stone.

The Artist and Hugo took home 5 golden men, followed by The Iron Lady with 2.

WHITE UNDERLINED: Got it right.

BLUE UNDERLINED: Didn't get it.

WHITE CROSSED: Got it wrong.

Score without alternatives: 16 out of 21 (76%)

Score with alternatives: 18 out of 21 (85%)

Woody didn't show up, The Dictator did.

 

BEST FILM
The Artist
Alternative: Hugo
Second alternative: The Descendants

BEST DIRECTOR 

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Alternative: Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)
Alternative: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)

Alternative: Moneyball (Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Alternative: George Clooney (The Descendants)


BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Mery Streep (The Iron Lady)

Viola Davis ("The Help")
Alternative: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Alternative: Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Alternative: Jessica Chastain (The Help)


BEST ANIMATED FILM

Rango
Alternative: Puss in Boots


BEST FOREIGN FILM
A Separation (Iran)
Alternative: Footnote (Israel)


BEST DOCUMENTARY

Undefeated

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Alternative: Hell and Back Again



 BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Hugo (Robert Richardson)

Tree of Life (Emmanuel Lubetzki)
Alternative: The Artist (Guillaume Schiffman)


BEST EDITING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo
Alternative: The Descendants


BEST ART DIRECTION
Hugo
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Hugo
Alternative: The Artist


BEST MAKE-UP
The Iron Lady
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo
Alternative: War Horse


BEST SOUND EDITING
Hugo
Alternative: Drive


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Hugo
Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
War Horse (John Williams)

Alternative: The Artist (Ludovice Bource)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Man on Muppet (The Muppets)

SPECIAL

WILL WOODY ALLEN SHOW UP

 No.

WILL THE DICTATOR SHOW UP

Yes.

My Oscar'12 Ballots

Tic-tac, few hours for the 84th Academy Awards to stop tickling and finally bursting into flames. I don't care for the fashionable hipster despise for the Oscars, as it is for me indeed the most exciting event of the cinematic year. Among the unfair left-outs and the marketed jammed-ins, despite some easy predictions due to the December-January-February award lane, The Road to the Oscars, there's always a large room for surprise and it does never lose its magic. The red carpet struts with the glamor of some of the greatest performers of the planet and the pulpit homages the art and the industry of the reels. From controversial not-totally-narrative film Tree of Life, to a black&white movie by a French crew, to the very slow-paced alternative-structured British Tinker Taylor by a Swedish director and other crew, to a Parisian film capable of triggering interests from Luis Buñuel to Salvador Dali, to the sheer low-budget Iranian A Separation that even got a Best Original Screenplay slot, to the sunday-afternoon, womanized, straight-comedy Bridesmaids. Time to cut off some accusations.

I filled my ballots with alternatives and added alternative titles I think would have the most quality do be in the nominees. Those come from the 64 2011 films I watched, therefore leaving out great pieces I can't consider, probably like Young Adult, Rampart or Miss Bala.

Scroll to the end of the post to find the SPECIAL BETS and make your owns.

 BEST FILM
The Artist

First alternative: Hugo

Second alternative: The Descendants

Would be a deserving hell of a surprise: Tree of Life

If I could add 10 more films to the nominees: Carnage, The Skin I Live In, We Have a Pope, Drive, Submarine, A Separation, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Take Shelter, The Guard, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.

BEST DIRECTOR 

Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)

Alternative: Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

If I could add 10 more directors to the nominees: Roman Polanski (Carnage), Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In), Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Bennett Miller (Moneyball), Thomas Alfredson (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy), Asghar Farhadi (A Separation), Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin), David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Steve McQueen (Shame)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen)

Alternative: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)

If I could add 10 more original screenplays to the nominees: We Have a Pope (Nanni Moretti), The Guard (Jonathan M. McDonagh), Tree of Life (Terrence Malick), Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols), Win Win (Thomas McCarthy), 50/50 (Jonathan Levine), I Saw the Devil (Hoon-jung Park), Crazy Stupid Love (Dan Fogelman), The Debt (Jane Goldman, Mathew Vaugh, Peter Straughtan), Shame (Steve McQueen & Abi Morgan)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)

Alternative: Moneyball (Steve Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin)

If I could add 5 more adapted screenplays to the nominees: Carnage (Yasmina Reza & Roman Polanski), The Skin I Live In (Pedro Almodóvar), Drive (Houssein Amini), We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay), Cars 2 (Ben Queen)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jean Dujardin ("The Artist")

Alternative: George Clooney (The Descendants)

If I could add 10 more male leading performances to the nominees: Christoph Waltz (Carnage), John C. Reilly (Carnage), Brad Pitt (Tree of Life), Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Michel Piccoli (We Have a Pope), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Peyman Maadi (A Separation), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)


BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Viola Davis ("The Help")

Alternative: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

If I could add 10 more female leading performances to the nominees: Kate Winslet (Carnage), Jodie Foster (Carnage), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In), Leila Hatami (A Separation), Emily Browing (Sleeping Beauty), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Emma Stone (The Help), Carey Mulligan (Shame), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Keira Knighley (A Dangerous Method)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Alternative: Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)

If I could add 10 more male supporting performances to the nominees: John Goodman (The Artist), Corey Stoll (Midnight in Paris), Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March), Paul Giamatti (The Ides of March), Christopher Plummer (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Colin Firth (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy), Seth Rogen (50/50), Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Alternative: Jessica Chastain (The Help)

If I could add 10 more female supporting performances to the nominees: Jessica Chastain (Tree of Life), Jessica Chastain (Take Shelter), Chlöe Grace Moretz (Hugo), Marion Cotilard (Midnight in Paris), Sareh Bayat (A Separation), Sarina Farhadi (A Separation), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), Emily Mortimer (My Idiot Brother), Charlotte Grainsbourg (Melancholia), Cate Blanchett (Hanna)



BEST ANIMATED FILM

Rango

Alternative: Puss in Boots



BEST FOREIGN FILM
A Separation (Iran)

Alternative: Footnote (Israel)



BEST DOCUMENTARY
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Alternative: Hell and Back Again


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tree of Life (Emmanuel Lubetzki)

Alternative: The Artist (Guillaume Schiffman)

If I could add 10 more photographies to the nominees: The Skin I Live In (José Luís Alcaine), We Have a Pope (Alessandro Pesci), Drive (Newton Thomas Sigel), Moneyball (Wally Pfister), Take Shelter (Adam Stone), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (Eduardo Serra), We Need to Talk About Kevin (Seamus McGarvey), Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (Hoyte van Hoytema), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Jeff Cronenweth), Hanna (Alwin H. Kushler)



BEST EDITING
Hugo

Alternative: The Descendants



BEST ART DIRECTION
Hugo

Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2



BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Hugo

Alternative: The Artist


BEST MAKE-UP
The Iron Lady

Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2


BEST SOUND MIXING
Hugo

Alternative: War Horse



BEST SOUND EDITING
Hugo

Alternative: Drive



BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Hugo


Alternative: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2



BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
War Horse (John Williams)


Alternative: The Artist (Ludovice Bource)

If I could add 10 scores of any kind to the nominees: The Skin I Live In (original, Alberto Iglesias), Tree of Life (non-original, misc.), Midnight in Paris (non-original, misc.), Drive (original, Cliff Martinez), Moneyball (original, Mychael Danna), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (original, Alexandre Desplat), The Ides of March (original, Alexandre Desplat), We Need to Talk About Kevin (original, Johnny Greenwood), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (original, Trent Raznor&Atticus Ross), Shame (original, Harry Escott)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Men on Muppet (The Muppets)

SPECIAL

WILL WOODY ALLEN SHOW UP

 No.

WILL THE DICTATOR SHOW UP

Yes.

Marvelous Meryl

Outstanding.

After Oswaltt, Ryan Gosling too has something to say about the Oscars

Sounds ridiculously legit. Ryan Gosling starred to great powerhousing in three of my favorite films of the year, any of them worth an Oscar nomination - a bloodshedding, revengeful night-drifter neo-samurai in Drive, a young political campaign manager on a cynical corrupted coming-of-age journey in The Ides of March and an archetypal handsome womanizer in Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Young Adult's Patton Oswalt takes a word on Best Actors and Actresses at the Oscars

Incredibly funny, indeed. Charlize, Tilda, Gosling, DiCaprio, Brooks, Olsen, Serkis, one can tell. By the way, Oswalt actually twitted this.

Hugo and The Artist lead the Oscars'12 poles

There's always something to tell when it comes to the Academy's nominees, although most may not support me on this. There's this bulk of films you obviously know are going to be there, for most of which you might actually be happy, there are the alternatives you build upon faith only and there are truly gratifying surprises - for your own taste or for the industry's. 2011 was one of the greatest movie years I can remember (I wasn't here to witness the disputes of the 40's or the 50's) and thus felt particularly competitive. I had set The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for 10 nominations alongside The Artist, with the first becoming my most shameless missed horse and the second my safest bet. I'm thrilled to have Tree of Life for Best Film (one of those faithful options) and stunned to have Terrence Malick for Best Director. Listing side by side such improbable films as the Sunday-afternoon Bridesmaids and the foreign low-budget drama A Separation in a major category like Best Original Screenplay fuels my joy, as I may also add the two are some of my favorites of the year.

Despite I never saw Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close coming, the title that made my jaw fall lower was Margin Call for the aforementioned prize, a very fine story about the last hours of an American bank before the spawning of the current global financial crisis. I don't recall any of the major analysts (or any others) considering it and I never admitted it myself. This makes it the third Sundance pearl in two consecutive years to be nominated for Best Screenplay (Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right made it last year). Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy was another surprise in the writings and threw away the too soon guaranteed The Help. I mourn over the absence of Tilda Swinton, Drive (not even Albert Brooks) and Young Adult (big Charlize and Diablo fan here).

BLUE: Got it wrong.
WHITE: Got it right.
ORANGE: Didn't pick it.


Without alternatives: 67 out of 104 (64,5%)
With alternatives: 84 out of 104 (80,8%)

Most nominated:

1. Hugo (11)
2. The Artist (10)
3. Moneyball (6) and War Horse (6)
5. The Descendants (5) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (5)
7. Midnight in Paris (4) and The Help (4)
9. Tree of Life (3), Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy (3), Albert Nobbs (3) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II (3)

BEST FILM

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball

[Alternatives: War Horse, Tree of Life]


BEST DIRECTOR

Alexander Payne ("The Descendants")
David Fincher ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
Terrence Malick ("Tree of Life")
Martin Scorsese ("Hugo")
Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris")

[Alternatives: Steven Spielberg ("War Horse"), Bennet Miller ("Moneyball")]


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation")
Diablo Cody ("Young Adult")
J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call")
Kristen Wig and Anna Mumolo ("Bridesmaids")
Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris")

[Alternatives: Will Reiser ("50/50") and Tom McCarthy "Win Win")]

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash ("The Descendants")
John Logan ("Hugo")
Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin ("Moneyball")
Steve Zaillian ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
Tate Taylor ("The Help")

[Alternatives: George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willemont ("The Ides of March"), Lynne Ramsay ("We Need to Talk About Kevin")]


BEST ACTOR

Brad Pitt ("Moneyball")
George Clooney ("The Descendants")
Jean Dujardin ("The Artist")
Leonardo DiCaprio ("J. Edgar") Michael Fassbender ("Shame")
Demián Bichir ("A Better Life")
[Alternatives: Gary Oldman ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy"), Ryan Gosling ("Drive")]

BEST ACTRESS

Charlize Theron ("Young Adult")
Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady")
Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn")
Tilda Swinton ("We Need to Talk About Kevin")
Glenn Close ("Albert Nobs")
Viola Davis ("The Help")

[Alternatives: Rooney Mara ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), Keira Knightley ("A Dangerous Method")]


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Albert Brooks ("Drive")
Max von Sydow ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close")
Christopher Plummer ("Beginners")
Jonah Hill ("Moneyball")
Kenneth Branagh ("My Week with Marilyn")
Nick Nolte ("Warrior")

[Alternatives: Patton Oswalt ("Young Adult"), Philip Seymor Hoffman ("The Ides of March")]


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Bérénice Bejo ("The Artist")
Jessica Chastain ("The Help")
Melissa McCarthy ("Bridesmaids")
Octavia Spencer ("The Help")
Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants")

[Alternatives: Janet McTeer ("Albert Nobbs"), Kate Winslet ("Carnage")]


BEST ANIMATED FILM

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn Cars 2
Chico & Rita A Cat in Paris
Puss in Boots
Rango
Rio

[Alternatives: Arthur Christmas, Kung Fu Panda 2)


BEST FOREIGN FILM

A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
Pina (Germany)

[Alternatives: "Omar Killed Me" (Morroco), "Bullhead" (Belgium)]

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Bill Cunningham New York Buck
Hell and Back Again
Paradise Lost 3
Pina
Project Nim

[Alternatives: If a Tree Falls, Undefeated]


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Emmanuel Lubetzki ("Tree of Life")
Guillaume Schiffman ("The Artist")
Janusz Kaminski ("War Horse")
Jeff Cronenweth ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
Robert Richardson ("Hugo")

[Alternatives: Hoyte van Hoytema ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy"), Wally Pfister ("Moneyball")]


BEST EDITING

Alisa Lepselter ("Midnight in Paris")
Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Christopher Tellefsen ("Moneyball")
Dino Jonsäter ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy")
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")

[Alternatives: Kevin Tent ("The Descendants"), Thelma Schoonmaker ("Hugo")]


BEST ART DIRECTION

The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo The Help
War Horse
Hugo
Midnight in Paris

[Alternatives: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, Bridesmaids]

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
My Week with Marilyn
Hugo Anonymous
[Alternatives: W.E., Jane Eyre]


BEST MAKE-UP

Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II
The Iron Lady

[Alternatives: The Artist, My Week with Marilyn]


BEST SOUND MIXING

Drive
Fast Five
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Hugo Moneyball
War Horse

[Alternatives: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol]


BEST SOUND EDITING

Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Moneyball Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Hugo
War Horse

[Alternatives: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, Hanna]


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Tree of Life
Hugo

[Alternatives: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Captain America: The First Avenger]


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Alexandre Desplat ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close")
Alberto Iglesias ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy)
Howard Shore ("Hugo")
John Williams (War Horse")
John Williams ("The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn")
Ludovic Bource ("The Artist")
Trent Raznor & Atticus Ross ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")

[Alternatives: Cliff Martinez ("Drive"), Mychael Danna ("Moneyball")]


BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Masterpiece" ("W.E.") "The Living Proof" ("The Help") "Life's a Happy Song" (The Muppets")
"Man on Muppet" ("The Muppets") "Real in Rio" ("Rio")

[Alternative: "Pictures in My Head" ("The Muppets"), "Think You Can Wait" ("Win Win")

My Oscar'12 predictions: nominees

As soon as next Tuesday, January 24th, the Academy will announce the 2012 Oscar nominees. The height of the cinematic year promises to be one of the most competitive in recent years and I'm therefore hoping to be surprised in every single category.



Bellow, my predictions. I allow myself the right to two alternatives by branch. I am going for the leaders The Artist and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with 10 nominations, The Help with 8, Hugo with 7, Moneyball with 6, The Descendants and Midnight in Paris with 5, Bridesmaids and War Horse with 4, Drive, My Week with Marilyn and Rise of the Planet of the Apes with 3. Besides the absence of Refn's film in the major categories, I must sadly highlight the probably dim presence of Tree of Life, the total absence of Carnage and also my happy belief in surprises from Young Adult and We Need to Talk About Kevin.

BEST FILM

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball

[Alternatives: War Horse, Tree of Life]


BEST DIRECTOR

Alexander Payne ("The Descendants")
David Fincher ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
Martin Scorsese ("Hugo")
Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris")

[Alternatives: Steven Spielberg ("War Horse"), Bennet Miller ("Moneyball")]


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Asghar Farhadi ("A Separation")
Diablo Cody ("Young Adult")
Kristen Wig and Anna Mumolo ("Bridesmaids")
Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Woody Allen ("Midnight in Paris")

[Alternatives: Will Reiser ("50/50") and Tom McCarthy "Win Win")]


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash ("The Descendants")
John Logan ("Hugo")
Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin ("Moneyball")
Steve Zaillian ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
Tate Taylor ("The Help")

[Alternatives: George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willemont ("The Ides of March"), Lynne Ramsay ("We Need to Talk About Kevin")]


BEST ACTOR

Brad Pitt ("Moneyball")
George Clooney ("The Descendants")
Jean Dujardin ("The Artist")
Leonardo DiCaprio ("J. Edgar")
Michael Fassbender ("Shame")

[Alternatives: Gary Oldman ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy"), Ryan Gosling ("Drive")]


BEST ACTRESS

Charlize Theron ("Young Adult")
Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady")
Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn")
Tilda Swinton ("We Need to Talk About Kevin")
Viola Davis ("The Help")

[Alternatives: Rooney Mara ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), Keira Knightley ("A Dangerous Method")]


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Albert Brooks ("Drive")
Christopher Plummer ("Beginners")
Jonah Hill ("Moneyball")
Kenneth Branagh ("My Week with Marilyn")
Nick Nolte ("Warrior")

[Alternatives: Patton Oswalt ("Young Adult"), Philip Seymor Hoffman ("The Ides of March")]


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Bérénice Bejo ("The Artist")
Jessica Chastain ("The Help")
Melissa McCarthy ("Bridesmaids")
Octavia Spencer ("The Help")
Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants")

[Alternatives: Janet McTeer ("Albert Nobbs"), Kate Winslet ("Carnage")]


BEST ANIMATED FILM

The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Rio

[Alternatives: Arthur Christmas, Kung Fu Panda 2)


BEST FOREIGN FILM

A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
Pina (Germany)

[Alternatives: "Omar Killed Me" (Morroco), "Bullhead" (Belgium)]


BEST DOCUMENTARY

Bill Cunningham New York
Buck
Paradise Lost 3
Pina
Project Nim

[Alternatives: If a Tree Falls, Undefeated]


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Emmanuel Lubetzki ("Tree of Life")
Guillaume Schiffman ("The Artist")
Janusz Kaminski ("War Horse")
Jeff Cronenweth ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")
Robert Richardson ("Hugo")

[Alternatives: Hoyte van Hoytema ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy"), Wally Pfister ("Moneyball")]


BEST EDITING

Alisa Lepselter ("Midnight in Paris")
Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist")
Christopher Tellefsen ("Moneyball")
Dino Jonsäter ("Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy")
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")

[Alternatives: Kevin Tent ("The Descendants"), Thelma Schoonmaker ("Hugo")]


BEST ART DIRECTION

The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris

[Alternatives: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, Bridesmaids]


BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
My Week with Marilyn

[Alternatives: W.E., Jane Eyre]


BEST MAKE-UP

Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II
The Iron Lady

[Alternatives: The Artist, My Week with Marilyn]


BEST SOUND MIXING

Drive
Fast Five
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
War Horse

[Alternatives: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol]


BEST SOUND EDITING

Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Moneyball
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
War Horse

[Alternatives: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II, Hanna]


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Tree of Life

[Alternatives: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Captain America: The First Avenger]


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Alexandre Desplat ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close")
Howard Shore ("Hugo")
John Williams (War Horse")
Ludovic Bource ("The Artist")
Trent Raznor & Atticus Ross ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo")

[Alternatives: Cliff Martinez ("Drive"), Mychael Danna ("Moneyball")]


BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Masterpiece" ("W.E.")
"The Living Proof" ("The Help")
"Life's a Happy Song" (The Muppets")

[Alternative: "Pictures in My Head" ("The Muppets"), "Think You Can Wait" ("Win Win")