Ajami

Ajami is Israel's third Oscar nominated film in a row. And it certainly deserves its nomination. The film is co-directed and co-directed by Scandor Copti (an Arab) and Yaron Shani (a Jew). It is set in the Jaffa neighborhood of Ajami. And you can say that there are some very mean streets in the hood.

The film is broken down into five intertwining stories. Some of the characters include Malek (Ibrahim Ferge, a kid who is working illegally so that he can help his mother get a much needed operation; Omar (Shahir Kabaha), a guy who is trying to pay off a debt in order to keep his family from getting killed in a payback sort of way - he is also in love with a woman who is not in his league); Dando (Eran Naim), a Jewish cop who is trying to find out what happened to his soldier brother, and Binj (played by Copti himself), a man who has a Jewish girlfriend and a drug habit. These are just a few of the characters in the film. There a quite a few more.

Ajami demands that you pay attention to what is happening. If you don't then you will not understand how everything is connected. I don't want to say much about the plot. The film is very powerful as it depicts life in the streets of this tough neighborhood. And things get violent. But it is excellent filmmaking. So if you like intelligent world cinema then make sure you see this terrific film.

The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer is Roman Polanski's new film. Adapted from a novel by Robert Harris (who co-wrote the screenplay with Polanski) entitled The Ghost the film is a highly intelligent thriller.

The Ghost (Ewan McGregor) is hired to ghost the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). He is replacing the former ghost writer who died in either an accident or suicide. No one is sure. The Ghost is at first reluctant to take the job but he eventually decides that $250,000 for a month's work is very good indeed. While there he starts to discover things that are not quite what they seem to be. And all hell breaks lose when Lang is accused of crimes against humanity.

The film very well directed and well written. The dialogue is crackling. The films keeps you guessing until the very end. McGregor has never been better. This is a great role for him. Brosnan shows us that he is much more than James Bond. And Olivia Williams as Lang's wife Ruth is fantastic. Tom Wilkinson and Eli Wallach are also wonderful in smaller roles. I don't want to say much more about the plot because I don't want to spoil things.

I will say that Lang's character is somewhat based on Tony Blair. The film indicts Blair, G.W Bush, the Iraq war and torture in a most subtle way. And it shows, once again, what a great filmmaker Roman Polanski is. Highly recommended.

DVD Mini Review - Shadowboxer

I will say a few words about the above mentioned film. I had wanted to see it for a while. However, I really wanted to see it after I saw director Lee Daniels latest film Precious: Based on a Novel by Sapphire. I thought that Precious was terrific (and I am not the only one) and wanted to see an earlier work by the director.

While Shadowboxer is not up to the standard of Precious I think it is a good film and I certainly liked. I was entertained and never bored.

Mikey (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) has lived a rough life. His father was a criminal and his mother died when he was young. Rose (Helen Mirren) has been his protector and lover for quite some time. They are hitmen(women). Rose is dying of cancer and she is going to do one last job. A vicious crime boss named Clayton Mayfield (Stephen Dorff) wants his wife Vicki (Vanessa Ferlito) killed. But when Rose sees that Vicki is pregnant she just can't go through with it. So she, Vicki and Mikey head for the suburbs. But can this escape be successful. Ah, dear friends, you will have to see the film to find out.

Mirren and Gooding, Jr. might sound like a strange pair but it works. The other strange pairing that I liked was Dr. Don (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Precious (Mo'Nique). Odd but interesting. Add Macy Gray as Vicki's friend Neisha and you have quite a cast.

Mirren is always wonderful and this film is no exception. Gooding, Jr. did his best work in a long time. All of the actors were spot on too. And the film shows Daniels' potential as a filmmaker. The film did not get good reviews. I can't understand it but then again I sometimes don't understand the critics. The film has a lot of sex and violence. But if you want something a bit different then rent this film.

By the way, in the film Mo'Nique plays a character named Precious. It is interesting to note that she is in Daniels' film Precious and plays the mother from hell Mary.

BAFTA Winners

Best Film: “The Hurt Locker”
Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Best Actor: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Foreign Language Film: “A Prophet”
Best Animated Film: “Up”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, “Up in the Air”
Rising Star Award: Kristen Stewart
Best Production Design: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg and Kim Sinclair, “Avatar”
Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker”

Best British Film: “Fish Tank”
Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Best Makeup and Hair: Jenny Shircore, “The Young Victoria”
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell, “The Young Victoria”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Visual Effects: “Avatar”
Best Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Film Editing: Bob Murawski and Chris Innis, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Music: Michael Giacchino, “Up”
Best Sound: “The Hurt Locker”
Carl Foreman Award (Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer): Duncan Jones, “Moon”
Best Short Film: “I Do Air”
Best Animated Short: “Mother of Many”
Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema: Joe Dunton

WGA Winners

Original - Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Adapted - Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner for Up in the Air
Documentary - The Cove

Long form original – Georgia O’Keefe
Long form adapted – Taking Chance

District 9 (DVD) and Shutter Island

I will say a few words about the two films listed above. I am not really in the mood to write but I like to (and try to) say something about all of the films that I see.

District 9, directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson, is an entertaining science fiction film that takes place in South Africa. Aliens have landed and they are sent to live in townships. They are not treated well at all. In fact they are being experimented on. The global business conglomerate Multi National United is behind all of this. Wikus van de Merwe (Shalro Copeley) is assigned to have them evicted from where they live. But something happens to him that takes the story in a different direction.

Now, I will say that Blomkamp made a good film. It is original and it even has a message (townships, labor camps, experiments). And Copeley is great as Merwe. He carries the film on his shoulders. I look forward to seeing what these to do in the future. However, I do not think this is an Oscar quality film and I don't see how it was nominated for a Best Picture prize. I recommend seeing the film - by all means do so. But I think that the Oscars have become a joke. There are a number of films on their list that shouldn't be there.

Shutter Island was supposed to be an "Oscar" film this year but it was pushed back and it was just released. Will it be up for awards next year? I don't think so. But I must say that I liked the film. I read the book (by Dennis Lehane) so I knew what to expect.

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo di Caprio) and his partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are headed to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the mental hospital's "patients." Upon their arrival they meet Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and later on Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow). They are psychiatrists who have their own ways of treating these dangerous patients (inmates). Right away you know that something is not right and after you see the whole film you think back and it all falls into place.

Now some people are bashing director Martin Scorsese. Why? Because he didn't come up with another masterpiece. Well, not every film can be a masterpiece. And while Shutter Island may not be his best work it is an intelligent psychological thriller.
I don't think that di Caprio is always the most emotionally compelling actor but he is very good as Daniels. Ruffalo and Kingsley are really good as well. And the legendary von Sydow shines in his small role. Also terrific in small roles are Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley and Ted Levine.

I won't say much about the plot. It is compelling and it makes you think. And it is certainly better than most of the films that come out of Hollywood these days.

Note: A.O. Scott wrote a very bad pan of the film in the NY Times. I don't understand how Scott (and Manhola Daris) can be so influential. In the last few years the Times has really gone down in quality. So it is no surprise that they have these two as their main film critics (theater critic Ben Brantley is in the same category as far as I'm concerned). I just wish people wouldn't take their word as law.

Red Riding: 1983 (MOD)

The final installment of The Red Riding Trilogy is directed by Anand Tucker. The beginning of the film starts with a scene that takes place in 1974. We then get the whole picture of the police corruption that takes place in the North of England. Things start to fall into the place.

In 1983 Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) is one of the main characters. He is in all three films but he is center stage here. He becomes more remorseful as time goes on and starts to believe that the young man who is jailed for the crimes of killing the girls is not the real murderer.

A new character introduced to us in this film is John Piggott (Mark Addy). Piggott is a lawyer who is not that successful. But he is asked to look into the false imprisonment of the above mentioned young man and he starts to have the same suspicions that Morrissey has.

There are a few other new characters (including a psychic) and many of the old characters are back. I enjoyed watching all of the films and found them quite riveting. Yes, the series is convoluted but that makes it even more fun to watch.

I like the way Tucker wraps things up and I understood how things worked in North Yorkshire. And as was the case in the other two films all of the acting is spot on. But, at the beginning of 1983 I had a feeling who the prime murderer was and I was right. So maybe I should be a detective?! In any case, if you want a good, gritty crime drama check out the Red Riding Trilogy.

The White Ribbon

Wow, I finally got to see The White Ribbon. I have been waiting a while to see this one. I can say that Michael Haneke's Palm D'or winner is brilliant filmmaking and one of the best films of 2009 (even though I saw it today it is one of the best films of last year).

The film is shot in glorious black and white by Christopher Berger. The story takes place in a German village a few years before World War I. Strange and bad things are happening in the village. The doctor's horse trips over a wire in the doctor's yard severely injuring the man. But how did the wire get there? A farmer's wife dies in a work related accident. The young son of the baron is beaten up and tortured. A barn burns down. The mentally challenged son of the town's midwife is even more severely hurt than the baron's son. There is also incest and terrible beatings of children. What can I say? This is heavy stuff. But who is doing all of these horrible things. The incest and beatings are clear. But the other things are not.

I can say that with the exception of the teacher (who in an older version is the narrator) all of the men in this town are horrid! The women are submissive and most of the children are not treated well. But this film is more than a who done it. It is about the root of evil. And at the end there is no clear answer. I have my theories and they may change as I think more about the film.

Haneke does a marvelous job at directing this film (and he wrote the intelligent screenplay as well). The above mentioned Berger is also fantastic. All of the actors are wonderful. I am not familiar with most of them (only Ulrich Tucker as the baron and Susanne Lothar as the midwife). But that doesn't matter.

There is one scene in the film that is so verbally violent that it makes a physical punch seem like nothing. I had my mouth open after that scene. And, yes, I can see how this story is about the seeds of Nazism. There is so much more I can say about this film but I am a bit tired.

I will say that I will only recommend this film to those of you who want to see something challenging, something that will make you think for a long time. I am already looking forward to seeing it on DVD. If you are looking for something easy then forget this one. But if you want your mind to get a workout then see The White Ribbon as soon as possible.

DVD Mini Review - The Song of Sparrows

I am a fan of Iranian cinema and director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven, The Color of Paradise, The Willow Tree), so I was certainly looking forward to seeing The Song of Sparrows. The film had a very limited release in the spring of 2009 so for me the best way to see it was on DVD (Netflix is a blessing and I highly recommend it to those of you who still don't have it).

Karim (Reza Naji) works at an ostrich farm. He is very devoted to his job and the birds. But one day one of the birds disappears. Karim is blamed for this and he is fired (he tells his family that he quit). It is hard enough to support his family (wife, two daughters and a son) but his older daughter is partially deaf and uses a hearing aid. When she loses the hearing aid while helping brother and his friends clear an unused well so that they may start a fish business. The hearing aid is found but it is broken. Karim is very upset but he is also determined to either have it fixed or buy her a new one. He takes off on his motorcycle to the big city of Tehran. He finds out that fixing the hearing aid is impossible and to buy a new one would be very expensive (he is uninsured - I guess that Iran does not give all of its citizens health care). While sitting on his bike he approached by someone who needs a ride. And then and there he starts his business as a taxi (bike) driver.

The Song of Sparrows is filled with wonderful, realistic moments is a real slice of life. We can see how the two halves live. Kamir and his rural family don't have much but many of the big city people are very well to do. We also see how this new way of life affects Kamir. For the most part I liked him but there were times that he was not that likable. I should say that Naji is marvelous as Kamir. You can read all of his emotions on his weathered face. And the cinematography by Turaj Mansuri is fantastic. And by the end of the film you will understand what the title means. Highly recommended to all of those who love wonderful world cinema.

Red Riding: 1974 & Red Riding: 1980

The Red Riding Trilogy is a three part crime drama that was shown in the UK last year. It is highly acclaimed and very gritty. The films are based on a quartet of books written by David Peace. All of the scripts were written by Tony Grisoni. They combined 1977 with the other years to make it into three films (that was due to budget constraints. All three films are being shown at the IFC theater in NYC as one long film with intermissions. They are also being shown on IFC on Demand on Cable. After seeing the first two films I can say that they work very well on television.

The first film, 1974, is directed by Julian Jarrold. Young Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) is a young reporter for a local paper in Yorkshire which is in the North of England. He was down south for a while but came back home. He is working on a story about the Yorkshire Ripper who has killed several little girls during the past few years. He tries to work with the police but they are so corrupt that things just don't get done. When the body of the last murdered girl is found all hell breaks lose. Dunford talks to the parents of the boy who the girl's body. There is something very strange about the boy's father Martin Laws (Peter Mullan) but I can't say what it is since he only has one scene in the film. Not about to give up on things Dunford tries to talk to the mother of a girl who disappeared a few years ago. But things do not go smoothly when he tries to interview Paula Garland (Rebecca Hall). And things go from bad to worse when one of his colleagues mysteriously dies in a car crash. And that is all I will say about the plot. The story is quite absorbing and you must pay attention throughout. Garfield is very good and Hall is terrific. I always like seeing Mullan and Eddie Marsan has a small role as another reporter working for the same paper as Dunford. Oh, and Sean Bean is also very good as an unsavory character named John Dawson.

Now fast forward to 1980 to the same place. The Yorkshire Police have not gotten any less corrupt. Through the last several years there has been a number of killings of women - some who appear to be prostitutes. Is this still the same murderer as in the first film? The local police department decides to call on a detective from another part of the country. They feel that Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) is the right man for the job. He takes two of his best police people Helen Marshall (Maxine Peake) and John Nolan (Tony Pitts) to help him out. Hunter is determined to find the murderer. But can he really accomplish this with all the resentment of the local police people bubbling around him? It seems that Hunter has demons of his own that he can't deal with. And while he is investigating an unexpected character from the first film reappears. And there is a surprise twist at the end that I didn't see coming. And, yes, I will not say more about the plot. Considine is very good as is Peake. In fact, all of the acting in both films are on target.

After seeing both films I can say that things are slowly starting to fit together. But I am sure that you have to see 1983 to really know what is going on. As of now, 1983 is not listed on the IFC on Demand channel. I hope that they put it on soon so I can find out the end result. All in all, the two films that I saw are well directed and well acted but a bit convoluted. You really have to pay attention and keep with the story. Yes, in the end it is worth it. And I certainly hope that the rumors that there will be a US remake are just that - rumors. I highly doubt that the studios will be able to make a better version of these stories.

The Last Station

The Last Station is a lovely and most interesting film about the last year of the life of the great Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). The film is written and directed by Michael Hoffman from a novel (based on fact) by Jay Parini.

Tolstoy has many disciples who follow his beliefs and he also has many detractors. The head of the movement, Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) is trying to get Tolstoy to sign over the rights to his work to the public. This would leave his family with very little. On this side of the conflict is Tolstoy's daughter Sasha (Anne-Marie Duff). Against this idea is his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren). Somewhere in the middle is Tolstoy's secretary Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy). Rounding out this mix is a "follower" named Masha who woos Valentin out of his celibacy.

The film does a fine job painting these last days of the master. It is also the chronicle of a long marriage. All of the actors are terrific. However, as good as everyone is the film belongs to Mirren and Plummer. Mirren is one of the great acting queens of the day and her performance is certainly more Oscar worthy than frontrunner Sandra Bullocks fine but not outstanding performance in The Blind Side. Plummer has been around forever and it is hard to believe that he has gotten his first nomination at the age of 80 but it is well deserved. The film is lovely to look at and has some very witty dialogue.

The Last Station is a true cinematic treat and I highly recommend it to those of you who like literate and literary films.

Edit: I forgot to mention that at the end of the film there were pictures of the real Tolstoy and the other characters in the film. I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and I must say that Plummer certainly looked like the real Tolstoy.

DVD Mini Review - As It Is in Heaven

Kay Pollak's film was nominated for a foreign language Oscar in 2005. I don't even think it played in NYC but it is now finally available on DVD. It certainly is amazing that it took so long but it Lorber films picked it up. I don't understand it because it is a wonderful film.

In a small town in Sweden a young boy is an accomplished violinist. But the town bullies beat him up. His father is dead but his mother decides that they should move to a place that appreciates his talent. He eventually changes his name and becomes the world famous conductor Daniel Dareus (Michael Nyqvist). But fame wears him down and takes a toll on his health. He eventually gives it up and moves back to his home town. He is offered the position of being in charge of the church choir. Many things happen - some good and some bad. But I won't tell you more. You will have to see for yourself.

As It Is in Heaven is a terrific film about quirky people and having passion in your life. All of the actors a really good. Nyqvist is wonderful as a sensitive man who is trying to give people music that fills the heart. Frida Hellgren is excellent as Lena, a woman who is also dealing with hurt in her past.

I highly recommend this beautiful film. And I was very happy with the quality of the subtitles. Everyone should be able to read them with any trouble.

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture

* “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
* “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
* “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
* “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
* “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
* “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
* “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
* “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
* “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

* Matt Damon in “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

* Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

* “Coraline” Henry Selick
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
* “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
* “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
* “Up” Pete Docter


Art Direction

* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
* “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
* “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
* “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
* “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
* “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
* “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
* “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

* “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
* “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
* “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
* “Nine” Colleen Atwood
* “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

* “Avatar” James Cameron
* “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
* “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
* “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

* “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
* “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
* “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
* “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
* “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
* “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
* “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
* “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
* “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

* “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
* “District 9” Julian Clarke
* “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
* “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

* “Ajami” Israel
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
* “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru
* “Un Prophète” France
* “The White Ribbon” Germany

Makeup

* “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
* “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
* “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

* “Avatar” James Horner
* “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
* “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
* “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
* “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
* “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
* “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)

* “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert
* “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
* “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia
* “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
* “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Short Film (Live Action)

* “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
* “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
* “Kavi” Gregg Helvey
* “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
* “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
* “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
* “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
* “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
* “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
* “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
* “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
* “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
* “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

* “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
* “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
* “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
* “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
* “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
* “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
* “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy