By Greg Jorgensen
Bangkok, Feb 24 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Nominees: Avatar; The Blind Side; District 9; An Education; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; Precious; A Serious Man; Up; Up in the Air.

A lot of people are rooting for hyper-successful Avatar, but it’s also got a lot going against it, not least of which is the (unfortunately correct) belief that the script isn’t actually that great. While the others are all worthy contenders, the only ones that, for various reasons, really stand out are The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, and Up in the Air. Up is the first animated film since Beauty and the Beast to be nominated here, but I think it will be a while yet before a cartoon beats out a live-action movie (I know, I know, Avatar…).

District 9 was astoundingly original but Academy voters are usually sci-fi shy, and Avatar’s shadow looms large. The others were mostly singled out for one defining attribute (acting, script, etc) rather than the strength of the whole package, which leaves a short list.

While Avatar has the massive hype, Academy voters may see it as a bit of a gimmick film and choose to wait to see where the rabbit hole leads us. Up in the Air is great, but did anyone else notice it wasn’t actually fun to watch?

The Hurt Locker was a gritty masterpiece, and its recent BAFTA win portends well, but I’m going with Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino’s most mature film to date. Every film he’s made has been a definite, if not near, masterpiece, and Basterds’ epic mix of violence, revisionist history and squirmy humor makes it a truly original film-going experience.

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Greg Jorgensen has been scouring the back alleys and lurking in the movie theaters of Bangkok since 2001. His biggest regret is getting a Gold Class ticket for Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones.

Which movie do you think will win the best picture? Let us know via the comments below.