Top Ten and Spirits

I've updated the sidebar featuring my Top Ten. Strange to think I've seen eight movies since the last Top Ten, yet only one pick is different: Star Trek is out, Fantastic Mr. Fox is in. My feelings are, as always, subject to change so I may find 2012 to be Best Picture of the Year by the end of 2009, but this is at it stands for now.

Also, the Independent Spirit Awards announced their nominees yesterday. So:

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Sophie Barthes, Cold Souls
Scott Cooper, Crazy Heart
Cherien Dabis, Amreeka
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Tom Ford/David Scearce, A Single Man
Well, I've seen one of these. Also, as we shall soon see, Crazy Heart is doing extremely well for a movie that just got a release date a couple of weeks ago. But I knew it would.

BEST SCREENPLAY
Alessandro Camon/Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Michael Hoffman, The Last Station
Lee Toland Krieger, The Vicious Kind
Greg Mottola, Adventureland
Scott Neustader/Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Again, I've just seen the one. But it's the one I am sure will win, the one that's been in my Top Ten for, like, ever. I mean, the two indie hits this year are (500) Days and Precious. Chances are, they win all the categories. You know it.

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Crazy Heart
Easier with Practice
The Messenger
Paranormal Activity
A Single Man
Ah, finally. I've seen none of these. Jeff Wells predicts A Single Man, but I say Crazy Heart. I don't know the Spirits or how they work, I just know what I'm going to predict. Crazy Heart.

BEST DIRECTOR
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Lee Daniels, Precious
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Sin Nombre
James Gray, Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman, The Last Station
Oh, man, remember when Two Lovers came out back in February? I certainly can't believe they did. That's pretty boss. I mean, I didn't see it, but still. I suppose Lee Daniels will get this, but that will slightly annoy me.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Jermaine Clement, Gentlemen Broncos
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Raymond McKinnon, That Evening Sun
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
I don't expect Clement will get this, nor do I think Plummer will. Actually, I think it's between McKay and McKinnon, and I betcha McKinnon gets it.

BEST MALE LEAD
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Souleymane Sy Savane, Goodbye Solo
Adam Scott, The Vicious Kind
Probably Bridges or Firth. I'm not gonna make any final prediction on this one yet. I've only seen Gordon-Levitt, but oh how I loved it. What the eff is The Vicious Kind?

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Dina Korzun, Cold Souls
Mo'Nique, Precious
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Natalie Press, Fifty Dead Men Walking
Mia Wasikowska, That Evening Sun
This will probably be one of those seasons where one actress walks away with all the precursors. That actress is Mo'Nique. Still, good on the Spirits for giving Mia some street cred pre-Alice opening.

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Maria Bello, Downloading Nancy
Nisreen Faour, Amreeka
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Gwyneth Paltrow, Two Lovers
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Damn, I wanna see Amreeka. Never heard of Downloading Nancy. I could rent Two Lovers. Have to wait for The Last Station. Precious wins this category, of course.

BEST FEATURE
(500) Days of Summer
Amreeka
The Last Station
Precious
Sin Nombre
Precious wins, but (500) Days of Summer still rocks it. Man, those other three better be good to ignore A Serious Man.

I have a lot of catching up to do. Always. *Sigh* It's never easy, being movie-obsessed.