2010 Oscar Predictions and Proclamations

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With the 2010 Academy Awards nearly upon us, it’s time to engage in every cinephile’s second-favorite hobby: predicting which movies, which actors, and which director will win which statuette. (The first being, you know, watching the movies in question.) Without further ado, our very unscientific bets for the likely winners, and who won’t (but still deserves to) win.

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

The Nominees:
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
George Clooney (Up in the Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Who Will Win: Jeff Bridges
Who Should Win: Jeff Bridges
The Dude has abided for four Oscar nods now, without ever winning one. Bridges is in top form here, and does his own singing to boot. Move aside, and let the man go through.

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

The Nominees:
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Who Will Win: Sandra Bullock
Who Should Win: Gabourey Sidibe
If the pre-ceremony buzz is an indication, Bullock pretty much has this one on lock. It’s her first nod from the Academy. But fellow first-time nominee Gabourey Sidibe is our pick for her affecting turn as the physically and emotionally battered Precious.

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

The Nominees:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

Who Will Win: Up
Who Should Win: The Secret of Kells
With the epic snub of Ponyo, our pick goes to the excellent Secret of Kells. Up will almost certainly snag Pixar their third Oscar in as many years, but Kells hand-drawn style gives it a gorgeous and breathtaking visual flair, a charm most of its contemporaries lack.