The ADG, At Directors Guild, will be handing out their awards on Saturday night. I have bolded those I think have the best shot, but I must add that I am not the person who knows anything about how the art directors guild judges great works of art direction. It’s strange that only two of these are nominated for the Oscar in this category, Avatar and Sherlock Holmes. That makes me think Sherlock Holmes could be the ADG winner for Period Film. I sort of think it will go Inglourious Basterds’ way because it has more Best Picture heat. But we shall see. I’ll go with Sherlock Holmes, following the theory that if it’s got an Oscar nod it has more prestige. For the same reason, contemporary film could go to The Hurt Locker is my guess, based on its popularity and Best Pic heat. Of course, fantasy is Avatar’s to lose. The beauty, the detail, the original vision of the computer animation makes it seem like the balls-out frontrunner in this category. Nominees and predictions after the cut.
PERIOD FILM
A Serious Man
Inglourious Basterds
Julie & Julia
Public Enemies
Sherlock Holmes*
FANTASY FILM
Avatar*
District 9
Harry Potter
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
CONTEMPORARY
Angels & Demons
The Hangover
The Hurt Locker
The Lovely Bones
Up in the Air
We think Avatar is winning at least two Oscars walking in the door at the Kodak: Visual Effects and Art Direction. It may have more in the bag but those two are solid gets. That means that in the fantasy category, Avatar should win.
