Avatar
All this week we have looked back over the this year's Academy Award hopefuls in the big categories but today it's time to look at those in the running for Best Picture.
And 2010 sees a change in the format for this category as a whopping ten movies have been nominated this year.
While it's been widely accepted that it's a two horse race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker for the Best Picture prize could someone pull off a shock win and spoil the party?
Avatar
Avatar is a movie that will transform the way that we watch cinema and is leading the 3D charge. And it seems that cinema go-ers are happy to follow as the movie made over 42 billion at the box office.
Made on a rumoured budget of $300 million it's good to see the blockbuster getting the recognition that it deserves, The Dark Knight should have been nominated last year.
Having already picked up the Golden Globe, as well as being in the mix at most award ceremonies, Avatar is a string favourite to take Best Picture on Sunday.
District 9
With the expansion of the Best Picture category it's movies such as District 9 that are benefiting and it's great to see the Academy have such a wide range of genres in this category.
The movie was a critical and commercial hit when it was released last year and it's hard to believe that the movie is Neill Blomkampt's directorial debut.
Made on a meager $30 million budget the film took over $204 at the global box office and launched the career of leading man Sharlto Copley.
An Education
An Education is another movie that possibly wouldn't have got a look in if it had just been the bog standard five nominations as it's Carey Mulligan's central performance that is grabbing all of the attention.
The coming of age drama brings together an impressive ensemble cast of Emma Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams and has shot Mulligan to fame.
The movie was nominated for the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival last year as well as being nominated for the Best Picture Bafta last month.
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is the movie that everyone is talking about and Kathryn Bigelow is the filmmaker grabbing all of the headlines.
Here modest $11 million budget movie has been going up against the power of the $300 million Avatar and, nine times out of ten, keeps coming out on top.
Despite missing out on the Golden Globes the movie dominated the Baftas as well as picking up a series of Guild awards.
The gritty Iraq drama is the first war on terror movie to enjoy really success both critically and commercially, possibly due to it's human story and total lack of politics and sides.
Bigelow would be the first female filmmaker to pick up Best Director on Sunday if she was to win and it could be The Hurt Locker that dominates the show.
Inglourious Basterds
While it's widely been regarded as a two horse race for this award many believe that it's Quentin Tarantino's war movie Inglourious Basterds that could rain on the Avatar/ The Hurt Locker parade.
Basterds is Tarantino's most successful movie as it enjoyed both critical and box office success when it was released last year.
While the movie has been nominated at the Golden Globes and a string of critics awards it's Christoph Waltz's performance that has been taking home all the gongs.
While Waltz is practically guaranteed an Oscar possibly Tarantino's best chance will come in the Best Original Screenplay category.
Precious
Precious is the small, gritty drama that the Academy Awards champion every year as Sapphire's novel gets the big screen treatment.
Directed by Lee Daniels the movie follows the troubled teenage years of Precious who is sexually, physically and emotionally abused by both parents.
The movie has made a star out of unknown actress Gabourey Sidibe who has found herself nominated for Best Actress at every major ceremony, and the Oscars is no different.
Perhaps in previous years this is the type of movie that would have won the Best Picture gong but in 2010 it has just been overshadowed by larger movies.
A Serious Man
The ten nominations this year have allowed the Coen Brothers' latest movie, which would not have received a nod otherwise, to grab a bot of attention.
It was back in 2007 when No Country For Old Men dominated the awards circuit but A Serious Man hasn't enjoyed that level of success.
The movie has also been nominated for best Screenplay, which is the category where most of the nominations have come from this year, but it will struggle to win at the weekend.
Up in the Air
Jason Reitman has directed yet another movie that has found itself gathering a lot of awards nominations and attention, we all remember the fuss that Juno caused.
His latest movie was tipped to do very well on the awards circuit back in September but that success has never materialised.
Clooney has received nominations from just about everyone, as has Reitman for his direction. It's a great movie that has the potential to have taken this gong in the past but Avatar and The Hurt Locker have been real forces to be reckoned with.
Reitman's big Oscar chance comes for Best Adapted Screenplay along with Sheldon Turner, after taking the Bafta and the Golden Globe.
The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock has become the toast of Hollywood for her central role in The Blind Side, showing off her very fine dramatic skills.
While her performance has brought her a lot of award success the nomination of the movie itself did come as a bit of a surprise.
The movie has been overlooked at all the major award ceremonies and Bullock is the best chance the movie has of bagging an award.
Up
Has become just the second animation movie in history to be nominated for Best Picture, following in the footsteps of Disney's Beauty and the Best.
The movie should pick up Best Animation movie without any trouble at all and perhaps in a year where Avatar and The Hurt locker were not present we would have had out first animation movie to win Best Picture.
The latest offering from Pixar is their most accomplished movie so far and deserves all of the praise and accolades that have come it's way.
Predicted winner: The Hurt Locker
The winners will be announced at the Kodak Theatre in LA on Sunday 7th March.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
All this week we have looked back over the this year's Academy Award hopefuls in the big categories but today it's time to look at those in the running for Best Picture.
And 2010 sees a change in the format for this category as a whopping ten movies have been nominated this year.
While it's been widely accepted that it's a two horse race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker for the Best Picture prize could someone pull off a shock win and spoil the party?
Avatar
Avatar is a movie that will transform the way that we watch cinema and is leading the 3D charge. And it seems that cinema go-ers are happy to follow as the movie made over 42 billion at the box office.
Made on a rumoured budget of $300 million it's good to see the blockbuster getting the recognition that it deserves, The Dark Knight should have been nominated last year.
Having already picked up the Golden Globe, as well as being in the mix at most award ceremonies, Avatar is a string favourite to take Best Picture on Sunday.
District 9
With the expansion of the Best Picture category it's movies such as District 9 that are benefiting and it's great to see the Academy have such a wide range of genres in this category.
The movie was a critical and commercial hit when it was released last year and it's hard to believe that the movie is Neill Blomkampt's directorial debut.
Made on a meager $30 million budget the film took over $204 at the global box office and launched the career of leading man Sharlto Copley.
An Education
An Education is another movie that possibly wouldn't have got a look in if it had just been the bog standard five nominations as it's Carey Mulligan's central performance that is grabbing all of the attention.
The coming of age drama brings together an impressive ensemble cast of Emma Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Olivia Williams and has shot Mulligan to fame.
The movie was nominated for the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival last year as well as being nominated for the Best Picture Bafta last month.
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is the movie that everyone is talking about and Kathryn Bigelow is the filmmaker grabbing all of the headlines.
Here modest $11 million budget movie has been going up against the power of the $300 million Avatar and, nine times out of ten, keeps coming out on top.
Despite missing out on the Golden Globes the movie dominated the Baftas as well as picking up a series of Guild awards.
The gritty Iraq drama is the first war on terror movie to enjoy really success both critically and commercially, possibly due to it's human story and total lack of politics and sides.
Bigelow would be the first female filmmaker to pick up Best Director on Sunday if she was to win and it could be The Hurt Locker that dominates the show.
Inglourious Basterds
While it's widely been regarded as a two horse race for this award many believe that it's Quentin Tarantino's war movie Inglourious Basterds that could rain on the Avatar/ The Hurt Locker parade.
Basterds is Tarantino's most successful movie as it enjoyed both critical and box office success when it was released last year.
While the movie has been nominated at the Golden Globes and a string of critics awards it's Christoph Waltz's performance that has been taking home all the gongs.
While Waltz is practically guaranteed an Oscar possibly Tarantino's best chance will come in the Best Original Screenplay category.
Precious
Precious is the small, gritty drama that the Academy Awards champion every year as Sapphire's novel gets the big screen treatment.
Directed by Lee Daniels the movie follows the troubled teenage years of Precious who is sexually, physically and emotionally abused by both parents.
The movie has made a star out of unknown actress Gabourey Sidibe who has found herself nominated for Best Actress at every major ceremony, and the Oscars is no different.
Perhaps in previous years this is the type of movie that would have won the Best Picture gong but in 2010 it has just been overshadowed by larger movies.
A Serious Man
Tagged in The Academy Awards