The 2nd Annual Oscar Hut Awards 2009-2010

I saw over 60 movies in theatres over the last year of the last decade. There were some instant classics, films i loved, movies i enjoyed to an extent and of course cinema that can only be described as downright vile, putrid shit on celluloid. The Oscar Hut Awards, which as of yet have no official nickname (I'm taking suggestions!) are my way of honoring what i felt to be excellence in cinema from January 2009 to January 2010. There were a few titles that ended up passing me by over the year, some that I wish I could have seen in time, but alas, they ended up being ineligible.

So, without further pause, I now present to you, the 2ND Annual Oscar Hut Awards!

Top 10 Films of 2009-2010

10. The Lovely Bones

9. District 9

8. Adventureland

7. Up

6. Star Trek

5. Precious: Based on the novel by Sapphire

4. Avatar

3. Up in The Air

2. Inglourious Basterds

1. A Serious Man

2009 was an great year for film, I only gave out a few grades for films that were lower than a C, because I truly enjoyed nearly every film I saw over the year in some way, unless that film was Transformers 2, New Moon or The Final Destination 3D. The best film I saw last year though was undoubtedly what I feel is the Coen Brother's masterpiece, A Serious Man. It left me stunned and with questions that plagued my mind for weeks until I came up with the ultimate solution to these queries: A Serious Man is THE BEST film of 2009.

Best Director

5. Jason Reitman for Up in The Air

4. Katherine Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

3. Joel Coen & Ethan Coen for A Serious Man

2. Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

1. James Cameron for Avatar

Each and every director listed here undoubtedly left their mark on cinema in 2009. Jason Reitman made the year's most socially relevant movie. Katherine Bigelow handed down the most kinetically charged. The Coen Brothers gave us the year's most thought provoking work. Quentin Tarantino delivered the most intelligently playful film. The winner here is a man whose previous seminal work, Titanic, is a film I have never been overly into to. However, with Avatar, James Cameron cements himself as the world's greatest living showman. Avatar is the most visually fantastic film of 2009. It changed the landscape of cinematic technology and revolutionized motion captured performance art. All of this was due to the decades worth of effort layed onto the screen by James Cameron, a master of his craft.

Best Actor in a Leading Role

5. Johnny Depp for Public Enemies

4. Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker

3. Sharlto Copley for District 9

2. George Clooney for Up in The Air

1. Adam Sandler for Funny People

2009 was also a year for great leading men performances. I limit myself to the five best in my opinion, leaving off great work from people like Tobey Maguire, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Matt Damon. As for my top 5, it was extremely difficult to peg down my number one. In the end I went Adam Sandler's performance in Judd Apatow's Funny People, which happens to be his best yet. The best way express my feelings about Sandler's work here is to simply tell you to watch the bedroom breakdown scene halfway through the movie. It is angry, raw and painfully realistic to point that I feel uncomfortable just watching it. Sandler definitely left his mark on the screen in Funny People by shedding the shtick that made him a household name in favor of nuance and raw emotional honesty.

Best Actress in A Leading Role

5. Maya Rudolph for Away We Go

4. Meryl Streep for It's Complicated

3. Saoirse Ronan for The Lovely Bones

2. Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the novel by Sapphire

1. Carey Mulligan for An Education

I must admit, I felt 2009 was a rather weak year for leading women. There were great performances, there can be no mistaking that, but those great performances were few and far between. I feel like my top 5, however, is a fantastic representation of 2009. We have the two big breakouts, A solid lead turn from a yong actress better known for her supporting roles, yet another fantastic piece of work from Meryl Streep as if thats suprising these days, and a suprising portrayal from Maya Rudolph, better known for her days spent as a minor cast member on SNL. The best performance by an actress this year was delivered by Carey Mulligan in a "star is born" type performance in An education. She perfectly captures the transformation of her character Jenny from being just another teenage girl into being a young woman. Mulligan is touching, souful and resonates throughout the entire picture. Heres hoping she has a healthy long career ahead of her.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

5. Stephen Lang for Avatar

4. Mark Ruffalo for The Brothers Blooom

3. Anthony Mackie for The Hurt Locker

2. Jackie Earl Haley for Watchmen

1. Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Christoph Waltz's performance in Inglourious Basterds was hands down the best performance by any actor in 2009, if one of the best of the entire decade. Waltz's embodiment of Quentin Tarantino's creation, Hans Landa, was charming, intense, profound, smart and downright terrifying. Waltz is so good in Inglourious Basterds that he wipes every other performer in the film off of the screen, sometimes with little more than a gesture. He is perfect in this film. His competitors, 4 men from 4 completely different movies represent my rundown of the other most unforgettable supporting performances of 2009. Jackie Earl Haley made Watchmen. Anthony Mackie was the soul behind The Hurt Locker. Mark Ruffalo played the perfect brother and con man in The Brothers Bloom. And finally, besides Waltz, Stephen Lang created 2009's other instantly iconic villain in Avatar. They were all great, yet none could measure up to Waltz.

Best Supporting Actress

5. Anna Kendrick for Up in The Air

4. Vera Farmiga for Up in The Air

3. Melanie Laurent for Inglourious Basterds

2. Marion Cottilard for Public Enemies

1. Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the novel by Sapphire

Like Christoph Waltz in the Supporting Actor category, one woman completely tore a hole in the screen in 2009, nearly decimating all of her competition in the Supporting Actress field. The suprising thing about this woman is that she is someone you would never expect to be able to accomplish such a feat of raw intensity, of such nuance and depth of such skill. Marion Cottilard was phenominal in Public Enemies, yet she is not the actress I speak of. Neither is Melanie Laurent whose breakthrough performance in Inglourious Basterds was excellent. The same goes for Up in The Air's one-two punch of Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, both of whom in another year could have found themselves atop the pile. No, the woman I am talking about is an actress whose biggest credits thus far include Soul Plane, Phat Girlz and Beerfest. The lady I speak of is none other than Mo'Nique. Mo'Nique's performance in Precious speaks for itself. If you have seen the film, you already understand why she's my number one. If you havent, you need to go out right now and find a theatre where this is playing because it is a must see, principally because of Mo'Nique's work in the film.

Best Screenplay

5. Away We Go by Dave Eggars and Vendella Vida

4. The Hurt Locker by Mark Boal

3. Up in The Air by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

2. Inglorious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino

1. A Serious Man by Joel & Ethan Coen

Best Film Editing

5. The Hurt Locker

4. District 9

3. Star Trek

2. Inglourious Basterds

1. Avatar

Best Cinematography

5. Sherlock Holmes

4. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

3. Inglourious Basterds

2. Avatar

1. Where The Wild Things Are

Best Art Direction

5. Star Trek

4. Sherlock Holmes

3. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2. The Imaginarium of Docter Parnassus

1. Inglourious Basterds

Best Costume Design

5. Bruno

4. Nine

3. Sherlock Holmes

2. The Imaginarium of Docter Parnassus

1. Inglourious Basterds

Best Original Score

5. Avatar by James Horner

4. The Informant! by Marvin Hamlisch

3. Star Trek by Michael Giacchino

2. Sherlock Holmes by Hans Zimmer

1. Up by Michael Giacchino

And Now For The Extras!

Best Acting Ensemble

5. A Serious Man

4. Star Trek

3. Away We Go

2. Up in The Air

1. Inglourious Basterds

Best Breakthrough Performance

5. Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the novel by Sapphire

4. Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the novel by Sapphire

3. Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds

2. Carey Mulliagn for An Education

1. Sharlto Copley for District 9

Best Body of Work

5. Matt Damon for The Informant! and Invictus

4. Stephen Lang for Avatar, Men Who Stare At Goats and Public Enemies

3. Marion Cottilard for Nine and Public Enemies

2. George Clooney for fantastic Mr. Fox, Men Who Stare At Goats

1. Michael Fassbender for Hunger and Inglourious Basterds

BestActor in a Cameo/Limited Performance

5. Jeff Daniels for Away We Go

4. Jason Bateman for State of Play

3. Bill Murray for Zombieland

2. Richard Sammel for Inglourious Basterds

1. Eminem for Funny People

Best Actress in a Cameo/Limited Performance

5. Sarah Silverman for Funny People

4. Carla Gugino for Watchmen

3. Tina Fey for The Invention of Lying

2. Maggie Gylenhaal for Away We Go

1. Carrie Preston for Duplicity

Best Opening Scene

5. Up

4. Watchmen

3. Star Trek

2. A Serious Man

1. Inglourious Basterds

Best Ending

5. Duplicity

4. The Hurt Locker

3. Up in The Air

2. Inglourious Basterds

1. A Serious Man

Best Credits Sequence(Beginning or End)

5. An Education (Opening Credits)

4. Up in The Air (Opening & Closing Credits)

3. Zombieland (Opening Credits)

2. Sherlock Holmes (Closing Credits)

1. Watchmen (Opening Credits)

Film Maker of the Year

5. J.J. Abrams for Star Trek

4. Judd Apaptow, Jody Hill & Greg Mottola for Comedy on Film in 2009

3. Wes Anderson, Pete Docter, Henry Selick for Animation in 2009

2. Weta Technology for Technological advancements in Filmmaking

1. James Cameron for Avatar's box office, cultural impact and advancing cinematic technology