Final installement includes all the audio categories (Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Original Score, Original Song) and Visual Effects.
There's only one answer for Best Original Score. Michael Giacchino has been a loyal Pixar standby composer for years, coming up with scores that underscore the memorable films themselves and serve as an important sidepiece in films like the deserving Ratatouille (my favorite of that year's nominations). He's had several more noteworthy films scored over the years, including this year with the box office smash hit Star Trek. And then comes Up; his most memorable, his most immersive, his most emotionally resonant work yet. Already iconic in pop culture at this point — most streetgoers would be able to recognize the music if played for them. Every now and then there's just that music from a movie that will be forever remembered, and this one's it. Combined with his body of work from this year and his overdue work in the past (he even scored the Academy Awards themselves one year), I don't see anything beating Up, here.
My prediction: Up
Let's be real, the song with the most exposure tends to win the Best Original Song category. If not, the song with the most visible sequence in its respective film. If not that, then the one by an overdue and respected artist. "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart has all these ingredients, plus a lack of competition. All other film songs have virtually gone unnoticed. Princess and the Frog's songs will split whatever votes they get, no one liked Nine and no one saw Paris 36. The song's lyrics sum up the character the Lead Actor lock Jeff Bridges went through in the film. The song appeared throughout the film in a prominent role as his "comeback" song that represented his struggles the most that were only completed once his struggles were overcome. Ryan Bingham's sexy vocals (to match his exterior) provide a memorable listening experience. And endlessly rehearable. It was sung by A list star Colin Farrell as well, in the film. And T-Bone Burnett is a respected country artist who has done widely praised work that went with cruel snubs in the past like O Brother, Where Art Thou.
So, yeah. Another foregone conclusion.
My prediction: "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart
It seemed at first as if Avatar would sweep the audio categories until a recent push suggested that the film was only revolutionary visually, and that it does not deserve such recognition for its audio work. The Hurt Locker, upon reflection, does offer up a much more varied symphony of war sounds. Of the shrapnel that will kill you. The deafening march as each step you take could be over another IED. It adds to its atmosphere that makes you a nervous wreck throughout the film and is an invaluable addition to the nightmarish atmosphere of war — and this war, in particular.
Winning the guild rewarding Sound Mixing, The Hurt Locker stands a good chance at taking yet another statuette away from the Avatar crew; it seems that the people working in the sound department are the majority of who votes for these categories anyways (the vast majority who know less about it have been known to skip over them).
My prediction: The Hurt Locker
One of Avatar's few guild wins came for its work in the art of Sound Editing (for those who can't differentiate — sound mixing is making the sounds themselves and sound editing is how such sounds are applied to the film). It seems that the sound awards will split, throwing yet another bone to Avatar. Though if there's just too much passion for The Hurt Locker, it could win this one as well.
My prediction: Avatar
Avatar's been a lock to win the Visual Effects prize ever since it was announced years ago that Cameron had developed his own technology for this film. Personally, I feel that District 9 utilized its visual effects on a tenth of Avatar's budget far more realistically and more impressively. Not to say that Avatar won't open the door for a lot of movies ready to jump on this new technology, but just because it was introduced here does not mean it was perfected. A lot of the computer generated graphics seemed blurry, very clearly animated (like the characters), and moved unrealistically. Nor did the 3D viewing experience particularly add or take away from the film's viewing experience (was not nearly as immersive as something like say, Coraline). But, my opinion doesn't really matter. This is going to be Avatar's main prize of the night.
My prediction: Avatar
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