THE LISTS: My 5 Favorite Oscar Wins

I could go on about how this Oscar season has been a treacherous road from the start, or some other jargon you've heard dozens of times before and will likely hear dozens of times again. However, I felt applied towards a list for this occasion, and one that strays on the much more optimistic side of things. I've been watching the Academy Awards since March 24th, 2002, when the biggest award I remember was "Shrek" winning Best Animated Feature. Of course, the young mind will only remember that which is acquainted well with it, but since then I have had plenty of significant Oscar moments based on the phenomenon of who won.

In picking out five, I felt inclined to strip away the facade of what was most overwhelmingly deserving. As such, Heath Ledger's Best Supporting Actor win for his knife-edge performance in "The Dark Knight" didn't make the cut, because I didn't feel the moment. Everyone knew it was going to win, but to the point where nobody really cared as much as they should have when it happened. To me, this list always had to be about the passion I felt for the winners, sometimes at that moment, and others massively in retrospect. This night marks ten years in the game, however inadvertently, and I doubt a win will surface that disrupts one of these, but I remain optimistic that it will.

Oscar 2010 Predictions: Art Direction

If it seems like I'm pegging The King's Speech as the potential upset in most categories it's nominated for, that's because I am. When it comes down to it, there are only two categories that Tom Hooper's film deserves to win for, and the rest are undeserving. I'd be a little lighter on it in terms of this category if there wasn't such vivid competition. The visuals in the film are only occasionally inspiring, but definitely not more than the other nominees. Alice in Wonderland, while rendered hideously revolting by the visual effects, has some of the most stunning and colorful art direction of 2010. That being said, it's chances are squashed by the end product.

As far as period films go, Joel & Ethan Coen's True Grit has the upper hand in terms of visualization, although much of that is due to Roger Deakins' cinematography. I don't expect much in terms of art direction. The film I think is most deserving of the win is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. The sets they built for Malfoy Manor, the Weasley Wedding, and the Ministry of Magic, along with the unprecedented scope of the set design really should put this at the head of the pack. Somehow it doesn't, so I'm going to say the film that most likely will win is Christopher Nolan's Inception. In a film entirely dependent on elaborate architecture, the prowess is brought much closer to the surface by Ariadne's character. You look around at the surroundings because it's part of her creation. The King's Speech might take that away, but I dearly hope not.