OSCAR 2011 PREDICTIONS: Costume Design

Alright, let's get back to this grind of ours, shall we? The Academy branch sure likes it when there things are pretty to the point of making one gag. Is it ever to a purpose. I'd like to think that "Jane Eyre" being here is a show of good faith. If there's anything that isn't up for debate about that one, it's the wear of the characters. Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen. It could, and that's a very lively possibility. But then again, so is that "W.E." walks away with it, which I think we all believe is a worst case scenario. It would be a new low for them to award more towards "W.E." than they awarded towards... any film that got snubbed wrongfully this year.

Thankfully, I don't think that will happen. There are plenty others to steal the focus, even if they really shouldn't. "The Artist" and "Hugo" seem to be the two main contenders, as both are the main contenders for Best Picture, as of this moment anyway. If "Hugo" wins, everyone will inevitably start bandying about a "Hugo" night. If "The Artist" wins, things settle back into the way they were before. And if "Anonymous" wins... Oh, let's please be serious. There's no way in hell that is ever going to happen. It'd be cool, because those outfits are very flamboyant and obvious, but still very fun. At least they have a sense of humor.

Venice stacks favorites big and small

Toronto is a massive canvas, but you do suffer sensory overload with all those films playing against one another. I prefer the smaller and more tightly knit atmosphere around Cannes and Venice, because it just seems so much more homely. Festivals are best suited to beautiful cities, and Venice is putting together what seems like a perfect list of competitors. Of course there will be quite a few that don't stack up, and I'm getting ready for that bitter sting of disappointment. Many are making their sophomore attempts, which is usually when the one hit wonders are cut apart from rest.

Of course there's the debut film of the festival, George Clooney's The Ides of March, but that trailer seems a bit too clean for a tale of hubris. It looks like the sort of sophisticated film that will get Academy attention more than most. I'm obviously not looking for the films that will play better with the Academy. I'm looking for quality, and it's better found in other places. Tomas Alfredson's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has been gaining interest over the past month, and it still looks pretty intense and visually dynamic like Alfredson's last film. Maybe not a huge awards play, but definitely one I'm willing to follow.