And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to..

[Krug]

Who do you think will win Best Picture for the Oscars?

 

[Crothian]

Hurt Locker seems to be the best though I haven't seen it. Of the 4 up there i have seen I'm not sure any of them were really good enough for a nomination.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

My best guess to win the award would be Hurt Locker. I haven't seen it so the choice is based on other impressions.

Which one is genuinely the best movie? Also tough to say since I haven't seen much more than half of the nominees. I found Blind Side to be very good though. I'm a little surprised at the praise for Inglorious Basterds, which though it was good didn't strike me at all as best picture material.

Of course ultimately I just don't much care. The way the Academy votes I don't think is deeply illustrative of much in the primary award categories except Hollywood insider politics and sensibilities. They're less about which is actually the superior work than who they want to recognize for whatever reasons. Just because they open up the number of nominees doesn't change why they vote the way they vote.

 

[Krug]

I voted for The Hurt Locker, which I thought was very good but not great. Still, there have been a lot of lesser films that have won the Best Picture Oscar. (cough Crash cough)

 

[Rackhir]

My guess would be Precious. Hollywood LOVES seeing people ACTING!!!!!!!! in big bold letters and there's lots of that going on in Precious. Just look at all the people who have won Oscars playing the insane or dying. Precious just hits too many of the things that Hollywood loves awarding oscars for. None of this is a knock against the acting in Precious, it is first rate by all accounts, but Hollywood has never rewarded the subtle in movies.

Hurt Locker would definitely be my second choice though. It may pick up the best picture oscar if it looks like Precious is going to take a lot of the acting awards.

I really and truly hope that Avatar does not get a best picture oscar. A fun film, that deserves to sweep the technical awards, but hopelessly cliched.

 

[Mark]

I think the massive technical achievement and box office juggernaut will carry the day despite a simple script and lack of "big acting moments."

 

[Relique du Madde]

Avatar because Hollywood likes patting themselves on the back for a "job well done."

Unfortunately, since I haven't seen most of the other movies, I'm not able to give an opinion on which one really deserves to win.

 

[JediSoth]

I'll preface this by saying, I've only seen two of the movies listed.

It would not surprise me if Avatar won the Oscar. I think Up deserves it more, though.

 

[Mistwell]

My money is on Avatar.

Best Picture is not a story award, nor an acting award. It's an overall award, and being a "landmark" type film is pretty darn important for overall awards.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I've only seen three of the movies listed:
- Avatar
- District 9
- Inglorious Bastards

I really loved Inglorious Bastards. I liked District 9.
But Avatar really rocked. No, its story wasn't anything spectacular. But it's visuals were. They have build a rich, detailed world with an immense beauty, and they created visual effects for it that made it feel "real enough".
I do remember when the Startrek franchise switched from modelwork to CGI (I think it happened either during or with Voyager) - I could see the difference, not always, but often enough. The Star Wars prequels might have been spectacular, but the CGI was impossible to miss. Avatar is the first movie that managed create an immersive experience in its CGI.. I am sure with time even that can be improved one and I might learn to see the difference (better), but at this point, it is a new level achieved.