Commentary: 2009 Chicago Film Critics Nominations

A few days ago, the Chicago Film Critics Association named their nominations for the 2009 awards. Now, after this group gave so much love to The Dark Knight last year, I was so elated that I did a commentary and predictions on that race as well. In the end, I didn't know my Chicago critics as well as I thought I did. But since commentary on the Golden Globes and SAG Awards have been done to death, I'll take an in-depth look on the home front.

Best Picture

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

A Serious Man

Up in the Air

Where the Wild Things Are

In the past years, this group has chosen films like Sideways, Crash, The Departed, No Country for Old Men, and WALL*E as the top winners, sometimes making this category a difficult one to predict. Sometimes Chicago goes with the rest of the pact, and sometimes they decide to be an individual. Because Up in the Air and The Hurt Locker have been the favorites so far, I'm going to venture they're going to chose between the two of them. My guess is the latter. The mentions for A Serious Man and Where the Wild Things Are make excellent mentions, I don't think they'll have much traction.

Predicted winner: The Hurt Locker

Possible Upset: Up in the Air

Best Director

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen - A Serious Man

Spike Jonze - Where the Wild Things Are

Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

The second consecutive year in which the Best Director and Picture nominees are five for five here. With that, I'm going to give the edge to frontrunner Bigelow. Although, the Coens and Tarantino have been shown love here before, but I actually think the upset here will be Jonze, considering Wild Things's great showing, and it would be great if that ended up happening.

Predicted Winner: Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Possible Upset: Spike Jonze - Where the Wild Things Are

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

George Clooney - Up in the Air

Matt Damon - The Informant!

Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man

The absence of Morgan Freeman and Colin Firth make this a little bit more interesting, the this is still a race between the two that are also guaranteed nominations. I'm pretty confident that either Bridges or Clooney will end up taking it here, but considering Crazy Heart has only had an advanced screening, it's difficult for me to fairly judge. As of now, I'm going to say Bridges, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Clooney ends up the winner here. Also, the Stuhlbarg mention is kinda nice.

Predicted Winner: Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

Possible Upset: George Clooney - Up in the Air

Best Actress

Abbie Cornish - Bright Star

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Maya Rudolph - Away We Go

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

So glad about the mentions for Cornish and Rudolph, the latter in particular. These are two strong performances that deserved more attention than they got. That said, I don't see this group's pick being very different from the rest of the groups out there, so I'm going ahead with Mulligan. Maybe Sidibe might take it, but she's got the Breakthrough award going for her already.

Predicted winner: Carey Mulligan - An Education

Possible Upset: Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Best Supporting Actor

Peter Capaldi - In the Loop

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger

Christian McKay - Me and Orson Welles

Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

I love, love LOVE the nomination for Peter Capaldi. In the Loop was the year's best comedy, and much of that is because of Capaldi's shark like performance. I also like the mention for Christian McKay, who looks really great in his movie as well. I think it is pretty much confirmed that Harrelson will get a nomination, which is a little nice since all this buzz started with the NBR nomination. Needless to say, we have another year of Best Supporting Actor with four place holders to make way for the big winner.

Predicted winner: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Possible Upset: Christian McKay - Me and Orson Welles

Best Supporting Actress

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air

Mo'Nique - Precious

Julianne Moore - A Single Man

Natalie Portman - Brothers

The one mention for Brothers should have gone to either Tobey Maguire or Bailee Madison. Portman is good, but the other two are incredible. Other than that, it's a pretty tame list featuring the usual suspects. Look for Mo'Nique to take another one.

Predicted Winner: Mo'Nique - Precious

Possible Upset: Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay

Away We Go

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

A Serious Man

Up

Away We Go is a nice surprise, and about the only one here. Now, it would make sense to choose The Hurt Locker, but this is going to be my bold prediction against the film. I will actually call it for A Serious Man, only because it seems that some Chicago critics have complained about The Hurt Locker's script. However, if it did win, I wouldn't be surprised.

Predicted Winner: A Serious Man

Possible Upset: The Hurt Locker

Best Adapted Screenplay

An Education

In the Loop

The Informant!

Up in the Air

Where the Wild Things Are

Again, another great mention for In the Loop and Where the Wild Things Are. While I think both of them could have good possibilities of pulling off an upset, I really don't see either taking it away from Reitman's script. Chicago has shown time and time again they love this guy, and they'll reward him.

Predicted Winner: Up in the Air

Possible Upset: Where the Wild Things Are

Best Documentary Feature

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Capitalism: A Love Story

The Cove

Food, Inc.

Tyson

Predicted Winner: The Cove

Possible Upset: Capitalism: A Love Story

Best Foreign Film

Broken Embraces

Red Cliff

Sin Nombre

Summer Hours

The White Ribbon

Predicted Winner: Sin Nombre

Possible Upset: The White Ribbon

Best Animated Feature

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Ponyo

The Princess and the Frog

Up

Predicted Winner: Up

Possible Upset: Coraline

Best Cinematography

Avatar

Bright Star

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Where the Wild Things Are

Predicted Winner: Where the Wild Things Are

Possible Upset: The Hurt Locker

Best Original Score

Avatar

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Informant!

Up

Where the Wild Things Are

Predicted Winner: Up

Possible Upset: Where the Wild Things Are

Most Promising Performer

Sharlto Copley - District 9

Christian McKay - Me and Orson Welles

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Max Records - Where the Wild Things Are

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Predicted Winner: Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Possible Upset: Max Records - Where the Wild Things Are

Most Promising Filmmaker

Neill Blomkamp - District 9

Scott Cooper - Crazy Heart

Carey Fukunaga - Sin Nombre

Duncan Jones - Moon

Marc Webb - (500) Days of Summer

Predicted Winner: Neill Blomkamp - District 9

Possible Upset: Duncan Jones - Moon

The winners will be announced Monday. Let's see how close I am.