
Michel Haneke

Amour



Ang Lee

Life of Pi



David O. Russell

Silver Linings Playbook



Steven Spielberg

Lincoln



Benh Zeitlin

Beasts of the Southern Wild



Ty Burr says ...
With Bigelow and Affleck out of the race, Spielberg should easily triumph, and in fact Lincoln is exactly the kind of movie the Academy likes to throw Oscars at: important, historical, good, good for you. Lincoln may ultimately be Daniel Day-Lewiss and Tony Kushners film more than it is St. Stevens, but Oscar periodically likes to show this director love, and heres where itll happen. For all of Lees marvelous world-building in Pi, the films message is muddled.
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Will win
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln -
Should win
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
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Shouldn't be here
Ang Lee, Life of Pi -
Was robbed
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Janice Page says ...
Given that the worst thing about the otherwise first-rate Lincoln is its schmaltzy Spielbergian touches, from soldiers reciting the Gettysburg Address (hey, at least they cast some black people) to an ending that cant resist making an aria of a sons grief, it would be nice to see an upset in this category. But no Affleck and no Kathryn Bigelow equals no competition for Spielberg. Unless Harvey Weinstein can manage to . . . Nah.
-
Will win
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln -
Should win
Michael Haneke, Amour
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Shouldn't be here
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln -
Was robbed
Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom