My Oscar Pick for Best Cinematography: Matthew Libatique - Black Swan

I just saw the movie tonight and man, all that camera focus on the face and body of Natalie Portman is just unnerving and it really just works!  You are just so in focus at what is happening to Natalie's character that you are drawn in to what she is feeling and experiencing as she goes from kookoo to major kookoo!  Everything feels claustrophobic and overbearing - just the way Natalie's character is really feeling.  Now how's that for camera handling!

My Oscar Pick for Best Costume Design: Colleen Atwood - Alice in Wonderland

Colleen Atwood is a perennial nominee, and has won this award twice already - for Chicago and Memoirs of A Geisha.  She is my pick this year for the beautiful and creative clothes she designed for Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland.  It is a wonderful interpretation of the world created by Lewis Carrol.  I just really like it!

My Oscar Pick for Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer - Inception

My initial vote actually went to The Social Network. I would've also loved to vote for 127 Hours since the score there really helped the movie. However, I think it's the music of Inception that has helped to highlight the tension in the movie. I think Hans Zimmer has done a fantastic job in making the music as breathtaking as the visual effects in the movie. As those buildings crumble and the dreams fold into the other dreams, you can hear it in the music as well - that feeling of dread and destruction cannot be mistaken!

My Oscar Pick for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing: Inception

This movie literally took my breath away - visual effects-wise! I actually saw all the nominees in this category, and this is the one in my book that should win! That scene alone were they were 'floating' in the room and that fight scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt fought off the dream snatchers was fascinating to watch!  And well, in the sound mixing and sound editing categories, Inception also gets my vote. How can the visual work without the sound?  Just not possible!  The two have to go together.

My Oscar Pick for Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network

Well, this guy just has to win this award! Really! Aaron Sorkin really deserves it!  The script for this movie is one of the wittiest I've seen in years and everything is compact and thrilling and helps move the movie forward!  I love the way Aaron depicts the arrogance of Zuckerberg as he faced that Harvard tribunal.  I love the exuberance of the character of Justin Timberlake.  I love the sadness that befell Andrew's character when he learns he's been brushed off.  All these emotions are depicted in words that Aaron sorted out for this movie.  Just give him the Oscar, please!

My Oscar Pick for Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan - Inception

This guy just has to win in this category!  He just took the 'dreaming' genre into a new dimension with his intensely original take on it in the movie Inception!  I just loved this movie.  Not only was it original, you'd have to peel layer after layer of it to fully understand what's going on.  I knew I was in a different zone when I first watched it, but after a second look - I finally understood (ok just a little) as to why this thing happened or why that thing happened.  Apparently, there was a logical reason why things were happening in the movie!  I just hoped the Academy voters did not get a headache piecing everything together!

My Oscar Pick for Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo - The Fighter

There is a strong batch of women in this year's Best Supporting Actress list, and in another year, I would've picked Hailee Steinfield, who does a remarkable job in True Grit.  But still, my vote still goes to Melissa Leo in The Fighter - my vote for the best acted movie in 2010.  Both Melissa and Christian just gave fantastic performances in this movie.  Melissa just embodied her role and made somebody, who we usually will not like, into someone we liked and cared for.  It was a strong portrayal of a mother who just wanted the best for her son yet ended up being the worst thing for him!

My Oscar Pick for Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale - The Fighter

I admit that I was one of those people who quizzically looked up onscreen and said, 'That's Christian Bale?" once his character came out in the film The Fighter.  He literally became 'the person' that he was supposed to act out in this movie.  It was just fascinating to watch his cportrayal embody the character from the beginning till the end of the movie. 

My Oscar Pick for Best Actress: Natalie Portman - Black Swan

I admit I will be one of those who will be shocked if she does not win for this role!  I know Annette Benning is long overdue for a win - but I don't think it should come from her movie - The Kids Are All Right.  Maybe for American Beauty - but not that movie.  Natalie just owned her character.  She was just exquisitely beautiful in this movie.  She also had to make her speaking voice a bit girly here.  I am just surprised Barbara Hershey did not get a nomination for her mother role however.  As for Natalie, she deserves to win.  One year of ballet practicing and the punishing role she had here, plus that phase of going from crazy to even crazier - not easy to stand on your toles like that, like what she did in the movie.  Academy - give it to her!!

My Oscar Pick for Best Director: David Fincher - The Social Network

I just love this guy's body of work!!  I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button three times - during its theatrical release!  I was just so moved by the movie!  And of course, who could forget The Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac and The Game - all movies that I really enjoyed and loved.  I think it was only Panic Room which I didn't quite like.  So it was a surprise for me to learn that he directed this film!  David Fincher doing a talkie! That's new!  He just really did a good job in making this film tight and gripping and interesting!

My Oscar Pick for Best Picture: The Social Network

It's one of those rare years where most of the Oscar-nominated movies have already been screened here in Manila.  This year, out of the ten Best Picture nominees, only The Kids Are All Right, Winter's Bone and The King's Speech have to make their way here - which is remarkable!  There were years when I was growing up, that I would see the Oscar-nominated movies, only after they've already won.

Anyhow, my pick for Best Picture would still be The Social Network.  I think the academy should give this award to this movie since among all the nominees, it has the most recent theme, and it chronicles something that is actually happening now!  Facebook has really revolutionized the social habits of today's youth.

It does help that David Fincher turns something that would, maybe, look boring on paper, look interesing on screen.  And I admit, I was transfixed with this movie, from that scene where Jesse Eisenberg was having this clever conversation with this co-ed up to the last scene.  I was really impressed!!  At that time, I had only seen Inception (which is equally impressive too!).  This film just took me on the rollercoaster ride that the characters in it were expressing.  I really actually cared for them!  And they're not even nice people!!