TOP 10: My 2012 Oscar Wish List

Rather than run down a list of great performances, movies, and craft achievements that I think flat-out deserve recognition, I'm going to stick with those that have something of a shot at getting nominated Tuesday morning. Accompanying each is a lock or near-lock that I'd be happy to see knocked out of the race. This in no way reflects my Oscar predictions. Rather, it's just my way of venting before the nominations actually come out.

10.) Best Supporting Actress: Janet McTeer for Melissa McCarthy
If there was an MTV Movie Award for best Zach Galifianakis impression, I'd be all about McCarthy getting recognized. As far as Oscar goes, however, a nod for the Bridesmaids star would be sad, especially over McTeer, who is in the hunt but not in a great spot. If only my favorite supporting actress performance—Anjelica Huston in 50/50—had gotten more buzz...

9.) Best Documentary Feature: If a Tree Falls… for Buck
Though I've made my bed with the exceptional How to Die in Oregon and The Interrupters, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front represents the cream of the crop in the shortlisted field. Buck, while a frontrunner, is a sloppy piece of non-fiction filmmaking. Let's hope the documentary branch atones for some of their mistakes from earlier this year by making the strongest field possible.

8.) Best Supporting Actor: Viggo Mortensen for Christopher Plummer
I liked Plummer's work in Beginners. I really did. It was the best thing about Mike Millis' subpar movie. But Viggo just owned A Dangerous Method. For a film with little going for it, a commanding performance like his shines through all the more, and it's a shame he's getting lost in the shuffle. Despite precursor notices here and there, his chances for a call Tuesday morning are unfortunately slim.

7.) Best Director: Tomas Alfredson for David Fincher
This one wasn't easy for I love David Fincher as much as the next person, but his The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a flawed motion picture from beginning to end. He does enough to salvage it, but when you put that up against Alfredson's work on the incredible Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, you can see real craftsmanship, attention to detail, and thoughtful storytelling at work. You could argue who had the greater challenge. I'm not sure anyone—the Academy included—could convince me Fincher lived up to his challenge in a more impressive way than Alfredson.

6.) Best Actress: Charlize Theron for Glenn Close
This one is tough because I actually really liked Close's work in Albert Nobbs, but Theron is incomparable in Young Adult. Mavis Gary is easily one of the year's strongest characters (props to Diablo Cody, as well, on that), and Theron knocks it out of the park. The competition in Best Actress seems too strong, unfortunately, and Theron will likely have to get behind my girl Elizabeth Olsen in the snub line.

5.) Best Picture: The Tree of Life for The Help
I still can't really shake my second viewing of The Tree of Life from my memory since I watched it on Blu-Ray back in November. My admiration for Terrence Malick's beautiful and moving film grows all the time, despite my frustration with aspects of it. Still, such an accomplishment is what the Oscars should be all about. They should be about sappy crowd-pleasers like Tate Taylor's film.

4.) Best Editing: Contagion for The Descendants
I hate the way the Best Editing category basically becomes a Best Picture precursor. Just give the frontrunners nominations and vote for whatever film seems poised to take home the top prize. I realize this isn't always the case. But when a film like Contagion (which is an editing showcase if I ever saw one) has been mostly absent from the conversation and appears destined for a snub in favor of The Descendants (a good film with unremarkable editing) something seems wrong.

3.) Best Original Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi for Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Yes, yes, yes. Bridesmaids was funny. Not hilarious, but funny. It was an amusing summer comedy that I'm starting to dislike simply because the hype and Oscar buzz is outrageous. Even in Best Original Screenplay, where one could conceivably see some Bridesmaids love, I'm not sold. Just look at some of the great writing around it. 50/50, Win Win, and best of all, A Separation—Iran's magnificent Best Foreign Language contender. It's a writer's showcase if I ever saw one and so much more satisfying than the silly comedic stylings of Wiig and Mumolo.

2.) Best Adapted Screenplay: Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughn for Tate Taylor
Speaking of screenplay category injustices, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy should be a prototype for future adaptations of lengthy novels. No, splitting it in two is not the right way to do it, nor is it to just make a crazy long movie (cough, Dragon Tattoo, cough). Condense the material down into what's essential and let your craftsmen enhance it with real style. That's what O'Connor and Straughn have accomplished with their work. And it's something Taylor just doesn't do with his messy screenplay for The Help.

1.) Best Actor: Woody Harrelson, Gary Oldman, or Michael Shannon for Leonardo DiCaprio
I thought and hoped J. Edgar was officially done after it tanked with critics and audiences alike. But the precursor voters have kept Leo alive all season long. It's a performance I found to be OK. But look at those around him that seem poised for snubland—Harrelson, Oldman, Shannon (just to name a few). These were tough roles to pull and all three actors did a wonderful job completely immersing themselves in the lives of their characters, while we're always aware that DiCaprio is onscreen imitating J. Edgar Hoover.