It's full steam ahead to cinema's night of nights as the biggest film on the planet goes head to head against Saddam, Nazi's, incest, allegorical aliens, Clooney and the Coen brothers for Oscar glory.
This year's Academy Awards pitches James Cameron's unsinkable
Avatar against ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow's war film with a conscience,
The Hurt Locker, with both scoring nine nominations including nods for best picture and director. The nominees for best picture, which doubled to ten this year as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences grapples to retain audience numbers and battle declining television ratings, includes Quentin Tarantino's sprawling Nazi drama
Inglourious Basterds, Up in the Air, District 9, the Disney-Pixar animation
Up and festival favourite
Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire.
Precious director Lee Daniels (pictured with best actress nominee Gabourey Sidibe) made Oscar history by becoming the first black director of a best picture nominee and told the New York Times that he hoped the Oscar attention would bring more viewers to the movie.
“That’s what these awards do,” the NY Times quotes the director as saying. “A lot of middle-class white Americans haven’t seen the film yet.”
Sandra Bullock looks to be a strong contender for best actress after winning a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for her turn as a Christian mum who takes a homeless high-school football player into her home in
The Blind Side, which also picked up a best picture nomination.
Aussie hope Abbie Cornish missed out again for her critically acclaimed turn in Jane Campion's
Bright Star, which scored only one nomination for costume design.
Best picture
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
"Up in the Air"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Up"
"The Blind Side"
"District 9"
"An Education"
"A Serious Man"
Director
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Best Actor
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker
Best Actress
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"