Oscars / Richard Douglas / 19 February 2009 / Leave a comment

They may not be as recognisable as their A-list counterparts but the nominees for the Other Oscars are equally deserving of recognition, says Richard Douglas. But who should you back to take the awards?

While Brad is talking to NBC about his characterisation of Benjamin Button and Mickey tells Fox about bulking up for The Wrestler there will be a parade of talent passing behind them on the red carpet.

They will be rubbing shoulders with the Winslets, the Penns, the Langellas and the Seymour Hoffmans on the way into to Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday night but you won't know who they are.

These are the people going for the 'Other Oscars'. The sound specialists, make-up artists and costume designers who will deserve their statues every bit as much as the A-listers.

Could you pick out Tom Stern, Claudio Miranda, Wally Pfister, Chris Menges, Roger Deakins and Anthony Dod Mantle in a crowd? No? Well one of them is going to win a prize for the Cinematography this weekend.

The trouble in this market is that punters can have a handle on the type of acting performance needed to take the Academy Award but, for example, the best art direction is far more difficult for the layman to determine.

It means that the markets have been diverted towards movies that have a 'buzz' in a certain areas. For example Dark Knight has a murky, stylish and distinctive look, therefore it figures highly in visual categories. At the same time, Slumdog Millionaire seems to have little opposition in all things musical.

But there are still areas of real interest.

Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir ([1.37]) is favoured to take the statue for Best Foreign Film. This animated feature, which discusses the director's own participation in the Lebanon War of 1982, has been building momentum for some time.

However there is a history of upsets in this category. Two years ago, the exquisite Pan's Labyrinth was shocked by The Lives of Others, before that No Man's Land pipped the highly-fancied Amelie. With that in mind The Class [6.6], which explores ethnicity in a Parisian middle school, must be a possibility. It won the Palme D'Or at Cannes and has been subject to concerted campaign of support by critics in US magazine Entertainment Weekly. Likewise, Departures ([3.35]) has drifted in.

There is also a whiff of interest in The Baarder Meinhof Complex ([11.5]), a film which recounts the exploit of German terrorists in the 1960s.

Wall-E's price at [1.09] is entirely justifiable in the Best Animated Film category. Cute, quirky and with an ethical background, this tale of a love-lorn robot is beautifully constructed. Perhaps the only surprise is that it did not make the Best Picture list. In another year, Kung Fu Panda ([10.5]) would be a contender but not this time. This film did sweep the board at the recent Annies, the animators' trade awards, but Pixar have this award nailed down

Yes, in 2007, Cars was surprisingly overlooked for Happy Feet but the warmth surrounding Wall-E will surely see it home.

In the Best Documentary Feature, it is hard to look past Man on Wire ([1.11]). The film recounts the build-up to and execution of an hour-long trapeze walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974. It is spectacular, worthy and has already been honoured by the Broadcast Film Critics, National Board of Review and Producers Guild. Of course Trouble the Water ([14.5]) can also claim the first two qualities. However, typically, this harrowing eye-witness tale of the devastation ravaged on New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina struggled to take more that £0.5m at the box office. America's most overlooked disaster is liable to get the same treatment the Academy.

Elsewhere, there is more value in tentatively laying than backing. Benjamin Button ([1.06]) seems a clear step ahead of Iron Man ([8.8]) and Dark Knight ([5.8]) on in the category of Best Visual Effects. The scene where Brad Pitt is born - baby-sized yet with the features of an old man - is particularly memorable. Meanwhile Slumdog Millionaire ([1.33]) recently picked up ACE Eddie Award and therefore seems likely to carry off the award for Best Editing.

There are two prizes for audio work. The best distinguishing definition I have found is "Sound Editing involves the creation of sound while Sound Mixing is simply mixing the sound into the film including effects, music, dialogue and adjusting the levels".

Wall-E and the Dark Knight both figure prominently here. However perhaps the market has been scrambled by Slumdog Millionaire's ([2.4]) victory in a broader sound category at the BAFTAs. Given the narrowness of the categories this is particularly hard to predict however there appears to be value in Wall-E for Sound Editing ([2.08]).

Finally, in the Art Direction category, The Changeling [18.0], Revolutionary Road [16.0], The Duchess [8.8] should not be that far removed from The Dark Knight ([2.96]) and Benjamin Button ([1.12]).

There is every chance the favourite will win but the Batman flick is strong in the running.