Hugo

I went and saw Hugo in 3D partly because at this point there weren't many other options, but I'm glad I did.  It was absolutely exquisite in 3D.  I felt like "part of their world".  I'll be sad when this fad ends again.

Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield; Nanny McPhee Returns, Wolfman) is an orphan living within the clocks of a 1930s Parisian train station.  He learns how to fix clocks from his late father (Jude Law) who was a clockmaker.  As long as he keeps winding the clocks, a job his uncle (Ray Winstone; 13, Indian Jones and the Crystal Skull) had before he abandoned him, no one will notice he's there. So he spends his days winding up the clocks, hiding from the station inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen; Borat) so as not to get sent to the orphanage, and stealing parts from the toymaker (Ben Kingsley; Shutter Island, The Love Guru) to help fix the automaton his dad found in a museum attic.  With the help of the toymakers Goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz; 500 Days of Summer, Kick-Ass) they get the automaton working and start on an adventure to figure out why the automaton drew a picture signed by Georges Melies, the toymaker.

Hugo has the most Oscar nominations this year with 11, only two less than last year's Best Picture, The King's Speech.  Hmm, same decade, different countries, but same continent.  Interesting.  Anyway, Hugo leads this year with nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (one of my favorites Martin Scorsese), Best Editing, Best Music (Original Score), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay, based on the Novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick).

Ok let's quickly compare this to the King's Speech before I give my opinion.  The King's Speech won 4 out of its 13 nominations.  Best Director, Best Picture, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Colin Firth), and Best Writing (Original Screenplay) which goes to show that just because you're nominated for a lot doesn't mean you'll win a lot, but you may win the best ones (otherwise known as the only ones that count).  Rewind one more year.  Best Picture, The Hurt Locker, won 6 out of its 9 nominations.  Won for Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, Best Picture and Best Writing (Original Screenplay).  

Now for my predictions.   Hugo will most likely win Best Picture and Best Director, well because its Scorsese and he's like a legend.  Unfortunately he has only ever won one Oscar out of his many nominations.  That was for The Departed.  Do I think Hugo should win Best Picture?  Let's just say I'm hoping for The Descendants.  Although, it is a children's movie so if it won it will be a first.  Best Director?  Yes.  It'll probably win Best Writing as well.  As for the other categories... I don't really pay too much attention to editing because it was my least favorite subject in college so I'm not one to discuss that category.  I don't really remember the music so there's that, plus I'm still holding out for The Artist to win.  I do think it should win a lot of the more arty categories.  Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Visual Effects.  Costumes weren't that impressive because the characters all wore the same thing everyday, and it was hard for me to tell what year it was.  Sound Editing/Mixing I also don't pay too much attention to so I'm not really sure.  This could be Best Film, who knows.  Its another tough decision like last year.  We'll find out soon enough.  Be the judge yourself and go see it, in 3D.  If not, it comes out on DVD two days after the Oscars.