South Philly Review

Valid cases surely could be made for the rise of Sandra Bullock as the Best Actress front-runner, the impending milestone of Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first female to win Best Director and Lee Daniels being only the second black filmmaker ever nominated for a directing Oscar, but the biggest story of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards remains the one announced by the Academy’s Board of Governors last June: 10 Best Picture nominees.

Not since 1943 have more than five contenders competed for Oscar’s top prize. The widened field presumably was initiated to allow for more popular fare to slip in among typical Oscar bait, as well as remedy the telecast’s recent ratings slump. At least half of the initiative paid off, as this year’s Best Picture lineup is a mighty diverse bunch. Alongside usual suspects like The War Picture (“The Hurt Locker”) and The Sophisticated Adult Dramedy (“Up in the Air”), there’s an animated film (“Up”), a sci-fi thriller (“District 9”) and a cuddly crowd-pleaser (“The Blind Side”), none of which would likely have made the cut had there only been five slots.

The Best Picture race is really the only tough one to call among the six major categories, making it all the more interesting. Appropriately, on March 7, the final award of the evening is what will have viewers on the edge of their couches. As for the winners in acting and directing, those deals (and envelopes) are all but sealed.

Best Supporting Actress

Two surprise nominees showed up here: Maggie Gyllenhaal, who lacked a single precursor nomination for her work in “Crazy Heart,” and Penélope Cruz, who was up for Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe awards for her sultry turn in “Nine,” but whose chances seemed shaky given the film’s poor reception. Both pulled through, knocking out the likes of Julianne Moore (“A Single Man”) and Diane Kruger (“Inglourious Basterds”).

Two other gals, the lovely Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick of “Up in the Air,” came in for smooth landings as expected. But no one will be able to topple the victory of Mo’Nique, whose astounding portrayal of a monstrous mother in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” won her virtually every other Supporting Actress award.

Will win: Mo’Nique

Should win: Mo’Nique

Possible upset: None

Best Supporting Actor

Like Supporting Actress, this race was essentially over before it began. As the fearsome “Jew Hunter” in “Inglourious Basterds,” Austrian actor Christoph Waltz snatched up just about as many precursor trophies as Mo’Nique, beginning with the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

No other nominee — not Matt Damon for his athletic but overpraised turn in “Invictus,” Stanley Tucci for his creepy rapist in “The Lovely Bones,” Christopher Plummer for his portrayal of Leo Tolstoy in “The Last Station,” nor Woody Harrelson for his potent work in the military drama “The Messenger” — poses even a minimal threat.

Will win: Christoph Waltz

Should win: Christoph Waltz

Possible upset: None

Best Actress