Oscar Predictions: Best Art Direction

Last year’s nominees: Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Inception, The King's Speech, True Grit

Art Directors Guild Nominees:
Period Film: Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, The Help, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Fantasy Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Adventures of Tintin, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Contemporary Film: Bridesmaids, The Descendants, Drive, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The rundown: The contenders in this category are hard to pin down because the Art Directors Guild breaks it down into three separate categories, giving us fifteen nominees and even leaving out a few, namely “The Tree of Life” and “War Horse,” both of which are excellent bets. “The Artist” and “Hugo” are also all but guaranteed, and it seems that either “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” or “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” could round out the list. I’d love to see “Drive” here, but something tells me that’s wishful thinking. Watch out also for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” which could make a play here if votes can appreciate a contemporary film like that.

One possible crazy scenario: It’s not that crazy, but animated film “The Adventures of Tintin” could grab a spot.

Forecasted winner: "Hugo"