Oscar picks for 2011

My choices for the best in 2011 film.

Top picks denoted with a (*).

Best Picture of the Year
“The Descendants”
*“Drive”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Hugo”
“Martha Marcy May Marlene”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Project Nim”
“Rebirth”
“The Skin I Live In”
“The Tree of Life”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
*George Clooney in “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
Michael Fassbender in “A Dangerous Method”
Ryan Gosling in “Drive”
Owen Wilson in “Midnight in Paris”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Juliette Binoche in “Certified Copy”
Catherine Deneuve in “Potiche”
Keira Knightley in “A Dangerous Method”
Elizabeth Olsen in “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
*Tilda Swinton in “We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Albert Brooks in “Drive”
John Hawkes in “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Ben Kingsley in “Hugo”
Viggo Mortensen in “A Dangerous Method”
*John C. Reilly in “Terri”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Elena Anaya in “The Skin I Live In”
Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
Sarah Paulson in “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
*Shailene Woodley in “The Descendants”

Best Achievement in Directing
“The Descendants” Alexander Payne
*“Drive” Nicolas Winding Refn
“Hugo” Martin Scorsese
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” Sean Durkin
“The Skin I Live In” Pedro Almodóvar

Best Screenplay Based On Material Previously Produced or Published
“A Dangerous Method” screenplay by Christopher Hampton
*“The Descendants” screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Drive” screenplay by Hossein Amini
“Hugo” screenplay by John Logan
“The Skin I Live In” screenplay by Pedro Almodóvar

Best Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen
“The Artist” written by Michel Hazanavicius
*“Martha Marcy May Marlene” written by Sean Durkin
“Midnight in Paris” written by Woody Allen
“Take Shelter” written by Jeff Nichols
“The Tree of Life” written by Terrence Malick

Best Achievement In Art Direction
“The Artist” Laurence Bennett, production designer; Robert Gould, set decorator
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” Stuart Craig, production designer; Stephenie McMillan, set decorator
*“Hugo” Dante Ferretti, production designer; Francesca Lo Schiavo, set decorator
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Claude Paré, production designer; Elizabeth Wilcox, set decorator
“The Skin I Live In” Antxón Gómez, production designer; Carlos Bodelón, art director

Best Achievement In Cinematography
“Drive” Newton Thomas Sigel
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” Eduardo Serra
“Hugo” Robert Richardson
“The Skin I Live In” José Luis Alcaine
*“The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Achievement In Costume Design
*“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” Jany Temime
“Hugo” Sandy Powell
“Midnight in Paris” Sonia Grande
“Potiche” Pascaline Chavanne
“Water for Elephants” Jacqueline West

Best Achievement In Film Editing
“The Descendants” Kevin Tent
*“Drive” Mat Newman
“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” Zachary Stuart-Pontier
“The Skin I Live In” José Salcedo

Best Achievement In Makeup
*“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Insidious”
“Thor”

Best Achievement In Music (Original Score)
“The Artist” Ludovic Bource
“Drive” Cliff Martinez
*“Hugo” Howard Shore
“The Skin I Live In” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse” John Williams

Best Achievement In Music (Original Song)
“Coeur Volant” from “Hugo”
“Lay Your Head Down” from “Albert Nobbs”
*“Life’s a Happy Song” from “The Muppets”
“Shelter” from “Take Shelter”
“So Long” from “Winnie the Pooh”

Best Achievement In Sound
“Drive”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
*“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Super 8”

Best Achievement In Sound Editing
*“Drive”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“We Need to Talk About Kevin”

Best Achievement In Visual Effects
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”
“Hugo”
“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”
*“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“The Tree of Life”

Best Feature Length Animated Film
*“Arthur Christmas”
“Puss in Boots”
“Winnie the Pooh”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Certified Copy” France
“Pina” Germany
“A Separation” Iran
*“The Skin I Live In” Spain
“Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” Thailand

Best Documentary Film
“The Interrupters”
“Pina”
“Project Nim”
*“Rebirth”
“Tabloid”

Special Awards:
Consistency in Performance: Jessica Chastain in “The Debt,” “The Help,” “Take Shelter” and “The Tree of Life”

Ensemble Cast: “Midnight in Paris”

Music Supervision: “Drive”

Stuntwork: “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”

Voice Over Performance: Antonio Banderas in “Puss in Boots”

Special Achievement: Andy Serkis and WETA Digital for motion capture performance breakthroughs in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

And because limiting nominees isn't enough for acting categories, honorable mentions to the following performances...

Best actor: Michael Shannon (“Take Shelter); Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”); Gary Oldman (“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”); Mel Gibson (“The Beaver”)

Best actress: Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”); Michelle Williams (“My Week with Marilyn”); Jessica Chastain (“Take Shelter”); Kirsten Dunst (“Melancholia”)

Best supporting actor: Ezra Miller (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”); Jeremy Irons (“Margin Call”); Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”)

Best supporting actress: Octavia Spencer (“The Help”); Elle Fanning (“Super 8”); Robin Wright (“The Conspirator”); Helen McCrory (“Hugo”)