It's that time of year: the nominations have been announced and the Academy Awards are drawing ever closer. But if you haven't quite gotten around to seeing all the contenders yet, or if you're not sure who the runners and riders are, we have the solution here: a perfect line-up of arguments for and against each and every nominee. Whatever point you're trying to make, this will help you out. First up: the 10 contenders for Best Picture...
Why It Will Win
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarbulletgreen.gif)It’s a strong dramatic story from a respected director, offering a look behind the scenes of a usually closed-off world. Whether real ballet dancers agree on its accuracy probably doesn’t matter much here: it *feels *authentic onscreen.
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarbulletred.gif)While the film has had generally positive reviews, the people who dislike it REALLY dislike it, and they have been vocal in their criticisms.This is the black horse candidate that's been galloping faster and faster through awards season. It's sufficiently traditional in subject matter and execution for older voters, but has enough of an edge (the drug addiction subplot) for younger viewers.While this has three Supporting Actor and Actress nods and is heavily tipped in those categories, lead Mark Wahlberg missed out in his category, which doesn't bode well.Oscar generally respects box-office success, and Inception turned an unlikely subject into a barnstorming blockbuster - without much in the way of intellectual compromise.The fact that the film missed out on Best Director and Best Editing is a very bad omen for its chances of taking home the big prize.It's about time we had a film about committed, loving lesbian parents winning an Oscar. If Kathryn Bigelow winning Best Director heralded a new era of equality, here's a way to build on that.It was branded with the Comedy / Musical label at the Globes, which is something of an Oscar handicap even if it did win that category.Given%20the%20famed%20conservatism%20of%20Oscar%20voters,%20it%20might%20be%20a%20little%20(gasp!?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Why It Will Win
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarbulletgreen.gif)This couldn't be more Oscar-friendly if you stripped it naked and painted it gold: period drama, royal subject matter, towering performances, polished production and intelligent sheen. All the necessary ingredients are present and correct.The%20King's%20Speech%20is%20the%20most-nominated%20film,%20which%20is%20at%20least%20indicative%20of%20some%20Academy%20love%20(even%20though%20it's%20not%20guarantee%20of%20a%20big%20win%20-%20just%20ask%20Dreamgirls?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Why It Won't Win
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarbulletred.gif)If the Academy really wants to make itself feel relevant to younger Americans, this is emphatically not the film to do it. That'd be The Social Network - and this Academy *did* favour Crash over Brokeback, so they do like a bit of contemporary sometimes.It's based on a true story, is innovatively told and built around an astonishingly good performance. It's also directed by a previous winner.It hasn't had the buzz going into this season that The King's Speech, The Social Network and The Fighter have.It's the most 'important' film of the lot, the one most in touch with the zeitgeist and something that discusses a subject familiar to everyone in a way that felt fresh. Remember, this is the Academy that gave Crash an award, so they occasionally like to connect with the modern world.It's not as traditionally Oscar-y as The King's Speech - and we wonder if Academy voters are really down with the kids on this whole "inter-webs" thing.It%20is%20the%20highest-grossing%20film%20on%20the%20list,%20ahead%20of%20Inception.%20While%20that's%20no%20guarantee%20(cough%20cough%20Avatar%20cough?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarbulletgreen.gif)It's the best-reviewed film of last year, winning almost universal acclaim. It managed the titanic feat of being every bit as good as its illustrious predecessors.Seriously,%20animation%20really%20doesn't%20get%20a%20look-in.%20That's%20why%20neither%20of%20the%20previous%20Toy%20Stories%20made%20the%20list%20(back%20in%20the%20days%20when%20it%20was%20five%20films%20long?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
](http://empireonline.media/jpg/50/0/0/640/480/aspectfit/0/0/0/0/0/0/l/uploaded/oscarbulletred.gif)Animation doesn't win Best Picture. This is only the third animated film nominated.It stars The Dude. Who doesn't love The Dude? And it's directed by the Coens. Who doesn't love the Coens? It's a Western, and the Academy still loves Westerns: see also Dances With Wolves, No Country For Old Men (also, the latter's a Coens. PROOF!).It doesn't have that all-important Best Editing nod, which means that if it did win it would break a tradition stretching back 30 years.This is exactly the sort of film that Oscar *should* reward to spur on the industry: a tiny-budgeted, fiercely independent-minded effort that tells a compelling story.It's a tiny-budgeted, fiercely independent-minded effort: when did one of those ever win?![