THE 2009 MOUTON D'OR AWARD NOMINATIONS

UP IN THE AIR leads Black Sheep Reviews' 2009 Mouton d'Or Award nominations with a total of seven, including one for Best Picture. Fellow Best Picture nominee, DISTRICT 9 follows with five nods. UP! also earns five nods but misses out on a Best Picture shot. PRECIOUS, AN EDUCATION and (500) DAYS OF SUMMER round out this year's list of contenders for the top prize, each scoring four nods. The Best Picture race this year is one that is particularly meaningful to me. Together, the five films define the year in film for me, as they should. Each one left a distinct mark on me and each one would go on to be more than just a movie but also a memory of my life.

There is one change to the Mouton d'Or Awards this year ... The technical awards have been dumbed down simply because I don't feel technical enough to make any judgment. So instead of having specific awards for editing, cinematography or art direction, there is just one award now called, Best Looking Movie.

This is also the second year for the Black Sheep Reader's Choice Award. Another six films have been culminated from your submissions for Best Film of 2009 and over the course of the next few weeks, you can vote for your favorite of the favorites by completing the Black Sheep poll near the top right of the page.

The winners of the Mouton d'Or Awards will be announced on Saturday, March 6. Without any further delay, I am proud to present to you the Black Sheep Reviews' 2009 Mouton d'Or Award nominations ...

(Click any highlighted title to read the original Black Sheep review)


BEST BIG MOVIE

AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
STAR TREK
UP!
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE


BEST LITTLE MOVIE

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE
THE HURT LOCKER
J'AI TUE MA MERE
SIN NOMBRE


THE WORST MOVIE I SAW ALL YEAR

THE FINAL DESTINATION
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT
THE LOVELY BONES
OBSERVE AND REPORT
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON


BLACK SHEEP READER'S CHOICE AWARD

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
UP!
UP IN THE AIR


THE TREVOR ADAMS ANIMATED FEATURE AWARD

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
CORALINE
FANTASTIC MR. FOX
PONYO
UP!


BEST LOOKING MOVIE

AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE


BEST MUSIC IN A MOVIE

FANTASTIC MR. FOX
NINE
A SINGLE MAN
UP!
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

MATT DAMON in INVICTUS
ALFRED MOLINA in AN EDUCATION
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER in THE LAST STATION
STANLEY TUCCI in THE LOVELY BONES
CHRISTOPH WALTZ in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

MARION COTILLARD in NINE
VERA FARMIGA in UP IN THE AIR
ANNA KENDRICK in UP IN THE AIR
MO'NIQUE in PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE
JULIANNE MOORE in A SINGLE MAN


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER written by SCOTT NEUSTADTER and MICHAEL H. WEBER
THE HURT LOCKER written by MARK BOAL
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS written by QUENTIN TARANTINO
A SERIOUS MAN written by JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN
UP! written by BOB PETERSON and PETE DOCTER


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

DISTRICT 9 written by NEILL BLOMKAMP and TERRI TATCHELL
AN EDUCATION written by NICK HORNBY
FANTASTIC MR. FOX written by WES ANDERSON and NOAH BAUMBACH
A SINGLE MAN written by TOM FORD and DAVID SCEARCE
UP IN THE AIR written by JASON REITMAN and SHELDON TURNER


BEST ACTOR

JEFF BRIDGES in CRAZY HEART
GEORGE CLOONEY in UP IN THE AIR
COLIN FIRTH in A SINGLE MAN
MORGAN FREEMAN in INVICTUS
MICHAEL STUHLBARG in A SERIOUS MAN


BEST ACTRESS

HELEN MIRREN in THE LAST STATION
CAREY MULLIGAN in AN EDUCATION
MAYA RUDOLPH in AWAY WE GO
GABOUREY SIDIBE in PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE
MERYL STREEP in JULIE & JULIA


BEST DIRECTOR

KATHRYN BIGELOW for THE HURT LOCKER
JAMES CAMERON for AVATAR
JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN for A SERIOUS MAN
LEE DANIELS for PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE
JASON REITMAN for UP IN THE AIR


BEST PICTURE

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER
DISTRICT 9
AN EDUCATION
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE
UP IN THE AIR

It's been a good year!