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Raja Sen's Oscar nominee wishlist for 2010

Every year, just before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its list of nominees, I list out my own picks for most-deserving candidates.

However, tallying this list with the official nominee ballot -- out February 2 -- is a pointless task, because I'm not gazing into a crystal-ball as much as the navel. This is a wishlist, not one that will truly make the Oscar-voter cut, but these are films and individuals who truly deserve attention, applause, and resultantly a greater audience.

In each category, I've listed the nominees in descending order of preference: the first on the list is my absolute number one pick in each category.

Best Picture

This is a category currently estimated to be a battle between The Hurt Locker and Avatar, but both films pale in front of the two top films of the year, a Spanish romance and an American war film, the most audaciously original films all year. The Academy has expanded the category to include 10 names this time, which is why I choose to push in movie number 10, a delightfully clever romance for the new generation.

Broken Embraces
Inglourious Basterds
Up In The Air
Avatar
Where The Wild Things Are
In The Loop
The Hurt Locker
Up
District 9
(500) Days Of Summer

Best Director

Tarantino isn't likely to win this category a tussle between Bigelow and Cameron as Reitman is placated with an Adapted Screenplay win. But his film is a sensational achievement, placing him right up there with the best cinematic visionaries of all time.

Quentin Tarantino

Pedro Almodovar

James Cameron

Jason Reitman

Katherine Bigelow

Best Actor

George Clooney -- Up In The Air

Jeff Bridges -- Crazy Heart

Colin Firth -- A Single Man

Nicolas Cage -- Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans

Michael Stuhlbarg -- A Serious Man

Best Actress

Penelope Cruz -- Broken Embraces

Sasha Grey -- The Girlfriend Experience

Emily Blunt -- The Young Victoria

Meryl Streep -- Julie and Julia

Carey Mulligan -- An Education

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltx -- Inglourious Basterds

Peter Capaldi -- In The Loop

Christopher Plummer -- The Last Station

Woody Harrelson -- The Messenger

Stanley Tucci -- The Lovely Bones

Best Original Screenplay

Inglourious Basterds

Up

A Serious Man

(500) Days Of Summer

Avatar

Best Adapted Screenplay

Up In The Air

Where The Wild Things Are

In The Loop

Fantastic Mr Fox

District 9