My Awards nominations: Sound Mixing

My nominations for the best Sound Mixing of 2011 go to:

Drive (Robert Eber, Robert Fernandez, Dave Paterson):

The squeeling rubber and breaking glass of the action scenes are well handled, but its the suspenseful moments of silence, with only Cliff Martinez's tonal score boring through, that really get me. Oh, and the opening scene = perfect.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(Peter J. Devlin, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers):

Employing a sophisticated 7.1 surround-sound canvas, they somehow manage to lend sonic cognizance to Bay's visual cacophony with astonishing clarity and formidable bombast, KA-BAYs and all.

The Tree of Life
(Craig Berkey, Kirk Francis, Jeremy Peirson, John Pritchett, Christopher Scarabosio):

The extended creation sequence is the most obvious showcase of the sound in this film, but I also like how the voice-over narrations were blended in to yield an ethereal sonic quality that felt both natural and graceful.

War Horse (Tom Johnson, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom, Stuart Wilson):

They may have amplified the music a tad beyond what was needed, but their handling of the battle and action segments more than compensates, immersing us in a variety of distinct sounds all in their right place.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (Paul Davies, Robert Farr, Ken Ishii):

Surely the film's most under-appreciated aspect, this ingenious sound mix is as essential to creating Eva's messy memories as the photography or editing. Sound takes on narrative meaning, becoming a device of foreshadowing and flashback before we even know it.

Just missed: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hanna, Harry Potter,
Hell and Back Again, MI4, Tintin

My Award nominations: Sound Mixing

Sound Mixing:

127 Hours (Douglas Cameron, Steven Laneri, Niv Adiri, Richard Pryke, Ian Tapp):
The mixers of Danny Boyle's unique experience aurally expand and compress the space via their fine integration of everything from the bombastic (ie: reverberating echoes) to the subtle (ie: insect footsteps).

Black Swan (Ken Ishii, Craig Henighan, Dominick Tavella):
Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller owes much of its tension-building panache to the intense sonic environment. The music and the ambient sound effects dance together in perfect tandem as Nina's mind becomes a wash of maddening noises.

Restrepo (Coll Anderson):It may not be a hugely sophisticated or polished mix, but the gritty sound of this cinema verite documentary is a huge part of the intensity with which it glows. Untidy production audio is translated into a comprehensible but jarring soundscape.

The Social Network (Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Mark Weingarten):
The sophistication and nuance of this mix is a really tough one to notice in one viewing, but after you've seen it a few times and have accustomed yourself to the dialogue and the editing rhythms, it becomes more apparent how crucial the aural detail is to the experience.

TRON Legacy (Michael McGee, Christopher Boyes, Juan Peralta, Gary Rizzo):
Much of what envelopes us in the world of The Grid is the distinctive sound atmosphere spun by these expert mixers. The marriage of the sound effects and Daft Punk's techno score (which is like a sound effect itself) is a feast for the ears.

Just missed: How to Train Your Dragon, Inception, Shutter Island, The Town