CDG opts for W.E., Potter, Dragon Tattoo

Certainly didn't see this coming. The Costume Designers Guild bestowed their prize for Excellence in Period Film to Madonna's reviled W.E., only half of which is period, and the only Oscar nominee I haven't been considering as a viable winner. Figures. Well, congrats to Arianne Philips. Having been unable and unwilling to see the film, I can honestly say I have no comment.

Meanwhile, my hunch that Harry Potter would receive guild approval panned out, while the dark hued modern threads of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo took home the Contemporary award.

One Category at a Time: Costume Design

I'm still smarting from last year's disappointing win for Alice in Wonderland, but it should serve as a valuable lesson that flashiness trumps the film's likability in this category every time. There are varying degrees of both factors in this year's race, but first, a moment of silence for the costumes of Captain America and The Help, unfortunate snubees at the hands of frillier period extravagance...

... okay, now on to the nominees.

CDG nominees

The Costumer Designers Guild has spoken:

Excellence in Period Film:
The Artist (Mark Bridges)
Jane Eyre (Michael O'Connor)
The Help (Sharen Davis)
Hugo (Sandy Powell)
W.E. (Arianne Phillips)

This is very close to what I imagine the Oscar lineup will look like. W.E. might be replaced by another period piece like Tinker Tailor or My Week with Marilyn, either of which would make a handsome nominee.

Excellence in Fantasy Film:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Jany Temime)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Penny Rose)
Red Riding Hood (Cindy Evans)
Thor (Alexandra Byrne)
X-Men: First Class (Sammy Sheldon)

As gratifying as it is to see two of the summer's comic book movies finally get some guild recognition (X-Men is a particularly pleasing choice), I'm appalled that they couldn't extend the same courtesy to Anna B. Sheppard's designs for Captain America, which are among the very best of the year. And in its place... Red Riding Hood? "All the better to gag on, my dear."

Excellence in Contemporary Film:
Bridesmaids (Leesa Evans & Christine Wada)
The Descendants (Wendy Chuck)
Drive (Erin Benach)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Trish Summerville)
Melancholia (Manon Rasmussen)

Drive easily bests all comers in this category, and not just for that now-iconic suede scorpion jacket.