Oscar noms came out this weekend. Here are my thoughts:
Best Picture
Let’s face it, No Country for Old Men pretty much has Best Picture. As great as Juno was, there’s no way. Atonement was beautiful and practically begging for Oscars on the screen, but we all know the Coen brothers rock.
Best Actor
Please, people, please give Johnny Depp best actor. I know it’s a musical and you artsy folk poopoo it, but he is a genius. And I will always love Sweeney.
Best Actress
I still haven’t seen La Mome, and I’m sure Marion Cotillard has a really good shot, but Ellen Page truly was great in Juno.
Best Supporting Actor
I don’t have strong sentiments, but Philip Seymour Hoffman was pretty darn good in Charlie Wilson’s War
Best Supporting Actress
The only two films I’ve seen in this category represented are Atonement and Michael Clayton—but the Young Briony’s performance far outshone Tilda Swinton’s.
Best Achievement in Directing
Coen brothers, hands down…That is, until I see the Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Best Original Screenplay
I would be completely content with Juno or Ratatouille.
Best Achievement in Cinematography
I will be positively heartbroken if Atonement doesn’t win in this category. It may be overrated in other realms, but it’s certainly not in cinematography.
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Oh, it is a tough, tough tie between Atonement and Sweeney Todd. I have to say Sweeney.
Costume Design
Sweeney Todd.
Film Score
Ratatouille. It is time for Michael Giacchino to win an Oscar. This score is nearly flawless—perhaps one of my favorite scores ever. While the music for atonement was brilliantly seamless, that was more a matter of editing than the score itself. I found his score for Pride and Prejudice much more pleasant. Atonement is pretty stagnant. Kite Runner is the token foreign-ish sounding score nomination, but it’s really not that great.
Best Original Song
I will be incredibly upset if a song from Enchanted is not chosen—three of the five nominations are from Enchanted, for crying out loud! I vote for Happy Working Song or That’s How You Know.
Best Achievement in Sound
Ratatouille
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
(WHY IS ATONEMENT NOT NOMINATED? AH!) Ratatouille.
Visual Effects
Golden Compass, but the other tow nominations are pretty weak.
Best Animated Film
Ratatouille. Another category that will make me stark-raving mad if Ratatouille doesn’t win.
Best Foreign Film
I haven’t seen any of them! I fail at life!
Alright, comment away with your evil butchery of my opinions!
2 comments:
Wrt to your predictions and following up from previous conversation, my vote for awards would be those representing a cross-section/Venn Diagram intersection point of what the Hollywood crowd likes this year (quasi-arty) and those films/characters that most directly manifest the current group socially/psychologically negative climate of the moment. Been wrong before, but would be surprised if "happy" wins anything.
Don't know if there is an internal mechanism governing group human dynamics that is fixed and unchanging, but the same process that works in financial market and economic cycle up moves will provide a "happier" lot next go-around. Unless it doesn't.
Keep up the always interesting blog posts.
Best,
MBG
Dude, I wholeheartedly agree with your Atonement sound editing comment. I was completely entranced with the wonderful sound design and effective transitional use of sound in the film. I thought it was a shoe-in for the win, dismissing the notion that it wouldn't be nominated entirely. Seriously, what the hell, academy?
Post a Comment