Ah, Academy Awards. Apparently the most prestigious of awards shows, yet probably more biased than and no where near the technical accuracy of BAFTAs, SAGs, and DGAs. Of course, there were some really annoying admissions- Emile Hirsch, anyone?- and some eye opening entries- Norbit?- but after Poseidon made it onto the list last year and Sean Astin exempt from 2003, anything could happen. I have thus constructed a list, from (what I feel is) least important to the big shebang at the end, you know, the one you stay up till 11:30 for, eye lids drooping and all, Best Picture. And so the madness begins:
Best Live Action Short Film
At Night, Il Supplente, Le Mozart des Pickpockets, Tanghi Argentini, The Tonto Woman
Evaluation: ... They all have cool titles.
Prediction: I'm going with Le Mozart des Pickpockets. One, I love Mozart. Two, I like running over pickpockets in Tony Hawk 3. Three, that is a damn cool title with a damn cool premise.
Best Documentary Short Subject
Freeheld, La Corona, Salim Baba, Sari's Mother
Evaluation: ... Honestly, I really don't care until we get to Sound Editing.
Best Animated Short Film
I Met the Walrus, Madame Tutli Putli, Mme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis, My Love, Peter and the Wolf
Evaluation: My Love is the name of a Justin Timberlake song, hence, it cannot win. Walrus is a running joke in RVB, so it cannot win.
Prediction: Peter and the Wolf, sure, why not.
Best Documentary Feature
No End in Sight, Operation Homecoming, Sicko, Taxi to the Dark Side, War/Dance
Evaluation: Well it can't be Sicko, so we have to go to another politically based documentary, Taxi to the Dark Side. Why not Sicko? Because even though we all love the Weinsteins (who doesn't!?), we all hate Michael Moore, with the exception of Bowling for Columbine. Boo Michael Moore!
Prediction: Taxi to the Dark Side
Who wasn't invited to the party: I'm actually really pissed that King of Kong wasn't listed.
Achievement in Sound Editing
Bourne Ultimatum, No Country for Old Men, Ratatouille, There Will Be Blood, Transformers
Evaluation: Bourne is TOO awesome to win any other important categories, so it's going to lick up all the technical ones, maybe even for shaky hand camera. However, the grand scale of Transformers might walk away (but I'm betting it gets Mixing), as might the cleverness or Ratatouille.
Prediction: I still say Bourne.
Who wasn't invited to the party: I Am Legend, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, 300, POTC3, Spidey 3
Achievement in Sound Mixing
Bourne Ultimatum, No Country for Old Men, Ratatouille, 3:10 to Yuma, Transformers
Evaluation: I seriously think that Sound Mixing and Editing is ridiculously underrated. Do you know how many trees they killed just to get the Ents to walk properly?
Prediction: Transformers or Ratatouille should walk away with this; No Country and Yuma don't even deserve to be nominated here. Transformers just has a massive amount of glitching, whirring, and beeping going on to kick that little rat out of business.
Who wasn't invited to the party: I Am Legend, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, 300, POTC3, Spidey 3, Across the Universe, Romance and Cigarettes, Walk Hard.
Achievement in Costume Design
Across the Universe, Atonement, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, La Vie En Rose, Sweeney Todd
Evaluation: There's three possible winners: Atonement, Elizabeth, and Sweeney Todd. Atonement and Elizabeth, because period pieces are always nominated for hoop skirts, and it's kinda impossible to overlook Sweeney Todd.
Prediction: Sweeney Todd
Who wasn't invited to the party: Juno, There Will Be Blood, 3:10 to Yuma, Hairspray, 300, POTC3
Achievement in Makeup
La Vie En Rose, Norbit, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Evaluation: ... I'm still shocked that Norbit was nominated for something... POTC, while still good, I think has worn out its welcome.
Prediction: La Vie En Rose.
Who wasn't invited to the party: 300, Hairspray, Grindhouse, Sweeney Todd, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Achievement in Visual Effects
Golden Compass, POTC 3, Transformers
Evaluation: What a weak competition. There were too many visually stunning movies, and this is what they give me to work with? You're all safe, there's no LOTR this year.
Prediction: Transformers, without a doubt.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Well, they could have listed up to five nominees, but I guess nominators were asleep for half the blockbusters this year, because there are only three. Where do I begin? With the movie that should have been nominated and won: 300. Next up is I am Legend, Grindhouse, Spiderman 3, Stardust, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones, chyeah!), and, oh, did I mention 300?
Achievement in Art Direction
American Gangster, Atonement, Golden Compass, Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood
Evaluation: American Gangster? Are you kidding me? Atonement I can understand, they're into those sprawling landscapes, but American Gangster?
Prediction: Sweeney Todd has all the style and grace you need. If not, either There Will Be Blood or Atonement.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Into the Wild, anyone? Hello? 300, I Am Legend, 3:10 to Yuma, Across the Universe, Becoming Jane, POTC 3.
Achievement in Film Editing
Bourne Ultimatum, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Into the Wild, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood
Evaluation: This is tricky. Ultimatum makes excellent use of shaky hand camera. Into the Wild deserves something, and I feel like this is probably it. There Will Be Blood, maybe.
Prediction: Let me close my eyes and pick one... There Will Be Blood.
Who wasn't invited to the party: 3:10 to Yuma, Sweeney Todd, 300, I Am Legend, Grindhouse, Paris Je T'aime.
Achievement in Cinematography
Assassination of Jesse James, Atonement, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood
Evaluation: I'm really not getting some of these nominations.
Prediction: There Will Be Blood.
Who wasn't invited to the party: 3:10 to Yuma, Into the Wild, Sweeney Todd, Paris Je T'aime.
Achievement in Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Song)
Falling Slowly (Once), Happy Working Song (Enchanted), Raise It Up (August Rush), So Close (Enchanted), That's How You Know (Enchanted)
Evaluation: Enchanted is the one to watch. Stephen Schwartz is back. Yippee Ki Yay, mothafuckas!
Prediction: Anything from Enchanted.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Anything from Into the Wild. Oh, and Romance and Cigarettes.
Achievement in Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Atonement, Kite Runner, Michael Clayton, Ratatouille, 3:10 to Yuma
Evaluation: What I like this year is all the differences between the categories. It's a tough choice. I love James Newton Howard, but Michael Clayton itself doesn't impress me. Atonement is the basic, sprawling, epic, romantic music.
Prediction: Ratatouille or 3:10 to Yuma, because they're just so different from a lot of other scores I've heard.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Into the Wild. Seriously. There Will Be Blood.
Best Animated Film
Persepolis, Ratatouille, Surf's Up
Evaluation: Basically a race between Persepolis and Ratatouille. Meanwhile, Surf's Up drowned a little while back.
Prediction: Ratatouille. One of the highest grossing and most original films this year.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Shrek 3. And I'll throw 300 in there for a good laugh. Ha. Ha. Ha. Okay, I'm done.
Best Foreign Language Film
Beaufort (Israel), The Counterfeiters (Austria), Katyn (Poland), Mongol (Kazakhstan), 12 (Russia)
Evaluation: I'm still heartbroken over the robbing of Pan's Labyrinth from last year. 12 won't win, because Academy voters are political and are still bitter over the Cold War. Beaufort MIGHT win. Same goes for Austria or Poland.
Prediction: Austria or Poland, because that cinematic section of Europe is overlooked a whole lot.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Any movie from Denmark.
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There), Ruby Dee (American Gangster), Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
Evaluation: Wow, the Academy just loves Cate Blanchett. Swinton probably won't walk away with this; the same goes for Dee and Ryan. It's between Ronan and Blanchett.
Prediction: Saoirse Ronan. She's a brand spankin' new-comer (which are known for winning this award). Her young age MIGHT work against her (i.e. Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland, exempted from 2005), but I doubt it. Blanchett might pull this one out, because, again, the Academy loves her.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Not Kirsten Dunst for Spidey 3. Jennifer Garner in Juno. Not only was the hype huge for Juno, but Garner shocked me with an amazing performance (see the baby kicking scene). If Ellen Page was nominated, Garner should have been. Another snub: Kate Winslet in Romance and Cigarettes. Why does the Academy hate her? I dunno. They can't deny her pure awesomeness (youngest person with five nominations, first person with four nominations before the age of thirty), but they never let her win. Even though she should. All the time. Every day. And then some. Oh, and Michelle Pfieffer (Stardust and/or Hairspray), Gretchen Mol (3:10 to Yuma), Jenna Fischer (Walk Hard). P.S. Blanchett is overrated.
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James), Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War), Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)
Evaluation: I would love to see Wilkinson win, because, hey, it's Tom Wilkinson. I would love to see Affleck win; he's incredibly underrated and overlooked as the Brother Of That Which Is Ben. However, it would be excellent if Javier Bardem won. One, to hear the presenter stumble over the name. Two, because he's ridiculously good. Oh and this is the time to make up for ousting Djimon Honsou from last year, snubbing Sean Astin from 2003, and giving it to George Clooney over Jake Gyllenhaal for 2005.
Prediction: Javier Bardem. With the acclaim and attention he's getting, much like Jennifer Hudson last year, it's kinda a given.
Who wasn't invited to the party: They left out a lot of great actors this year: Michael Cera (Superbad and/or Juno), Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma), Alan Rickman (Sweeney Todd), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), James McAvoy (Becoming Jane), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), John Travolta (Hairspray), Christopher Walken (Hairspray), Kurt Russell (Grindhouse), Jason Bateman (Juno), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad).
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Julie Christie (Away From Her), Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose), Laura Linney (The Savages), Ellen Page (Juno)
Evaluation: Cate Blanchett shouldn't even be up there. I'll say the race is between Julie Christie and Marion Cotillard, with Ellen Page as the dark horse.
Prediction: Marion Cotillard for La Vie En Rose.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Not Lindsay Lohen or the Bratz girls, that's for sure. Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd), Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), Anne Hathaway (Becoming Jane), Katherine Heigel (Knocked Up), Amy Adams (Enchanted). Don't complain to me about Keira Knightley not being nominated, because, frankly, the girl can't act and is insanely one dimensional. She plays all her characters the same. She talks like she has to overthrow an empire or stand for feminism or has a stick up her ass. The ideal Jane in Pride and Prejudice, my ass. Long live Jennifer Ehle!
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah), Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)
Evaluation: George Clooney can't act his way out of a paper bag. Jones and Mortensen deserve some sort of recognition for past work, but won't get it because Daniel Day Lewis has it on his shelf already. His closest competition is Depp, and if Depp wins, it'll also count as compensation for Finding Neverland and POTC 1.
Prediction: Daniel Day Lewis is the man, and if he doesn't win, I riot.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Seth Rogen (Knocked Up), Jonah Hill (Superbad), John C. Reilly (Walk Hard), Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson's War), James McAvoy (Atonement), Christian Bale (3:10 to Yuma), Russell Crowe (3:10 to Yuma and/or American Gangster), Denzel Washington (American Gangster and/or Great Debaters), and maybe even Will Smith (I Am Legend).
Best Adapted Screenplay
Atonement, Away From Her, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood
Evaluation: Four out of five are nominated for Best Director and/or Picture. Away From Her isn't, so bye bye. Atonement might run away with this, because it's not winning Best Picture coughcheapcompensationcough. Diving Bell and the Butterfly also might win as compensation for not winning Best Director and not being nominated in every other category. And if not, I would like to see There Will Be Blood win.
Prediction: Atonement or Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Sweeney Todd, 300, Hairspray, 3:10 to Yuma, and others I can't think of right now.
Best Original Screenplay
Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, Michael Clayton, Ratatouille, The Savages
Evaluation: I see this as a struggle between Juno and Ratatouille, two of the best received movies this year. I see Juno as the Little Miss Sunshine and Eternal Sunshine this year, a cleverly crafted script or wit, so it SHOULD win. Ratatouille MIGHT win, because that too is clever, though not as much. Michael Clayton is the dark horse.
Prediction: Juno.
Who wasn't invited to the party: All that is Seth Rogen: Superbad and/or Knocked Up. Paris, Je T'aime, Across the Universe, Into the Wild, Walk Hard, Grindhouse, Hot Fuzz. Yes, Hot Fuzz and Grindhouse. You read correctly.
Achievement in Directing
Julian Schnabel (Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Jason Reitman (Juno), Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men), Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood)
Evaluation: The struggle is between Anderson and the Coens. Reitman is the dark horse, but probably won't win. Schnabel doesn't have to worry about getting up, and Gilroy can just wonder why he casted Clooney at all. I think there will be a split. I want to see Anderson win, and I do think he has a slight edge and all the potential in the world.
Prediction: Anderson or the Coens. Flip a coin.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Wait, Hostel II and Eli Roth and Rob Zombie weren't nominated!? BLASPHEMOUS! Sorry, Martin Scorcese and Clint Eastwood were on sabbatical this year. Sean Penn (Into the Wild), Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd), Joe Wright (Atonement), Ridley Scott (American Gangter), everyone form Paris Je T'aime.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood
Evaluation: This is pretty much a wide open race. All critics were pretty even with each of them. Juno is again the indie dark horse and I would like to see it win if There Will Be Blood doesn't. However, it probably won't. No Country for Old Men might pull out if Anderson wins Director / There Will Be Blood might win if the Coens win for Directing. Atonement won't win, simply because it's not nominated for Directing. Michael who? I'm leaning towards There Will Be Blood out of affection for Daniel Day Lewis and the pure greatness. I feel like it can walk away with both Directing and Picture; I feel like No Country for Old Men can win one or none.
Prediction: No Country for Old Men, flip flop with Director; There Will Be Blood for both.
Who wasn't invited to the party: Sweeney Todd, Into the Wild, Americal Gangster, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 3:10 to Yuma, La Vie En Rose, Charlie Wilson's War, Paris Je T'aime.
Here's some random thoughts I had during the make up of this list: Hype isn't everything (Atonement) and yet, is everything (Juno). Great cowboys (the gang from 3:10 to Yuma, especially Ben Foster) still get overlooked, dating from Val Kilmer (Tombstone, 1993). Keira Knightley can't act and neither can George Clooney. I feel bad for James McAvoy. Where the hell is 300, along with all the other special effect movies from last year? Norbit? Are you kidding me? Alfonso Cuaron is still awesome, even though his movie was fifteen seconds in Paris Je T'aime. What's Charlie Kaufmn up to? And Kate Winslet too? Michael Moore? AGAIN? Can Daniel Day Lewis still wield a tomahawk? More Cate Blanchett? Please no more. I should put some pictures up for this. But alas, I'm not tech savvy enough. Too bad. :)
