oscar noms
OK, so I'm terribly out of the movie loop and haven't seen nearly as many of the nominated films this year as I'd have liked, but I still have to post the annual Oscar nom list. My feelings in italics after each category. Some categories skipped for boringness or lack of caring.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
I've only seen The Visitor and Milk (though I really want to see the other three... dammit), but I'm SOOOOOO glad for Richard Jenkins, because even though I don't think he'll win, he was EXCELLENT in that film, and he's totally who I'm rooting for.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Riiiiiight... I'm torn. Heath Ledger was great, and not just because he's gone now. But RDJ was, too. Not so much with Josh Brolin, and I haven't seen the other two films. I vote Heath, and I think he'll probably get it, too.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
I've only seen Rachel Getting Married, and really I'll be happy as long as it's not Angelina Jolie, who I think is only a mediocre actress. I'd love Kate Winslet to win one finally, but Anne Hathaway was really good, so good on her if she wins.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
Haven't seen any of em. No comment. *sniff*
Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
"Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton
If this isn't WALL-E, I will boycott the Oscars forever and ever. OK, I won't (and I don't think I'd have to anyway, because I think WALL-E's a pretty sure thing), but seriously, that film could easily have been a Best Picture nominee if the Academy would get their heads out of their asses and think about nominating an animated feature in that category.
Achievement in directing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle
While I do think Gus Van Sant should be positively rewarded for making a movie with narrative clarity, I'm pulling for Danny Boyle on this one. That movie was so well done and didn't stray too far across any lines of easy-sympathy or over-violent or any of the other cliches of filmmaking these days.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman
WALL-E. All the way. So much of that movie was just the music. That whole first section... the one without talking. Yeah.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
I want whichever one is the song from the Bollywood extravaganza over the credits of Slumdog Millionaire. As aaaaaames said, every movie should end with a Bollywood dance party for the credits.
Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
"Milk" (Focus Features)
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
Um... I dunno. I've only seen two. Of those two, I'd vote Slumdog Millionaire over Milk. I guess.
Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth/Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
"Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Having only seen one, I'll vote for Slumdog Millionaire. Sure.
Original screenplay
"Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt
"Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh
"In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh
"Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon/Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
I'm all about WALL-E here. Seriously. I mean... SERIOUSLY, how awesome would it be for an animated film to win one of the "serious" categories?! I would love it. OK, the screenplay for Milk was really good, too, but come on WALL-E.
OK... what do the rest of you think? And I give a sad sniffle that I won't be able to watch Oscars with all my pals this year.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
I've only seen The Visitor and Milk (though I really want to see the other three... dammit), but I'm SOOOOOO glad for Richard Jenkins, because even though I don't think he'll win, he was EXCELLENT in that film, and he's totally who I'm rooting for.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Riiiiiight... I'm torn. Heath Ledger was great, and not just because he's gone now. But RDJ was, too. Not so much with Josh Brolin, and I haven't seen the other two films. I vote Heath, and I think he'll probably get it, too.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
I've only seen Rachel Getting Married, and really I'll be happy as long as it's not Angelina Jolie, who I think is only a mediocre actress. I'd love Kate Winslet to win one finally, but Anne Hathaway was really good, so good on her if she wins.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
Haven't seen any of em. No comment. *sniff*
Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
"Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton
If this isn't WALL-E, I will boycott the Oscars forever and ever. OK, I won't (and I don't think I'd have to anyway, because I think WALL-E's a pretty sure thing), but seriously, that film could easily have been a Best Picture nominee if the Academy would get their heads out of their asses and think about nominating an animated feature in that category.
Achievement in directing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle
While I do think Gus Van Sant should be positively rewarded for making a movie with narrative clarity, I'm pulling for Danny Boyle on this one. That movie was so well done and didn't stray too far across any lines of easy-sympathy or over-violent or any of the other cliches of filmmaking these days.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman
WALL-E. All the way. So much of that movie was just the music. That whole first section... the one without talking. Yeah.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney)
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
I want whichever one is the song from the Bollywood extravaganza over the credits of Slumdog Millionaire. As aaaaaames said, every movie should end with a Bollywood dance party for the credits.
Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
"Milk" (Focus Features)
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
Um... I dunno. I've only seen two. Of those two, I'd vote Slumdog Millionaire over Milk. I guess.
Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth/Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
"Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Having only seen one, I'll vote for Slumdog Millionaire. Sure.
Original screenplay
"Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt
"Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh
"In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh
"Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon/Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
I'm all about WALL-E here. Seriously. I mean... SERIOUSLY, how awesome would it be for an animated film to win one of the "serious" categories?! I would love it. OK, the screenplay for Milk was really good, too, but come on WALL-E.
OK... what do the rest of you think? And I give a sad sniffle that I won't be able to watch Oscars with all my pals this year.