Oscars
Usually I don't do more than make a few general predictions, but I'm bored so here goes.
List of nominees for the curious.
First off, we must bear in mind that I've only seen 1/3 (maybe) of the movies in the running (not counting foreign, documentary, and short films). Go go Gadget Industry Bullshit! Or something.
Best Actor:
I'm going to go ahead and give that one to Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd. It's a notoriously difficult role, involves singing, and they've been itching to give Depp something. If he can't get best actor for Sweeney Todd, what can he get it for?
Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men. I haven't seen any of the films w/this nomination, but from what I've seen this looks like a best supporting actor role. Wacky serial killer with a very carefully crafted, character-based, bad haircut? Smells like Oscar. (And the Coen brothers get amazing performances from their actors.)
Best Actress:
I've only seen two of these films, and I know it's not going to be Cate Blanchett. Everyone is so fucking impressed with Juno (it was good, but not up to the hype) that I'd feel pretty confident giving it to Ellen Page. Also, I think the Academy feels extra good about itself when it gives awards to the little people/underdog types. However, Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose (about Edith Piaf) has the newbie card, the biopic card, and the singing card (and her Piaf is pretty damn good). Also, period film. I think I'm going to give it to Cotillard (though Page would not surprise me).
Supporting Actress:
This should totally go to Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There (Bob Dylan movie), but Ruby Dee's nomination makes me hesitate. She's awesome and old skool. Nevertheless, I'm going to take a leap of faith and give it to Blanchett.
Animated Feature:
I'm guessing Persepolis because it's arty and not a shiny new 3-D CG film, but I won't complain if Ratatouille takes it. In fact, I'd love that.
Art Direction:
This is a tough one. Dante Ferretti on Sweeney Todd was great (and The Fly opera with an Oscar Winning designer?), but a Tim Burton film is a Tim Burton film. I feel like production design in his films is a grand exercise in imitation of the director's style. It's not anybody's fault, that's just the way it is. Tim Burton was an artist first, after all. American Gangster didn't strike me as being that pretty. Atonement was beautiful, but not quite Art Direction material - it fell just short... Golden Compass was certainly the most creative... but the film itself doesn't quite have the weight to it, and it did feel busy to me. I'm going to give it to There Will Be Blood... but I don't really feel great about any one of these.
Cinematograpy:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I was going to give it to No Country for Old Men, but then I watched the Diving Bell trailer. Definitely The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (but, again, not without a little hesitation).
Costume Design:
I'm going to go with Atonement. The costumes were beautiful and elegantly so. Colleen Atwood is a favorite (Sweeney Todd), and "By the Sea" alone provided ample Costume Design material (lol... costume... material...); however, I will stand by Atonement. If only because Sweeney Todd is too obvious. Who the hell nominated Across the Universe? There were, what? Two principle costumes that couldn't be purchased at The Gap/Target? Yeah, there are a lot more costumes to consider than the prin.'s, but quantity does not equal quality.
Directing:
Hmmm... The Coen brothers only have writing wins, thus far... I don't think No Country is Best Picture... and it's about time we recognize the Coens specifically for directing... I don't think Juno deserves to win (though they've got the underdog card, plus that type of film is hot right now). I'm going to give direction to No Country for Old Men. This year, I really have no idea for this category, but I'd like to see the Coens win.
Documentary, Doc. Short:
No idea.
Editing:
This is another category I would hand to the Coens (and by Coens, I mean their editor)... But I worry about giving too many categories to them... I don't think they're ready for a sweep yet... but by this movie the industry was willing to accept them as solid Oscar material... Hmmm. What the hell. No one's going to die. No Country for Old Men.
EDIT: Actually, I take it back. Editing was an essential part of Atonement. I'm going to give it to Atonement. That makes me feel better.
Foreign Language:
No idea.
Makeup:
Please don't give it to Pirates again. Yeah, we know it's cool. It was cool the last two times. I think we have established that they had awesome makeup. Norbit? Uh... standard Nutty Professor makeup hijinks. No. La Vie en Rose. I feel like it was only nominated to have something go up against Pirates, but please, please give it to La Vie en Rose. If only so it doesn't go to Pirates!
Score:
Atonement! ATONEMENT! I love Dario Marianelli (V for Vendetta, Brothers Grimm). And the score was awesome. The most powerful bit of scoring was the Claire de Lune piano sequence (and, therefore, not Marianelli's music), but the fact that you can stick 30 seconds of Debussy in the middle of the score without disrupting the flow counts for something. (In Spiderman 3, the Danny Elfman bits stuck out like sore thumbs and Elfman ain't exactly hard to imitate.)
Original Song:
Hm. I'm going to guess Once since, again, the Academy feels good about itself when it awards the little people. If not that, then "That's How You Know" from Enchanted featuring the dynamic duo of Menken and Schwartz.
Best Picture:
Atonement! Give it to Atonement!
Short Film Animated/Live:
No idea.
Sound Editing/Mixing:
No idea.
Visual Effects:
Ugh. There's nothing I'm really rooting for this year. Pirates, Golden Compass, or Transformers. Choose your poison. Transformers. Next year I want to see some old skool shit! None of the All CG/Green-screen ALL THE TIME shit. I want models! I want animatronics! Stunt men in masks! Fiberglass! Latex! I WANT MAGIC!
Adapted Screenplay:
Atonement!
Original Screenplay:
Juno. Duh.
List of nominees for the curious.
First off, we must bear in mind that I've only seen 1/3 (maybe) of the movies in the running (not counting foreign, documentary, and short films). Go go Gadget Industry Bullshit! Or something.
Best Actor:
I'm going to go ahead and give that one to Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd. It's a notoriously difficult role, involves singing, and they've been itching to give Depp something. If he can't get best actor for Sweeney Todd, what can he get it for?
Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men. I haven't seen any of the films w/this nomination, but from what I've seen this looks like a best supporting actor role. Wacky serial killer with a very carefully crafted, character-based, bad haircut? Smells like Oscar. (And the Coen brothers get amazing performances from their actors.)
Best Actress:
I've only seen two of these films, and I know it's not going to be Cate Blanchett. Everyone is so fucking impressed with Juno (it was good, but not up to the hype) that I'd feel pretty confident giving it to Ellen Page. Also, I think the Academy feels extra good about itself when it gives awards to the little people/underdog types. However, Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose (about Edith Piaf) has the newbie card, the biopic card, and the singing card (and her Piaf is pretty damn good). Also, period film. I think I'm going to give it to Cotillard (though Page would not surprise me).
Supporting Actress:
This should totally go to Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There (Bob Dylan movie), but Ruby Dee's nomination makes me hesitate. She's awesome and old skool. Nevertheless, I'm going to take a leap of faith and give it to Blanchett.
Animated Feature:
I'm guessing Persepolis because it's arty and not a shiny new 3-D CG film, but I won't complain if Ratatouille takes it. In fact, I'd love that.
Art Direction:
This is a tough one. Dante Ferretti on Sweeney Todd was great (and The Fly opera with an Oscar Winning designer?), but a Tim Burton film is a Tim Burton film. I feel like production design in his films is a grand exercise in imitation of the director's style. It's not anybody's fault, that's just the way it is. Tim Burton was an artist first, after all. American Gangster didn't strike me as being that pretty. Atonement was beautiful, but not quite Art Direction material - it fell just short... Golden Compass was certainly the most creative... but the film itself doesn't quite have the weight to it, and it did feel busy to me. I'm going to give it to There Will Be Blood... but I don't really feel great about any one of these.
Cinematograpy:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I was going to give it to No Country for Old Men, but then I watched the Diving Bell trailer. Definitely The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (but, again, not without a little hesitation).
Costume Design:
I'm going to go with Atonement. The costumes were beautiful and elegantly so. Colleen Atwood is a favorite (Sweeney Todd), and "By the Sea" alone provided ample Costume Design material (lol... costume... material...); however, I will stand by Atonement. If only because Sweeney Todd is too obvious. Who the hell nominated Across the Universe? There were, what? Two principle costumes that couldn't be purchased at The Gap/Target? Yeah, there are a lot more costumes to consider than the prin.'s, but quantity does not equal quality.
Directing:
Hmmm... The Coen brothers only have writing wins, thus far... I don't think No Country is Best Picture... and it's about time we recognize the Coens specifically for directing... I don't think Juno deserves to win (though they've got the underdog card, plus that type of film is hot right now). I'm going to give direction to No Country for Old Men. This year, I really have no idea for this category, but I'd like to see the Coens win.
Documentary, Doc. Short:
No idea.
Editing:
This is another category I would hand to the Coens (and by Coens, I mean their editor)... But I worry about giving too many categories to them... I don't think they're ready for a sweep yet... but by this movie the industry was willing to accept them as solid Oscar material... Hmmm. What the hell. No one's going to die. No Country for Old Men.
EDIT: Actually, I take it back. Editing was an essential part of Atonement. I'm going to give it to Atonement. That makes me feel better.
Foreign Language:
No idea.
Makeup:
Please don't give it to Pirates again. Yeah, we know it's cool. It was cool the last two times. I think we have established that they had awesome makeup. Norbit? Uh... standard Nutty Professor makeup hijinks. No. La Vie en Rose. I feel like it was only nominated to have something go up against Pirates, but please, please give it to La Vie en Rose. If only so it doesn't go to Pirates!
Score:
Atonement! ATONEMENT! I love Dario Marianelli (V for Vendetta, Brothers Grimm). And the score was awesome. The most powerful bit of scoring was the Claire de Lune piano sequence (and, therefore, not Marianelli's music), but the fact that you can stick 30 seconds of Debussy in the middle of the score without disrupting the flow counts for something. (In Spiderman 3, the Danny Elfman bits stuck out like sore thumbs and Elfman ain't exactly hard to imitate.)
Original Song:
Hm. I'm going to guess Once since, again, the Academy feels good about itself when it awards the little people. If not that, then "That's How You Know" from Enchanted featuring the dynamic duo of Menken and Schwartz.
Best Picture:
Atonement! Give it to Atonement!
Short Film Animated/Live:
No idea.
Sound Editing/Mixing:
No idea.
Visual Effects:
Ugh. There's nothing I'm really rooting for this year. Pirates, Golden Compass, or Transformers. Choose your poison. Transformers. Next year I want to see some old skool shit! None of the All CG/Green-screen ALL THE TIME shit. I want models! I want animatronics! Stunt men in masks! Fiberglass! Latex! I WANT MAGIC!
Adapted Screenplay:
Atonement!
Original Screenplay:
Juno. Duh.