(no subject)
2005 is when it really started to happen. Like 1939-1944, 1956-1962 and 1969-1976, the state of cinema is on an upswing. Thank Allah the dismal 19 years between '76 and '05 are over. Certainly there were some fine films in between then and '05 (notably in 1980, 1984, 1986, 1993, 1996), but there were many more years where nothing was really happening, with 1997 being the absolute nadir. It seems as though prosperity is bad for film and vice versa. For the sake of film, couldn't we elect Bush for another 4 years?
All jokes aside, this year was a very strong one for cinema. That's why I think this year's Oscars will be so fun to watch: everyone who was nominated deserves to win...with the exception of one best actress nominee. I decided to italicize and bold all of the movie, actor and crew names, but my picks will be underlined as well. So if you don't really want to read this, you can skim it for the picks.
Best Documentary
Will Win and Should Win: No End In Sight should take this one. It's the best documentary of the two I have seen and it's getting tons of buzz. I'd consider picking Sicko if it were really a documentary. I feel like all of Michael Moore's work is more creative nonfiction more than it is a documentary.
Best Foreign Language Feature
This one is kind of a crap shoot because I haven't seen any of them. Based entirely on their imdb plot summaries I'll say that Scratch that. Katyn is going to win. Andrzej Wadja directed it and he has such a critically acclaimed and prolific career as a filmmaker. I'd put my chips on him to win, although the other four films sound very interesting. I'm surprised 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, Lust/Caution, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly were not nominated. Maybe the latter two are considered American because of release dates. Who knows? (easy answer: the academy knows.)
Best Animated Feature
Will Win and Should Win: A lot of people were surprised that The Simpsons Movie wasn't nominated, but the fact of the matter is that it wasn't a very good movie. The surprise in this category is Surf's Up, but it's a pretty good movie. It will not win and, in all likelihood, neither will Persepolis. That's okay, though. Pixar kind of hit rock bottom with Cars, which, all things considered, kind of sucked. It didn't deserve the Oscar over Monster House. Ratatouille, though, is a kind of miracle. It's not just good for an animated film, like Surf's Up is. It adds an air of legitimacy to the award in the same way La Strada did when it won best foreign feature in 1956. I'd be shocked if it didn't win.
I don't really care about the sound and sound editing. Neither should you.
Best Song
Will Win and Should Win: Look...I like the Enchanted songs as much as the next guy and the August Rush song has a certain charm. But come on. Come ON. Falling Slowly from Once is tens times better than the other four. If you're not ready to drink the Once kool-aid, just watch Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova perform Falling Slowly at the Oscars. If you still think any of the other four songs deserved to win...you're retarded.
Best Score
Will Win: Dario Marianelli score for Atonement is excellent. The way he uses the typewriter for Briony's theme is really interesting. Also, maybe I'm a sucker for Debussy, but the use of Claire de Lune was fantastic, even if it was a little trite.
Should Win: Johnny Greenwood was robbed. His score for There Will Be Blood really enhanced the way the film is viewed. It's like another character in the film. But...the academy liked other things more, I guess. Maybe next time, Johnny.
Best Makeup
Will Win: Pirates of the Caribbean 3 should take this one. I hope so, at least, because Norbit can never, ever win an Oscar. The world would collapse in on itself and we'd all continue to exist in a land where up is down and mediocrity held sway.
Should Win: La Vie En Rose because Marion Cotillard is 32. When she starts playing Piaf, she's supposed to look 16. When the film ends, she's a 48-year-old drug addict. And you can't tell that she has a bit of makeup on. Just an amazing job. It's one thing to make Eddie Murphy look like a fat woman or Bill Nighy look like a squidman, it's another to age a woman 30 years.
Best Costume Design
Will and Should Win: Colleen Atwood should win this one. Her work on Sweeney Todd was pretty nice looking, although Atonement might snag this one, too, though.
Best Art Direction (If I said I knew exactly what art direction was I'd be a liar...based on that)
Will Win: Sweeney Todd
Should Win: There Will Be Blood
Best Editing
Will Win: I think The Coens will probably win this one. It'd be a pretty close race for me, but I'd pick...
Should Win: From what I've heard, I think The Diving Bell and the Butterly's Juliette Welfing should probably pick this one up.
Best Cinematography (This is one I actually feel REALLY strongly about)
Will Win: Roger Deakins for No Country for Old Men will probably pick this one up, and rightfully so. The way he uses the camera to help tell the story is pretty amazing, but not as amazing as...
Should Win: Roger Deakins! As good as the cinematography is in No Country, Roger Deakins does an even better job in the elegaic The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Sadly, I think No Country will trump Jesse James more than once.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will Win and Should Win: The Coens will probably win this one and should. I've read No Country and the film is a perfect adaptation of the book, both in spirit and plot.
Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Diablo Cody has so much buzz around her that I'd be surprised if someone else got it. However, I don't think her script is anywhere near as good as people think without the stellar cast. It's a good script. A very good script, but without Ellen Page it wouldn't have been as good. It's like a much better Kevin Smith script. I'm not a stickler for realism, but the only people I know who talk with as much spunky wit as Juno (and everyone else in her world) are the Gilmore Girls. Just saying.
Should Win: Punching up a simple story with wit is one thing, but telling a very complicated one so economically and smoothly makes Tony Gilroy's script for Michael Clayton my ideal choice for best original screenplay. I don't think he'll win it and Cody certainly deserves it, too, but I can hope.
Best Directing
Will Win: The Coens
Should Win: Paul Thomas Anderson This is one of those categories where anyone could and should win. I just prefer Anderson's huge vision and the way he tells the story.
Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Ruby Dee for American Gangster because her scenes steal the show and I think the academy loves her for best supporting actress.
Should Win: No disrespect to Dee because she was hreat, but Amy Ryan was more important to Gone Baby Gone and she created such a round character (as opposed to a flat character).
Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Javier Bardem for No Country. He has it in the bag and he's legitimately great.
Should Win: Casey Affleck does more, though, in a much more complicated role. Either way, I'd be happy with anybody winning this category.
Best Actress
Will Win and Should Win: Anybody but Cate Blanchett should win this. Julie Christie is amazing as an Alzheimer's patient; her performance is one of the most touching in a long time. Sarah Polley probably should have been nominated for best director over Jason Reitman. Marion Cottilard embodies Edith Piaf. Laura Linney does good stuff in The Savages (I haven't seen it...) and Ellen Page really makes Juno work. I think as of right now I'd like for Ellen Page to win, but I'd be happy for Julie Christie, too. Like I said...anybody but Blanchett. Why she was nominated over Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart is beyond me.
Best Actor
Will and Should Win: Is there any question about this? Daniel Day Lewis turns in one of the best performances of the decade.
Best Picture (all 5 deserve it for different reasons. This is the first time in a long time where I've loved all 5 movies)
Will Win: No Country for Old Men because it is a legitimately great movie for a number of reasons that Roger Ebert explains better than I do.
Should Win: A couple of weeks ago I was convinced that There Will Be Blood should win. But after Tuesday past, I'm throwing my vote into the Michael Clayton camp.
So there we go. The end of a really good year of movies. I really hope next year will be just as good.