If I picked the Oscars
For selected categories, here are my thoughts on which films from among the nominees should, in an ideal world, win, and which films should have been nominated that were not.
Best motion picture of the year
I have seen 3/5 of the nominees.
I really hope that Little Miss Sunshine does not win. I liked the film fine, but it is such a far distance from the best film of the year; there were probably 25 American films better than it. The film was not even the best American comedy of the year (Sleeping Dogs Lie, Thank You for Smoking, and Art School Confidential were better). Of the three nominees I’ve seen, I thought The Queen was best, but I liked Babel quite a bit as well.
What should have been nominated in this category? First of all Manderlay: to my mind it was the best film released in the US in 2006 (that I’ve seen). However, Manderlay was not eligible for the Oscars presumably because it was released in New York only, not Los Angeles.
Other films that should have received a best picture nomination are Little Children, United 93, and The Prestige. Possibly An Inconvenient Truth as well; aside from its important subject matter it was an excellent piece of cinema. However, perhaps An Inconvenient Truth was too important to nominate for Best Picture, because if that film were nominated, how could any other film win?
Achievement in directing
Seen 3/5.
I am hoping this goes to Paul Greengrass for United 93. But as above, I wish the nominee list included Lars von Trier for Manderlay, Todd Field for Little Children, Christopher Nolan for The Prestige, and Davis Guggenheim for An Inconvenient Truth.
Original screenplay
Seen 4/5.
This should go to Babel, hands down. A brilliant script, although I did not like the ending.
Adapted screenplay
Seen 2/5.
This should go to Todd Field and Tom Perrotta for Little Children. I am displeased that the idiocy of Borat received a nomination here. Notes on a Scandal was a good script but hardly among the very best of the year; I do not understand why The Prestige is not nominated in this category.
Best foreign language film of the year
Seen 5/5.
I liked all five films nominated in this category; I think After the Wedding (the Danish film directed by Susanne Bier) was best. I will be surprised if it wins however; this award will most likely go to Pan’s Labyrinth.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Seen 4/5.
Definitely should go to Helen Mirren for The Queen. Her role in that film just blew me away. One scene that I loved was her driving the Jeep through the river. Another good performance that did not get nominated was Robin Wright Penn for Sorry, Haters. The film was not eligible, I think, because it played in New York City only, not Los Angeles. Another overlooked performance by a child actor was Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee. And Maggie Gyllenhall was robbed; she should have been nominated for Sherrybaby. I could go on: Sarah Polley for The Secret Life of Words, Naomi Watts for The Painted Veil, Lisa Ray for Water, Camilla Belle for The Quiet, etc.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Seen 2/5.
Forest Whitaker’s performance was excellent, no doubt the best of the nominees here. However, Isaach De Bankolé’s performance in Manderlay (as Timothy) was equally good. I also quite liked Michael Sheen’s performance as Tony Blair in The Queen; he could easily have been nominated. Patrick Wilson deserves recognition for both Hard Candy and Little Children. If The Lives of Others had been released earlier in the year (so that more voters could have seen it before their nomination ballot was due), Ulrich Mühe would I think have been nominated (deservedly) for his role as the Stasi agent. Another great German-language lead performance was Henry Hübchen in Go for Zucker, although that film was not eligible for the Oscars because it was released in New York only, not Los Angeles.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Seen 2/5.
What is Alan Arkin doing in this category? It was not that great a performance. Jackie Earle Haley should probably win this. Tim Roth should have been nominated for Don’t Come Knocking. I also liked the performance of Simon McBurney in both The Last King of Scotland and Friends with Money. James Cromwell was also memorable in The Queen.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Seen 4/5 of the performances.
With two nominees from Babel in this category, I doubt either one will win. However, Adriana Barraza really shone in a difficult role and she ought to receive this award. I will admit that Abigail Breslin was quite good in Little Miss Sunshine and deserved her nomination. Eva Marie Saint should have been nominated for Don’t Come Knocking; perhaps also Sarah Polley for the same film. Lauren Bacall for Manderlay or Rachel Clift for Mutual Appreciation, if they had been eligible.
Achievement in art direction
Seen 3/5.
This award should go to Pan’s Labyrinth. I have to say I don’t quite understand the nominees here. Why didn’t Babel get nominated? Or Days of Glory (Indigènes)? Do outdoor scenes not count as art direction? If it’s supposed to be mainly an indoor thing, then one film that was overlooked is Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus. And also The Secret Life of Words: after all, they shot the movie on an oil rig.
Achievement in cinematography
Seen 2/5.
Again I don’t understand what The Prestige is doing nominated here. I thought it was a great film: on account of the writing and the acting. Sure its cinematography was good too, but nothing all that special. Some of the best cinematography that got overlooked was in The House of Sand and Brick.
Achievement in film editing
Seen 2/5.
This really should go to United 93; it was great the way it told four or five simultaneous stories without confusion. Conversations with Other Women should have been nominated.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
Seen 1/5.
I think Melissa Etheridge deserves this for incorporating the phrase “an inconvenient truth” into the lyrics of her song.
Here is an alphabetical list of films nominated in the nonspecialized categories that I have not yet seen. An asterisk indicates that I am still planning to see the film: Apocalypto, The Black Dahlia, Blood Diamond, Borat, Cars, Children of Men*, Click, Curse of the Golden Flower, Deliver Us from Evil, The Departed*, The Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Flags of Our Fathers*, The Good German*, Happy Feet, The Illusionist, Iraq in Fragments, Jesus Camp*, Letters from Iwo Jima*, Marie Antoinette, Monster House, My Country, My Country, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Poseidon, The Pursuit of Happyness*, and Venus.
List of the nominees in each category is here.
There were 307 films eligible for nomination in the main categories, listed here. Of those, I saw 59. There were several other 2006 releases not eligible for various reasons, but mostly because they did not get a Los Angeles release. There is a list of 2006 New York City releases at Mike D’Angelo’s site. Here are a few of the non-eligible 2006 releases that I think deserve recognition: Manderlay, The Road to Guantanamo, Death of a President, Sleeping Dogs Lie, Cautiva, Police Beat, I Am a Sex Addict, Mutual Appreciation, Go for Zucker, Sorry, Haters, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Loverboy, and This Film Is Not Yet Rated.
Best motion picture of the year
I have seen 3/5 of the nominees.
I really hope that Little Miss Sunshine does not win. I liked the film fine, but it is such a far distance from the best film of the year; there were probably 25 American films better than it. The film was not even the best American comedy of the year (Sleeping Dogs Lie, Thank You for Smoking, and Art School Confidential were better). Of the three nominees I’ve seen, I thought The Queen was best, but I liked Babel quite a bit as well.
What should have been nominated in this category? First of all Manderlay: to my mind it was the best film released in the US in 2006 (that I’ve seen). However, Manderlay was not eligible for the Oscars presumably because it was released in New York only, not Los Angeles.
Other films that should have received a best picture nomination are Little Children, United 93, and The Prestige. Possibly An Inconvenient Truth as well; aside from its important subject matter it was an excellent piece of cinema. However, perhaps An Inconvenient Truth was too important to nominate for Best Picture, because if that film were nominated, how could any other film win?
Achievement in directing
Seen 3/5.
I am hoping this goes to Paul Greengrass for United 93. But as above, I wish the nominee list included Lars von Trier for Manderlay, Todd Field for Little Children, Christopher Nolan for The Prestige, and Davis Guggenheim for An Inconvenient Truth.
Original screenplay
Seen 4/5.
This should go to Babel, hands down. A brilliant script, although I did not like the ending.
Adapted screenplay
Seen 2/5.
This should go to Todd Field and Tom Perrotta for Little Children. I am displeased that the idiocy of Borat received a nomination here. Notes on a Scandal was a good script but hardly among the very best of the year; I do not understand why The Prestige is not nominated in this category.
Best foreign language film of the year
Seen 5/5.
I liked all five films nominated in this category; I think After the Wedding (the Danish film directed by Susanne Bier) was best. I will be surprised if it wins however; this award will most likely go to Pan’s Labyrinth.
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Seen 4/5.
Definitely should go to Helen Mirren for The Queen. Her role in that film just blew me away. One scene that I loved was her driving the Jeep through the river. Another good performance that did not get nominated was Robin Wright Penn for Sorry, Haters. The film was not eligible, I think, because it played in New York City only, not Los Angeles. Another overlooked performance by a child actor was Keke Palmer in Akeelah and the Bee. And Maggie Gyllenhall was robbed; she should have been nominated for Sherrybaby. I could go on: Sarah Polley for The Secret Life of Words, Naomi Watts for The Painted Veil, Lisa Ray for Water, Camilla Belle for The Quiet, etc.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Seen 2/5.
Forest Whitaker’s performance was excellent, no doubt the best of the nominees here. However, Isaach De Bankolé’s performance in Manderlay (as Timothy) was equally good. I also quite liked Michael Sheen’s performance as Tony Blair in The Queen; he could easily have been nominated. Patrick Wilson deserves recognition for both Hard Candy and Little Children. If The Lives of Others had been released earlier in the year (so that more voters could have seen it before their nomination ballot was due), Ulrich Mühe would I think have been nominated (deservedly) for his role as the Stasi agent. Another great German-language lead performance was Henry Hübchen in Go for Zucker, although that film was not eligible for the Oscars because it was released in New York only, not Los Angeles.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Seen 2/5.
What is Alan Arkin doing in this category? It was not that great a performance. Jackie Earle Haley should probably win this. Tim Roth should have been nominated for Don’t Come Knocking. I also liked the performance of Simon McBurney in both The Last King of Scotland and Friends with Money. James Cromwell was also memorable in The Queen.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Seen 4/5 of the performances.
With two nominees from Babel in this category, I doubt either one will win. However, Adriana Barraza really shone in a difficult role and she ought to receive this award. I will admit that Abigail Breslin was quite good in Little Miss Sunshine and deserved her nomination. Eva Marie Saint should have been nominated for Don’t Come Knocking; perhaps also Sarah Polley for the same film. Lauren Bacall for Manderlay or Rachel Clift for Mutual Appreciation, if they had been eligible.
Achievement in art direction
Seen 3/5.
This award should go to Pan’s Labyrinth. I have to say I don’t quite understand the nominees here. Why didn’t Babel get nominated? Or Days of Glory (Indigènes)? Do outdoor scenes not count as art direction? If it’s supposed to be mainly an indoor thing, then one film that was overlooked is Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus. And also The Secret Life of Words: after all, they shot the movie on an oil rig.
Achievement in cinematography
Seen 2/5.
Again I don’t understand what The Prestige is doing nominated here. I thought it was a great film: on account of the writing and the acting. Sure its cinematography was good too, but nothing all that special. Some of the best cinematography that got overlooked was in The House of Sand and Brick.
Achievement in film editing
Seen 2/5.
This really should go to United 93; it was great the way it told four or five simultaneous stories without confusion. Conversations with Other Women should have been nominated.
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
Seen 1/5.
I think Melissa Etheridge deserves this for incorporating the phrase “an inconvenient truth” into the lyrics of her song.
Here is an alphabetical list of films nominated in the nonspecialized categories that I have not yet seen. An asterisk indicates that I am still planning to see the film: Apocalypto, The Black Dahlia, Blood Diamond, Borat, Cars, Children of Men*, Click, Curse of the Golden Flower, Deliver Us from Evil, The Departed*, The Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Flags of Our Fathers*, The Good German*, Happy Feet, The Illusionist, Iraq in Fragments, Jesus Camp*, Letters from Iwo Jima*, Marie Antoinette, Monster House, My Country, My Country, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Poseidon, The Pursuit of Happyness*, and Venus.
List of the nominees in each category is here.
There were 307 films eligible for nomination in the main categories, listed here. Of those, I saw 59. There were several other 2006 releases not eligible for various reasons, but mostly because they did not get a Los Angeles release. There is a list of 2006 New York City releases at Mike D’Angelo’s site. Here are a few of the non-eligible 2006 releases that I think deserve recognition: Manderlay, The Road to Guantanamo, Death of a President, Sleeping Dogs Lie, Cautiva, Police Beat, I Am a Sex Addict, Mutual Appreciation, Go for Zucker, Sorry, Haters, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Loverboy, and This Film Is Not Yet Rated.