Yes! 2008 Oscar Nominations!
Wow, the 2008 Oscar Nominations are out, and I'm really excited. I'm totally thrilled about the Best Picture category. Hee!!!
Nominees and my expert reaction and opinions ;) under the cut:
http://www.zap2it.com/movies/zap-oscarnominations012208,0,3614924.story
Best Picture
"Atonement"
"Juno"
"Michael Clayton"
"No Country For Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"
Damn, these are good choices. I've seen all of them, and for the first time in years, I honestly loved all these movies. So good I can't really choose! I think I would say No Country for Old Men, though. It is brilliant! It was so dark, so quirky, a great ensemble cast, a truly terrifying villain, just excellent.
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Julie Christie, "Away from Her"
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Laura Linney, "The Savages"
Ellen Page, "Juno"
Okay, I've only seen 3 of the 5, but of those I've seen, Laura Linney is a class act in The Savages. Ellen Page is great too in Juno. But Julie Christie is getting major buzz for Away from Her. Really, I've heard only good things about Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose too, but I think it will be Julie Christie. I have to see them both, though.
Best Actor
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"
Not even an hesitation, hands down Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. He is AMAZING. Honestly, phenomenal. I would be shocked if he doesn't get it. I don't totally agree with the nods for Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah or Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"
Saorise Ronan, "Atonement"
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton
I have only not seen I'm Not There, but from what I've heard Cate Blanchett could take this category, plus she got the Golden Globe. To be honest, I don't even remember Ruby Dee from American Gangster, but loved all the others. Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone and Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton were particularly good.
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton"
Another no-questions-asked choice for me: Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men. Seriously, he scares the hell out of you in that film. But Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War was so excellent too.
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
Jason Reitman, "Juno"
Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
I have to put Julian Schnabel in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ahead in this category. All these directors did a phenomenal job on these films, but he gave such a poignant, touching directing effort here. For the first 1/3 of the film, he directed from the eye of a man who is paralyzed everywhere but his left eye after a massive stroke. However, I also believe the Coen brothers did an amazing job directing a great ensemble cast in No Country for Old Men and there is a scene in Michael Clayton that I just loved where George Clooney is standing on this hill, at the bottom of which is his car which is about to be blown up with the assumption that he is inside, and he's standing with these horses and there's a shot of the profiles of him and the horses that is just beautiful, one of those that stays with you.
Best Original Screenplay
Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, "Ratatouille"
Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages"
Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl"
Um... this is hard. I think Ratatouille will get Best Animated Feature, so I don't think it'll get this. My personal pick would be for Tamara Jenkin's The Savages or Nancy Oliver's Lars and the Real Girl. Both were such wonderful films, with Lars and the Real Girl getting the edge from me. But I think higher profile Diablo Cody's Juno or Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton will get it. At this time, I might say Juno will win, but that's just a guess.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Christopher Hampton, "Atonement"
Ronald Harwood, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Sarah Polley, "Away from Her"
Again, I haven't seen Away from Her, so I can't really judge there, but of the other four... God, these Screenplay categories are tough. I think again I would say No Country for Old Men. There Will Be Blood would probably be my second choice as it is bone-chilling too, but so much so it's a bit cold. I would already give The Diving Bell and the Butterfly the directing nod, and I feel Atonement is much better suited for the art awards, so yeah, No Country for Old Men. Oh, y'all, it's so good.
Best Foreign Language Film
"Beaufort"
The Counterfeiters"
"Katyn"
"Mongol"
"12"
Damnit, I haven't seen any of these films. I'm a bit surprised not to see Lust, Caution, the highly buzzed 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (which I hope to see this weekend), the 2008 Golden Globe winner The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and maybe even The Kite Runner on the list. I'm going to have to find and watch all of these films before the Oscars next month.
Best Animated Feature
"Perseopolis"
"Ratatouille"
"Surf's Up"
I've only seen Ratatouille and will now have to go watch the other two, but I think Ratatouille will win. It was a very good, sweet film.
Best Documentary Feature
"No End in Sight"
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"
"Sicko"
"Taxi to the Dark Side"
"War/Dance"
Same here. Haven't seen any of these. Crap.
Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Roger Deakins, "No Country for Old Men"
Robert Elswit, "There Will Be Blood"
Janusz Kaminski, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Seamus McGarvey, "Atonement"
ATONEMENT. Without a doubt. This film was so beautifully aesthetically made. It was literally lovely to watch. There was a great starkness to The Assassination of Jess James by the Coward Robert Ford and There Will Be Blood, but the vibrancy and nuance of Atonement is more deserving than any of these other films.
Best Editing
Jay Cassidy, "Into the Wild"
Roderick Jaynes, "No Country for Old Men"
Christopher Rouse, "The Bourne Ultimatum"
Dylan Tichenor, "There Will Be Blood"
Juliette Welfling, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
I don't really have a good suggestion for this category. I remember The Bourne Ultimatum being very crisp and exceptionally well done, but I don't know if good enough to win the Oscar. Honestly, I think No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood will be duking it out in the most of the categories in which they both appear. I think I would once again give the edge to No Country for Old Men.
Best Art Direction
"American Gangster"
"Atonement"
"The Golden Compass"
"Sweeney Todd"
"There Will Be Blood"
I will be chanting endlessly that Atonement should get all of the arts awards for which it's nominated, so I happily give this over to this vivid, gorgeous film. Could also be Sweeney Todd, though, for its excellent use of browns, grays, and smashing reds. Another very well-made film.
Best Original Score
Marco Beltrami, "3:10 to Yuma"
Michael Giacchino, "Ratatouille"
James Newton Howard, "Michael Clayton"
Alberto Iglesias, "The Kite Runner"
Dario Marianelli, "Atonement"
My choice is Atonement. The music, like the art, was like another character in this film. It was memorable in the trailer no less.
Best Original Song
"Falling Slowly," from "Once"
"Happy Working Song," from "Enchanted"
"Raise It Up," from "August Rush"
"So Close," from "Enchanted"
"That's How You Know," from "Enchanted"
I really kind of loathed Enchanted except for two things: the lead actress and the music, and being thrice nominated here, it could win (I would suggest "That's How You Know" as the best). But my sleeper choice is "Falling Slowly" from Once. This was such an amazing movie, and the music was out of this world (kind of like how I felt the music was in Walk the Line a couple of years ago, but even better). The sequence where "Falling Slowly" appears is such a thrill to watch - beautiful harmony as two people begin to fall in love.
Best Costume Design
"Across the Universe"
"Atonement"
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
"La Vie en Rose"
"Sweeney Todd"
Haven't seen La Vie en Rose, and while I loved Across the Universe, it wouldn't be my pick here. The other three are fairly strong, though. I would say it comes down to Atonement and Sweeney Todd, and Sweeney Todd gets my vote. Tim Burton sure does love his eccentricity, and Johnny Depp looks seriously deranged and mad with his wild hair and costume.
Best Makeup
"La Vie en Rose"
"Norbit"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Haven't seen two of the three, but um... Norbit?!?!??? Seriously? Possibly sight unseen La Vie en Rose, and the makeup in Pirates has always been pretty outstanding.
Best Sound Editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Ratatouille"
"There Will Be Blood"
"Transformers"
Okay, I have major contention with this category. The one thing I remember more soundly (pun intended) than anything from Atonement was its Sound Editing. It was beyond phenomenal. This makes me really angry. However, I remember it being really great in There Will Be Blood, and I think that would be my choice.
Best Sound Mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Ratatouille"
"3:10 to Yuma"
"Transformers"
Still no Atonement. Bah. It was good in 3:10 to Yuma, but I will say No Country for Old Men. I really think this film could sweep the Academy Awards this year. It was honestly that great.
Best Visual Effects
"The Golden Compass"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
"Transformers"
I have not seen Transformers, but Golden Compass could possibly win. Or maybe they'll award Pirates for the completion of the trilogy. Not sure.
Best Live-Action Short Film
"At Night"
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)"
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)"
"Tanghi Argentini"
"The Tonto Woman"
Best Animated Short Film
"I Met the Walrus"
"Madame Tutli-Putli"
"Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)"
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)"
"Peter & the Wolf"
Best Documentary Short Subject
"Freeheld"
"La Corona (The Crown)"
"Salim Baba"
"Sari's Mother"
I haven't yet seen any of the Shorts and most of the time they're not available, but last year we have this excellent Modern Art Museum here that shows an artistic, more independent film each weekend and they usually play all of the Shorts, but Live-Action and Animated, so I look forward to that again. Probably won't get a chance to see Best Documentary Shorts, though.
So, in summary, it comes down to two Westerns, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood (both partially shot in the same small Texas town), to lead the Oscars this year, which I find to be particularly exciting because it's really refreshing see the genre kind of revived and with films of such high caliber. And many of these films were such a pleasure to watch. For all the dozens and dozens of truly awful movies I watch every year, these make it all worth it.
Nominees and my expert reaction and opinions ;) under the cut:
http://www.zap2it.com/movies/zap-oscarnominations012208,0,3614924.story
Best Picture
"Atonement"
"Juno"
"Michael Clayton"
"No Country For Old Men"
"There Will Be Blood"
Damn, these are good choices. I've seen all of them, and for the first time in years, I honestly loved all these movies. So good I can't really choose! I think I would say No Country for Old Men, though. It is brilliant! It was so dark, so quirky, a great ensemble cast, a truly terrifying villain, just excellent.
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Julie Christie, "Away from Her"
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose"
Laura Linney, "The Savages"
Ellen Page, "Juno"
Okay, I've only seen 3 of the 5, but of those I've seen, Laura Linney is a class act in The Savages. Ellen Page is great too in Juno. But Julie Christie is getting major buzz for Away from Her. Really, I've heard only good things about Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose too, but I think it will be Julie Christie. I have to see them both, though.
Best Actor
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"
Not even an hesitation, hands down Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. He is AMAZING. Honestly, phenomenal. I would be shocked if he doesn't get it. I don't totally agree with the nods for Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah or Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"
Saorise Ronan, "Atonement"
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton
I have only not seen I'm Not There, but from what I've heard Cate Blanchett could take this category, plus she got the Golden Globe. To be honest, I don't even remember Ruby Dee from American Gangster, but loved all the others. Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone and Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton were particularly good.
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton"
Another no-questions-asked choice for me: Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men. Seriously, he scares the hell out of you in that film. But Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson's War was so excellent too.
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
Jason Reitman, "Juno"
Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
I have to put Julian Schnabel in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ahead in this category. All these directors did a phenomenal job on these films, but he gave such a poignant, touching directing effort here. For the first 1/3 of the film, he directed from the eye of a man who is paralyzed everywhere but his left eye after a massive stroke. However, I also believe the Coen brothers did an amazing job directing a great ensemble cast in No Country for Old Men and there is a scene in Michael Clayton that I just loved where George Clooney is standing on this hill, at the bottom of which is his car which is about to be blown up with the assumption that he is inside, and he's standing with these horses and there's a shot of the profiles of him and the horses that is just beautiful, one of those that stays with you.
Best Original Screenplay
Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, "Ratatouille"
Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"
Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages"
Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl"
Um... this is hard. I think Ratatouille will get Best Animated Feature, so I don't think it'll get this. My personal pick would be for Tamara Jenkin's The Savages or Nancy Oliver's Lars and the Real Girl. Both were such wonderful films, with Lars and the Real Girl getting the edge from me. But I think higher profile Diablo Cody's Juno or Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton will get it. At this time, I might say Juno will win, but that's just a guess.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"
Christopher Hampton, "Atonement"
Ronald Harwood, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Sarah Polley, "Away from Her"
Again, I haven't seen Away from Her, so I can't really judge there, but of the other four... God, these Screenplay categories are tough. I think again I would say No Country for Old Men. There Will Be Blood would probably be my second choice as it is bone-chilling too, but so much so it's a bit cold. I would already give The Diving Bell and the Butterfly the directing nod, and I feel Atonement is much better suited for the art awards, so yeah, No Country for Old Men. Oh, y'all, it's so good.
Best Foreign Language Film
"Beaufort"
The Counterfeiters"
"Katyn"
"Mongol"
"12"
Damnit, I haven't seen any of these films. I'm a bit surprised not to see Lust, Caution, the highly buzzed 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (which I hope to see this weekend), the 2008 Golden Globe winner The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and maybe even The Kite Runner on the list. I'm going to have to find and watch all of these films before the Oscars next month.
Best Animated Feature
"Perseopolis"
"Ratatouille"
"Surf's Up"
I've only seen Ratatouille and will now have to go watch the other two, but I think Ratatouille will win. It was a very good, sweet film.
Best Documentary Feature
"No End in Sight"
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"
"Sicko"
"Taxi to the Dark Side"
"War/Dance"
Same here. Haven't seen any of these. Crap.
Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Roger Deakins, "No Country for Old Men"
Robert Elswit, "There Will Be Blood"
Janusz Kaminski, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Seamus McGarvey, "Atonement"
ATONEMENT. Without a doubt. This film was so beautifully aesthetically made. It was literally lovely to watch. There was a great starkness to The Assassination of Jess James by the Coward Robert Ford and There Will Be Blood, but the vibrancy and nuance of Atonement is more deserving than any of these other films.
Best Editing
Jay Cassidy, "Into the Wild"
Roderick Jaynes, "No Country for Old Men"
Christopher Rouse, "The Bourne Ultimatum"
Dylan Tichenor, "There Will Be Blood"
Juliette Welfling, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
I don't really have a good suggestion for this category. I remember The Bourne Ultimatum being very crisp and exceptionally well done, but I don't know if good enough to win the Oscar. Honestly, I think No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood will be duking it out in the most of the categories in which they both appear. I think I would once again give the edge to No Country for Old Men.
Best Art Direction
"American Gangster"
"Atonement"
"The Golden Compass"
"Sweeney Todd"
"There Will Be Blood"
I will be chanting endlessly that Atonement should get all of the arts awards for which it's nominated, so I happily give this over to this vivid, gorgeous film. Could also be Sweeney Todd, though, for its excellent use of browns, grays, and smashing reds. Another very well-made film.
Best Original Score
Marco Beltrami, "3:10 to Yuma"
Michael Giacchino, "Ratatouille"
James Newton Howard, "Michael Clayton"
Alberto Iglesias, "The Kite Runner"
Dario Marianelli, "Atonement"
My choice is Atonement. The music, like the art, was like another character in this film. It was memorable in the trailer no less.
Best Original Song
"Falling Slowly," from "Once"
"Happy Working Song," from "Enchanted"
"Raise It Up," from "August Rush"
"So Close," from "Enchanted"
"That's How You Know," from "Enchanted"
I really kind of loathed Enchanted except for two things: the lead actress and the music, and being thrice nominated here, it could win (I would suggest "That's How You Know" as the best). But my sleeper choice is "Falling Slowly" from Once. This was such an amazing movie, and the music was out of this world (kind of like how I felt the music was in Walk the Line a couple of years ago, but even better). The sequence where "Falling Slowly" appears is such a thrill to watch - beautiful harmony as two people begin to fall in love.
Best Costume Design
"Across the Universe"
"Atonement"
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
"La Vie en Rose"
"Sweeney Todd"
Haven't seen La Vie en Rose, and while I loved Across the Universe, it wouldn't be my pick here. The other three are fairly strong, though. I would say it comes down to Atonement and Sweeney Todd, and Sweeney Todd gets my vote. Tim Burton sure does love his eccentricity, and Johnny Depp looks seriously deranged and mad with his wild hair and costume.
Best Makeup
"La Vie en Rose"
"Norbit"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
Haven't seen two of the three, but um... Norbit?!?!??? Seriously? Possibly sight unseen La Vie en Rose, and the makeup in Pirates has always been pretty outstanding.
Best Sound Editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Ratatouille"
"There Will Be Blood"
"Transformers"
Okay, I have major contention with this category. The one thing I remember more soundly (pun intended) than anything from Atonement was its Sound Editing. It was beyond phenomenal. This makes me really angry. However, I remember it being really great in There Will Be Blood, and I think that would be my choice.
Best Sound Mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Ratatouille"
"3:10 to Yuma"
"Transformers"
Still no Atonement. Bah. It was good in 3:10 to Yuma, but I will say No Country for Old Men. I really think this film could sweep the Academy Awards this year. It was honestly that great.
Best Visual Effects
"The Golden Compass"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"
"Transformers"
I have not seen Transformers, but Golden Compass could possibly win. Or maybe they'll award Pirates for the completion of the trilogy. Not sure.
Best Live-Action Short Film
"At Night"
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)"
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)"
"Tanghi Argentini"
"The Tonto Woman"
Best Animated Short Film
"I Met the Walrus"
"Madame Tutli-Putli"
"Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)"
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)"
"Peter & the Wolf"
Best Documentary Short Subject
"Freeheld"
"La Corona (The Crown)"
"Salim Baba"
"Sari's Mother"
I haven't yet seen any of the Shorts and most of the time they're not available, but last year we have this excellent Modern Art Museum here that shows an artistic, more independent film each weekend and they usually play all of the Shorts, but Live-Action and Animated, so I look forward to that again. Probably won't get a chance to see Best Documentary Shorts, though.
So, in summary, it comes down to two Westerns, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood (both partially shot in the same small Texas town), to lead the Oscars this year, which I find to be particularly exciting because it's really refreshing see the genre kind of revived and with films of such high caliber. And many of these films were such a pleasure to watch. For all the dozens and dozens of truly awful movies I watch every year, these make it all worth it.