OSCARS - Week 3

After a surprisingly quick and easy Oscar push this season, the countdown is reeling and just about over, meaning the stage is set for the biggest night in Hollywood. And whether you are an avid follower or not, the 81st Annual Academy Awards are shaping up to be one to remember, because no matter what film wins the big prize, for the first time in a very long time, we have five viable contenders worthy of being the best of 2008. All award season, from the People’s Choice Awards all the way up through last week’s BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards, the one theme that comes to my mind is consistency. Quality is what I see across all the nominees this year and it’s been that way all season, making me believe that no matter who wins or loses, we all can enjoy the fruit of what Hollywood has done this past year. And for those that may not know, all this doesn’t begin Sunday at 5PT/8ET like you might have thought, as there are hours of pre-show festivities, starting at noon EST on Sunday for what I have dubbed the “Super Bowl Sunday for movies.” So, get comfortable, get set and get ready for the final award show of the season representing the year 2008. And to close this year’s journey to the Oscars, I leave with the final two categories (Best Director and Best Picture), which are arguably the two most important of the evening next to Best Actor and Actress for a night and day that is really all about movies and for that; I love this show like no other.

Unlike last year where the range of winners to losers was all over the map, this year there is one film that seems to be stealing all the glory away. That’s right, one film that on paper wouldn’t seem to be that great, but when put behind the right music and direction, becomes something that everyone can’t stop talking about. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE on the surface might look like this year’s overnight wonder, much like JUNO and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE were respectively the past couple years. But, evidently it’s much more than that and for the first time in a long time, we have a serious contender for Best Picture that is not your normal pick. Anytime you see a story based around a country that isn’t often talked about, unless a natural disaster has hit it, you should watch it because the fact of the matter is, we all should learn more about the world we live in. And that’s beauty of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, as it’s not so much about India, but in some underlying way still shows you the country in all its glory. And whenever I see a film like this that puts a lot of people in Hollywood to work, I take notice, because these films usually come home as the big winner on Oscar night, despite the other nominees that may or may not be better overall. The story itself was almost too organized given the constant back and forth between the past and present, but I have to give some credit to screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who took Vikas Swarup’s book Q & A and turned it into a wonderful adaptation. Director Danny Boyle not only respected the original book, but took his screenwriter’s own words and brought them to life in one unimaginable way. The end result was just a wonder to watch and although this story could be broken down quite easily, and sure, some might say it’s even too perfect by films end, I liked it that way and was glad to finally see a film with no apologies for being a great story. Now, having said all that, I actually walked away from this film, not thinking it was a lock for anything, much less Best Picture. Sure, it was incredible and full of more life than several of the Best Picture nominees from a year ago, but I guess when I think of Best Picture, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE does not come to mind. It just doesn’t and despite everything it has achieved, I do not think it’s a guaranteed winner come Sunday for any of the major categories for which it’s nominated for. Does it have a better shot than most, though? I think it does, just based on what it’s already won for this season, but I just have this weird feeling the Academy might reward a different film. As I said, all five are quality and very fit to walk home as the best from a year ago, so why couldn’t we see a shocker where a film not as popular wins? I realize history is not on my side with that question, but it is possible, so keep that in mind as you fill out your ballot this year.

In true Oscar fashion, all five directors picked as best from a year ago also see their films nominated for Best Picture, and at last 75% of the time, the best directing and producing Oscars go to the same film. Now, that’s a stat worth noting, but again, with all the quality directors to choose from here, I could see the winner coming from a non-Best Picture winner. It’s only been since 2005 we have seen this, when Ang Lee won for his camera work with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, while CRASH won for Best Picture, a win I still have not gotten over. Three years before that, Roman Polanski won for directing THE PIANIST, but not for Best Picture, which went to CHICAGO. It has been three years, so we could be in for an upset if the trend started in 2002 continues. Having said that, though, only one guy seems to be winning this art each and every ceremony I have seen this year. That would be Mr. Danny Boyle, the genius behind the camera of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. And honestly, he probably should win as I can’t seem to put any of the director’s in front of him at this point in time. That may change at the last minute when I fill in my one of my 3 ballots this Sunday for good, but at least right now, no one is better. And joining Boyle this year as a first-time nominee is David Fincher, director of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. For Fincher, this marks his first nomination and really first time anyone has ever heard of him, which is a shame considering his resume. And not because it’s so well-rounded or stocked full of acclaimed projects; instead his resume contains two films that were the first of their kind in many ways. Films that, in my mind, paved the way for stories we see today on the big screen. Those films were SE7EN and FIGHT CLUB, two films that in some ways could have been nominated for this very category, if the Academy happened to open their eyes those years. I bet now they wish they did, considering the masterpiece that THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON has become.

And for Fincher, I’m sure just being nominated is enough, given what a life-long dream it was to do this film. He worked with George Lucas’ own ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) company back in the 80’s, director David Fincher learned early about the need for detail and how technology would eventually control most of what we see today from major motion pictures. So, for him to see his film rewarded has got to be something and hopefully if he walks home a winner, a big night to remember. The only previous winner of the bunch is Ron Howard, who’s FROST/NIXON didn’t get much play, but obviously did enough to garner this nomination and several other’s including Best Picture. Stories like FROST/NIXON don’t come around that often and I agree without great acting, there’s really no chance for success as so much depends on it, but writing and directing still play their part respectively and Howard deserves some kudos for what he did, bringing to life a moment in our history that many probably do not know. But, given his previous win for A BEAUTIFUL MIND, this nomination will be the closest Howard gets to winning, as I just don’t see him grabbing this Oscar away from the other contenders. And oddly enough, the final two nominees are guys that have also been here before, with Stephen Daldry’s now 3rd nomination leading the pack. For Daldry, this marks the first nomination since THE HOURS, roughly six years ago and a film that was as unique as his current nominated film, THE READER. But, if I had to choose between the two, the current selection should be the winner, not because of its historic premise, because it showed just how far a woman would go to not be embarrassed or ridiculed. And as much as this nomination is because of Kate Winslet, who will undoubtedly go home a first-time winner this year, Daldry was able to bring in a lot of emotion throughout the film, not glorifying any one thing. But, I think the one dark horse to this list that might surprise some is Gus Van Zant, the director for MILK. Here’s a guy that many may think they know, but when looking at his list of films, outside of GOOD WILL HUNTING, will not since he typically will not choose the mainstream story or film to direct. That’s just how Van Zant rolls and I like it, as more than once I have said this guy knows how to get it done with as little as possible. With MILK, he allowed Sean Penn to do his thing and the result was nothing short of spectacular, as the film was quality form start to finish. Taking on a story like the one of Harvey Milk is no easy task, but Van Zant and company respected the history and from there, it all fell into place for what could be a show-stopper if the Academy truly feels like throwing a curve ball. But, only one of these fine director’s will walk home a winner, as my pick below suggests:

Best Director

- David Fincher, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Ron Howard, FROST/NIXON (Universal)
- Gus Van Zant, MILK (Focus Features)
- Stephen Daldry, THE READER (The Weinstein Company)
- Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight)

Well, it’s almost upsetting that we’ve come all this way to the last and most prestigious award, which is of course the “grand-daddy of them all,” Best Picture. And if this year is anything like last year, we’re in for yet another surprise, but I tend to think it’s not, as I see only two more than favorable nominees to win. This year is tough, only because all the picked films deserve to be there, unlike previous years where a few could have been eliminated from contention, if a better option would have been chosen instead. Nevertheless, to be here is a big achievement for producers and directors, which is why just to be nominated is almost a win in itself. And this trend of the unknown when it comes to category should stop soon, right? One would think, especially this year where only one of these nominees has gathered up all the awards for producing thus far, but knowing that tells me two things. For one, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE will be second, at the least, if they had such a reward for not winning. That would mean, the “other” choice, THE CURIOUS CASE FOR BENJAMIN BUTTON, would be first, surprising everyone given it has won next to nothing this year, despite my own feelings of it being the best of this decade. But, as I ponder what could be, it’s hard not to see SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE at the end of the night accepting the award for Best Picture, the second and only other way I see this category going. A two-film race that will have no loser, as both proved to be among the best we have seen in a long time. But, before getting into who will win, let me tell you who won’t. And the least likely of those three films is THE READER, which undoubtedly was the fifth and final option to get into this category, having to beat out the likes of WALL-E, THE DARK KNIGHT and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. Here’s a film that is nominated for a couple reasons, but mostly because of one amazing act of brilliance by Kate Winslet. And since she will win for Best Actress, go ahead and cross this one off the list for directing, even though we all should pay tribute to two of the producers that we lost last year, Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. Right behind THE READER is perhaps FROST/NIXON, a great film, but one I can’t see winning this year; not because its non-deserving, because it just didn’t have “it” that you want from a Best Picture winner. Maybe if it was different year, but it’s not and there are just three films ahead of it in my mind, one of which being MILK. I know I say it’s a two-film race, but if there was ever a sleeper, MILK would be it. Given the fight in California right now over Proposition 8, I could see this film emerging a winner come Sunday, as it contains everything you want from a winner of this category. But, if BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN couldn’t win this category, MILK won’t as that would be the ultimate slap in the face for Ang Lee and company. That being said, this is truly a race between SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. That might be stretch to some, just to include BUTTON in this rhetoric, but to me, there was no film better in 2008.

And every so often a film will come along that will cover so much ground, that you might feel as if you missed something, but given its long running-time, won’t lead you back in the direction of seeing it again, even though you probably should. That’s a shame, because these types of stories just don’t come around as much as they should, given the path Hollywood has taken the past decade or so. And at least by my math, the last film with these qualities was 1994’s FORREST GUMP, the Best Picture winner for that year and film many critics consider one of the greatest of all time. Now, I’m sure an argument can be made for several other outstanding motion pictures between then and now, but I can’t name any that have the unique ability to take you on that kind of “life” journey in the way FORREST GUMP did, until now. Twelve years and over 7,700 films later, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON has entered that scene and despite only a couple wins this award season, is the best film of 2008, no matter how it all shakes out. And for it to be based loosely off a 1920’s short story written by F.Scott Fitzgerald is ludicrous, given just how every minute reveals a lifetime of wonder and charm, all tied up into one wonderful message and story that will stay with you long after the credits roll. My winner for sure, but could become a distant memory to the odds on sentimental favorite, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. And ironically, the last sentimental favorite to win, like Danny Boyle’s film was FORREST GUMP, a film closely resembled by THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, so to say these movies never work off each other would be a gigantic injustice. That being said, I think there’s simply not enough steam for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON to catch up to huge gag SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has created out front this season, as my pick below divulges. So, be sure to tune in to ABC this Sunday for my favorite night of the year to see all the winners from what I dub the best year in film this decade has seen.

Best Picture

- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
- FROST/NIXON (Universal), Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
- MILK (Focus Features), Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
- THE READER (The Weinstein Company), Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris, Producers
- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Fox Searchlight), Christian Colson, Producer

OSCARS - Week 2

It’s strange, for the past seven years when I journey down this “road to the Oscars,” I find myself regurgitating the same things over and over again, but that’s what these awards are all about. You can’t help but reflect about the past winners and losers, go over a multitude of trivia in your head and ultimately think about who was utterly screwed, because that’s what has become of this famed ceremony the past decade. And at the end of the day, I get a whole lot of “coulda, woulda, shoulda” across the board of nominees. That’s just how I see it and although I will never lose that love/hate relationship toward these awards and everything they consume, I’ll still remember how it should have gone down from year to year. Because in the end, the winners that walk away with that gold statuette aren’t necessarily the ones that gave the best performance, while those didn’t win are left sitting in their uncomfortable seats wondering what the hell just happened. That’s the Oscars in a nutshell for not just these categories, but most of the other’s I don’t even go into. Who knows, maybe I’m insane to think that the winners should be the ones that truly gave the best performance of the year or even the ones that weren’t nominated in the first place. Obviously just being nominated is an accolade in itself, but the award should go to the actor that did the best job. It shouldn’t go to the actor who deserves to win, simply because they didn’t win last year, or this is the 8th time being nominated without a win. And although I can see being nominated eight times without a win over the span of forty-five years is a bit ridiculous, it happens. I mean, Meryl Streep has been nominated a record fifteen times now with only two wins; a stat that I feel won’t change this year, despite her innovative performance in DOUBT. But, that’s the reality that has swept over these famed awards the past few years, especially in the acting categories, leaving the question of, “Who will win and who will be robbed this year?”

Even though the Best Picture nominees get all the glory come Oscar time, to me, it’s the Best Actor and Best Actress awards that really have become somewhat of a guessing game lately. What use to be a viable task of picking who should win in these categories has transformed into who you think will win, meaning the best actor/actress may not go home with the gold, as I briefly went into earlier. For the past several years now, my theory of how these categories tend to go has been tested, as most of the actor/actresses who won should have won. And even in looking at this year’s nominees, that theory might get left behind yet again, as who should win, will win. However, there’s always that chance the Academy throws a curve ball and picks someone no one in the world thinks will win, as the best. It’s happened before and if you have read my column before, you know exactly where I’m going next. It’s almost a tradition now, so why stop; especially when it’s so much fun to reminisce on. The year was 2002 and we were supposed to be celebrating the best of 2001 in film, just like any prior year. The nominees were announced and there were a few surprises, but typically that first day when you look over who was nominated, you can pick out definite winners, based on what you saw. This method hasn’t changed for me and in 2002, I felt like Russell Crowe gave the performance of his life in A BEAUTIFUL MIND, a film, which wound up winning Best Picture. And anyone that watched this film clearly could see it was great for pretty much one reason and one reason only, Crowe. Sure, Ron Howard was magnificent behind the camera and Jennifer Connelly only added to the greatness of Crowe, but it was still Crowe’s work that made this film what it was. It’s that simple, and yet, Denzel Washington took home the Oscar for his role in TRAINING DAY. To this day or at least in my memory of these awards, there are only a few times that an actor has won for a performance that was clearly not the best of that year. One is Denzel Washington, as I just mentioned, but another is Adrien Brody for his role in THE PIANIST a few years ago in 2003, which I’ll admit was really good, especially considering the topic at hand.

But, believe it or not, it wasn’t the best that year as Daniel Day Lewis gave, in my mind, his best career performance, at least up till then, in GANGS OF NEW YORK. You can’t watch that film without being drawn into what Daniel Day Lewis was able to do. His depiction of “Bill the Butcher” was uncanny, stealing each and every scene he was in. But, as I outlined in my Week 1 introduction, GANGS OF NEW YORK walked home with zero gold statuettes’, despite its 10 nominations that year, including Best Picture. And of course last year, as I predicted, Lewis walked home as a winner, but did so for two reasons, one of which being he didn’t win in 2003 and the other being he actually was the best last year for his role in THERE WILL BE BLOOD. However, the same can’t be said for Washington in TRAINING DAY, which I agree was a tough role and one we never saw him in before, but was he truly the best that year? The best to me; means no one else was better and that year, no one, I mean no one, was better than Russell Crowe. Crowe was robbed in every sense of the term and no argument that comes my way will ever make me change my mind. Anyone who saw A BEAUTIFUL MIND will tell you just how brilliant Crowe was and how without him, the movie would have never gone on to win Best Picture like it did. But, because Crowe won the previous year for GLADIATOR, he was snubbed and instead we saw Washington take home the gold. And even the year before, after a breakthrough performance in THE INSIDER, Crowe walked home empty handed, in favor for Kevin Spacey, who was just alright in AMERICAN BEAUTY, but not so good he deserved an Oscar, in my opinion. I mean, I like Spacey, but I just do not understand how that film won what it did. That’s three straight years Crowe was nominated and he walked home with just one prized statuette, when it should have been at least two, if not three if you look at his competition in any of those award season’s. Why that happened to Crowe is a dispute I have revisited too many times, but the point is still there; politics play too much of a role now with the Oscars allowing that once invincible credibility to be questioned. And this year is no different, as I can almost guarantee Sean Penn loses out to who I call “the flavor of the season,” Mickey Rourke, but more on that later as this is truly why I love and hate these awards so much. Because, truth be told, until they change the Academy membership to allow more current working/younger Hollywood members, the politics will continue to rule these awards year in and year out.

Let me start with the supporting actors and actresses that in many ways outshine their leading co-stars, with usually a much smaller role. However, in saying that, how do you determine who is the lead and who is the supporting actor/actress? It’s a tough pickle to be in, especially considering so many of these supporting actors/actresses get just as much screen time, and this year that notion is tested quite severely in what Heath Ledger was able to do. But, others do not put in that kind of time, leaving you with just a handful of scenes to pick from, if that. A great supporting performance to me is one where the actor/actress steals at least one or two scenes from the main stars. That’s it; nothing else goes into it, at least to me, so when I see a nomination like the one this year for Josh Brolin, I wonder what I missed. MILK was an incredible film for a lot of reason, none of which being Brolin’s character, who despite his one final act, blended into the background with little to nothing to do with the story. I mean, when I think of this film, Brolin is the last person I remember, which should tell you that this nomination clearly is some sort of consolation for the fact Brolin was snubbed last year for his work in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. That or the Academy liked his other film in 2008, W, so much that they nominated him for this one instead. Hey, believe it or not, these kinds of politics go on and when I see a nomination like this, I can’t help but wonder. Of course, then I look at the nomination for Robert Downey Jr. and absolutely laugh, not just because he was nominated for a role, he was nominated for one in a comedy where he played a white Australian actor who has immersed himself into a role as an African-American soldier. I don’t care how funny he was or how unique this role is, this nomination should have never happened. It’s no secret comedies get little to no love from the Academy, so why do they feel the need to do something like this now? I guess the overachieving success of IRON MAN has people a little fuzzy in the head, but this has no place among the other actors that deserved to be there. Actors like Michael Sheen, who was snubbed from this category, but was amazing in his role as David Frost in FROST/NIXON. As for the other three actors that did make it, only one will wine and we all know who that is. There’s no need to even discuss what Philip Seymour Hoffman or Michael Shannon were able to do in their respective films, as no one was better than Heath Ledger last year. Setting aside the argument of is this type of role should or shouldn’t be nominated, based on the genre, Ledger makes you forget about the main character for which the film is derived after. It’s true, Ledger was so good in THE DARK KNIGHT, you forget that you’re not only watching Ledger, but you’re watching a guy that is only meant to be the main villain opposite Batman. And as hard as it is to even come up with words to describe exactly why that is, know that Ledger was the Joker, in a way that no one could have ever dreamed of, bringing attention to a role that is just about as dark as it gets. And I can only imagine what he would say, if he was alive to see the result of what he created in this character, which undoubtedly will win this year, as I just can’t see the Academy getting this one wrong.

Best Supporting Actor

- Josh Brolin in MILK (Focus Features.)
- Robert Downey Jr. in TROPIC THUNDER (DreamWorks)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBT (Miramax)
- Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT (Warner Bros.)
- Michael Shannon in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (DreamWorks.)

Now for the women, who frankly deserve to go first, but take a backseat this year to Ledger. I can still remember back when TITANTIC ruled this night a good 11 years ago with Gloria Stuart picking up a nomination for her part in the film. She didn’t win, but I was shocked to see her nomination that year, knowing she was barely involved in the film, outside the narration. And like I said earlier, there’s got to be that one scene that shines, the one scene that makes you remember that character. Last year, Tilda Swinton won for her part in MICHAEL CLAYTON, a great film filled with all sort of talent, but not one where I thought she was just amazing in. Sure, she made the most of her scenes, just as she always does, but again I never saw her winning, making my prediction last year about as off as it could get. This year, I actually could have seen a nomination for her part in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, but that nomination went to the well-deserving Taraji P. Henson instead. And now that I look at it, if Swinton would have been nominated, she and Henson might have cancelled each other out, much like Amy Adams and Viola Davis might do this year for their part in DOUBT, despite their heroics opposite two giants like Hoffman and Streep. Maybe that’s a shot in the dark, but I can see it happening and the award going to either Penelope Cruz or Marisa Tomei, who each put it all on the line in their dynamic roles. In fact, Tomei probably deserves this Oscar more than the one she won for way back in 1992 with MY COUNSIN VINNY. Just taking into account the fact we never see Tomei anymore and for her to take on this role in THE WRESTLER, showing more than she ever has, tells me the dedication and love she has for a story she believes in. And who knows, THE WRESTLER might make a clean sweep with its acting nominations this year, with Mickey Rourke possibly in line for his first Oscar, so you just never know with this category that could really go a number of ways, as my pick indicates below:

Best Supporting Actress

- Amy Adams in DOUBT (Miramax)
- Penelope 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.)


This year’s Best Actor and Best Actress categories feature the same old story, a couple rookies and a couple veterans, mixed in with a few that maybe should not be there at all. In fact, given the extreme diversity of the bunch, it will be interesting to see who walks home a winner come Oscar night. But, isn’t it always? As I said, these two awards tend to be the most debated and that hasn’t changed and probably never will. But, the unfortunate question that I come to every year is, who deserves it more? Most of these actors and actresses were outstanding in their nominated roles, but like most of the other categories, there can only be one winner. Before I get into who all is nominated, though, let me tell you who wasn’t nominated, and this one truly shocked me. I really felt after watching GRAN TORINO, there’s no way Clint Eastwood gets left off the ballot. Now, that’s not because he was hands down the best last year, as several other’s deserve that crown, but he was good, maybe even great. I mean, when you start to break down what the Academy likes each and every year, Clint Eastwood fits the bill to a ‘T’, so for him not to get praise for playing a disgruntled old man and bigot, a role that I doubt many would have been to pull off the way he did, is surprising. And it’s in the way he did it too, so easily with no holding back, like each moment of emotion was his last. But, even Clint getting snubbed was not half as bad as Leonardo DiCaprio getting no love for his part in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. Anyone that watches this film will tell you he was remarkable and how he didn’t garner at least a nomination for it is rediculous. What does this guy have to do? I mean, he was so good he overpowered his costar Kate Winslet, who handles her own just fine most instances. But, I guess Richard Jenkins really was better in THE VISITOR, holding onto that 5th and final nominee slot this year. Deserved or not, that’s how the cards were played, so we will accept what was dealt and move on, knowing there were better performances left off the ballot. Now, for the performances that were on the ballot, I think there might only one that truly has no chance and that’s Brad Pitt. Taking nothing away from this amazing star and talent, but he will never win an Oscar, just as Tom Cruise never will, because they are both too big for awards. There are not many actors out there that get the top billing over a title of a film, but these two guys do each and every time they have something new out. That theory may be a bit farfetched to some, but neither of these guys have an Oscar at home and this year will end the same way for Pitt, as his performance in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON will get passed over.

In fact, his film has won practically nothing this season, which to me is an outrage considering how breathtaking and moving it was. So, even if the film goes on to win most of its 13 nominated categories, Best Actor will not be among the winners, which is unfortunate for Pitt, who clearly put a lot into the role. Eliminating Pitt leaves the final three nominees, all deserving like Pitt, but more likely to take home the gold. Last year, this category was a gimme, as there was no way the Academy would snub Daniel Day Lewis for his role in THERE WILL BE BLOOD, one above the rest from a year ago and one I still marvel at when I look back on. This year, I feel, will go one of three ways, with two nominees more likely to take home the gold over the third. The third or what I would dub dark horse to win this year is Frank Langella, a veteran who knows how to stay within the character, carrying all those famous mannerisms and actions of the infamous President, as he did in FROST/NIXON. And at the tender age 71, Langella finds himself in unfamiliar waters as a first-time nominee at the most coveted award show in the world. Well, as my favorite actor once said, just being nominated is a win in itself, so I hope Langella is OK with that notion as this is truly a two-man race. As I noted last week, Mickey Rourke right now is the flavor of the season, meaning anyone and everyone will fall all over themselves to give this guy the award for Best Actor. Listen, I watched THE WRESTLER and it was an amazing piece of moviemaking with very few flaws, much to the credit of director Darren Aronofsky, but honestly when I break it all down, Rourke was great, but I’m just not sure if he deserves the award this year. This may sound crazy, but haven’t we seen this kind of performance before? One where the audience has no choice but to live and breathe everything this character is about? I mean, there’s so much Rourke in this film, that anyone else involved gets lost in the background, which makes the performance by Marisa Tomei that much more impressive. And the feeling I get right now is Rourke will steal this one away, not because he was the best; because he was so raw and so present in virtually every scene of the film. Meaning, since he was in so much of the film, how could we not give him the award. He’s been through so much and was written off years ago, right? I’m telling you, this is why he will win, if he pulls it off. The only salvation I have is at least Rourke is deserving and if it was a different year, he should be the winner hands down. But, guess what, it’s not and this year the award belongs to Sean Penn, who in my mind took it to another level in MILK. Sure, Penn is no stranger to this ceremony and yes, he is a previous nominee and winner, but his performance as Harvey Milk was absolutely stunning. It’s one thing to be hidden behind makeup and be forgotten, but for Penn to somehow make you forget you were watching him, instead of Harvey Milk was incredible and why I feel he should walk home a winner this year, as my pick below suggests:

Best Actor

- 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)

For the first time in a long time, I think we might have a clear-cut favorite to win Best Actress. In fact, given the history of this category, one might even go aw afar as to say, this was a down year with not as many groundbreaking performances from the women. And at least of the top of my head, I can’t come up with anyone I felt got left off the ballot this year, which is odd and yet so telling. If anything, Kate Winslet should have been on this ballot twice, as her “other” performance in 2008 was just as worthy as the one given to her for THE READER. But, for once the Academy got it right, leaving that performance in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD off the ballot in favor for the one in THE READER. And what’s funny about this very nomination is the fact the Hollywood Foreign Press for The Golden Globes had this role as supporting, not lead which makes no sense to me. I mean, both roles were lead roles and the fact she won the Globe for lead actress in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD instead of the one in THE READER is crazy, when you couldn’t even name another actor from that film. Obviously in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, there was Leo who clearly stole every scene they were in together, so if she would have been nominated for supporter here, it would have made better sense. But, I guess when the award for both went to her; it didn’t matter letting the Hollywood Foreign Press off the hook of what could have been a huge mistake. Because, Kate was by far the best last year as anyone who watches THE READER will find out. Finally, after five previous nominations and no wins, she will get her long awaited Oscar, something I would bet money on being the defining moment of the ceremony this year. And that’s too bad for first-time nominees Anne Hathaway and Melissa Leo, who were both great, but in the end just not as good as Kate. And at least for Hathaway, this is just the first of several nominations in a career that I expect to explode in the next few years. The same can’t be said for Angelina Jolie, who for the second straight year will walk home empty handed despite one heck of a performance. That’s a shame because I felt CHANGELING deserved a bit more love. Finally, there’s the queen of these awards, Meryl Streep, the actress that so many others look up to. Bagging her now 15th nomination, one would think Streep would have more than two Oscars at home on her mantle, but that’s not the case. And this year, she should fall short, but if Streep was ever more of a dark horse, it’s right now as her part in DOUBT clearly had people talking. She stole the coveted ‘actor’ away from Kate at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, so who knows, we might be in for an upset, but I just can’t see the Academy not rewarding Kate this year for her work as my pick below suggests.

Best Actress

- 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 (DreamWorks)


Next Week: (Best Director, Best Picture)

OSCARS - Week 1

Sticking with what works, I like to start off small in the first week and give my predictions on the least popular of the 10 above categories, Cinematography, Writing, and Art Direction.

Cinematography is one of those things in film that inevitably gets pushed under the rug as merely a contributor, when in reality is much more. And typically this piece of moviemaking is one of the main aspects I try to bring up in my reviews, as its importance to the overall success of film is greater than imagined. Many aren’t aware of the true meaning of cinematography and everything that goes along with it. The basic definition of cinematography is simply the technique of making motion pictures. In other words, there’s a specific person or crew who is in charge of the overall quality of light and photography as it pertains to a particular shot. Cinematography has to be perfect for a film to succeed in my mind, which is why it has always been one of my favorite categories. Light and contrast can truly set the tone and emotion in a film, so much so that it can make the transition between scenes or time periods smooth and flawless.

This year we find yet another odd mix of films, but all with tremendous cinematography, one of which being THE READER; a film that many will probably not see until it comes out on DVD. Having the unfortunate distinction of being based on or around post-WWII Germany, a time many obviously like to forget, but so crucial to our world’s history when you start to break it down. And even though is this is primarily the reason it was nominated for Best Picture, another reason could be its cinematography, as its look and feel was unforgettable. Whether it was within the small confines of a Neustadt, Germany apt. or out in the open fields of the country, where the concentration camps sat, director Stephen Daldry made sure the audience had an up close and personal feel. And just with the eerie sequence of panning through a vacated, but very much intact concentration camp was enough to fulfill this nomination for me. Sticking with the more dated look, CHANGELING surprisingly made its way in to this category. At lerast on top, you wouldn’t think a film with this story would be among the nominees, but I think given it was dated back to the 1920s, and crafted well by director Clint Eastwood, it got the nod. I think sometimes these older period pieces dealing with American history get chosen because a good portion of the Academy were born back then or shortly after and they can relate to it. Sounds crazy, but given the host of films not nominated in this category, the myth quickly becomes the truth. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t matter as I think the winner in this category will come down to two films, neither of which being THE DARK KNIGHT. I realize, some might be surprised by that notion, but I don’t think it can win when it has to go up against the magic portrayed in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Despite the few scene’s shot in IMAX, most of THE DARK KNIGHT was the same old bag of tricks, meaning if it wins, it will solely be because of IMAX and how well director Christopher Nolan was able to bring in the action and drama, given what he had to work with. However, as I said, I think it will get passed for a more unique twist to the eye. And in the case of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the beauty surrounding all the shots of India were something else to endure, whether that was in the tight quarters of an abandoned train compartment, or open overhead shots of Mumbai. But, I think when it’s all said and done, the feeling you felt while watching THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON will be the difference, as no film in 2008 looked better than this one did. Crossing so many aspects of life helps and director David Fincher worked closely with his photography department to make sure each shot was one filled with magic and wonder. But, there can only be one winner, and despite the up and down track record of this category, I feel confident with my pick below:

Best Cinematography

- CHANGELING
- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
- THE DARK KNIGHT
- SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
- THE READER


Writing is continues to make a case as one of the more prestigious awards each year and it’s about time if you ask me. So many times moviegoers forget about the writer’s, the talent behind the story you’re watching, the talent in many cases never seen or heard from. Sure all roles behind the scenes deserve credit, but often it’s the cast and director that gets the acclaim, when the reason most people fell in love with the film was the story, written by a screenwriter. Now, obviously this mostly applies to the films we are looking at currently, the films luck enough to garner a nomination; not the summer blockbusters or so-called “popcorn” flicks we all can’t seem to say no to. Films that, yes, require writing but ultimately don’t depend on it, like an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or even Juno would. And it’s for that reason I respect the writer’s even more, and what’s great about the Academy Awards; versus let’s say The Golden Globes is that there are two categories for writing, not just one. I think with just one, the Hollywood Foreign Press must decide how to fit just five films, adapted and original, into the category, whereas the Academy has the option of fitting each into their category with a combined total of ten. So whether these same writers are drafting an original screenplay or adapting one, both play one of the most important roles to moviemaking. For that, I cherish these categories a little more than others.

An adaptation of a book or play is simple compared to writing an original screenplay, right? Well, it may not be that easy, but it’s certainly not as detailed as writing your own and that’s what Best Original Screenplay is all about. And just recently I learned films based “loosely” on a true story are considered original, falling into this category, not adapted like you might expect. And it just so happens this year we find a prime example of that idea, with the nomination of MILK for original screenplay. Based on the pioneer of gay rights back in 70’s San Francisco, Harvey Milk, this story whips around the controversial topic and spins it in a way that is not only original, but respectively credits the accomplishments of Milk and what he meant to our nation’s history. A brilliant story and I would bet one that walks home a winner, considering my theory on Best Picture nominees that clean up in the writing categories when they have little chance of winning the Oscar for Best Picture. But, that’s just my theory and most likely, it will get shot down by one of the other nominees who come out of nowhere. This year, that selection could be IN BRUGES, a wistful and unique comedy that I found a lot more enjoyable than I expected. And I can see how it was chosen here as a nominee, as the script penned by Martin McDonough was fresh and quite witty when it had to be. Other nominees capable of winning are FROZEN RIVER written by first-time nominee Courtney Hunt and now six-time nominee Mike Leigh, penning HAPPY-GO-LUCKY. But unfortunately for Leigh, he will have to wait for number seven, as I think this race will come down to only three, leaving the final nominee WALL-E to steal it all away from MILK and IN BRUGES. Although it’s as odd as it used to be to find an animated film in this category, I think by just seeing WALL-E here should scare the other nominees, because when you really start to break down the stories, they all fall to this one if you ask me. Not only was this film spectacular in look, the story behind it was a work of genius, with layers and layers of detail and messages to take home with you. And then if you throw on top this film had a chance to be the fifth and final nominee for Best Picture, I think it’s an easy pick to be the dark horse in this category and one more than capable of taking home the gold, as my pick below suggests:

Best 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 McDonough
- MILK (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black

- WALL-E (Walt Disney/Pixar), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon.Story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter


No matter which way you look at it, when you think of Best Adapted Screenplay, you think of stories derived from books, history or Broadway musicals like past Oscar winners MOULIN ROUGE! and CHICAGO. But, once again, we find no “musicals” as the beloved MAMA MIA! never found its way into this category. And that’s just fine if you ask me, because for me there were far better options to choose from this year, one of which being FROST/NIXON, Ron Howard’s gripping drama based on the famous interviews with the former president and British talk-show host David Frost. Here’s a film that relied on tremendous acting and a script with no room for error, passing at every turn. Peter Morgan took those tapes from the late 70’s and brought them to life on paper, before handing off to Howard for the final push and touch. And at least for me, it was really quite interesting to see all this unfold on the big screen, given I had no previous knowledge of it before taking it all in. Who knows, given how much politics has been on our minds lately, Morgan might just find his way to the stage to accept this award. I say it doesn’t though, as the rest of the nominees from this category unfortunately jump out a bit more. Nominees lile SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, two films that will undoubtedly be going toe to toe in more than one category and this one is no different. And at least right now, I think this is SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE’S to lose, as its story is so well crafted and brought to life, based from the book Q & A, written by Vikas Swarup. Already we’ve seen this film take home practically all the producing, writing and directing awards this season and I feel writer Simon Beaufoy will get rewarded for it here. And that’s a shame because what Eric Roth did with THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON was nothing short of spectacular, truly bridging the magic first written during the 1920’s by F.Scott Fitzgerald. And given that original work was just a short story, maybe I should revisit my gut feeling, but I think when it comes down to it, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE will rack this one up with ease. Other nominees include DOUBT and THE READER, two worthy adversaries, but mostly there because of acting, even though the dialogue came from the well-crafted scripts. So with that, I give you the nominees and my pick as winner:

Best 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

A few years ago, I introduced a new category and it was one that I felt was just as important as the writing, as it deals with how things are situated and placed within the story. This amazing piece of moviemaking is called Art Direction, which simply defined is the basic construction of sets and backdrops including, but not limited to the interior decoration and/or visual style. I think just by the definition, you can see how this piece of moviemaking is an art, as it handles the overall look to the film. And this year we have quite the variety of choices, including surprise nominee REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. Not taking anything away from this film, because it was truly an overachieving work of art, I just don’t see this nomination. Almost the entire film was shot in and out 1950’s Connecticut suburbs, which I admit was spot on, but when I think of art direction, a film like this does not come to mind. But, I guess it garnered a nominiation for his more than accurate portrayal and look that so many of us have seen and still see in our own homes today. Sort of following that notion is CHANGLING, which again was a shot well and within the times of its story, but nothing I can see winning here. The true contenders in this category won’t be a surprise to most, with THE DARK KNIGHT and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON leading the pack. When I think of both these films, I not only think of the story, but the backdrops and how things looked in accordance to everything else going on. And frankly, I don’t see how you don’t give this award to THE DARK KNIGHT, as its set design alone was uncanny and way superior to other’s that have come before it. Just being able to get all the different pieces to this story together and mix it up with the action and special effects is a feat in itself, but to then make it look good is tremendous work by Nathan Crando and Peter Lando. So, although THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN looks flawless and could be one of the most beautiful pictures this decade has seen, I think THE DARK KNIGHT will steal this one away. Unless of course the one sleeper I see comes out of nowhere, a sleeper such as THE DUCHESS. Because, anytime I see a period piece with overdone costumes and color like depicted in this film, I think Art Direction, so mark this category down with an asterisk, as it truly could go a number of ways, but there can only be one winner as my pick below suggests in a category that I have found to just be about impossible to pick, unless a Broadway play or musical find their way onto the ballot.

Achievement in art direction

- CHANGELING (Universal), James J. Murakami (Art Direction); Gary Fettis (Set Decoration)
- THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Donald Graham Burt (Art Direction); Victor J. Zolfo (Set Decoration)
- THE DARK KNIGHT (Warner Bros.), Nathan Crowley (Art Direction); Peter Lando (Set Decoration)
- THE DUCHESS (Paramount Vantage; Pâthé and BBC Films), Michael Carlin (Art Direction); Rebecca Alleway (Set Decoration)
- REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Kristi Zea (Art Direction); Debra Schutt (Set Decoration)

Next Week: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress

The countdown is on…



Oh, let the speculation begin. After a year of thriving to be the best, the nominees have been announced and are once again in position to be ridiculed ten times over by prognosticators like myself. That’s right; the grand daddy of them all, the Academy Awards are upon us and I for one cannot wait for this one, as 2008 was quite the year in film. Not only did we see THE DARK KNIGHT almost unseat TITANTIC as the #1 grossing film ever, but we saw a plethora of quality films come out. And it’s fitting my first column comes to you in the waning hours after Super Bowl XLIII, as I have always said the Oscars are truly the Super Bowl for movies. Sure, the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards each get their fame because of the overall casual setting and the fact the stars can sit around tables, but it’s not the same in the end. Receiving that coveted 8.5 pound statuette measuring nearly 14 inches in height changes lives for many stars can even boost a career. In fact, much of Hollywood strives for this award, as they feel it is the only true measure of greatness when it’s all said and done. And what’s so bad about that notion is the fact we might see just the second posthumous winner in the history of this ceremony. That’s not a stat I like bringing up, especially in a case like this, but one that might just come to fruition February 22. By now, the legend of Heath Ledger has almost grown larger than our national debt, but it was just a year ago we lost this great talent. That’s right, a year ago this very month, a time when we start to focus on all the Oscar nominations, a time I hold so dear for the simple fact that movies is king for at one special night. So, as we divulge into what is clearly an exciting time for Hollywood, let’s not forget the fallen stars from last year. Stars like Heath Ledger, Sydney Pollack, Paul Newman and the legendary Charlton Heston to name a few, because no matter how long they were around to entertain us, they touched so many and gave so much.

And speaking of entertaining, we might not find much when it comes to this year’s host. I’m not sure how it happened of why it happened, but apparently Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Ellen Degeneres and anyone else better were all too busy to host this year’s ceremony. Yeah, I said it, and how could I not, considering we have to watch Hugh Jackman host this year. That’s right, for those X-MEN fanatics, ‘Wolverine’ is hosting this year’s ceremony, so you better tune in, or you might get cut out from all the fun. I have to admit, I did not see this one coming and truthfully, how could I? Who in their right mind would bring this mediocre star, at best, to the stage to host the greatest award show all year? Well, I guess producer’s Laurence Mark and Bill Condon, but they must have forgotten just how important this night is. That or simply didn’t care to bring in someone with some sort of clout. I mean, Jackman makes a mean X-MEN character, but hosting the Oscars is something else, despite any past Tony-winning performances. Maybe I will be surprised, but this truly came out of left field if you ask me. And by the producers choosing this route, I can’t help but think this won’t be the last time we see someone like Jackman host this ceremony. I mean, who’s next, Kevin James? Anyway, I guess all that will be sitting in queue, until after February 22nd at 5p/8et when we find out the lucky few who get to walk home with the famed statuettes, as the nominations have been released. So, sit back and enjoy my initial step into my month-long tribute to everything dealing with the Oscars, including my own predictions on some of the most coveted categories.
For those new to my column, each year I pick one aspect of the Oscars that tends to get left out from all the hype that you see on TV and online. And this year, I figured I would let you into some of the unknown history of this ceremony. Did you know that since the great year of 1988, nearly every presenter for Best Picture at each and every Academy Awards has been a previous winner of Best Actor or Actress? I sure didn’t and out of all the presenters since the very first ceremony in 1929, no one has presented more than 3-time winner Jack Nicholson, who has given the gold out a record seven times. But, that’s not all with Jack, as he has also appeared in 10 Best Picture nominees; second most of all-time behind Ward Bond, who holds that record with 11. And staying with the Best Picture category, in the 80 plus years of this ceremony, only three films that have gone on to win Best Picture, also won for Best Actor, Actress, Writing and Directing. Those three films are:

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

Hard to believe that’s it in the history of this ceremony, but that’s fact and what’s also a shocker is the number of films that have received 10 or more nominations without a win. That’s right, 10 or more nominations and no wins. Talk about a slap in the face, much less a stat that’s borderline ludicrous to believe, but it’s true. This has actually happened to the following films, listed in the order of total nominations:

THE TURNING POINT (1977) – 11
THE COLOR PURPLE (1985) – 11
GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002) – 10

Of course, on the other side of that coin lies the Best Picture nominees that are considered the only “clean sweeps,” meaning they won for all nominated categories. And oddly enough, this list isn’t as big as you might think, given the 80-plus year history of this award show, but having said that, it’s still fun to see them listed here by the total number of wins:

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) – 11 for 11
GIGI (1958) – 9 for 9
THE LAST EMPEROR (1987) – 9 for 9
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) – 5 for 5

So anyway, now that you have been privy to some of the unknown trivia to these awards, let me educate you on my favorite nominated categories. The predictions for the 81st Annual Academy Awards that will begin this week are as follows:

Week 1:

Best Cinematography
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Art Direction

Week 2:

Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress

Week 3:

Best Director
Best Picture