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