The Oscars..
Nominations have dropped for this years Academy Awards (aka The Oscars; aka The Golden Shower Statue). I’m not quite sure how I feel about the fact that Superman Returns was snubbed for best film of the year, but it is up for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.
Here is my take:
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson (THINKFilm)
Peter O’Toole in Venus (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Council)
Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (Fox Searchlight)
My opinion: Having seen only 1 of these movies (Pursuit), I’m going with Forest Whitaker because he is awesome.
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children (New Line)
Djimon Hounsou in Blood Diamond (Warner Bros.)
Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Mark Wahlberg in The Departed (Warner Bros.)
My opinion: This is a tie between Wahlberg and Arkin. I give it to Arkin because he has a line: “Christ! what are you? 15? You gotta be gettin’ that young stuff!”
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz in Volver (Sony Pictures Classics)
Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight)
Helen Mirren in The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (20th Century Fox)
Kate Winslet in Little Children (New Line)
My opinion: I’ve not seen any of these movies so I’m going with Judi Dench because I think she’s hot.
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza in Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight)
Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Rinko Kikuchi in Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
My opinion: Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine.. gee I wonder what I will pick for Movie of the Year.
Achievement in directing
Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Departed (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
United 93 (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass
My opinion: Could this be the year for Scorsese?! Geezus I hope so.
Adapted screenplay
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (20th Century Fox) Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer
Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips
Children of Men (Universal) Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
The Departed (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by William Monahan
Little Children (New Line) Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta
Notes on a Scandal (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Patrick Marber
My opinion: Crap! Children of Men was fantastic as was The Departed. Of course Borat was a fucking riot. This is a crap shoot but I’m going to give it to The Departed.
Original screenplay
Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Written by Guillermo Arriaga
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Iris Yamashita Story by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis
Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight) Written by Michael Arndt
Pan’s Labyrinth (Picturehouse) Written by Guillermo del Toro
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Written by Peter Morgan
My opinion: Little Miss Sunshine all the way, though I bet it goes to Babel or The Queen.
Best motion picture of the year
Babel (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) An Anonymous Content/Zeta Film/Central Films Production Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik and Steve Golin, Producers
The Departed (Warner Bros.) A Warner Bros. Pictures Production Nominees to be determined
Letters from Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.) A DreamWorks Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures Production Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, Producers
Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight) A Big Beach/Bona Fide Production Nominees to be determined
The Queen (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) A Granada Production Andy Harries, Christine Langan and Tracey Seaward, Producers
My opinion: Triple Crap! I’m just going to go with my gut and say The Departed though I’m really leaning on Little Miss Sunshine.