Oscars

This year I'm ready for the Academy Awards.
I've schlepped my way from theatre to theatre watching film after film, spent a million hours in front of the TV watching CDs of the ones that were no longer screening, and I'm finally done.

Here's my take on what I saw.

Best Film
Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Reader

The Reader is amazing and Kate Winslet and David Kross are stellar, but the film is long. It could easily have ended with Winslet's final scene, but it pushes on for another ten minutes and that's what I think pulls it out of contention.

Benjamin Button is an extraordinary film for its visual effects and unique story. The first 45 minutes of the film enraptures, but it slows down immensely after that. I felt little to nothing for Pitt's and Blanchett's characters. I think it a fundamental flaw that the director allows Pitt's character, with this extraordinary gift/flaw that surely would have made headlines world wide, let alone in his home town, be entirely forgotten as he grows younger and more vulnerable.

Slumdog Millionaire is unique and the pacing is great, but the romance isn't believable. It was very disconnected. My bone of contention with this film is the leading lady. I would have liked to see someone a little less “Hollywood” or in this case “Bollywood” in that role. A life of slums, prostitution, and malnutrition would have taken its toll on anyone regardless. Her flawless skin and perfect teeth proved only to take me out of the film and lose any belief I might have had in the character.

Frost/Nixon. I waited until the end to watch this film. It was worth it. A good film. I was fairly impressed considering the story was known beforehand. Frank Langella and Kevin Bacon were fabulous. Completely believable, they both drew me in entirely. If Milk wasn't on the list, I think this would have been my favourite film.

Which brings us to Milk. Sean Penn gives an incredible performance as Harvey Milk. This is the only film of the lot that I didn't want to end. I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened after Harvey died, to everyone and everything. It's not often you come across a film that can have that affect.

Who I'd like to win: Milk
Who I think will win: Benjamin Button, if it's not edged out by Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Male Actor
Brad Pitt - Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Sean Penn - Milk
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor

Brad Pitt is ok when you see him, and he does a great job of the ADRs, but I think the majority of the most impactual moments on screen come from the performances created by the combination of stand-in actors and the digital work in post production. Not enough of a performance by Pitt to warrant an Oscar.

Mickey Rourke. You've got to admire the work put in to this role, and I'm glad he got the Golden Globe for this role. But is it Oscar worthy? I don't think so. Rourke does a great job bouncing around as a wrestler and if there was an Oscar for best wrestler impersonation, he'd win it hands down. It almost felt like he was hiding behind those tights.

Frank Langella is incredible. If you haven't seen this film, you absolutely must. Langella plays Nixon with such believability it felt like you were watching Nixon in real time. I think it will be a close race between Langella and Penn with Langella winning by an edge.

Sean Penn. What can you say about Penn that hasn't been said before. He's stellar, and delivers a hundred fold on his portrayal of Harvey Milk. Penn isn't afraid to delve into eccentric difficult roles and he does it with ease and flare. I must say though, that I'm torn. Although I truly loved Penn's performance, I felt it was almost too easy. Like giving a gangster role to Pacino.

Richard Jenkins. I have to say I liked this performance the best out of all the male contenders. Jenkins is solid and creates a character both lovable and believable. It's a subtle, mono-toned role (for the most part) within which Jenkins disappears. This, I believe, is an incredibly difficult thing to do, and the true mastery of his craft. The only two who could really give him a run for his money, are Penn and Langella.

Who I'd like to win: Richard Jenkins
Who I think will win: Frank Langella

Best Female Actor
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Anne Hathaway - Rachael Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River

Meryl Streep is awesome as usual, intense and refined. The only problem was I kept seeing her all the way through the performance. Meryl in a habit. I never once believed I was watching Sister Beauvier. It felt like she was somewhere else, detached. I think in the end though, it was the script I had the most trouble with.

Angelina Jolie. When I first started going through the films, I thought Jolie would take it for her flawless performance. She captures the essence of the character with the greatest of ease. Unfortunately this year, there are two actors who stood out a little more. Melissa Leo and Kate Winslet.

Kate Winslet. It's always a bit of an edge when one makes a film that touches on the holocaust. Winslet was amazing regardless. I believed her every minute of the journey. Her performance in Revolutionary Road felt a bit theatrical, but this one she nailed. I think her biggest competition will be Melissa Leo.

Anne Hathaway. Hathaway is always worth watching, and this is no exception. She puts her heart and soul into the role as we've never seen her. However, this year, she's up against some of the best in the business and the competition's too fierce. I hope she continues to take chances. They're sure to pay off.

Melissa Leo. This was my favourite performance of the lot. A small film with a lot of heart, and I feel the film itself was robbed of a nomination. Leo delivers on all fronts. She is stellar. An emotional, real, and believable performance. She'll never win in a hundred years against four monster Hollywood names, but she certainly deserves to.

Who I'd like to win: Melissa Leo
Who I think will win: Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Male Actor
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Josh Brolin - Milk
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Michael Shannon is the quintessential scene stealer. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I want to see this character in a lead role. That would be awesome. Scary but awesome. Shannon is my all around favorite this year. The only star who shone as brightly was Heath Ledger.

Heath Ledger. His performance was nothing short of genius. The intensity and depth of his performance was insane. No wonder he couldn't sleep. He's sure to take the Oscar.

Robert Downey Jr. hit the controversial funny bone, to say the least, with this role. He truly disappears into his character(s). Another scene stealer, but was it enough for Oscar?

Philip Seymour Hoffman. I could watch this guy butter toast and think it was Oscar worthy. He is an incredible actor. However, this role just wasn't edgy enough. Again, I think it was the script I wasn't that thrilled with.

Josh Brolin. I loved him in “No Country for Old Men”, but found his performance here a little weak. He didn't seem that invested in the role. For such an essential role in the film, he should have been entirely believable.

Who I'd like to win: Michael Shannon or Heath Ledger
Who I think will win: Heath Ledger

Best Supporting Female Actor
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Amy Adams - Doubt
Taraji P Henson - Benjamin Button
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Christina Barcelona
Viola Davis – Doubt

Marisa Tomei. What can you say. It's worth the price of entry just to see this 44 year old rival not only Madonna, but half the 20 year olds in Hollywood with her flawless body. As for the acting, it's just kind of ordinary. Marisa is lovely, her performance good. But Oscar worthy? I don't think so.

Amy Adams is phenomenal. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was the best thing about the movie “Doubt”. She is mesmerizing and jumped into the role head first. Actors have been robbed of Oscars before (Ethan Hawke - Training Day, Djimon Hounsou - Blood Diamond) but if Adams doesn't get one this year, something's seriously awry in Hollywood.

Taraji P Henson. I like Henson's performance. She's a very likable actor. She was certainly the heart and soul of the film. The only person I cared to care about. However, I don't think her performance was strong enough to warrant an Oscar.

Penelope Cruz. I have to admit that I do like Cruz, when she acts speaking Spanish. Somehow, when she acts in English, things change. Having said that, I wasn't impressed with her performance in this film. I found it choppy and showy. But then I wasn't impressed with anyone really.

Viola Davis. Huge kudos for stealing that mega scene from Streep. I wanted to see more range though. It may just be me though. If she had only pulled out that hankie a little sooner.

Who I'd like to win: Amy Adams
Who I think will win: Amy Adams

Best Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry - The Reader

David Fincher. With all the buzz, Fincher simply has to win. He did an amazing job, with a tricky story. If he doesn't win for best director, then he should at least share the award with anyone else from his cast and crew they may honor.

Danny Boyle sneaked up behind us with this one. There's so much to say about this great little film. It won a Golden Globe and the People's Choice at Toronto and I believe it deserved those awards, when it comes to script writing and editing, that is. However, I don't think it will win an Oscar for directing.

Ron Howard did a great job with Frost/Nixon, I just wish he'd quit casting his family. He got some great performances out of his actors and brought us right into the centre of the action. This film is definitely my top pick of the bunch.

Gus Van Sant. I loved this film for its brave portrayal of an extraordinary man. Again, this was the first film I'd seen in an awfully long time where I wanted more. In a good way. It wasn't that I felt the film incomplete, but that I was so taken in by the characters I wanted to know more about their lives.
I think there is too much Benjamin buzz for Van Sant to win against Fincher. In my opinion he runs a very close second to Howard.

Stephen Daldry. The story-line of this film may be what edges Daldry onto the Oscar stage. The film was intriguing and human, but it went on much too long. It let's go of the viewer to polish the edges and I think that is it's biggest flaw.

Who I'd like to win: Ron Howard or Gus Van Sant.
Who I think will win: David Fincher

(For the categories below, I've put an asterisk* by the one I think will win)

Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
*WALL-E

Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
*In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E

Adapted Screenplay
Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
*Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
*Waltz with Bashir

Documentary Feature
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
*Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

Film Editing
Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
*Slumdog Millionaire

Art Direction
Changeling
*Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

Cinematography
Changeling
*Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Costume Design
Australia
Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
*Revolutionary Road

Visual Effects
*Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Makeup
*Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II

Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
*Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

Sound Mixing
Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
*Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

Original Score
Benjamin Button
Defiance
*Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Original Song
*WALL-E - “Down to Earth”
Slumdog Millionaire - “Jai Ho”
Slumdog Millionaire - “O Saya”

Short Film - Animated
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory – Lovestory
*Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up

Short Film - Live
Auf der Strecke
*Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland

moot or hooey?

Oscar trophies are gold plated cast iron, and mounted on a solid plastic base.