Let me begin by stating that I am very disappointed with this years Oscar Nominees, much more so than I have with any other year I have been keeping up with Oscars, beginning in the year 2000. For starter, of the five best picture nominees, only one film is currently in my top 10 of the year, and that is Milk, at my number 10 position. I have yet to see everything that was critically acclaimed (of the top 50 best reviewed films of the year I have only seen 26, thus far). However, of all the nominees, with the exclusion of the foreign film/documentary categories and the shorts, I have seen all but three films. This year, a lot of people are praising the Oscars, saying they are going in a different direction by avoiding mainstream films, like The Dark Knight and Wall-E as Best Picture Contenders, but it seems to me they are just avoiding them based on the fact that they are mainstream films. For once, this is a year where the mainstream films are better than a lot of the independent films, and this is when they choose to leave the mainstream films out of the mix. If you will look here
http://www.listsofbests.com/list/62389, you will see the top reviewed films of the year and Wall-E is number 1 and The Dark Knight is number 2, so no one can say they didn’t get great reviews. With that said here are the nominees and my thoughts on each category. * Indicates I have yet to see the film or short.
Best Picture:The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader Slumdog MillionaireWho
I think will win: Slumdog Millionare. It seems the Academy wants to go a different (but somewhat similar) route this year, and Slumdog is quite refereshing in their eyes. Intertwining back and forth between the slum life in the past, a game show and a torture room, Slumdog strives more off feeling than it does anything else, and is being compared to Crash (2005's winner). It is similar to Crash in that it intertwines several characters together, asks us to believe in chance, fate and hope and dives hard into emotion and broadcasts its feelings very smugly on screen through vibrant colors and outward cries. It seems this is the route the Academy is going and it would be quite surprising if Slumdog did not take home the Oscar.Who I think should win: Milk. Gus Van Sant has delivered yet another powerful film, this time the biopic of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected political activist in America. It’s not even in my top 5 of the year, but of these films, I think it’s the best. It’s the most well rounded and driven film and definitely has less flaws than The Reader, Slumdog and Button. It’s moving, poetic and truthful. It manages to get the point across without beating you over the head and instead of screaming out its emotions, it subtly taps you with them and at times doesn’t even show you the catastrophic events happening on screen. You are only left with your own thoughts, your own emotions, and to me, those are much more powerful than anything that can be shown to you.
Who was snubbed: Doubt. With its mind-blowing performances and brilliantly adapted screenplay, this is thus far one of my favorite films of the year. It has the most acting nominations of any film this year, yet we did not see it in Best Picture category. No shocker, as to how it was snubbed everywhere else and was not expected to be nominated. The play comes to life magically onscreen and follows in the line of Closer, in being one of the few play adaptations on screen, that, to me, actually felt like it worked quite well as a film. It’s gripping and compelling and shall certainly not be forgotten.
Who should have been left out: The Reader. Let me start off by saying on the critics list of best reviewed films, this film landed at number 32. 32, and it got nominated as one of the best 5!? That’s lower than Doubt, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog, well–almost everything.I thought the film, itself was purely mediocre or decent itself. It’s obvious the reason this was nominated was an oscar vehicle for Winslet’s performance, which I will rant about when I get to the Best Actress category. The film doesn’t bring anything new to the table, really. It’s the same story of a woman on trial for something she didn’t know she was doing (or care enough about really) in WWII and how a boy she has an affair with is entangled in the matter. Haven’t we seen this movie done before? On top of it being done before, so many times, it just isn’t that excellent. It’s very a safely executed feel-good depression film, if those exist. I believe they do. I like to call them pseudo-depressing films. You know. The kind that think they’re depressing but really aren’t because you don’t give a crap about the characters or what happens to them. That’s this film.
Best Director:Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)Steven Daldry (The Reader) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
Who will win: Danny Boyle. Usually Best Director and Picture go hand and hand, and with all the hype it should be no surprise if Boyle takes home the award.
Who should win: Danny Boyle. The film, itself, definitely has a lot of flaws, but that is primarily based on its source material, I believe. The direction, however, is astounding and Danny Boyle manages to pull out amazing performances from all of his actors, while aesthetically pleasing the eyes in his shots and angles. It’s truly an epic and bold film, and if not truly original and inspired by many past Bollywood productions, it is a change of pace from the norm and of the five nominees here, I would say he’s the most deserving.
Who was snubbed: Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight). Have you seen this movie? The astounding direction pretty much just sums up itself. Nolan follows along the lines of Peter Jackson, in having directed an amazing blockbuster, that ranks high on both an intellectual level and entertainment value. It’s an epic masterwork, that is far better than any other comic-book film that has ever been made (that’s right, I said it), and doesn’t even deserve to be placed in the category, so many Oscar voters have placed it in. Nolan manages to captivate the feel of an action thriller, while pulling out non-stop astounding performances and well delivered dialogue. Whether the film is in a quiet room one-on-one with Ledger and Bale, or the film is chasing its way through cars and explosions, Nolan has truly delivered the work of an auteur.
Who should have been left out: Steven Daldry. I think I’ve already summed up my thoughts on The Reader, aka Sophie’s Choice 2: The List She Wrote for Schindler. Bollocks. Typical Oscar Bait. The end.
Best Actress:Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) Angelina Jolie (Changeling) Melissa Leo (Frozen River) Meryl Streep (Doubt) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Who will win: Kate Winslet. This is going to be Kate’s "I’ve been nominated seven times and am finally doing a WWII film about the Holocaust" Winslet’s win. She’s been the obvious favorite over many other award shows and I don’t see it being any different here.
Who I think should win: Melissa Leo. Finally, a strong performance in a very low-budget independent film, with a not very well-known Actress gets the nomination. Not since Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves have I really seen this happen. Leo brings so much depth to her character as a struggling mother, trying to take care of her children, resorting to smuggling illegal aliens over the border over a frozen river that is generally unwatched overnight. It’s a powerful, three-dimensional performance that we rarely receive. It’s so raw and heartbreaking and beautifully portrayed, without trying to be glossy and forceful. She won’t win, but of the four nominees I have seen in this category, she’s thus far, my pic.
Who was left out: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road). I believe this is the best I have ever seen Kate Winslet. I connected so much with her character, that lived in a small community in the 50s and had dreams of fleeing to Paris, but was driven insane by the conformity around her. It’s a melodramatic performance, but that’s the tone of the film. It’s directed by, Sam Mendes, and definitely has a very similar feel that American Beauty had. Winslet’s performance in this is like Leo’s, in that it is both heart rendering and enduring. Whether she’s screaming at her husband (DiCaprio) or listening to the advice of a truth-teller (Shannon) and not speaking at all, she is captivating every moment she is onscreen. It’s a shame the Academy has a rule that the same Actor/Actress can not be nominated twice in the same category.
Who should have been left out: Kate Winslet. I was not impressed with either her performance, nor the movie, the Reader. In the last third of the film, she plays an old woman, and aside from the old make-up, she doesn’t seem old at all. She still moves around and talks like the younger version of the character. Also, I believe she was a supporting role and not the lead. This is the type of film that doesn’t really have a lead character. It goes back and forth, equally with three characters, like The Hours, which I also felt there was not a lead. Just because she is the main actress in the film, doesn’t mean she is the lead. Sometimes, a film doesn’t have a lead, and I believe this to be one. She should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road, a much better film, performance and a definite lead. This will go down, along with Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond over The Departed) and Sean Penn (Mystic River over 21 Grams) in the "they should have been nominated for this over that" forums and discussions in the years to come. Bah.
Best Actor: Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon) Sean Penn (Milk) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Who I think will win: (re-edited) Sean Penn. I first said Frank Langella, because he's old and playing an historical figure and hasn't even been nominated before, so he might not ever again, but the more I think about it and the more I've seen Penn winning a lot of awards from other ceremonies for this part, I'm going to place my bets on Penn. It seems that if the Acadamy goes the route of picking Slumdog over Milk (like they did with Crash over Brokeback), they'll recognize Penn for Milk for not given Brokeback or Milk best picture wins. But I could be wrong.
Who I think should win: Mickey Rourke. I never thought I would love a film about a wrestler, but with Rourke, Tomei and Aranofsky on board, there was bound to be magic, and there was. Rourke pulls out all the punches (no pun intended) with this performance. He humors the audience, he cries (he made me teary-eyed even), he shows that heavy-weight guys that put themselves through a lot of pain and misery, still have what it takes to be human underneath, and it truly is the best performance of his career. We may never again see Rourke like this, but here’s to hoping. A truly, well-rounded and fleshed out role delivered flawlessly.
Who was snubbed: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road). I really think he is the best actor of his generation and gets a lot of shit just because he was in Titanic and because he’s pretty. I’m sorry, but some pretty boys are amazing actors, and with his performances in The Departed, The Aviator, this film, and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, I think he has definitely proven his worth. He matches Winslet in Road, bringing every level of depth, range and emotion to the screen. Whether he’s chatting it up with his office buddies, screaming his eyes out and crying or trying to hide the pain and longing in his saddened eyes, DiCaprio proves once again he is one of the best, hands down.
Who they should have left out: Brad Pitt. Just because he played several different ages (though he seemed the same throughout to me), he is supposed to be nominated? This is purely one of those popularity nominations, and I hope that he doesn’t receive the Julia Roberts/Gweneth Paltrow award of "they won the award because they were the most famous." Here’s to hoping. Personally, I preferred him in this years Burn After Reading over his performance in this.
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (Doubt) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)Viola Davis (Doubt) Taraji P. Hensen (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
Who will win: Viola Davis. She is only in Doubt for five minutes, but those five minutes are stronger than anyone else here, and hopefully the Academy feels the same. Now that Winslet is out of the running for this race, I believe Davis will receive her deserved award. After all, she was receiving hype about a possible win before the trailer even aired. I have loved this woman and have been following her career now for about 7 years. Everyone in the film is marvelous, but she even upstages Meryl Streep in the scene they have together, and hardly anyone has ever been able to do that! We literally see the woman have a nervous breakdown on film, wipe away her tears and smile as if everything is just fine all in one shot. Real tears, guys. Davis is amazing and deserves the Oscar, 5 minutes or not.
Who should win: Viola Davis. Who was snubbed: Misty Upham (Frozen River). Everyone raves about Leo’s performance in this, but as Roger Ebert has stated, Upham is equally impressive, considering she has hardly appeared in anything before, and is quite young, to boot. Upham brings a nice counter balance to Leo’s performance in Frozen River as a young smuggler, trying to win back her child. It’s one of the rare subtle performances that doesn’t cry out in anger or sadness, but whispers and speaks to you on a down to earth level, and after its over, you want nothing more than to embrace her and cry out all the feelings you know she has been strongly withholding. What a marvelously underrated performance.
Who ould have been left out: Taraji P. Hensen. Once again, another Button acting nomination that shouldn’t be here. Hensen was actually not that bad, but the character, herself, was so one-dimensional. She’s about as stereotypical as Mammy in Gone with the Wind. I’m not joking. "Ooh. Benjamin. Yous be a good boy now!" "Ooh, Benjamin! Where you been?" Robert Downey Jr. is less stereotypical of a black character in Tropic Thunder, almost. She manages to be quite impressive in one scene where she cries, but the rest is just a bunch of scolding and "yes um’s." Sorry, but she’s only in here because of Button. If they were going to nominate her for something, why didn’t they do it when she was in Hustle & Flow? That character and performance was much more noteworthy.
Best Supporting Actor:Josh Brolin (Milk) Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder) Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
Who I think will win: Heath Ledger. Doesn’t everyone think he’s going to win? Who
I think should win: Heath Ledger. Doesn’t everyone think he should win? They should. This is the best performance all year, in any category, hands down. No, it isn’t just because he died. It really was that amazing, folks. It’s tragic that such a role was the primary source of his death, but the performance is literally one of the best to grace the screen this decade. It ranks up there with Charlize Theron in "Monster" it’s so good.
Who I think was snubbed: (re-edited) At first I said Emile Hirsche in Milk, but now that I've seen W. I'd have to say Jeffery Wright. He played Colin Powell with such direct seriousness, without being too much of a charicature like Newton's portrayl of Rice. He was earnest, empowering and unforgettable. The movie itself wasn't that great, and the script was very much something that needed revising, which is perhaps why his performance was overlooked, but it shouldn't have.
Who I think should have been left out: Josh Brolin. I think all the men in this category were amazing and this is the one acting category that I really think I wouldn’t change anything, but if I had to replace one, this would be my pick.
Original Screenplay: Frozen River Happy-Go-Lucky* In Bruges Milk Wall-E
Who will win: Milk. Dustin Lance Black is all the hype right. The story of a gay political activist is one thing, but the story of a gay closeted Morman who comes out of nowhere and writes the screenplay about the gay political activist is another, and Hollywood loves its underdog stories. Just look at last year’s Juno: a stripper from a small town writes a screenplay about a quirky teen who gives birth. Also, it’s the only one in this category nominated for best picture. It will more than likely win. Who should win: Milk. With its intertwining of real events and scripted dialogue, Milk isn’t really original, in the conceptual sense, but it is excellently written in the storytelling sense. With its crisply humorous and truthful dialogue and its well paced tone in deliverance, the screenplay is well worth the win of these nominees.
Who was snubbed: 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days. This is one of my favorite films of the year, and its really not a film for everyone. It’s very neo-realistic and along the lines of Irreversible with its shakey-camera angles and long-taken shots, but the dialogue is so crisp and well spoken, the story is heartbreaking and the actions that take place are like a domino effect of subtle emotion, that really doesn’t leave you feeling much in its course, but hits you like a freight-train once you’ve walked away from the film hours later. I thought it was brilliantly written, but of course the Academy wouldn’t nominate a Romanian film about a girl who wants to carry out an illegal abortion for best screenplay.
Who should have been left out: I can’t really say, because I haven’t seen Happy-Go-Lucky, but right now, I would say In Bruges. I’m a big fan of the writers past work, The Pillowman and Six Shooter, but I felt everything was tied up too much in a Hollywood bow with this one. I liked the film, but I didn’t feel it or the writing was brilliant. The dialogue was very witty, crisp, sharp and poignant, but the actions and events of the plot itself, felt a little forced. It felt like it was trying to be two films at once: one, an independent dark comedy about two men realistically meander their way into tragic circumstances, and two, a movie that asks us to suspend all disbelief of reality in that predictability and loose ends are all tied beautifully in bows. It seems films about everything all winding up on everything else’s plates and laps and hope and fate are all the hype and rave lately and personally, I don’t find them so much clever as I do copouts.
Adapted Screenplay: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Doubt Frost/Nixon The Reader Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire. It seems this screenplay is everyone’s favorite. The academy loves screenplays that intertwine several characters together (like Crash), delivering a fast-paced emotional story full of hope, destiny and love. It just seems like this film is on the tip of every awards ceremonies fingertips, and seeing as how it won for every other listing of screenplay, I don’t see it being any different here.
Who should win: Doubt. The transfer from stage to screen works beautifully here, and while it’s not perfect, and the film does seem to balance more on the weight of Streep’s character, rather than creating a true balance back and forth between her character and Hoffman’s, it’s extremely well written and paced. It’s much more believable of a story than say Slumdog, and it doesn’t feel contrived and forced like The Reader. It’s eloquently handled and manages to be brilliantly written with characters that have more depth in their toes than say the characters in Benjamin Button’s do in their entire body.
Who was snubbed: Revolutionary Road. The metaphors, the symbolism, the crisp, realistic dialogue, the relationships. Everything about this screenplay is spectacular and it’s a shame this film and its screenplay did not get the recognition it deserved.
What should have been left out: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Aka Forrest Gump 2: The year he caught another Big Fish. This screenplay is so obvious it was adapted by the writer of Forrest Gump, it’s not even funny. And really, it’s not, very funny. It lacks the humor and compassion that Gump had and the charm and devotion Big Fish had, and borrows from those films with a glossy underlining of the Notebook. From what I hear, the original source is a very short novel and the film took what the book had and stretched it out to a 3 hour Gumpish-epic. It really wasn’t a bad film. In fact, I liked the movie (mostly for the technical aspects). But it’s hardly deserving of a screenplay nomination.
Cinematography: Changeling The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight The Reader Slumdog Millionaire
Who I think will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. See below.
Who I think should win:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I could think of about three or four other films this year that had better cinematography that weren’t even nominated here, but of the nominees I’ve seen, I’d pick Button. Miranda has a way of pulling us into the film, and at the same time allowing us to view it objective through a lens of gorgeous proportions.
Who was snubbed: Australia. The cinematography in this film was something to behold. From the stampede, to the long shots of the majestic land and horseback ridings to the truly enthralling close-ups of the actors in all of their glorious emotional wonderment, Australia’s stunning cinematography is both awe-inspiring and sweepingly breathtaking. Why it was nominated for costumes and not this and Art Direction is beyond me.
Who should have been left out: Changeling. There really wasn't anything spectacular about it the cinematography in this film. It was carried out well and befitting for the film, but there wasn't a single shot that blew me away, nor did the camera do anything extraordinare or mindblowing. It seems this was just another exscuse to put a movie that got great reviews/directed by Clint thrown in here for a nomination. Why do they always put movies with such safe and bland camera angles in this category?
Art Direction: Changeling The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight The Duchess Revolutionary Road
Predicted Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It seems of all the nominees here, it is the only film that has both an artistic quality as well as a standout set design, and those are the elements the Academy looks for in the Art Direction category. Note, it is also the only one of these 5 that are nominated for Best Picture.
Personal Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. With its lavish sets and artistic beauty, I haven't seen this kind of high-quality set design and production value in a fantasy/sci-fi film, since the likes of Big Fish. Truly a deserving win for such a gorgeous set/art design.
Who was snubbed: Australia. It baffles me of any nomination Australia was snubbed for, it was this one. The set design and artistic direction in Australia was not only the best of the year by far, it was as sweeping and memorable as the likes of Gone with Wind and Lawrence of Arabia. I'm not saying Lurhman acheived the tonal feel he was going for with the film, itself, but what lacked in the production elements of the actual films script and sometimes misguided direction, more than made up for in its artistic set design. Truly a tragic snub.
What should have been left out: The Duchess. Let's face it. This film was all about the costumes. I saw the film a few days before the nominees were announced and I hardly remember anything noteworthy about the set, whatsoever. This could have easily been replaced with Australia or The Fall.
Film Editing: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Frost/NixonMilk Slumdog Millionaire
Predicted Winner: Slumdog Millionaire. With its fast cuts and MTV-styled, Run Lola Run influenced editing, Slumdog is surely to win Best Film Editing. It’s sort of reminiscent of City of God, which was robbed of the win in 2003. It never feels too quick, too tepid. Everything always seems to flow together just nicely and vividly. It’s pure eye-candy and is one of the best elements of the film, I believe. It deserves this award.
Personal Winner: Slumdog Millionaire, for reasons above.
Who was snubbed: Paranoid Park. I enjoyed the editing much more in this film than I did Van Sant’s Milk. Milk’s editing was still very well executed and delivered, but it seems it is only here because of all the other nominations it received, and seeing as how Park was left out altogether (not surprisingly, so), it was not even considered for this.
Who should have been left out: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Everything flowed together nicely and smoothly but there wasn’t anything extraordinarily different about the editing in Button. The eye candy was all within the sets, visuals, makeup, etc. The editing just sort of flowed together like water, which fit the tone of the film, but I’d much prefer something cutting edge and jarring like Paranoid Park .
Costume Design:Australia The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Duchess Milk Revolutionary Road
Predicted Winner: The Duchess. It seems the Academy loves their period pieces, and I can't blame them. Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Marie Antoinette were both extremely deserving of their wins for Costume Design, and the design in The Duchess is no exception in lacking anything but excellence. The costumes are so amazing in the Duchess, the characters themselves marvel over what they and the Duchess (Keira Knightly), herself, is wearing. There are several scenes where she simply parades around showing off what she is wearing for pure attention and fashion purposes. After all, she was quite known for fashion trend starters.
Personal Winner: The Duchess. I was in awe of the costumes. Truly magnificent job.
Who was snubbed: Mamma Mia. Don't laugh, will you. If you know anything about me, you know I did not enjoy this film. However, the costumes were a pure spectacle. Some were very laughable, yes, but even while they were laughable, they were still very well constructed and befitting for the feel of the film. Who can forget that dress that Streep wore on the boat? The dress pretty much stole the show in that number.
What should have been left out: Revolutionary Road. Of all the nominees this film was snubbed of, Costume Design should not have been one of the three it received. The costumes were very well fitting for the time period, but there was nothing extraordinarily complex about them. The film takes place in the 50's and the costumes aren't lavish and colorful like the ones in Far From Heaven. Instead, they're dull grey business suits, pea-green skirts and baize colored heels. What's breathtaking about that?
Make-Up: The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe Dark KnightHellboy II: The Golden Army
Predicted Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I really feel this one has no competition here. Cannom takes us through of a journey of several indivuals all played by the same actors in various stages of their life, from ages 15 to 80. I've always said that old-age makeup is the hardest to achieve on film because it's in your face, and it's much harder to come across as convincing as say prosthetics. Last year, La Vie En Rose won, deservedly, for some of the most incredible old-age makeup I've ever seen. You can bet your buttons on Button for this one.
Personal Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for all the reasons listed above.
Who was snubbed/left out: No one. These are the exact three nominees I would have chosen for this category. Good job Oscars.
Best Score: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Defiance* Milk Slumdog Millionaire Wall-E
Predicted Winner: Slumdog Millionaire. It seems it has an advantage, already having won the Golden Globe for Score, and the Academy lately, has loved non-traditional scores, such as Babel (beating out a more friendly epic score like Pan's Labyrinth). However, in Slumdog's case, it actually has the advantage of being the best score this time around, unlike Babel's, which gets me to my next point.
Personal Winner: Slumdog Millionaire. With its almost at times majestically romantic sound, this score is both sweeping and epic, both pulsating and calming. It manages to acheive the accomplishment of being variate, and few scores are able to pull that off convincingly with the tone of the film. Perfume did this a couple of years ago and was snubbed altogether of its noms.
Who was snubbed: Let the Right One In. You may not have had heard of this Swedish vampire film (don't let the genre throw you off, it's amazing), but you shall in a couple of more years when it's remade for American audiences. Do yourself a favor and see this film. Embrace it. Love it. And while you're at it, pay close attention to the tragically haunting and mesmerizing score that trickles its way into your bones and leaves you feeling at peace and at ease. For once, you're rooting for the vampires to kill the humans and the score does nothing but help your emotion.
Who should have been left out: Milk. Before anyone starts bashing me for saying Danny Elfman should have been left out, let me begin by saying I think Elfman was robbed of noms/wins for Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and countless others. It seems the Academy has only been paying attention to him lately with the likes of Big Fish and now Milk. Personally, I enjoyed Corpse Brides’ better than the two of those scores. As for the score to Milk, there really isn’t anything spectacular about it in my opinion. It’s easily forgettable and blends right in with the film. It doesn’t sound any more original than a score from any other film I haven’t seen before.
Best Song: "Down to Earth" from Wall-E"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire"O Saya" from Slumdog Millionaire
Predicted Winner: Slumdog Millionaire ("Jai Ho"). It seems everyone is ranting and raving about this "Bollywood" dance number in the end credits of Slumdog and since it’s pretty much picking up several other Oscars, expect it to possibly land this one as well. The only way I could see it not winning is if the other Slumdog song cancels it out.
Personal Winner: Wall-E ("Down to Earth"). I absolutely love this song, Thomas Newman and Peter Gabriel. It’s filled with warmth, depth, emotion and meaning and has a powerful message that sums up the meaning of the film. It deserves the win, as it is much better than the other two songs nominated here.
Who was snubbed: The Wrestler ("The Wrestler"). I’m not a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and even when I saw he won the Golden Globe for the song, and looked it up I wasn’t impressed when listening to it on youtube, but something about listening to it in the end credits really brought it home for me in The Wrestler. The song completely captivates Rourke’s character and leaves a very lasting impression. It doesn’t work as well on its own but in the context of the film, it’s amazing, and that’s what this category is about: how well a song helps/carries out the meaning or feel of the film. I guess you can say Slumdog’s did, but to me it seemed much more random.
Who should have been left out: Slumdog Millionaire ("Jai Ho"). One song is enough from Slumdog, but two? Personally I don’t think either one should be here, but this song is just ridiculous. It’s nothing but a bunch of stomping feet and chanting the same lyrics over and over. If this song wins, it will go down as the worst song to have ever won, and I’m not over-exaggerating. I actually enjoy a lot of Indian music (Asha Boshle) and have enjoyed several Bollywood films and their music. I believe all the songs in Lagaan were much better and robbed of nominations, and here we have a mainstream success Danny Boyle film with Indian songs that Americans have never heard anything like before (because they don’t expand their minds and watch enough actual foreign films), and people go nuts over it. It makes me boil.
Sound: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Slumdog Millionaire Wall-E Wanted
Predicted Winner: The Dark Knight. You can pretty much almost guarantee the film with the loudest explosions and booms usually wins Sound. Sure, there have been exceptions, but they’re usually musical biopics like Ray and Dreamgirls. The two here that have a lot of loud booms are The Dark Knight and Wanted, and we certainly know one was the 2nd best reviewed film of the year, whereas the other ... was not even in the top 100. Look for The Dark Knight to win.
Personal Winner: The Dark Knight. From the explosion in the hospital, to the car zooms, to the wires snapping and the champagne glasses clinking, The Dark Knight is loaded with an abundance of sound clips and recordings and exceeds magnificently in being the best of the year.
Who was left out: Iron Man. Come on, now. I don’t even think I have to explain myself on this one!
Who should have been left out: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Once again, Button is in a category, just so he could get the most nominations. I didn’t see anything Oscar-worthy about a baby crying, a clock ticking and a hurricane blowing over. Alright, so the hurricane scene was impressive, sound-wise, but it doesn’t make up the films entirety. Plus, wasn’t the scene distracting enough as is, seeing as how it felt like we were back on the shrimp boat with BubbaGump?
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight Iron Man Slumdog Millionaire Wall-E Wanted
Predicted Winner: The Dark Knight. Usually Sound and Sound Editing go hand in hand and the editing of the sound was flawless in Knight.
Personal Winner: The Dark Knight, for everything I’ve already said.
Who was snubbed: Mongol. The film wasn’t spectacular, and was already nominated last year for Best Foreign Film, but the technical achievements in the film were at times on par with Jackson’s Lord of the Rings series. From sword fighting, to fire blazing, to animals roaming and stampeding through way through treacherous warfare, Mongol delivered great sound and sound editing, indeed.
Who should have been left out: Slumdog Millionaire. This is kind of another it’s nominated for almost everything else, let’s stick it in a slot in this category as well nomination. There’s nothing to write home about as far as the sound editing or sound for that matter is concerned with Slumdog.
Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe Dark Knight Iron Man
Predicted Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. From the visuals of Button at a young/old age to the weathering storm, to just the whole look of the film, aesthetically, in general, Button’s visual effects are all the talk right now and I wouldn’t be surprised if it won this award.
Personal Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for reasons already stated above.
Who was snubbed/left out: No one. I feel these are the three best for visual effects this year.
Best Animated Film:Bolt*Kung Fu Panda Wall-E
Predicted Winner: Wall-E. Does it really have any competition. Honestly?Personal Winner: Wall-E. I haven’t seen Bolt (*coughcough*) yet, but I doubt it’s going to be as good as Wall-E. It doesn’t even look as good as Kung Fu Panda and that wasn’t even in the same league as Wall-E. If any category is a dead giveaway this year, its this one and for good reasons. Wall-E is not just the best animated film of the year, it’s one of the best films of the year, period.
Who was snubbed/left out: So far, no one, since I haven’t seen Bolt, but after I see Bolt, I might think differently. The year really wasn’t spectacular in general for animated films.
Best Foreign Language Film:The Baader Meinhof Complex* The Class* Damages* Revanche* Waltz with Bashir*
Predicted Winner: Waltz with Bashir. There’s a pretty big uproar that this film is not in the animated category and in the Foreign Film category, instead, but I think reasons being is because many complained last year that Persepolis lost animated to Ratatouille but could have won had it been nominated in the foreign film category. Personally, I think since there are fewer animated films a year than foreign, they should put them in the animated category, but that is just me. Either way, the film has rave reviews and is one of the years 20 best reviewed. It won the Golden Globe, and it will probably win the Oscar as well.Personal Winner: I can’t say, because I haven’t seen any of them yet. This is what happens when you live in Arkansas. You have to wait for things to come to you. The only two that have even had a theatrical release yet have been The Class and Waltz with Bashir, though.
Who was snubbed/left out: I can’t comment because I haven’t seen any of the above films.
Best Documentary: The Betrayal–Nerakhoon* Encounters at the End of the World The Garden* Man on Wire Trouble the Water*
Predicted Winner: Man on Wire. It’s in the top 10 best reviewed films of the year (much higher than any other documentary this year) and it seems to be sweeping every other award show in its wins.
Personal Winner: Man on Wire. Of the two I have seen thus far, it is the better. It really is amazingly powerful and gripping, and quite poignant. The story of a man who walks on a wire between the twin towers for personal satisfaction, in a time when we no longer have them, is quite meaningful. The whole film the media and news look at the man as if he is insane, but you feel like you become the man and step inside his shoes that you see why walking on wires gives him such pleasure. It’s a truly breathtaking experience.
Who was snubbed/left out: I can’t comment yet, because I haven’t seen enough documentaries of the year.
Best Animated Short Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes* Lavatory-Lovesong Oktapodi Presto This Way Up
Predicted Winner: Presto. It’s clever, charming, multi-layered, and all summed up in just about 5 minutes. It’s definitely the most popular one of the year (premiering before Wall-E in theaters), so this helps it, and it’s Pixar.
Personal Winner: Presto. I’ve seen all but one, so far, this year, and it really is the best. I’ve watched it several times and it’s still amazing each time. It’s reminiscent of the Donald Duck and Daffy days when one catastrophe domino effects onto another. Presto is truly magical. Yes, the pun was intentional.
Who was snubbed/should have been left out: Really, I only have access to the shorts that receive nominations until around May or so this year, when I’ll see more submissions, so I can’t say, but there wasn’t one I didn’t like of these nominees! I’m not going to comment on Documentary or Live Action short seeing as how I know nothing about those and have seen none of them. They just aren’t readily available in Arkansas, really.Let me end by saying thank you to anyone who has managed to actually read all 19 pages of this ranting. This wasn’t intended to be anything well-written by any means. I’m merely just trying to express my opinions on this years Oscar-race. Let me also state that in the past I have been horrible about making past predictions and I assume this year I will call out several wrong ones as well. Last year, at an Oscar party, I came in 4th place. I usually win in any sort of trivia game and I can usually argue enough points in claiming a film to be great (though, it merely is just an opinion), but when it comes to predictions I simply, usually suck. I just wanted to do this, this year, because finally I’ve seen almost all the nominees, with the exception of a few –the ones with the * by them.
