Oscar’s Got a Fever

OSCAR'S GOT A FEVER One more post to delay my best of the year? I suppose so, considering the Oscar nominees were announced this morning. My thoughts: Best Picture Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen Sunshine for best picture? Really? The big surprise here is a lack of girls in the mix, specifically the kind you find in your dreams...though I honestly didn't notice it wasn't there because this category is so boring. The Departed and Babel have the best shots. Best Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson Peter O'Toole, Venus Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland FOR BLOOD DIAMOND??? FOR BLOOD DIAMOND???? Props to Gosling, whom I figured they'd forget. It's Forest's to lose. Best Actress Penélope Cruz, Volver Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal Helen Mirren, The Queen Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada Kate Winslet, Little Children Snooze. Nothing noteworthy here, as it's the exact same list from the Globes. And if you don't know who's winning this one, you best ask somebody. Best Supporting Actor Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls Mark Wahlberg, The Departed It's nice to see Wahlberg and Haley up in that mix. While their screen time in their respective films may be a bit smaller than one would like, they're both stellar in their parts. We all know it's Murphy's. Best Supporting Actress Adriana Barraza, Babel Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls Rinko Kikuchi, Babel Hudson and Breslin should have a fight for it. The Academy continues their tradition of pedophilia, and gives the nod to a little girl. Breslin's great, but my money's still (at this point) on Hudson. Best Director Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima Stephen Frears, The Queen Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel Paul Greengrass, United 93 Martin Scorsese, The Departed Dear Mr.Greengrass, UGHHHH. Next time, make something lighter. This was too real for us. We at the Academy only like your heavily dramatic, moving film if it's insanely obvious and written by someone like Paul Haggis. Here is your consolation prize, a nomination for director. It was between you and two other fantastic directors, Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cueron, but ultimately we could only get rid of one guy (the fag), so you were in. We must acknowledge that we like old directors instead of the more talented, young blood like yourselves. You understand. We're sure Marty will let you touch it. Hugs and kisses, The Academy Best Adapted Screenplay Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Children of Men, The Departed, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal Borat's considered adapted because the character existed beforehand. Borat's got a shot at stealing The Departed's reamade thunder. Best Original Screenplay Babel, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, Pan's Labyrinth, The Queen WOW! No Haggis on your plate this year, Mr.Oscar??? It's because he went back to TV, isn't it? I'm so happy Pan's got a nod here, but there's no way this isn't going to The Queen. Best Animated Film Cars, Happy Feet, Monster House Cars. Just Cars. Best Art Direction Dreamgirls, The Good Shepherd, Pan's Labyrinth, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Prestige The Prestige shows up...only to lose to Pan's or Dreamgirls. Best Cinematography The Black Dahlia, Children of Men, The Illusionist, Pan's Labyrinth, The Prestige Children of Men should have this in the bag. If not, Pan's. Either way, awesome. Best Costume Design Curse of the Golden Flower, The Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Marie Antoinette, The Queen Dreamgirls? Fuck if I know. Best Documentary Feature Deliver Us From Evil, An Inconvenient Truth, Iraq In Fragments, Jesus Camp, My Country, My Country I've heard Deliver Us From Evil is the best of the bunch, but how can the mostly the voters NOT award a documentary about the threat of global warming? It's going to be taught in our schools, people! IN SCHOOLS! Best Documentary Short The Blood of Yingzhou District, Recycled Life, Rehearsing a Dream, Two Hands Yes. That one. Best Film Editing Babel, Blood Diamond, Children of Men, The Departed, United 93 Yeah? Edit THIS! Thelma's been the unsung reason why Marty's films work so well, so it's natural. Babel takes it, probably. Best Foreign Language Film After the Wedding, Denmark Days of Glory (Indigènes), Algeria The Lives of Others, Germany Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico Water, Canada Uhm...why no Volver? Pan's Labyrinth now wins it. Best Makeup Apocalypto, Click, Pan's Labyrinth Pan's! And believe me when I say you have NO idea how glad I am that I can now say "Academy Award nominee Click" on a regular basis. Best Original Score Babel, The Good German, Notes on a Scandal, Pan's Labyrinth, The Queen What won this at the Globes? The Painted Veil? I've got no clue. We'll say Babel. Best Original Song ''I Need to Wake Up,'' from An Inconvenient Truth ''Listen,'' from Dreamgirls ''Love You I Do,'' from Dreamgirls ''Our Town,'' from Cars ''Patience,'' from Dreamgirls THREE Dreamgirls tunes! And does anybody remember the song from Truth? Did anybody else not KNOW there was a song in Truth? Best Short, Animated The Danish Poet, Lifted, The Little Matchgirl, Maestro, No Time for Nuts Oh, there's ALWAYS time for nuts. Best Short, Live Action Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea), Eramos Pocos (One Too Many), Helmer & Son, The Saviour, West Bank Story Yes. Sure. Best Sound Editing Apocalypto, Blood Diamond, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest One of those Eastwood pictures. Best Sound Mixing Apocalypto, Blood Diamond, Dreamgirls, Flags of Our Fathers, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Dreamgirls? Best Visual Effects Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Poseidon, Superman Returns YES! And now I can also say "Academy Award nominee Poseidon" as well! Pirates, hands down. Alright. That best of the year list? Check on it tomorrow. -M