For the first time, I have seen all 5 nominees for Best Picture, before the Oscar telecast. And since you didn’t ask, here is my version of the who I think will win of the top 6 categories.
Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button This was a loooooooong movie. A very good movie but you could tell how long it was while you were watching it. Although it has quite a few nominations I don’t think it will take many.
Frost/Nixon I LOVED this movie. I was engrossed the entire time, never bored always engaged. Frank Langella was amazing. This was by far my favorite movie of the five, but I don’t think it will or should win Best Picture.
Milk WOW! Another one that blew me away. Sean Penn has such a diverse acting range. Like Frost/Nixon I knew how this one ended but didn’t care, it still kept my attention and left me wanting more.
The Reader Kate Winslet is a goddess. This movie was a very good movie with what I thought was a useless side storyline and a bad ending.
Slumdog Millionaire And the winner is! Yes, this will win. This was a great film. I think it took the whole boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl and then loses her again, to a whole new level and was very enjoyable. Of course I did watch some parts from behind my fingers, but that shouldn’t deter the voters from this film. (ps Oscar ballots were due last week)
Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor I did not see this film. I saw many previews for it and nthing in them drew my attention.
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon He would be my pick. Langella won a Tony for this same part on Broadway a few years back and I think he deserves to win the Oscar.
Sean Penn, Milk However, I think Sean Penn will win this year. He was great in this roll and deserves it as well.
Brad Pitt, Curious Case of Benjamin Button I don’t think Brad Pitt was in enough of the movie to warrant this nomination. Unless he played the younger part on his knees and I just don’t know it.
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler I did not see this film because, honestly, Mickey Rourke creeps me the hell out.
Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin, Milk I don’t think anything he did in this film warranted a nomination.
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder Are you kidding me?
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt He has been amazing in every film he has done, I would love to see him win, but alas…….
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight The posthumous win is the sure bet.
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road I haven’t seen this yet, and from the look of the previews I don’t think I ever will.
Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married From what I have heard she was the only bearable part of this horrible film.
Angelina Jolie, Changeling I have vowed long ago to never purposely watch anything with Angelina Jolie in it.
Melissa Leo, Frozen River Never even heard of her or this film. What does that tell you?
Meryl Streep, Doubt Really? Come on now, give someone else a chance one year. No, sorry that wasn’t nice. But I do think Kate was better.
Kate Winslet, The Reader I was truly mesmerized by her in this film. She was a Nazi guard who casually sent women off to their death and yet, something about her made you feel empathy for her. I hope she wins.
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Doubt No, sorry but no.
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona I wish I had seen this, Erika told me I should early in the year, but I never did.
Viola Davis, Doubt This is possible, I think it will be between her and……..
Taraji P. Henson, Curious Case of Benjamin Button her.
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler Sorry Ms. Tomei, but your choice of co-star has kept me from seeing your film. I adore you, but not enough to compensate for him.
Best Director:
Danny Doyle, Slumdog Millionaire He will win and he deserves it. This was incredibly shot and well paced.
Stephen Daldry, The Reader Because of the lost storyline and the stupid ending, he doesn’t have a chance.
David Fincher, Curious Case of Benjamin Button If he had cut 45 minutes out then maybe, but then again if he had done that, the movie wouldn’t have been as good.
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon I wish he would win. The actors said that Ron Howard let them have a lot of leeway with this film, that although they were bound by history that he did let them ad lib and be free in their acting process.
Gus Van Sant, Milk I don’t think the direction of this was done well, there were many parts that were misleading and loose. The character of Josh Brolin was not handled well and the “Blair Witch Project” cinematography moments had me dizzy.
So there you have it. That’s my opinion, what’s yours
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Thank you great grandpa!!
15 years ago
That was a most impressive listing of movie fandom I have ever seen. Your depth of knowledge in this subject has raised my understanding of you. Keep that stuff up.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I have not seen any of those films nor do I know many of the actors. You are in the A class while I am in the D class.
I saw Slumdog Millionaire yesterday and liked the cinematography very much. The disjointed scenes took away from the understanding of the story. The torture scene was not believeable nor did I understand why it was being done. Yes the culture is different, yes it is possible to fall in love forever with only a short exposure. but, the brothers change in attitude lacks verisimilitude. We are being asked to accept the Jamal's disjointed, self-education as comparable to a Western education. I found myself asking how he obtained computer skills when there was no foreshadowing of his ability.
ReplyDeleteBest picture, never.
Best director, never.
It ate my comment. argh.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
Congratulations, you have the pulse of the movie industry and can perhaps give them some comments. You had it correct and I had it wrong. Maybe I should start reading my first movie magazine.
ReplyDelete