With the Academy Awards nearly upon us (tomorrow night, people!), I though I would share my thoughts on the nominations, what I think will win, and what would win if I gave out the Oscars.
Best Supporting Actor Nominees:
George Clooney for Syriana
Matt Dillon for Crash
Paul Giamatti for Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal for Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt for A History of Violence
Who I think will win…
Jake Gyllenhaal. I still think it’s silly that he is nominated for supporting actor. He should be up for lead actor. I have a feeling the nominating committee thought that putting him here would increase his chances of winning, since it is expected that his co-star Heath Ledger will probably win the lead actor award. Giving him the supporting actor nod will give both stars the opportunity to win Oscar gold.
Which of the nominees I would like to see win…
Probably Gyllenhaal. I didn’t see Syriana or A History of Violence, but I would say Gyllenhaal deserves it over Dillon or Giamatti. However, I’ll probably root for Giamatti since I have really liked some of his previous work (e.g. American Splendor and Sideways).
Who would win if I picked the nominees…
Peter Sarsgaard for Jarhead. His portrayal of a marine stuck in the gulf was absolutely amazing. There were times in Jarhead where he conveyed more in one scene without saying a word than some of the nominees did with an entire script. The only thing more shocking than him not being nominated for Jarhead is that he has NEVER been nominated. Shows that the Academy often does NOT get it right.
Best Supporting Actress nominees:
Amy Adams for Junebug
Catherine Keener for Capote
Frances McDormand for North Country
Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardner
Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain
Who I think will win…
Heck if I know. As far as I can tell there isn’t a favorite right now, but if Brokeback Mountain goes on the sweep I think it might, it could easily go to Michelle Williams (yes, the same Michelle Williams who played “Jen” on Dawson’s Creek).
Which of the nominees I would like to see win…
Brokeback and Capote are the only two I have seen, so I can’t really comment on the others, and both Williams and Keener were very good in their roles. That said, I could really care less who wins. I know someone who knows Amy Adams, so I guess it would be nice for her to win, but ultimately I am not particularly excited about the nominees.
Who would win if I picked the nominees…
Jessica Alba for Sin City. 'Nuff said. Althought she isn't up for anything tomorrow night, she will be a presenter. Whoo-hoo!
Best Actor Nominees:
Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
Terrence Howard for Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger for Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix for Walk the Line
David Strathairn for Good Night, and Good Luck
Who I think will win…
Heath Ledger. There is a very slim chance that this could go to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but I think he is Ledger’s only real competition.
Which of the nominees I would like to see win…
Heath Ledger. Hoffman and Strathairn were both great, but this one should go to Ledger.
Who would win if I picked the nominees…
Probably Heath Ledger. The only other person I would consider would be Christian Bale as Batman. Bale is the best Batman yet, and was able to convincingly play both Batman AND Bruce Wayne, something that no previous actor has done as well as him. (Yes, Michael Keaton was good, but what about Val Kilmer? Good Batman, HORRIBLE Bruce Wayne. And I don’t even want to mention George Clooney’s take on the Caped Crusader. **shudder**) That said, Heath Ledger did a fantastic job. As skeptical as I was going into Brokeback, Ledger was one of the biggest factors in winning me over.
Best Actress Nominees:
Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman for Transamerica
Keira Knightly for Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron for North Country
Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line
Who I think will win…
Probably Felicity Huffman, but it could also go to Witherspoon. However, Oscar loves dramatic transformations on film, so Desperate Housewife Huffman will probably take it since she plays a man awaiting a sex change operation.
Which of the nominees I would like to see win…
Uh…I haven’t seen ANY of the nominees! Theron already won one for Monster, so I think it should go to someone who hasn’t won. Except for Keira Knightly. I’m not a fan.
Who would win if I picked the nominees…
Jessica Alba for Fantastic Four. OK, I can’t let my hormones dictate my choices anymore. I’ll say Rosario Dawson for Sin City. She was great and you could tell she was having a blast making it. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t seen many great performances from females this year. Not that I blame the actresses themselves, it was a slow year all around. Hopefully 2006 will offer better opportunities for the actresses out there…
Best Director Nominees:
Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain
Bennet Miller for Capote
Paul Haggis for Crash
George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck
Steven Spielberg for Munich
Who I think will win…
Ang Lee. However, I think Brokeback will win Best Picture (see below), so this could theoretically go to someone else. Recently Best Director and Best Picture have gone to the same movie, but it seems that traditionally two different movies win these awards. We will see what happens.
Which of the nominees I would like to see win…
I’m always a fan of Spielberg, but I didn’t think that Munich was his best work. So, for me, it’s between Lee and Clooney (yes, I did just bash Clooney for playing Batman, but he did an excellent job both directing AND acting with Good Night). I’ll be happy either way.
Who would win if I picked the nominees…
Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller for Sin City. Wow. WOW! They really took Miller’s comic books and brought them to life. Literally translating the comics to film could have been incredibly disastrous, but it was just the opposite! I hope they do just as well on the sequel(s).
Best Picture Nominees:
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich
What I think will win…
Brokeback Mountain. There are theories that although Brokeback the early favorite, the award will actually go to Crash. I think those theories are wrong.
Which of the nominees I would like to see win…
Brokeback Mountain. I really did not think that this one would live up to all the hype. But it did. And then some. I assumed the only reason for the hubbub was the fact that the two protagonists were gay. That’s not the case. It really is a great movie. Sure, it isn’t the most original movie out there (imagine Romeo and Romeo instead of Romeo and Juliet), but every aspect of the flick was right on. The acting on all fronts was fantastic (including Princess Diaries star Anne Hathaway as Gyllenhaal’s jilted wife). The directing and editing, especially in regard to pacing, was perfect. Everything from the writing to the music contributed to one of only a few truly memorably movies that came out in 2006. Put aside your politics (whatever they may be) and keep an open mind when you see this one.
What would win if I picked the nominees…
Batman Begins. As great as Brokeback may be, I have to let the comic book geek in me win out on this one. I loved Tim Burton’s 1989 interpretation, but this one blew it away. Although there were a few changes to the comic book mythos, they were minor and made sense in the context of the film. The filmmakers even subtly addressed one, giving a nod to comic book geeks like myself. In the comic books villain Ra's Al Ghul was immortal thanks to a device knows as a Lazarus Pit. Because Begins takes a more realistic approach than some of the previous films (**cough, cough** Batman Forever **cough** Batman and Robin ** cough, cough**), it was decided to make no mention of the Lazarus Pit. However, after a dramatic return, Ghul asks Wayne to imagine the possibilities if the concept (not the person) of Ra’s Al Ghul was immortal. A nice touch if you ask me. I was also skeptical going into this one. I loved director Christopher Nolan’s film Memento, but did not like his follow up, Insomnia. I really wasn’t sure he was the right director for this project, but he went and proved me wrong. Although he has not officially signed to direct the sequel yet, Warner Bros. just hired his brother to write the script, which I would consider a good sign. Plus he is working with stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine (butler Alfred Pennyworth) on his new film, The Prestige. It bodes well for him to return.
Well, those are my pics. We will find out what will take the cake home tomorrow night. That’s all folks!
