Oscars

As much as I agree with Sporgey's rant about the lack of soul of the whole Oscar/Hollywood celebration that they throw for themselves. It's like a Golf club, that used to be so exclusive that everyone wanted in, but was racist, so they excluded some really great people, and then to make up for it they let in Tiger Woods' cousin or something... Bad, bad analogy, but it's fucking late, ok?

So yeah, as much as I agree with ya Sporgey, for the first time, I have actually seen all of the major players in the oscar nominations for this year, so for once in my life I feel like I can really participate in the Oscars and know what the fuck I am talking about, not just what the hype of critics tells me about a film. Too bad I don't own a TV to actually watch the stupid thing. And yeah, I watch that shit, because a) I like to see the beuatiful gowns I will never have any reason to wear and b) who's going to do something fucking weird, or which dude decided to show up in a tux with some sort of grizzly beard.

This list is not about picking who I think will win, because I am quite sure that I do not know what a board of this kind will take into consideration when picking the winners, obviously, since I don't even know why the fuck they pick the nominees. But, I know who I think should win... and who really, really shouldn't.

Oscar Ballot teef'd from evite.com

BEST PICTURE
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Frost/Nixon
[ ] Milk
[ ] The Reader
[X] Slumdog Millionaire

By far, Slumdog Millionaire was the overall winner for me in this category. If the best picture category is truly about honouring the idea that filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and about recognizing the value of a film in all of the areas which are required to give it substinance, then Slumdog is for sure the number one.

DIRECTOR
[ ] David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
[X] Gus Van Sant, Milk
[ ] Stephen Daldry, The Reader
[ ] Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Obviously if I was trying to predict the outcomes of the Oscars, I would never choose a different film for best picture and best director. For the longest time when I was younger I never even knew that these were two separate categories. If we are speaking strictly direction, though, I think that Van Sant deserves to take the prize. The different styles in this film were expertly woven together. Gus pulls documentary style images and scenes, which gave pertinence to the story of Harvey Milk and his role in a movement, and combines them with extremely personal viewpoints which give credence to the fact that this important movement depended on a man, who was really just a man.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
[ ] Frozen River
[ ] Happy-Go-Lucky
[X] In Bruges
[ ] Milk
[ ] WALL-E

I will admit that I have not seen every film in this category, and I will admit, I am no expert on what constitues a great screenplay, but, from the first time I saw In Bruges (and I have seen it at least three or four times at this point) I thought that the script was utterly fantastic. All of the dialogue between Gleeson and Farrell, and the shorter occasions where we are graced with Fiennes’ additions, is quick and hysterical. There is no moment in this movie to not be entertained and despite being a hitman comedy, the entertainment does not come from explosive scenes or schwazenneger-worthy catch phrases, it relies on action scenes confounded by stupidity and catch phrases which are uttered by the many slightly-needs characters which make up this film.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Doubt
[X] Frost/Nixon
[ ] The Reader
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire

I don’t know if one is allowed to discuss this category properly without having read or viewed all of the original works from which the screenplays were adapted. I also wonder if perhaps it is easier to adapt a play into a film, but I don’t care. Frost/Nixon was at the very lease better than The Reader (a movie which was probably an excellent book for women to read and cry about and ignore the irony of reading a book about an illiterate woman), Doubt (which, in my opinion, was really only a good film because of its cast) and Benjamin Button (Forrest Gump II: Story of the Backwards, Slightly Less-Racist Gump).

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
[ ] Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
[ ] Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
[ ] Sean Penn, Milk
[ ] Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[X] Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

I could have maybe picked this film for best direction had it been an option. A mockumentary that never mocks anything, or reveals itself to be documentary-style in anything but the direction. So supremely executed. The only other thing, besides the directing, which gives this film that amazing appeal, is Rourke’s amazing performance.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
[ ] Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
[ ] Angelina Jolie, Changeling
[ ] Melissa Leo, Frozen River
[X] Meryl Streep, Doubt
[ ] Kate Winslet, The Reader

I didn’t even really like this movie. But I loved Meryl Streep, so she must have been good.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[ ] Josh Brolin, Milk
[ ] Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
[ ] Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
[X] Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
[ ] Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Gotta do it. He was just way too good.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
[ ] Amy Adams, Doubt
[ ] Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
[ ] Viola Davis, Doubt
[ ] Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

I don’t even want to pick anyone in this category. This is a joke.

ANIMATED FEATURE
[ ] Bolt
[ ] Kung Fu Panda
[ ] WALL-E

Kung-Fu Panda hands down. Kris, youknowwhatI’mtalkingabout. I coulda sat through that shit again... but instead we went to go see Indiana Jones... shame.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
[ ] The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
[X] Encounters at the End of the World
[ ] The Garden
[ ] Man on Wire
[ ] Trouble the Water

Once again, I have no technically seen all of the films in this category, but I have seen more than I thought I would’ve considering I don’t watch a ton of documentaries if they don’t come from PBS, NOVA or National Geographic. Encounters at the End of the World probably just appealed to that nature-doc love of mine, but despite showing these fantastic images of nature’s wonders, it was not a nature documentary truly. It was a documentary about a place, the natural wonders of it and the inhabitants and their lives, both creature and man.

Do the rest of these even matter to anyone but the nominees?

ORIGINAL SCORE
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] Defiance
[ ] Milk
[X] Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] WALL-E

ORIGINAL SONG
[ ] "Down to Earth" - WALL-E
[X] "Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] "O Saya" - Slumdog Millionaire

ART DIRECTION
[ ] Changeling
[X] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] The Duchess
[ ] Revolutionary Road

CINEMATOGRAPHY
[ ] Changeling
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] The Reader
[X] Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN
[ ] Australia
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Duchess
[X] Milk
[ ] Revolutionary Road

MAKEUP
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[X] Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Yeah, that's right Benjamin Button, I said it. I couldn't even pay attention to the makeup because the CGing of Brad Pitts wrinkly face onto a child body was so fucking terrifying.

SOUND MIXING
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] WALL-E
[ ] Wanted

Who knows?

SOUND EDITING
[ ] The Dark Knight
[ ] Iron Man
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire
[ ] WALL-E
[ ] Wanted

Who cares?

VISUAL EFFECTS
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[X] Iron Man

It deserves something for making me cream my pants so hard.

FILM EDITING
[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
[ ] The Dark Knight
[X] Frost/Nixon
[ ] Milk
[ ] Slumdog Millionaire

Meh.


Hope you enjoyed my 4am post. Why didn't I just write my essay?