Final Oscar Nom Predictions!

With the 81st Annual Academy Award Nominations being announced tomorrow morning, I'm gonna take a stab at predicting them, finally. Here goes nothing!

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Alt 1: WALL-E
Alt 2: The Reader

Best Director
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Alt 1: Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler
Alt 2: Andrew Stanton - WALL-E

Best Actor
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Alt 1: Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Alt 2: Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Alt 1: Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Alt 2: Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

Alt 1: James Franco - Milk
Alt 2: Eddie Marsan - Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Alt 1: Amy Adams - Doubt
Alt 2: Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married

Best Original Screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E

Alt 1: Frozen River
Alt 2: In Bruges

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Alt 1: The Reader
Alt 2: Revolutionary Road

Best Animated Feature Film
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir

Alt 1: Bolt
Alt 2: Horton Hears a Who!

Best Foreign Language Film
The Class (Germany)
Departures (Japan)
Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
The Necessities of Life (Canada)
Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

Alt 1: Tear This Heart Out (Mexico)
Alt 2: Revanche (Austria)

Best Documentary Feature
Encounters at the End of the World
I.O.U.S.A.
Man on Wire
Standard Operating Procedure
Trouble the Water

Alt 1: At the Death Door House
Alt 2: Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Alt 1: Defiance
Alt 2: Revolutionary Road

Best Original Song
"I Thought I Lost You" - Bolt
"Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire
"O... Saya" - Slumdog Millionaire
"Down to Earth " - WALL-E
"The Wrestler" - The Wrestler

Alt 1: "Gran Torino" - Gran Torino
Alt 2: "Once in a Lifetime" - Cadillac Records

Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Revolutionary Road

Alt 1: The Duchess
Alt 2: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Best Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Sex and the City

Alt 1: Revolutionary Road
Alt 2: Changeling

Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Alt 1: The Reader
Alt 2: Synecdoche, New York

Best Cinematography
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Alt 1: Defiance
Alt 2: Australia

Best Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Alt 1: The Wrestler
Alt 2: Defiance

Best Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Alt 1: Wanted
Alt 2: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
Quantum of Solace
WALL-E

Alt 1: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Alt 2: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Best Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

Alt 1: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Alt 2: Wanted

So. I finally saw it.

Saw big ol' 'Slumdog Millionaire,' like on...Tuesday? Yeah. I loved it, sadly. I'm ashamed, just a little bit, because I know a healthy 80% of you hated it. I found that the energetic sequences, in the beginning particularly, really sucked me in. When "O... Saya" was playing with those stunning visuals going on at the same time I was literally going insane. Granted, that's probably due to my M.I.A. love...anyways. I particularly loved Dev Patel. I mean he wasn't revelatory or anything, but he carried his parts well enough for at least an honorable mention, if not a nomination, in Supporting. Freida Pinto, honestly, I couldn't think of anything watching her other than that she is so unbelievably beautiful! So lovely. So yeah. I really liked it, but honestly it should not be winning BP over 'Benjamin Button,' 'The Dark Knight,' 'Milk' (especially) or 'WALL-E'. It's a solid, solid, piece, in my humble opinion though. I really dug the cinematography and editing, even though that is part of the reason a lot of people don't like it. I just thought it worked with the story here. And of course the music was to die for.

But that part with the shit was almost inexcusable. Disgusting.

But then I think of the musical sequence at the end. And I love it again.

Oh and I saw 'Milk' for the second time, that same day. It's the best god damn movie of the year. Changed my mind again! Now all I need to see for the major contenders is 'The Wrestler' and 'Frost/Nixon'. Thoughts as soon as possible.

Quick thoughts on 'The Reader'

I really loved this one. Stephen Daldry seems never to be one to disappoint, and he certainly kept up with his past efforts 'Billy Elliot' and 'The Hours' here. The star of this, non-surprisingly, is Kate Winslet. Kate fucking Winslet can't seem to do wrong these days, can she? After this and 'Revolutionary Road' it doesn't seem like she can go anywhere---she's already at the top. Phenomenal, phenomenal performance from her, and she is completely deserving of that Supporting Actress Oscar that she'll be taking home February 22nd. Sorry, Penelope. So yeah, the techs were fabulous, David Hare's adaptation was great, David Kross was sensantional, Kate was mesmerizing. Definitely one of my favorites this year. It stays with you.

Golden Globe Reactions

Loved:

-- COLIN FARRELL. Thank god at least the HFPA awarded what I can now see is the most underrated performance of the year. Will Oscars follow suit with a surprise nomination? I'm praying.

-- Kate Winslet x 2. If you had told me that Kate Winslet was going to win Best Actress in both Leading and Supporting roles, I wouldn't have believed you. My money was on one win, sure, but not both. She pulled it off! With flying colors! OMFG and when she forgot Angelina? To die for.

-- Heath Ledger. I mean obviously. It wasn't a surprise or anything, but I'm still loving the fact that he's sweeping.

-- Sally Hawkins. And I thought Meryl was going to walk away with this for her passable performance in the horrendous/amazing 'Mamma Mia!'. Thankfully, I was wrong, and the right girl won! She was so adorable up there all nervous, even though it she kind of morphed into a train wreck by the end of it all. Whatever.

Hated:

-- Whatever the hell Renée Zellweger was wearing.

-- Whatever the hell Drew Barrymore was wearing.

Overall it was a really good night. Practically everyone is bitching and moaning about the 'Slumdog' sweep, but I can't really say much. I need to see that damn movie, just so I can finally voice my opinion. Anyways, good job Globes. Welcome back.

Golden Globe Winners

Best Motion Picture (Drama): Slumdog Millionaire
Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor (Drama): Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Best Actor (Musical or Comedy): Colin Farrell - In Bruges (!!!)
Best Actress (Drama): Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road


Best Actress (Musical or Comedy): Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Score: A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Song: "The Wrestler" - The Wrestler

Globe Predix

So the Globes are tonight, and I'm just realizing now how...I don't know, unusual this race is. I had a moderately hard time predicting these, and honestly I have no idea how the nominations are going to pan out for the Oscars later on this month. Anyways my family and I, every awards season, play this game where we all put $5 in a pot and whoever gets the most winners correct takes the money. Here's hoping:

Best Motion Picture (Drama): The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
alternate: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): Vicky Cristina Barcelona
alternate: Mamma Mia!

Best Actor (Drama): Sean Penn - Milk
alternate: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Actor (Musical or Comedy): Dustin Hoffman - Last Chance Harvey
alternate: Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Actress (Drama): Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
alternate: Meryl Streep - Doubt

Best Actress (Musical or Comedy): Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia!
alternate: Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
alternate: Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder

Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
alternate: Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Animated Feature Film: WALL-E
alternate: Bolt

Best Foreign Language Film: Waltz With Bashir
alternate: Gomorrah

Best Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
alternate: David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
alternate: Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
alternate: A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song: "The Wrestler" - The Wrestler
alternate: "Down to Earth" - WALL-E

I'm especially torn on the Actress categories, in film at least. Like Meryl will win something. 'Doubt'? Maybe. I see Anne Hathaway, the starlet taking Drama though. 'Mamma'? I could see that easily. But then I think about Kate Winslet. I'm betting on a Supporting Actress win, even amidst Cruz.

Nobody knows anything...except for Heath.

A little catching up...

You know what I hate? I hate when servers go down. Hate it. It's a nuisance to both the owner of the site and the server. You know what else I hate? When after a period of non-blogging rest I go back onto my blog to write and the server's down.

So here I am, five or so posts lighter and with a multitude of movies to review. Instead of doing that, here are some short little snippets of what I've seen this past Christmas break:

'A Christmas Tale' (Arnaud Desplechin, 2008)

Now here is one of the first Christmas movies I have come across in recent years that is almost alarmingly hard to sit through. However that by no means makes it an awful one. On the contrary, it's a stirring piece of film making. Watching the Vuillard family, helmed by monster matron Junon (a spectacular Catherine Deneuve), simultaneously tear each other apart and then love each other ferociously is quite the experience.


Mathieu Amalric is the stand out as Henri, the son banished by his sister Elizabeth (Anne Consigny), who ironically is one out of two possible donors of bone marrow for the dying Junon. Amalric seems to be on a roll, fresh off of his heart-shattering portrayal of Jean-Dominique Bauby in my favorite movie of last year, 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'. Desplechin succeeds in making this 'Tale' one of distinct reality even though it is also injected with subtle flights of fantasy. You're a fly on the wall at this unsettling, acid-tinged Christmas extravaganza and it's completely worth the ride. B+

'Doubt' (John Patrick Shanley, 2008)
When I first heard that John Patrick Shanley was adapting his own stage play for the screen I was thrilled. Even more so was I when I found out that Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams and were cast in the three pivotal roles of Sister Aloysious Beauvier, Father Brendan Flynn and Sister James, respectively. There, oddly, have been tons of negative reviews floating around from my fellow bloggers and top critics alike of the film, I just don't get it. I ate every bit of this up. Every bit. Every melodramatic, screaming at the top of your lungs that you like 'Frosty the Snowman' bit. I thought Meryl was sensational, non-surprisingly, as Sister Aloysious. She ignited the screen every time she was on it and is a shoo-in as a nominee on my Actress ballot.


Completely. Hoffman and Adams were wonderful with what they had, also non-surprisingly. Viola Davis worked wonders with her twelve minute or so scene, wonders. She made a deep impression on myself and I'd assume the rest of my audience, though I really wanted to give her a tissue. Like, there has never been a problem with wiping your nose while crying before has there? Anyways I particularly enjoyed the cinematography here by Deakins, even though some of the side-angle shots got to be a little bit too high school student experimental for my tastes. A riotously dramatic treat. A

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (David Fincher, 2008)
Just to add to the "hate list" that I started at the beginning of this post, another thing I hate is when I proclaim that a movie is the best of the year without seeing everything. I named 'Milk' just that when I saw it back in November. And then 'Benjamin Button' came around. On all counts, David Fincher's 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is the best film of 2008. Now, I might be saying that again after seeing 'Slumdog Millionaire,' 'The Wrestler,' or 'The Reader' when I see those in the coming weeks, but...I highly doubt it. I mean, this movie, god, is just a technical masterwork.


It has absolutely mesmerizing performances from Brad Pitt, from Cate Blanchett, from Taraji P. Henson, from Tilda Swinton, and has the most wholeheartedly seamless visual effects probably since 'Titanic'. Some have been saying it left them feeling cold, and I just have to scoff. This is one of the most equally heartwarming and breaking films of the decade, let alone the year. I feel a little guilty calling it #1 over something so equally fantastic as 'Milk,' but I just have to. It's got everything. Oh and it made me sob like a small child, which is always good. An absolutely spell bounding piece of work. A

'Happy Go-Lucky' (Mike Leigh, 2008)
What a joyous, delightful little film this is! I adored every bit of this (well, I mean the hobo thing could've been scrapped but whatever), especially the phenomenal Sally Hawkins. It's funny, my friend Shannon and I were recently arguing over her performance. Shannon thought it was just "cute," whereas I found that there was something more to it. Yet, I sit here, and can't really pinpoint what that "something" is. Regardless though, she is just the embodiment of what we all should be: kind, good people--more over, optimists. I was getting angry at something, who knows what, a few days ago and I actually thought to myself "What would Poppy do?"


How the hell often does that happen after seeing a movie? I don't know, I might be crazy, but this movie was just so good. Eddie Marsan was brilliant as Scott, the pessimist to Poppy's happy-go-lucky character, but one of my favorite parts of this was Karina Fernandez who played the Flamenco instructor. Dear god, she was a riot if I were saw one. Loved her, loved this, see it whenever you can. A

'Revolutionary Road' (Sam Mendes, 2008)
It took me a while to figure this beauty out. A while. Honestly I still am not quite sure where I stand on this, but let me see if I can explain for you readers how I feel. I adore both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, so I was in heavy anticipation of this adaptation of the Richard Yates's novel of the same title. So my friends and I sit down in the nearly sold out showing and for the ensuing two hours I was treated with one of the worst audiences I have ever experienced the displeasure of being in. There were numerous times in this where, as usual, I would have delighted in crying, yet that's a moderately hard task to do when the people around you are chuckling like little hyenas in the background. Almost every scene in this where one should have been able to hear a pin drop, there was laughing. I just didn't get that, so right off the cuff I was a bit peeved overall.


Anyways, Winslet was to die for. She gave a heartwrenching, powerful and terrifying performance as April Wheeler, a woman trapped by the suburban life being formed around her. DiCaprio too did quite well, keeping moderately up to pace with Winslet, yet at some turns he was a bit too over the top--even for my tastes. That sounds kind of ridiculous when both have to go "over the top," but if you see it I think you'll understand what I mean. Michael Shannon deserves some praise, but all I could think of when he was on screen was Michael Shannon doing his best Joker impersonation. Meh, he was effective. One thing I enjoyed in particular was the way Mendes really made you feel what the Wheeler's were feeling: claustrophobic. The audience is trapped in the same emotional spaces that the two were themselves, and because of that, the piece is moderately miserable. But hey, I suppose that was the point of it all, no? A second viewing is mandatory before I make my final decision. B+/B

'Wendy and Lucy' (Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
The true joy of this film is its ability to say so much about the more often than not harsh realities one can face in this day and age without really saying anything. Thank god for Michelle Williams. This movie belongs to her, completely. Like, her performance is outstandingly good. She, very much like Winslet in 'Revolutionary Road,' can do even more with her eyes, with her mannerisms than when she is speaking.


I have to go back to what I said before, though: it just astounds me that screenwriters Jonathan Raymond and Kelly Reichardt (also the director) could weave such an engrossing tale about a wandering woman and her dog, her car broken down in a small town just trying to get to where she was hoping to go--Alaska, in Wendy's case. One scene in particular at the end, was revelatory. I'm not going to give it away or anything, but oh my lord it was amazing, and it's all thanks to Williams. Who knew that Jen Lindley from 'Dawson's Creek' would evolve throughout her cinematic career thus far into such a brilliant actress. Bravo. A-

'Man on Wire' (James Marsh, 2008)
I've, admittedly, never really been the biggest fan of the documentary. I mean I've watched my Michael Moore and...yeah. That's about it, sadly. Until this baby came along. How wholeheartedly inspiring this whole story was! The way Marsh weaved the whole story into being a crime-caper/beautiful portrait of mad man/genius Philippe Petit was enthralling, completely.


When you really see all of the painstaking planning that went into his illegal, amazing feat tight-rope walking across the World Trade Center's twin towers, it's just mind blowing. And oh, when he finally does do it after all of the road blocks that he and his crew encounter along the way, you're overwhelmed with emotion. When Annie, his ex who was there for many of his rope walking acts, recounts for us the moment that he lays down on the wire, it brings a tear to your eye. A beautiful story. A

And there we have it. Expect reviews for 'In Bruges' and 'The Other Boleyn Girl' (ugh) in the coming days. And whenever I finally see 'Slumdog,' 'The Wrestler,' 'The Reader,' 'Frost/Nixon,' and 'Gran Torino,' those as well.