As the entertainment portion of this has been lacking somewhat I thought I would summarize my picks for the 81st Annual Academy Awards that are happening Sunday night in LA.
I always have the intention to see all the nominated films, but usually just end up seeing one or two. I wait for them to be on TV four years later and think to myself, "see - I didn't miss that much, someone told me DiCaprio dies at the end Titanic".
Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
and the winner is...Sean Penn. I haven't seen Milk, but when you play gay the Oscars love you.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
and the winner is...Heath Ledger - The Dark Night. The Oscars love giving awards to dead people, and it will be the most touching scene to have his daughter get the award.
Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader
and the winner is...Kate Winslet - The Reader. She gets naked. Done!
Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams - Doubt
I always have the intention to see all the nominated films, but usually just end up seeing one or two. I wait for them to be on TV four years later and think to myself, "see - I didn't miss that much, someone told me DiCaprio dies at the end Titanic".
Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
and the winner is...Sean Penn. I haven't seen Milk, but when you play gay the Oscars love you.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
and the winner is...Heath Ledger - The Dark Night. The Oscars love giving awards to dead people, and it will be the most touching scene to have his daughter get the award.
Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader
and the winner is...Kate Winslet - The Reader. She gets naked. Done!
Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams - Doubt
Viola Davis - Doubt (fixed)
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Taraji Henson - Benjamin Button
Marissa Tomei - The Wrestler
and the winner is...Marissa Tomei - The Wrestler. Really, Marissa Tomei has two Oscars, really?
Animated Feature Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
and the winner is...Kung Fu Panda. Any movie that can incorporate Carl Douglas's Kung Fu Fighting should win an Oscar hands down.
Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departure
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir
and the winner is...sorry I was unable to judge this category as I didn't understand what you said, it was in a different language.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
and the winner is...The Reader. Kate Winslett, she gets naked. Done! I kid. I actually saw two of these movies, Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire. Of those two I choose Slumdog Millionaire. Both told the stories in parts. Flashing back through time to explain situations, and advance the story.
Benjamin Button had entertaining sections, but for the most of his life (being old and being young) nothing too exciting could happen to him. He was confined to the house and it limited where the story could go. My other issue for this film is - where was the medical community? You're telling me he never saw the doctor for his condition? No one studied him? Also, this movie is set in a time where people weren't that accepting of differences - whether it was skin colour, race, etc.., so what's makes us think that Button wouldn't have been put straight into a home, hospital or asylum.
As for Slumdog, it was a smart, well told story. The drama moved forward quickly and you cared about the characters and wanted to see them succeed. What most people see in this story is that fate can intervene in life and good things can happen no matter your situation. This is the feel good story of the Oscar year and will cap off a long night of back slapping and thank yous to people that they don't like.
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Taraji Henson - Benjamin Button
Marissa Tomei - The Wrestler
and the winner is...Marissa Tomei - The Wrestler. Really, Marissa Tomei has two Oscars, really?
Animated Feature Film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
and the winner is...Kung Fu Panda. Any movie that can incorporate Carl Douglas's Kung Fu Fighting should win an Oscar hands down.
Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departure
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir
and the winner is...sorry I was unable to judge this category as I didn't understand what you said, it was in a different language.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
and the winner is...The Reader. Kate Winslett, she gets naked. Done! I kid. I actually saw two of these movies, Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire. Of those two I choose Slumdog Millionaire. Both told the stories in parts. Flashing back through time to explain situations, and advance the story.
Benjamin Button had entertaining sections, but for the most of his life (being old and being young) nothing too exciting could happen to him. He was confined to the house and it limited where the story could go. My other issue for this film is - where was the medical community? You're telling me he never saw the doctor for his condition? No one studied him? Also, this movie is set in a time where people weren't that accepting of differences - whether it was skin colour, race, etc.., so what's makes us think that Button wouldn't have been put straight into a home, hospital or asylum.
As for Slumdog, it was a smart, well told story. The drama moved forward quickly and you cared about the characters and wanted to see them succeed. What most people see in this story is that fate can intervene in life and good things can happen no matter your situation. This is the feel good story of the Oscar year and will cap off a long night of back slapping and thank yous to people that they don't like.
Enjoy!
I can't let this post go by without adding my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteActor in a Leading Role: This will go to Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler. Sean Penn was really good, but Rourke was better. And none of the gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain won Oscars so don't assume that Penn is a lock because he played a gay character.
Actor in a Supporting Role: I absolutely agree that this will go to Heath Ledger for The Dark Night. But the only other actor to win posthumously was Peter Finch for Network.
Actress in a Leading Role: This one will go to either Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married or Meryl Streep for Doubt. Kate Winslet had her day in the sun at the Golden Globes. She won't make it on stage (except maybe as a presenter) at this year's Oscars. I'm going to go with Streep.
Actress in a Supporting Role: You forgot Viola Davis for Doubt. But that's ok since she won't win. The winner will be Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Marisa Tomei was good, but she'll never win a second Oscar.
Animated Feature Film: Wall-E. The critics loved it. It will win this category since Peter Gabriel blew his chance at winning for the song.
Foreign Language Film: I haven't seen it, but Waltz with Bashir is supposed to be amazing. It will win.
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire will win for the reasons you mentioned. People love rewarding the underdog and the story within this movie as well as the story to make this move both falls into that category.
Thanks for the picks - they will help me beat you in the Oscar pool! I don't think Streep gets the trophy this year. Hathaway still has to "wait her turn" according to a couple things I have read and Streep has already had her time. The academy is ready to usher in the new era with Winslet - and she got NAKED! The other picks I'm okay with...
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