Here are this years Oscar nominations, apparently picked at random out of a very small hat by people who were late for an appointment.
Here are my inconsequential, impartial, ill-informed opinions:
Best Film:
The Aviator 55/100
Million Dollar Baby 27/100
Finding Neverland 77/100
Ray 75/100
Sideways NS
I think the Best Film ought to go to FINDING NEVERLAND. Although I haven’t seen Sideways, the way that the critics have gone so absolutely potty about it suggests that it might not actually be any good – remember how many of them loved Million Dollar Baby and then think about just how bad that was. The Aviator was not a bad film, but it certainly wasn’t the best – the slipshod editing and leaden pace saw to that. Ray was just as competent as an ITV Sunday evening type of show, and while it was certainly good it was not a special film. Finding Neverland was just lovely in every way and it deserves, of this group, to be the winner. I think, though, the Best Film award really ought to go to I Heart Huckabees.
Best Actor:
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby 27/100
Jamie Foxx – Ray 75/100
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda NS
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland 77/100
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator 55/100
JOHNNY DEPP deserves this. While Clint played the same character he has for the last forty years (fine, but hardly Oscar-worthy), Jamie Foxx was great and Leonardo DiCaprio certainly excelled himself, Depp’s was a perfect performance that seemed much more human than anything he’s done before – it was understated, which until now he hasn’t seemed able to manage. I have not seen Hotel Rwanda, but it should be noted that until it received these various Oscar nominations it had not been able to find a UK distributor – surely there must be some reason for that. I really think Jude Law ought to have had this for his performance in I Heart Huckabees – it was like a cross between Michael Caine and John Cleese and it was smashing.
Best Actress:
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby 27/100
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake NS
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 65/100
Annette Bening - Being Julia NS
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace NS
KATE WINSLET is probably the best of what is generally a bad lot (judging by the ones I’ve seen). Of those who I recognize, Annette Bening has always seemed annoyingly smug to me, Hilary Swank had the look-at-me-look-at-me desperation of an amdram lead and Imelda Staunton’s film is about abortion and is therefore just plain wrong. I think the girl from A Series Of Unfortunate Events ought to get it, despite the direness of the rest of that unfortunate cinematic event.
Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Alda - The Aviator 55/100
Clive Owen - Closer NS
Jamie Foxx – Collateral NS
Thomas Haden Church – Sideways NS
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby 27/100
THOMAS HADEN CHURCH probably ought to get this – it’s very hard to say, having seen so few of the selections. Morgan Freeman was on autopilot for Million Dollar Baby, while Closer and Collateral actively repelled me. Alan Alda has managed to erase himself completely from my memory, which leads me to suspect that his performance was at best completely nondescript. I really think Timothy Spall ought to win it for his role as Scabbers the rat in the Harry Potter film.
Best Supporting Actress:
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator 55/100
Virginia Madsen – Sideways NS
Laura Linney – Kinsey NS
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda NS
Natalie Portman – Closer NS
There simply is no competition here, CATE BLANCHETT was completely and utterly brilliant in The Aviator and if she doesn’t win this there’s just no justice in the world. Of course, since I haven’t seen any of the other films I could very well have missed and even better performance, but I doubt it. I can’t think of an alternative winner.
Best Director:
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator 55/100
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby 27/100
Alexander Payne – Sideways NS
Taylor Hackford – Ray 75/100
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake NS
Ray was, if nothing else, very nicely directed. TAYLOR HACKFORD deserves to win this. I got the impression that Clint lost interest in his film halfway through (as did I), but I wouldn’t be surprised if he won this anyway – the Oscar committee may well fear that he might drop dead soon and leave them unable to give him one. The manifold small faults with The Aviator leave me unable to think of Scorsese as deserving any kind of award – he seemed to be in Clint mode. Sideways could well be a worthy winner, but again the critic’s love of it drives me away from it, and Vera Drake sounds thoroughly unpleasant to me. Whoever it was that was responsible for Bubba-Ho Tep probably deserves it most, though (even though he included corpse slapstick – always unwise).
Best Foreign Language Film:
As it is in Heaven – Sweden NS
The Chorus – France NS
Downfall – Germany NS
The Sea Inside – Spain NS
Yesterday - South Africa NS
I can’t even begin to guess with this. The only foreign language film I saw this year was House of Flying Daggers and that certainly doesn’t deserve an Oscar.
Best Animated Feature Film:
The Incredibles 98/100
Shark Tale NS
Shrek 2 82/100
THE INCREDIBLES is a worthy winner. Shrek II was great but it just wasn’t as original. Shark Tale seemed very old-fashioned and although I didn’t see it I doubt that it will have been any better that The Incredibles. I can think of none better.
I RAN OUT OF TIME HERE. I WILL ADD MORE LATER (PROMISE)
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Before Sunset NS
Finding Neverland 77/100
Million Dollar Baby 27/100
The Motorcycle Diaries NS
Sideways NS
FINDING NEVERLAND
Best Original Screenplay:
The Aviator 55/100
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 65/100
Hotel Rwanda NS
The Incredibles 98/100
Vera Drake NS
THE INCREDIBLES
Best Music (score):
Finding Neverland 77/100
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 74/100
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events 40/100
The Passion of the Christ NS
The Village 10/100
HARRY POTTER & THE BLAH BLAH BLAH
Best Music (song):
Accidentally in Love - Shrek 2 82/100
Al Otro Lado Del Rio - The Motorcycle Diaries NS
Believe - The Polar Express NS
Learn to be Lonely - The Phantom of the Opera 17/100
Look to Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin - The Chorus) NS
SHREK II
Best Documentary Feature:
Born into Brothels NS
The Story of Weeping Camel NS
Super Size Me 85/100
Tupac: Resurrection NS
Twist of Faith NS
SUPER SIZE ME – No Fahrenheit 9/11? How unsurprising.
Best Documentary Short Subject:
Autism is a World NS
The Children of Leningradsky NS
Hardwood NS
Mighty Times: The Children's March NS
Sister Rose's Passion NS
?
Best Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 74/100
I, Robot NS
Spider-Man 2 66/100
HARRY POTTER & THE BLAH BLAH BLAH
Best Cinematography:
The Aviator 55/100
House of Flying Daggers 27/100
The Passion of the Christ NS
The Phantom of the Opera 17/100
A Very Long Engagement NS
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (much as it galls me)
Best Art Direction:
The Aviator 55/100
Finding Neverland 77/100
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events 40/100
The Phantom of the Opera 17/100
A Very Long Engagement NS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Best Animated Short Film:
Birthday Boy NS
Gopher Broke NS
Guard Dog NS
Lorenzo NS
Ryan NS
?
Best Short Film:
Everything in This Country Must NS
Little Terrorist NS
7:35 in the Morning NS
Two Cars, One Night NS
Wasp NS
?
Best Costume Design:
The Aviator 55/100
Finding Neverland 77/100
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events 40/100
Ray 75/100
Troy 11/100
THE AVIATOR
Best Make-up:
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events 40/100
The Passion of the Christ NS
The Sea Inside NS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
Best Sound Mixing:
The Aviator 55/100
The Incredibles 98/100
The Polar Express NS
Ray 75/100
Spider-Man 2 66/100
RAY
Best Sound Editing:
The Incredibles 98/100
The Polar Express NS
Spider-Man 2 66/100
THE INCREDIBLES
Bets Film Editing:
The Aviator 55/100
Collateral NS
Finding Neverland 77/100
Million Dollar Baby 27/100
Ray 75/100
THE AVIATOR
I expect I'll be wrong. It isn’t about how good the film is, after all.
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