Oscar nominations and my picks

It was a great year for movies. People who did a bang up job are going to win this year and I’m happy!

I know I’ve bitched a lot about the Oscars before. Honestly it has been mostly out of envy and partly out of arrogance. This year I’m going to try to be a little nicer (right). Anyway, below are the categories, a brief intro by me, their nominees and my picks (that is if I’ve seen enough to pick). In green will be who I think will actually win. In red will be who I would like to see win if my opinion differs. Okay so, here goes…

Best Motion Picture of the Year

We’ve actually seen every one of these movies so I’m not just talking out of my ass in this category. All of these stand out. One question though. Where is Sin City? LOL! I wish.

Brokeback Mountain – Diana Ossana, James Schamus
Capote – Caroline Baron, William Vince, Michael Ohoven
Crash – Paul Haggis, Cathy Schulman
Good Night, and Good Luck. – Grant Heslov
Munich – Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Barry Mendel

Don’t get me wrong, Brokeback Mountain was a good film (no I’m not a homophobe it just wasn’t the best), but Goodnight and Good Luck was far more timely and moving. I would even pick Crash and Capote before Brokeback. Munich, although worth watching, so-so.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Quite a race this year for best actor. All of these guys took risks for these roles and my hat is off to every one of them. My pick is the same as who will win. Even though I think that Joaquin Pheonix should get a silver plated Oscar for his portrayal of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. Hell the guy did his own singing and did it well. However, Jamie Foxx won for Ray last year so there will be no Oscars for men playing dead singers this year. Hold on. Did Truman Capote ever sing?

Philip 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.

Up yours Russell Crowe you arrogant phone throwing S.O.B. I guees you messed up.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

We’re in trouble here. I’ve only seen Walk the Line, but have heard Felicity Huffman’s performance in Transamerica was brilliant. I’ll go safe and stick with what I’ve seen and the bulk of the previous awards in this category.

Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman for Transamerica
Keira Knightley for Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron for North Country
Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line

More after the jump

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Giamatti was snubbed for Sideways last year and we all know what that means. However, he actually deserves a win in this category even though he’s up against some stiff competition.

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

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

I’ve seen three of these films. I hadn’t even heard of Junebug until Amy Adams started showing up on award nomination lists and North Country looked too ball-breaker-y (I think I just made up a word). Although Michelle Williams was brilliant in Brokeback Mountain I think they’re shut out of all the acting categories this year and the Oscar will go to Rachel Weisz who was outstanding in the Constant Gardener. Once again my pick matches who will win.

Amy Adams for Junebug
Catherine Keener for Capote
Frances McDormand for North Country
Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams for Brokeback Mountain

Best Achievement in Directing

Once again, I’ll disagree with the trend and go against the mighty Brokeback Mountain. George Clooney did an awesome job with Good Night, and Good Luck. I can’t believe I actually like Dr Doug Ross of ER for best director but I do.

George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck.
Paul Haggis for Crash
Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller for Capote
Steven Spielberg for Munich

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Tennis is boring and squids and whales belong in the sea not on screen. In other words I haven’t seen these films and can’t comment on them. Crash was a fabulous film and Syriana was great but hard to follow. My pick is Good Night, and Good Luck. Yes, hell has frozen over. Matt Stephens from Return of the Killer Tomatoes is going to win an Oscar for writing and I agree with it. You can forward all my mail to Riverview, the mental hospital here in Vancouver.

Crash – Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Good Night, and Good Luck. – George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Match Point – Woody Allen
The Squid and the Whale – Noah Baumbach
Syriana – Stephen Gaghan

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

The writing was fairly tight in all of these films. I had some problems with Brokeback’s script but it would spoil it for those who haven’t seen the film, so I’ll refrain from expanding. Though I think it will win my vote is Capote.

Brokeback Mountain – Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Capote – Dan Futterman
The Constant Gardener – Jeffrey Caine
A History of Violence – Josh Olson
Munich – Tony Kushner, Eric Roth

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Colin Ferrell is an arrogant, drunken asshole so I won’t see The New World until it plays on the movie channels we get. As far as Memoirs of a Geisha goes I don’t buy a Chinese actress playing a Japanese character so I won’t see that until its in the bargain bin at Rogers video. That said I’m sure both of those films were beautifully shot. I’m breaking with my current trend and going with the masses on this one. Brokeback Mountain looked amazing. Some of the photgraphy was absolutely breathtaking.

Batman Begins – Wally Pfister
Brokeback Mountain – Rodrigo Prieto
Good Night, and Good Luck. – Robert Elswit
Memoirs of a Geisha – Dion Beebe
The New World – Emmanuel Lubezki

Best Achievement in Editing

This is a toughy as it is the most technically creative category here. All of these films were brilliant. I like Constant Garnder’s editing but I think Cinderella Man will win.

Cinderella Man – Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
The Constant Gardener – Claire Simpson
Crash – Hughes Winborne
Munich – Michael Kahn
Walk the Line – Michael McCusker

Best Achievement in Art Direction

I’m perdicting a win for Hogwarts this year.

Good Night, and Good Luck. – James D. Bissell, Jan Pascale
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Stuart Craig, Stephanie McMillan
King Kong – Grant Major, Dan Hennah, Simon Bright
Memoirs of a Geisha – John Myhre, Gretchen Rau
Pride & Prejudice – Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer

Best Achievement in Costume Design

The favourite is Geisha and it will probably win.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Gabriella Pescucci
Memoirs of a Geisha – Colleen Atwood
Mrs. Henderson Presents – Sandy Powell
Pride & Prejudice – Jacqueline Durran
Walk the Line – Arianne Phillips

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

John Williams is a scoring God. ’nuff said.

Brokeback Mountain – Gustavo Santaolalla
The Constant Gardener – Alberto Iglesias
Memoirs of a Geisha – John Williams
Munich – John Williams
Pride & Prejudice – Dario Marianelli

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

Hooray for pimps!

Hustle & Flow – Jordan Houston, Cedric Coleman, Paul Beauregard (“It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp”)
Crash – Michael Becker, Kathleen York (“In the Deep”)
Transamerica – Dolly Parton (“Travelin’ Thru”)

Best Achievement in Makeup

The Force is definitely with this category.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Howard Berger, Tami Lane
Cinderella Man – David LeRoy Anderson, Lance Anderson
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – Dave Elsey, Annette Miles

Best Achievement in Sound

I was actually disturbed by the sound design in War of the Worlds. It was brilliant.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Terry Porter, Dean A. Zupancic, Tony Johnson
King Kong – Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, Hammond Peek
Memoirs of a Geisha – Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell, Rick Kline, John Pritchett
Walk the Line – Paul Massey, Doug Hemphill, Peter F. Kurland
War of the Worlds – Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ron Judkins

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Again the Martians win.

King Kong – Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn
Memoirs of a Geisha – Wylie Stateman
War of the Worlds – Richard King

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Another win for the Martians, but Star Wars is conspicuously missing from this list.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Dean Wright, Bill Westenhofer, Jim Berney, Scott Farrar
King Kong – Joe Letteri, Brian Van’t Hul, Christian Rivers, Richard Taylor
War of the Worlds – Pablo Helman, Dennis Muren, Randy Dutra, Daniel Sudick

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

I’ve only seen Corpse Bride, which I liked but was disappointed with on some levels. I love Wallace and Gromit and so does everyone else. They win. Wrong trousers!!!

Corpse Bride – Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Howl’s Moving Castle – Hayao Miyazaki
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – Steve Box, Nick Park

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

I haven’t seen a single one of these (which is odd) but have read that Paradise Now is the most compelling in this category.

Bestia nel cuore, La – Cristina Comencini (Italy)
Joyeux Noël – Christian Carion (France)
Paradise Now – Hany Abu-Assad (Palestine)
Sophie Scholl – Die letzten Tage – Marc Rothemund (Germany)
Tsotsi – Gavin Hood (South Africa)

Best Documentary, Features

The Penguins will win. We were very impressed with this doc on many levels. Carol was so moved that she felt compelled to write a letter to the penguins on her blog afterward. It’s nice to see the Murderball nomination too. Those guys are tough as nails. Murderball was insprational and well worth the rental.

Darwin’s Nightmare – Hubert Sauper
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room – Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot
March of the Penguins – Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau
Murderball – Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
Street Fight – Marshall Curry

I haven’t seen anything in any of the following categories so I’m not going to say a peep. Short films get the short end of the stick. Maybe with the new technology with video for PSP, phones and iPods that will change. Here’s hoping for change. It would be nice for up and comers to actually have a market to enter with a short. hey, I know an up and comer.

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

God Sleeps in Rwanda – Kimberlee Acquaro, Stacy Sherman
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin – Corinne Marrinan, Eric Simonson
The Life of Kevin Carter – Dan Krauss
Mushroom Club, The (2005) – Steven Okazaki

Best Short Film, Animated

Badgered – Sharon Colman
The Moon and the Son – John Canemaker, Peggy Stern
The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello – Anthony Lucas
9 – Shane Acker
One Man Band – Mark Andrews, Andrew Jimenez

Best Short Film, Live Action

Ausreißer – Ulrike Grote
Cashback – Sean Ellis, Lene Bausager
Síðasti bærinn í dalnum – Rúnar Rúnarsson, Þórir Snær Sigurjónsson
Our Time Is Up – Rob Pearlstein, Pia Clemente
Six Shooter – Martin McDonagh