oscars 2006
So the nominations came out at 5:30 yesterday morning, and I’ve done nothing but Oscar related stuff at work ever since, because apparently we take Oscar Night as a serious selling holiday. Like St. Patrick’s Day, or Administrative Assistant’s Day, or Nurse’s Day, ONLY COOLER and with more interesting and specific merchandise. What I’m saying is, though movie trivia has been a ...erm, hobby (read: obsession) of mine and I would have been waiting regardless with baited breath for the nominees to be named, yesterday and today it was my JOB to know the nominees and how, exactly, one spells Gyllenhaal. (Yes, with two a’s and one l. Yes, it’s weird. But yes, he is one very attractive guy, so exceptions can be made. Even for that laugh-inducing plantitive-n’-twangy “I wish I knew how to quit you!”) So, cool.
For a full rundown of the nominees, go here. My opinions on specific races to follow:
Best Picture/Director
Grouped because the nice Academy people nominated the same five films for both, none of which I’ve seen, so I really ought to keep my big mouth shut about both of them, but I’m going to bitch about them anyway. I only kinda-sorta wanted to see three of them (Good Night and Good Luck, Munich and Capote), and wanted the hype surrounding one (do I really have to type it? Brokeback Mountain) to DIE, because really, the film can’t be THAT good and you know most of the critic population (who unfortunately happen to be male) are overcompensating in the “Omigod, it’s so TASTEFUL for a Gay Cowboy Movie!” department... But whateva. It’s going to win, and we all know it, so let’s just move on to the more interesting of the two smushed categories: Best Director.
Now, speaking as a girl who erected a shrine to Spielberg before she reached her teens (what? Like you didn’t know all the lines to Raiders of the Lost Ark at 9 years of age) I have to say, Late Spielberg, Spielberg of the I-Wield-A-Mighty-Message-And-You-Will-EAT-IT-DAMMIT, is not something I enjoy. I don’t think I’ve really had a great time at a Spielberg movie since... Jurassic Park? (Just so we’re clear, yeah, I get it, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, moving films about Absolutely Horrible Yet Important Things In History. But after that first viewing, I never ever ever want to go through either of them again. Ever.) But as I’ve heard that Munich delightfully falls into the same patterns of all the other Late Spielberg outings, I must begrudge him my blessing.
Capote, Crash and Clooney have all about the same dark horse chance in hell to take the statuette from Ang Lee’s hands. And I have to say, I don’t mind it going to him. Every time I watch Sense and Sensibility I am blown away by that man’s power behind a camera. The movie is like a Vermeer painting come to life; it's amazing. (He didn’t win, by the way. Wasn’t even freaking nominated, which kills me. Mel "Watch-Me-Make-Bloody-the-New-Artsy" Gibson won for the piece of crap Braveheart. Yeah, I said it. Don’t get me started on that movie, or on Gibson, because it happens to be one of my best acid rants. Apocalypto? Bite me.) But to get back to Ang Lee, he rocks, and he was denied in ‘96, and he’s swept all the other awards this year, so what’s one more?
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Actor in a Lead Role
Oh, Academy. Filling in this year’s requirement for the “Oh, Shit, We Haven’t Given ______ An Award YET?” is Paul Giamatti’s nomination for Cinderella Man. Can’t you just see the conversation that led to that?
All that by way of saying, yeah, Clooney’s probably going to take the Supporting category since he’ll be shut out of the Directing and Writing, though Giamatti probably deserves it, and if he pulls an upset, people will cheer all the same. Oh yes, and that we all know that no matter how much Joaquin looks like Cash or how indefatigable David Strathairn’s good performances or how Ralph Fiennes didn’t even get nominated because the stupid Americans can’t pronounce his name correctly, Hoffman’s going to take the Leading category because he can speak in a falsetto and move his hands in fey gestures.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
This will be an interesting race, mostly because I think the Academy has the most options for upset here. Dame Judi was nominated probably because they needed a 5th and hell, isn’t she always perfect? Keira’s nom is odd, but then, given the Academy’s history of giving awards to pretty, very young ingénues, so she remains a possibility, however distant. Charlize might pull a Hanks, and score two in a row, but also, distant possibility. The real race here is between Huffman and Witherspoon, the man-woman versus June Carter. Given that Walk the Line will probably win nothing else, and that every one loves a Southern Belle, and Huffman can just stay on TV for all the Academy cares, my money’s on Reese giving her teary yet perky acceptance speech come March with hubby Ryan smirking as usual in the audience.
Best Score
I have to say, last year my ire was up at the Academy for the Giachinno shut-out, and the continued support of less-than-great John Williams work. (Yes, the man is amazing. Yes, we should give him an award every year, because he's just that special. But even HE, in all of his glory, phones it in sometimes.) This year, again he's racking them up, not with one but with TWO noms, one for Munich and the other for Memoirs of a Geisha. I've seen/heard neither, but my money is on horns. And trills. And then more horns. So I think he'll split the vote between himself.
Again, haven't seen the cowboy movie so I can't really comment, except to say that Gustavo Santaolalla rocked The Motorcycle Diaries score last year. But The Constant Gardener and Pride & Prejudice were my top two favorite scores of the year and I'm thrilled beyond belief that both got nominated. It's a tough call, but I think the utter coolness of managing to get Jean-Yves Thiebaudet to play piano for your soundtrack is too much to pass over. Dario Marianelli, you are my new Movie Composer Boyfriend. Rock on, and I've got my fingers crossed for you.
And lastly, what the...?
-- "It's Hard Out There for a Pimp," Best Song. Seriously? Seriously?
For a full rundown of the nominees, go here. My opinions on specific races to follow:
Best Picture/Director
Grouped because the nice Academy people nominated the same five films for both, none of which I’ve seen, so I really ought to keep my big mouth shut about both of them, but I’m going to bitch about them anyway. I only kinda-sorta wanted to see three of them (Good Night and Good Luck, Munich and Capote), and wanted the hype surrounding one (do I really have to type it? Brokeback Mountain) to DIE, because really, the film can’t be THAT good and you know most of the critic population (who unfortunately happen to be male) are overcompensating in the “Omigod, it’s so TASTEFUL for a Gay Cowboy Movie!” department... But whateva. It’s going to win, and we all know it, so let’s just move on to the more interesting of the two smushed categories: Best Director.
Now, speaking as a girl who erected a shrine to Spielberg before she reached her teens (what? Like you didn’t know all the lines to Raiders of the Lost Ark at 9 years of age) I have to say, Late Spielberg, Spielberg of the I-Wield-A-Mighty-Message-And-You-Will-EAT-IT-DAMMIT, is not something I enjoy. I don’t think I’ve really had a great time at a Spielberg movie since... Jurassic Park? (Just so we’re clear, yeah, I get it, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, moving films about Absolutely Horrible Yet Important Things In History. But after that first viewing, I never ever ever want to go through either of them again. Ever.) But as I’ve heard that Munich delightfully falls into the same patterns of all the other Late Spielberg outings, I must begrudge him my blessing.
Capote, Crash and Clooney have all about the same dark horse chance in hell to take the statuette from Ang Lee’s hands. And I have to say, I don’t mind it going to him. Every time I watch Sense and Sensibility I am blown away by that man’s power behind a camera. The movie is like a Vermeer painting come to life; it's amazing. (He didn’t win, by the way. Wasn’t even freaking nominated, which kills me. Mel "Watch-Me-Make-Bloody-the-New-Artsy" Gibson won for the piece of crap Braveheart. Yeah, I said it. Don’t get me started on that movie, or on Gibson, because it happens to be one of my best acid rants. Apocalypto? Bite me.) But to get back to Ang Lee, he rocks, and he was denied in ‘96, and he’s swept all the other awards this year, so what’s one more?
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Actor in a Lead Role
Oh, Academy. Filling in this year’s requirement for the “Oh, Shit, We Haven’t Given ______ An Award YET?” is Paul Giamatti’s nomination for Cinderella Man. Can’t you just see the conversation that led to that?
Academy Guy 1: I suppose we ought to throw Ron Howard a bone about that movie of his that was made with love but no one saw? What the hell was that called?
Academy Guy 2: Cinderella Man.
Guy 1: Stupid title. Whatever. Yeah, that one.
Guy 3: Ron always pays his dues on time. We’ll have to nominate it for a real award, not just editing and stuff.
Guy 2: Damn. Right. Okay, well, I love Russell or Rene. What do you think?
Guy 3: Crap. Paul Giamatti’s in it.
Guy 1: Oh hell, that guy. Didn’t we give him like five awards already? Somebody look that up.
Guy 2: No. Shit. We haven’t given him any. Shit, shit, shit, you guys? We haven’t even NOMINATED him yet.
Guy 3: You’re joking. Seriously? Not even for the stupid wine movie?
Guy 1: Hell. I can see it now. We’re going to be in the same kind of trouble when we didn’t nominate Denzel for The Hurricane and we had to somehow convince half the voters that a third-rate cop movie was ART. Special award!
Guy 2: Out. We’re giving it to that old guy who’s been around forever but hasn’t scored one yet. And Giamatti’s not even dying.
Guy 1: O-kay, Lead Actor.
Guy 2: Uh, dude? You’ll piss off Russell. I mean, the dude has a temper and can box, and he kinda was the main character. You’ll have to nominate them both.
Guy 3: Which we can’t do, because Terrence Howard sold us his soul to score a nom. And then there was the flap when Tony won in ‘91 with only 15 minutes of screen time.
Guy 1: Alright, alright, compromise: Best Supporting Actor, Paul Giamatti. But let’s still give the award to Clooney, okay? I want to visit Como.
Guys 2 & 3: Cool.
And then belatedly, many many days later:
Guy 3: We forgot Fiennes again.
Guy 2: Eh, he’ll be in something artsy next year.
Guy 3: You always say that.
Guy 1: And it’s always true. Let him get another BAFTA for his mantle. We nominated the pretty pregnant chick, didn’t we?
All that by way of saying, yeah, Clooney’s probably going to take the Supporting category since he’ll be shut out of the Directing and Writing, though Giamatti probably deserves it, and if he pulls an upset, people will cheer all the same. Oh yes, and that we all know that no matter how much Joaquin looks like Cash or how indefatigable David Strathairn’s good performances or how Ralph Fiennes didn’t even get nominated because the stupid Americans can’t pronounce his name correctly, Hoffman’s going to take the Leading category because he can speak in a falsetto and move his hands in fey gestures.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
This will be an interesting race, mostly because I think the Academy has the most options for upset here. Dame Judi was nominated probably because they needed a 5th and hell, isn’t she always perfect? Keira’s nom is odd, but then, given the Academy’s history of giving awards to pretty, very young ingénues, so she remains a possibility, however distant. Charlize might pull a Hanks, and score two in a row, but also, distant possibility. The real race here is between Huffman and Witherspoon, the man-woman versus June Carter. Given that Walk the Line will probably win nothing else, and that every one loves a Southern Belle, and Huffman can just stay on TV for all the Academy cares, my money’s on Reese giving her teary yet perky acceptance speech come March with hubby Ryan smirking as usual in the audience.
Best Score
I have to say, last year my ire was up at the Academy for the Giachinno shut-out, and the continued support of less-than-great John Williams work. (Yes, the man is amazing. Yes, we should give him an award every year, because he's just that special. But even HE, in all of his glory, phones it in sometimes.) This year, again he's racking them up, not with one but with TWO noms, one for Munich and the other for Memoirs of a Geisha. I've seen/heard neither, but my money is on horns. And trills. And then more horns. So I think he'll split the vote between himself.
Again, haven't seen the cowboy movie so I can't really comment, except to say that Gustavo Santaolalla rocked The Motorcycle Diaries score last year. But The Constant Gardener and Pride & Prejudice were my top two favorite scores of the year and I'm thrilled beyond belief that both got nominated. It's a tough call, but I think the utter coolness of managing to get Jean-Yves Thiebaudet to play piano for your soundtrack is too much to pass over. Dario Marianelli, you are my new Movie Composer Boyfriend. Rock on, and I've got my fingers crossed for you.
And lastly, what the...?
-- "It's Hard Out There for a Pimp," Best Song. Seriously? Seriously?
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home