Oscar Recap

Clocking in at just under three and a half hours, from Hugh Jackman's opening monologue to the Best Picture award, the Oscars failed to surprise. But is that a bad thing? Most certainly not. Except for some tiniest of tiny upsets, the winners were as they should have been. How was the actual show, itself? Let's just say that Jackman was an entertaining host, and Hollywood clearly cares more about their actors than anyone else.

Grabbing numerous prizes was the favored Slumdog Millionaire, which was, quite simply, the best film out of the nominees. It took home 8 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Score, Song, Editing, Sound Mixing, and Cinematography. The love was not shared this year, with Slumdog possessing what seemed like a monopoly on all categories, ranging from the 'Big Eight' to the 'Techies.'

Deservedly, Sean Penn won Best Actor for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in MILK (which also won Original Screenplay). Kate Winslet took home her first Oscar--finally--for her performance in The Reader. The Reader, while an interesting movie, was not worthy of its Best Picture nomination. Kate Winslet winning was not unexpected and is nothing to dismiss, but she should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road, which was a superior film in every aspect.

Michael Shannon was nominated for a supporting role in Revolutionary Road, but the winner was Heath Ledger for his Joker. I think it's a safe assumption that he got no less than 90% of the votes--but we will never know for sure. Some may have been sympathy votes because he has passed, but his performance was the best of the bunch. His Oscar will be kept by Michelle Williams, his ex-fiance, until his daughter is 18. At that time, it will go to her. The Dark Knight ended up taking home two Oscars: Ledger's, and Sound Editing.

Penelope Cruz gained an Oscar for her role in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' which received only a sliver of love from the Academy (not even a Screenplay nod for Woody Allen). Yet, the Academy never fails to embrace beautiful, exotic women. Cruz had this one in the bag from day one.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, lackluster as it was, still managed three Oscars in tech categories. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie both went home empty-handed, but I'm sure Brad Pitt's time will come soon. If not, as long as he lives until his 80s, he'll at least get an honorary Oscar.

WALL-E, while nominated for six Oscars and one of the year's best, was stuck with a win in only the Best Animated Feature category. It seems like Pixar can't get a break outside of that mold, no matter how good their films are.

As for myself, I got 21 out of 24 predictions correct, missing only Animated Short, Documentary Short, and Foreign Language film. We can all learn something from this: I should plug my predictions into contests instead of just posting them on my blog, and you should copy my predictions next year.

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Quick Oscar Recap

So I got 21/24 predictions right for the Oscars, which is 87.5%, which is amazing. Most people average about 14-16.

The only ones I missed were Animated Short, Documentary Short, and Foreign Film. Mostly because I hadn't seen any of them (except Presto), and Foreign Language film is always lame and goes with something out of the blue.

Hugh Jackman was a good host.

I wish I posted my predictions in some contests. I probably would have won some stuff. I think the one I did, it was an old prediction chart and it changed since then. Damnit.

Hopefully next year I do this well! If you're bored, check out my live blog below this, or the pre-show blabber below that. With sexy pics.

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I <3 Freida Pinto

A sweet video on youtube of Dev Patel and Freida Pinto on Tyra showing her one of their dance moves from the closing credits of Slumdog Millionaire.



Could she be any better? 'She' means 'Freida,' obviously. Tyra has long since jumped the couch. And the answer is: no.

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2009 Oscar Predictions

This was a decent year for movies. I'm still bitter about the overall nominees, but there are some gems among them. I've never really hit a grand slam with Oscar predictions because I let my personal judgment overrule what I know is the front runner, but... oh well.

Best Picture:
Slumdog Millionaire, because not only is it the best film from the nominees, but it has won every single award up until this point.

Best Director:
Danny Boyle, for the same reasons: Not only was the film great, but he has won all of the major awards so far.

Best Actor:
Sean Penn for Milk, for a couple reasons. First, Milk won't win anything else besides Screenplay, and they will want to award it elsewhere. Also, he won the SAG, which has been fairly consistent in the last few years. Before that, when an actor lost the SAG and won the Oscar, it was to a widely seen performance that was over-the-top (Johnny Depp in 'Pirates,' for example). Here, the winner should be Mickey Rourke, but I need to accept that it won't happen. The only thing going against Sean Penn is that he won a leading Oscar in 2003, but I think that's long enough to not overpower the other factors.

Best Actress:
Kate Winslet for The Reader. She should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road, which was a better film in every single aspect, but if you're a woman in Hollywood and you strip, they kind of have to nominate you... and usually give you the Oscar (Halle Berry, for example). Kate is overdue for a win and in a film dealing with the Holocaust that is a Best Picture nominee. She will win.

Best Supporting Actor:
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight. Is anyone going to argue this one?

Best Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This is undoubtedly the hardest of the 'big' categories to predict. If I had my way, Amy Adams would win for Doubt, but if anyone wins it will be Viola Davis for a overpraised performance. More than likely, though, the votes will split. Marisa Tomei should win, but she already has an Oscar (granted, from a long time ago), so I'm going to stick with Penelope. She was nominated in 2007, clearly the most loved part about Volver, but no one was beating Helen Mirren. But here we have a beautiful, non-previous winner in a Woody Allen film, in a strong performance, who isn't white. Oscar loves voting for those kinds of people. She gets my vote.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire, because that is by far the best script of the year.

Best Original Screenplay:
Dustin Lance Black for Milk. It won the WGA and is a strong script, so it will win. However, I think WALL-E and In Bruges were both better scripts (and films), but we won't get into that here.

More after the cut....

Best Editing:
Slumdog Millionaire, because, again, it deserves it. But the film also has 'flashy' editing, which voters like, and the film is superbly paced. I may change this a week or so from now after the ACE Eddies, but probably not.

Best Cinematography:
Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire. This is a tough call, honestly, but this year I'm planning on a strong sweep from Slumdog.

Best Art Direction:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, because it makes sense to me.

Best Original Score:
A. R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire. Thomas Newman should win for WALL-E, but Slumdog is so loved it will take it. Well, and it's a great score. I'm actually listening to it right now. I'm seriously second-guessing my choice here, so if I'm wrong don't be surprised.

Best Original Song:
Jai Ho, but I'm beating myself up about this one. Part of me thinks Slumdog will split its own votes, plus Down to Earth is a great song. However, Jai Ho has a great dance number to it at the end of Slumdog that people are bound to have seen, so I'm going with it. Why not?

Best Animated Feature:
WALL-E, done.

Best Foreign Language Film:
Waltz with Bashir

Best Sound Editing:
The Dark Knight

Best Sound Mixing:
Slumdog Millionaire, though WALL-E would be nice.

Best Costume Design:
The Duchess

Best Documentary Feature:
Man on Wire, which was good but I didn't like it too much.

Best Visual Effects:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Makeup:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, though don't be shocked if Hellboy 2 upsets.

Best Live Action Short:
Spielzeugland (shot in the dark)

Best Documentary Short:
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306 (shot in the dark)

Best Animated Short:
Presto

And there they are!

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Best Song: A Tough Decision

I've been pretty supportive so far of the Peter Gabriel song 'Down to Earth' from WALL-E as the best song in a film this year. However, I really like the song from the end of Slumdog Millionaire, 'Jai Ho.' Especially with the awesome dance number that comes with it. Here's a sweet video recently released. Note: There may be minor spoilers if you haven't seen the film.



P.S. Isn't Freida Pinto freakin' gorgeous?

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Top Ten of 2008

I know that January is almost over, but here is my belated top ten of 2008!

First, let me say that this year was not as strong as last year. Last year I had trouble just picking ten (you can see the list here), and while I've seen plenty of movies this year, few have had a lasting impact, which is somewhat required of all great movies. A movie has not done its job unless you're still pondering about it 24 hours later. This year, lots of films need to be fired.

1. WALL-E

I struggle with this choice, because choosing an animated film as my number one of the year seems taboo. Well, rules be damned, this is a spectacular film. Pixar has achieved such a significant level of storytelling that they scarcely even need dialogue anymore. WALL-E, both the robot himself and the film, possess an overwhelming compassion. WALL-E, with more determination than any robot has ever had before him, begins by pursuing his love for EVE, and ends up saving humanity. At first he tries to recover the plant to impress EVE, but along the way, somewhere, he realizes his purpose. Similarly, EVE transforms from a simple one-track robot to a real character, capable of more emotion than most characters in most other films. For these reasons, along with perfect animation, a great soundtrack, and a high 'cute' factor, WALL-E is the best film of the year.

2. Slumdog Millionaire

In my 'review' I copped out, saying that to reveal any plot details at all would dishonor the film and ruin the experience. I stand by that. This is not a film that is watched, but a story that is experienced. There is no better reason to go to the movies this year than to see this film. We shall discuss it later.

3. Revolutionary Road

Unlike Slumdog Millionaire, this is not a film for everyone. Revolutionary Road is a story likely to hit emotional chords with specific viewers, because its characters have big dreams and even bigger falls. The truth about life is that not everyone finds their happy ending or meets their one true love -- some people end up living in the suburbs and slowly die little by little every day. I have a feeling this is one of those films that will be praised ten years from now, but until then, be passed off as mediocre. Trust me, it is a great treasure.

4. The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke, as The Ram, struggles deeply with his identity, his past, and his addictions. What is so touching in this story of one man's life is not the actual wrestling, but how far his life has gone past its prime, and how determined he is to make it right, even after he blows it one time after the other.

5. In Bruges

I recently watched this again, and am thrilled that the film has a screenplay nod for the Oscars. Sure, the politically incorrect humor is funny, but behind the vulgar comedy is a fine layer of weaving between the characters and their actions that makes the film work. Each viewing leads to the picking up of something new, for instance, when Ken drops the coins from the top of the tower toward the end, he doesn't just happen to have coins (like most people), but they are the coins the clerk would not take way earlier in the film. Excellent.

6. Gran Torino

Can we all agree on something? Clint Eastwood is The Man. Not only is he one of the best actors to ever live, but he has directed many GREAT films -- not 'good' films, but great ones. Just counting recent years, we have: Million Dollar Baby, Letter From Iwo Jima, Mystic River, and now Gran Torino. Dealing with aggressive racial issues (sort of like In Bruges, but in its own way), Gran Torino is a spectacular film about acceptance, forgiveness, vengeance, and doing the right thing. No matter what you read, it will still not be what you expect, but you will enjoy every minute of it.

7. Iron Man

Yes, there is a superhero movie on this list. No, it is not the overrated Dark Knight. Iron Man is such a success because -- and this is fundamental to all stories -- we care about the protagonist, the man, the hero. Tony Stark, while kind of a jerk, makes us laugh, and laughter is the way to the heart, right? I think that's a proverb. This is a superhero film done extremely right, and the best since Spidey 2.

8. Rachel Getting Married

Seemingly strangely like a documentary, this film is a treasure. It uses a unique pacing style to include the audience as a member of the family, and by the end we still don't completely understand the dysfunction, but we appreciate it. Anne Hathaway has not been better, but the whole cast is perfect in this little film about what chunks of our past belong to us, which chunks are community canon fodder, and why some people can't stop being selfish, just for one day. But why should they have to?

9. Religulous

Bill Maher makes fun of every religion, pointing out all of the contradictions and implausible theories behind creationism, the virgin Mary, Jesus, etc. Not perfect, but very funny.

10. Milk

A film that is moving, because Harvey Milk was not just fighting for gay rights, but for the rights and equality of all peoples. He was beaten election after election, but through perseverance, determination, and a little luck, he succeeded. Again, not a perfect movie, but one that everyone could benefit from seeing.

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And that is it for 2008. Intentionally left off because they are undeserving of any 'best' list, or any 'Best Picture' nomination: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Dark Knight, The Reader.

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Worst Oscar Noms Ever

After two great years with multiple potential winners, I knew it had to come to an end.

Here are the Best Picture 5:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

You can see the full list here (don't feel like copy/pasting).

I'm glad The Dark Knight did not get nominated, but this is a horrible list. The only film that deserves to be on there is Slumdog Millionaire. The academy's taste is bland for the ordinary, bandwagon choices. I was prepared for all of these, though, except for The Reader, which, while decent, is complete trash compared to the dozen other great movies from this year that are much more deserving.

Revolutionary Road got shut out, The Wrestler got minimal nods, and I am very displeased. This will go down as 'one of those years,' in which the AMPAS messed up. They didn't even nominate Synecdoche, New York for Original Screenplay.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a strong film visually, but its storytelling was overall weak. I'm glad David Fincher got a long overdue Best Director nomination, but Ben Button getting 13 nominations total? Sad.

Just when people get hope that the Academy may think differently -- delusions that maybe a 'comic book movie' or an 'animated movie' may break Best Picture, we're reminded that they are, more often than not, old and boring. They did throw the movie-going public a surprise, but what was it? Nominating a film about the Holocaust. Way to go back to a stereotype.

With all this said, I am 100% hoping Slumdog Millionaire wins every category it is in, because not only is it one of the top three films of the year, it is easily the best out of any of the films nominated.

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If I Could Pick the Oscar Nominees....

I hate predicting Oscar nominees. That means I have to get five things right in each category. What a joke. And I hate when people list their five, and then have an 'alternate' and a 'potential upset' and a 'dark horse.' What the hell is that? Picking eight choices? Such a cop out.

Now, note, I still have a couple movies to see from this year. I have, however, seen most of the notable films, so this is a close-to-complete list. Note: These will all be in order of preference.

Also, note, that these are highly chimerical and unlikely at best.

Best Picture
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Revolutionary Road
The Wrestler
In Bruges

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Sean Penn, Milk
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino

Best Actress
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
I have not seen enough great actress performances, so Kate Winslet wins by default

Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt (bandwagon pick)

Supporting Actress
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristin Barcelona
Frieda Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Original Screenplay
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
Robert D. Siegal, The Wrestler
Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Adapted Screenplay
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Iron Man
...anything besides The Dark Knight

Best Editing
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
WALL-E
Revolutionary Road
Frost/Nixon

Best Cinematography
Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Roger Deakins, Revolutionary Road
Harry Savides, Milk
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight

Not gonna bother with the rest, other than WALL-E for animated feature, obviously.

We'll see tomorrow!

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The Globes Were Good (For Once)

Tonight was the 66th Golden Globes, and usually the Globes string together a mess of disappointing wins. Not tonight. For once they got almost all of the categories right.

The high point of the night was Kate Winslet's double win. She notoriously gets overlooked during awards (both the Oscars and the Globes), and tonight she won for The Reader and Revolutionary Road. The latter was so well-deserved and I'm very happy for her.

Also, Slumdog Millionaire won a slew of big awards, including Best Picture - Drama, Best Screenplay, Original Score, and Director. Fantastic and the right choices all around.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona won Best Picture - Musical or Comedy. Surprising, yet the right choice. Go, Woody Allen.

Some other great wins:

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Animated Feature: WALL-E
Comedy Actor (TV): Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Comedy Series (TV): 30 Rock
Comedy Actress (TV): Tina Fey (30 Rock!)
Comedy Actor (Film): Colin Farrell (for In Bruges, a great movie that hopefully won't be overlooked anymore)
Drama Series (TV): Mad Men
Lead Actor, Drama: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Actually, there aren't any awards here that I'm upset with. Kind of the perfect ceremony. If only the Oscars go this way, too....

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Review: Slumdog Millionaire

I wrote a long review of the film, but deleted it. I will save all of my comments for when I make this film a 'Movie to Study,' which it is if there ever was one.

Slumdog Millionaire is a mystery and to remove the surprises from it would be a crime. Instead, I will simply list adjectives: Slumdog Millionaire is gruesome, uplifting, violent, real, gritty, romantic, optimistic, humorous, determined, and above all else--fantastic.

See this film. If you do not, I don't know if we can be friends.

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