I'm not doing picks for "Best Foreign Language" because I've never heard of any of the movies. (At least the Academy picks movies that I've heard about, but haven't seen (meaning the other categories)). So this will be about Best Supporting Actor and Actress; Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay and Best Animated Feature. Then that's it...I'm done with the Academy Awards (for now). So let's begin, shall we:
Best Supporting Actor --
Matt Damon (Invictus): This movie has many things going for it (for me anyway): Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood; and Rugby (a new-found passion of mine; I don't understand it--I just know that I like it)...And yet, none of the above could get me to the movie theatre to watch it. Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar who (I'm guessing here) is the team owner of the South African Springboks Rugby team. Do I think he's going to win, no.
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger): Here's the plot for this movie from IMDB: "An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer". Does that sound like a movie you'd like to go see? How about if it was about one of the guy's who delivers the messages to the families of fallen soldiers? Still no, okay. What about "Earth's population has been decimated by a virus, related to the mad cow disease, that turns everyone into flesh-craving zombies. Only a handful of humans remain..." (Zombieland)--that's what Woody should have been nominated for. But no, the Academy does not have the balls to do it. [This is the first (but not the last) case of the Academy getting the right actor, wrong role.] Do I think he's going to win, no.
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station): See my "Helen Mirren" review from yesterday. (If Christopher Plummer gets this award, it's a sympathy award. Just saying.) Do I think he's going to win, no.
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones): Here we have yet another case "right actor/wrong role". I have read this book. I read it before the movie came out (so I knew that Stanley Tucci was involved in it and what his part was). While reading the book [I don't know if you do this] I had a mental picture of Stanley Tucci while reading his parts. [Getting a little off-track here: there is a reason why The Lovely Bones is not nominated for "Best Picture", because it should be (family in turmoil: check; bad guy: check; unsolved murder: check); but why Peter Jackson wanted to do a PG-13 remake of "When Dreams May Come" is beyond me. (Peter Jackson: you picked the wrong movie...just go do the Hobbit please, thank you)] Now back to Mr. Tucci: he's another favorite of mine, and he should have been nominated -- just not for this role; he should have been nominated for his role as Paul Childs from "Julia and Julie". (But then again, I haven't seen this movie yet...it is on my Netflix que, so I will see it eventually.) Will Stanley Tucci win: no.
Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds): This guy came out of practically nowhere (because we, who don't watch a whole lot of foreign films/TV, don't know who he is) and almost stole the whole movie. He really, really, really made you want to go out and find him and hurt him. Which is what he's supposed to do as an actor. (Loved this movie.) We have a winner (Academy and mine).
Academy Winner (and mine): Christoph Waltz.
Best Supporting Actress --
Penelope Cruz (Nine): A movie based on a play based on a movie. (Almost sounds like "Victor/Victoria", but not). The movie the play is based on is "8 1/2 weeks" (now that I know that, why did they name it "Nine"?). I have absolutely no desire to see this movie (even if it has Daniel Day Lewis--yet another favorite). I will probably watch it on cable (by-passing Netflix). Also I'm not a huge fan of hers. Will she win...no.
Vera Farminga and Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air): I wrote about this movie on Sunday...I haven't seen it and I have no idea who these ladies are. Good luck in your future ventures ladies. Will they win.. no.
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart): Same...I haven't seen the movie. I do like Maggie Gyllenhaal though. Will she win.. no.
Mo'Nique (Precious): Winner. Of all these movies [that I have not seen, mind you], she's the best sounding out of them all. She plays a creep (which is usually Best Actress fodder), but they went with supporting for her. Will she win...yes.
Academy Winner (and who I'd want to win): Mo'Nique.
Best Adapted Screenplay --
The nominations are: District 9; An Education; Precious; Up In The Air [I've written my thoughts about these movies elsewhere] and
In The Loop -- What a horrible, boring movie. No one should be tasked with watching this film. My Pocket Ferrengei is really very mad at me because I (almost) made him watch this whole movie. ("Almost" because he kept on asking me "why are we watching this?" through a good enough portion of the movie that I had to stop the DVD (and there was no way I was gonna continue watching it on any other day by myself)..sorry Sweetums.) Will it win: hahahahahahahahno.
Academy Winner: Precious [Booboo made a booboo with this, I just changed it from "An Education" (which I wrote earlier) to this; ooops]; Who do I want to win: District 9.
Best Original Screenplay --
The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; The Messenger; A Serious Man; and Up.
Academy Winner (and who I want to win): Inglorious Basterds.
Best Animated Feature:
Coraline: Now this is a shame. I love Neil Gaiman. I went out and saw this movie; AND I bought the DVD. The story (which from Neil that means "twisted fairy tale") is about "an adventurous girl who finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets". The girl's part is a strong girl's part; there are a lot of interesting characters in it (I loved the schnauzer dogs); and it's stop-motion animation (which I love). Will this win: sorry, no.
Fantastic Mr. Fox: I'm waiting for DVD on this one. I hear it's a neat movie. I'm a big fan for unique animation. It's based on a kid's book. It has George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwarzman, Bill Murray, and a bunch of other people that I like; but I just didn't go out to see it. Will it win, maybe -- but I think Pixar's "Up" had the stronger story.
The Princess & The Frog: He's a prince whose been enchanted into the form of a frog who needs the kiss of true love, [actually, I'm guessng here]. Sorry to say, this is the only Disney animated movie that I have not gone out and seen in the movie theatre (this is going back to when I was a child). It just didn't catch my attention. I didn't really like the story of "the princess and the frog" in fairy tales (well, except for my comic book series I follow "Fables"; they did a really good job with Flycatcher...but that's for another day). I do like jazz; but that's not enough for me to go and see a movie nowadays. Will it win: no.
The Secret Of Kells: Here's the plot for this one -- "The animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells." What does that mean? I have no idea. I have never heard of this movie..not even at the end of last year (when they usually have a movie come out in the last two weeks of December so that it can be considered for an Oscar). I can't believe they chose this, but not "Ponyo" (but that's for another day.) Will it win: no.
Up: I've written about this before on Sunday. But it's such a good movie I'll continue here. Pixar makes such wonderful movies. They keep getting better and better with every one that they come out with. And it's because of both the story and the animation. I cried at the beginning of this movie...and it's animated. I know it's not real, but still they made me cry. My pick for best movie of 2009. Really, if you haven't seen this movie yet, go see it.
Academy Winner (and who I want to win): Up.
Well that's about it for the Oscar stuff until Sunday. (I'll be posting later on in the week (after the Oscars on Sunday) about the dresses and my thoughts about the Oscar telecast itself).
As for tomorrow and beyond, more exciting stuff from me (yeah right)...More later folks, Booboo.
No comments:
Post a Comment