Heedless of either their inherently capricious nature or their increasing irrelevance, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released their nominations this morning. Because I have an unhealthy fascination with all things Oscar-related (including, but not limited to, the Grouch, Jack Klugman, and Steve Austin' boss), I felt it necessary to weigh in here.
Because where else would I do it?
Best Picture
Good Night, and Good Luck
Brokeback Mountain
Munich
Capote
Crash
Spielberg won't win Best Picture again. Not so soon, anyway. The question is whether or not Hollywood likes congratulating themselves over their realization that, gosh, racism sure is a problem (Crash) or that the love between two men can be a beautiful thing (Brokeback Mountain). I predict the latter, because - frankly - Crash wasn't that great.
Then again, two of the best movies of 2005 (Syriana and Millions) weren't included. So what do I know?
Best Director
George Clooney - Good Night, and Good Luck
Bennett Miller - Capote
Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain
Steven Spielberg - Munich
Paul Haggis - Crash
Spielberg deserves this. Munich was probably the most accomplished of the films on this list. Lee will win, however.
Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck
Terrence Howard - Hustle and Flow
No Viggo Mortensen. No Russell Crowe. Strathairn's a bit of a surprise, and Howard is here solely to assuage the Academy's guilt at not nominating another person of color for any of the other acting awards.
I dunno. Before the GGs and the SAG awards, I would've had to stick with Heath Ledger, but Hoffman's momentum might be insurmountable.
Best Actress
Charlize Theron - North Country
Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Judi Dench - Mrs. Henderson Presents
Keira Knightley - Pride and Prejudice
Memo to the Academy: just because someone finally managed to show hints of acting ability where previously there had been none does not equal a "great performance." With that in mind, please erase Keira Knightley's nomination with extreme prejudice.
Memo 2: this also applies to great actresses barely making an effort. So, same goes for Dame Judi Dench.
Witherspoon should Walk (snerk) in this one. Theron was good, and Huffman's character was interesting, but her performance wasn't all that stellar. Transsexuals are so 2001, anyway.
Best Supporting Actor
William Hurt - A History of Violence
George Clooney - Syriana
Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
Matt Dillon - Crash
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain
How Hurt got nominated for what amounts to a humorous cameo when Ed Harris' truly sinister performance was overlooked makes about as much sense as nominating Jake Gyllenhaal, who played a cowboy about as convincingly as Luke Perry. I liked Clooney, but Giamatti is going to be another in a long line of actors who were snubbed for better performances and later given the Supporting Actor statue as a consolation prize (Pacino, Newman). Dillon was pretty good, but after what an asshole he was to one of our guys at Sundance, I can't root for him.
Best Supporting Actress
Frances McDormand - North Country
Michelle Williams -
Amy Adams - Junebug
Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
Catherine Keener - Capote
I haven't seen Junebug, but I am assured by those who have that Adams is fantastic. That's good enough for me, especially considering there wasn't much exceptional about Weisz, and McDormand needs to lose in order to put a stop to the nauseating trend of “stoic diseased person” roles.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Josh Olson - A History of Violence
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana - Brokeback Mountain
Dan Futterman - Capote
Jeffrey Caine - The Constant Gardener
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth - Munich
Kushner and Roth are cheating, since they had 1986's Sword of Gideon as a template. I never read Le Carre's novel, so I don't know if Jeffrey Caine merely transcribed the hysterical polemic or created it, but it was hard to swallow either way. Having never read the book Capote's based on, I'll go with Brokeback, mostly because I like looking smart, but also because I don't think Proulx's short story had any actual dialogue.
Best Original Screenplay
Stephen Gaghan - Syriana
Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco - Crash
George Clooney and Grant Heslov - Good Night, And Good Luck
Woody Allen - Match Point
Noah Baumbach - The Squid and the Whale
Gaghan's squeaking in here, because the Academy ruled the film differed sufficiently from Robert Baer's book to be viewed as an original work. Baumbach gets my vote, hands down, though I suspect the multiple plotline Crash will win, because the Academy is always impressed by shit like that.
Oh, and Woody Allen shouldn't even be here, considering he essentially remade his own film.
Best Documentary Feature
March of the Penguins
Darwin's Nightmare
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Murderball
Street Fight
Grizzly Man's not nominated, which means they've thrown up five also-rans. Personally, I think Murderball should get it, but the sheer number of voters residing in California might tip it in the Enron doc's favor.
Best Cinematography
Batman Begins
Brokeback Mountain
Good Night, and Good Luck
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World
I was asked - via e-mail - the difference between cinematography and art direction. Cinematography involves selection of film, positioning of the camera and the lighting of the scene, which is supervised by the Director of Photography (DP). The DP works hand in hand with the director to best capture the "look" of the movie. Art direction is more or less synonymous with "set design," art directors work closely with the DP as well, however.
Having said that, the only two contenders here are The New World and Brokeback Mountain. And since no one saw Malick's latest, I'll have to go with Brokeback.
Because in any light, Anne Hathaway has a nice rack.
What about the Razzies? Any predictions there?
When I grow up I want to write like you, Pete. That's good stuff.
What about the Razzies? Any predictions there?
Seaprate entry.
I don't think Proulx's short story had any actual dialogue.
It had a VERY small amount, and every single line of it is in the movie. Regardless, I think this is the one that should win best adapted. The entire MOVIE is a perfect adaptation of the spare, economical, quiet short story.
I haven't seen many of the movies that have been nominated yet. As always, I will spend the few weeks before the Oscars scrambling to see as many nominated films as I can. (I watched the DVD of Crash on the plane today.)
I agree; Crash wasn't a great film. The whole movie seemed seemed forced and contrived to me, especially the ending, as though Haggis and Moresco were saying,"Ta Da! Bet you didn't see that coming."
I didn't think Dillon's role was large enough to fit the supporting actor category. His was more of a supporter of the supporting actors role. Anyway, I didn't like his "almost-Snidely- Whiplash" performance.
I agree with the rest of your picks, although I'd love to see some surprises.
Oops! That last post was mine.
Just because I can, here are my early predictions, tho I haven't seen all the movies.
http://jonfitzgerald.blogspot.com/2006/02/78th-academy-awards-academy-award.html
Also, I liked King Kong a lot, i thought it deserved a little more recognition
Having never read the book Capote's based on...
I did. It's a good literary biography, and worth reading if you're interested in Capote's life story. That being said, the movie deals with only about 1/4 or less of the book (the movie restricts itself to the period when Capote was writing In Cold Blood), which gives me pause in giving it the nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. On the other hand, Capote is the only movie I've seen in that category, so I don't feel qualified to name a favorite there, myself.
I'll sorta reiterate. I find it hard to believe that Sin City got a nomination for neither art direction nor cinematography. By your definition, either or both could plausibly have been nominated, though more likely cinematography. Whether or not you liked the film, and I did, it was a striking movie.
And I can't quite figure out what the hell the Academy is doing to poor Ed Harris. I thought he should have won Best Supporting Actor for The Truman Show, but I know that a lot of people hated that movie. But his turn in A History of Violence was the best I've ever seen him, and, at the very least, was better than Gyllenhall's, and better than Hurt's. If the Academy ever figures out what Syrianna was about, they would be fair to give a nomination to Clooney, but I'm not sure they ever did.
Hellsyeah! Sin City absolutely deserved nominations in both categories. The cinematography and art direction are reminiscent of Blade Runner and, I think, are the next step in the process begun by that groundbreaking film.
I think Crash is a super turd. It was like Twenty Bucks, but with racism.
I would also like to add kudos for the mention of Millions. That movie is magical.
I agree with most of your picks. Then again, I have to obsess over the nods so I can triumph over my mom and the rest of my family who've seen usually 2-3 nominated films.
As far as Hurt's nom goes....don't forget Judy Dench won Best Supporting Actress for her 3 minutes in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Hurt could pull this off....