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The day is almost here, and there have been some very interesting nominations this year; some deserving, and some perhaps nominated out of some sense of transference. Here is my rundown of the best in the main 8 categories for Sunday:
Best Picture - the best film of the year was the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire, but the story was not epic or memorable enough (or the cast) to deserve a Best Picture statue. Benjamin Button was the culmination of Fincher's 15 years directing underrated and critically unrecognized films. He wins it this year for his body of work and what is undeniably the best film of 2008.
Best Director - Typically this award goes hand in hand with the Best Picture, and this year Fincher deserves it for his visionary and mind-blowing creation. I've followed his work since Alien 3 and his unique style should finally be recognized on Sunday.
Best Actor - This was a tough call for me, but Frank Langella edges out Rourke and Penn in the most deserving, yet unexpected award of the evening. His portrayal of Richard Nixon was riveting, and truly made Frost/Nixon a quality film. Ron Howard is A-list, but this one was overhyped and uninteresting without the lead.
Best Actress - Again, I had a hard time with this one, but I'm going with Kate Winslett for the Reader. In a surprise turn, she wasn't nominated for her best performance of the year (Revolutionary Road), but she has cranked out more Oscar worthy performances over the past decade than any other actress not to have won one. She wins on principle.
Best Supporting Actor - For the second year in a row, this is the most talent-loaded category of the evening. Heath Ledger wins, and it's not for a posthumous homage. He owns the screen in the Dark Knight, which was honestly snubbed for Best Picture and Director. I am glad Shannon was recognized - he is a name to watch in the future.
Best Supporting Actress - Undoubtedly the weakest category of the year. I can honestly see any of the five nominees receiving the award, although none of them delivered a truly remarkable performance. Most deserving is Taraji Henson, and I hope she wins. Her character had the most emotional investment in the film.
Best Original Screenplay - Milk. No contest, this was a great movie with an incredible production team, and the competition in this category demands a double take. Wall-E? In Bruges? Let's just give it to Milk now.
Best Adapted Screenplay - Slumdog Millionaire. This was a fantastic adaptation worthy of the award. It is this year's diamond in the rough, and will open the floodgates for international independent films to receive serious award consideration (which I have some issue with - there are foreign film categories for a reason).
We'll see how my picks do. Some are underdogs, but these are the truly deserving of the bunch. Stay tuned for an update on my success rate -
DD
