Oscar Picks for 2007

Matching up my Oscar picks with the list released last night, I made some good calls, but was surprised with a few picks as well as snubs.

Surprising picks -
Tommy Lee Jones - Best Actor. Wow, this wasn't even his best performance of the year.
Juno - Best Picture. I liked it, and considered it, but didn't think it had the momentum.
Jason Reitman - Best Director. Granted, the film was good, but it was a witty dramedy, not a whole lot of direction necessary.
Ruby Dee - Best Supporting Actress. She was in the film for maybe 12 minutes, and wasn't all that impressive. This is a make-up nod for her past body of work.

Snubs-
Sean Penn - Best Director. Simply because Reitman was nominated, it's a shame that Penn wasn't.
Josh Brolin - Best Actor. The star of the best film of the year had a lot to do with it. He deserves Jones' slot. If not Brolin, then Hirsch.

Those are the majors. Looking at minor categories, I am shocked that Jonny Greenwood didn't get a nod for Original Score for There Will Be Blood. Likewise for Eddie Vedder for Guaranteed from Into the Wild. Come on, three nods for Enchanted? It was cute, but not moving in the slightest.

I've said my piece, I'll leave you with this; Transformers deserves the special effects and sound editing awards, hands down. That movie was entertaining and impressive.

My picks are listed first, with my winner in bold. Additional Academy nominations are italicized. Enjoy the show.

Best Picture
• No Country For Old Men
• There Will Be Blood
• Into the Wild
• Atonement
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Juno
Michael Clayton

Best Director
• Joel and Ethan Coen – No Country For Old Men
• Sean Penn – Into the Wild
• Paul Thomas Anderson – There Will Be Blood
• Tony Gilroy – Michael Clayton
• Sidney Lumet – Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Jason Reitman
Julian Schnabel

Best Actor
• Daniel Day Lewis – There Will Be Blood
• Viggo Mortenson – Eastern Promises
• Josh Brolin – No Country For Old Men
• Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
• George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Johnny Depp
Tommy Lee Jones

Best Actress
• Ellen Page – Juno
• Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
• Keira Knightley – Atonement
• Amy Adams – Enchanted
• Laura Linney – The Savages
Cate Blanchett
Julie Christie
Marion Cotillard

Best Supporting Actor
• Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
• Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
• Josh Brolin – American Gangster
Casey Affleck
Hal Holbrook

Best Supporting Actress
• Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
• Amy Adams – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Amy Ryan – Gone, Baby, Gone
• Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Cate Blanchett
Ruby Dee

Best Adapted Screenplay
• No Country For Old Men
• There Will Be Blood
• Atonement
• Into the Wild
Away From Her
Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Original Screenplay
• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
• Juno
• Michael Clayton
• Eastern Promises
• The Savages
Lars and the Real Girl
Ratatouille

Cloverfield

This highly anticipated and secretive project from producer J.J. Abrams is as original in its delivery as it was in its advertising campaign. Months of Internet buzz and teaser trailers that showed nothing more than a group of confused party-goers who experience some sort of catastrophic phenomenon have led to the most successful January opening in box office history, and at a meager budget of only $30 million. The brilliance of simulating the entire movie through the lens of a hand-held camera cut perhaps dozens of millions of dollars in special effects budgeting, and adds to the realism and plight of the situation on the screen.

Reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield keeps the viewer more in suspense because the characters are actually likable, and the events unfolding on the screen are both obvious and mysterious at the same time. While attending a going away party for Rob, something massive attacks New York City, and through the first wave of destruction, we see only shaky glimpses of a gigantic creature through nervous Hud's camera and we hear deafening monster noises amidst the chaos and demolition. We travel along with Hud, Rob and a couple of others as they scramble through Manhattan in an attempt to rescue Rob's would-be girlfriend.

Cloverfield achieves what most other monster movies of the past have failed to. Essentially transporting the viewer to the front line, and not spoiling the film with dazzling effects or creatures (at least until the final 15 minutes or so) makes it a much more humbling and spine-tingling experience. Suspending belief for the sake of entertainment, the characters do a fantastic job portraying the confusion, pain and loss that comes with such a tragic and horrifying event. What initially seemed to be a good old fashioned monster movie ended up being so much more, evolving into what will surely be considered one of the finest horror movies of 2008. The lack of splattering blood in deference to shadows, imagination and half-realism makes this a shockingly scary film.

Because the film was shot on a handy-cam, many of the effects that would typically be the showcase were obscured, but that absolutely made it better. There was no music, which would typically guide the highs and lows of the action. Instead, all we have is Hud's commentary and the raw emotions of the people around him. There is some comic relief, but it is done in a subtle way so that it doesn't take away from the tension on the screen. Another clever parallel is that the action on the camcorder is being recorded over a sub-plot from a previous recording, and they intertwine throughout the entire film, of course ending in a ironic twist.

As the end nears, there is a sneaking suspicion that the film will turn out a certain way, and at that moment of realization (for me it was as they were boarding the helicopter), the hairs literally stood up on the back of my neck. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole film, and my only complaint is that it ran a bit long, even at a scant 85 minutes. Abrams deserves everything he gets out of this project (millions and millions) for the originality and innovation to bring this movie to the screen. Certainly no Oscars, but this is destined to be a cult favorite. As entertaining as it gets. 9/10.

Golden Globe Predictions

Golden Globes Picks - 8/14. Not bad. I had some personal favorites in there, but I have to strongly disagree with Atonement as the Best Picture, as well as Sweeney Todd for Best Music or Comedy. Julian Schnabel for Best Director is a slap in the face of the Coens and Paul Thomas Anderson. Otherwise, I have no major disagreements.

Film
Best Picture, Drama - No Country for Old Men
Best Actor, Drama - Daniel-Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Best Actress, Drama - Julie Christie, Away From Her
Best Picture, Music or Comedy - Juno
Best Actor, Music or Comedy - Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Best Actress, Music or Comedy - Ellen Page, Juno
Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress - Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Best Animated Feature - Ratatouille
Best Foreign Language Film - the Diving Bell and the Butterfly, France
Best Director - Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Best Screenplay - No Country for Old Men
Best Original Score - Into the Wild
Best Original Song - "Guaranteed", Into the Wild, Eddie Vedder

There Will Be Blood

The title of this film is a bit misleading. Blood is not a significant component of this film, but the thematic metaphors run deep. If blood is thicker than water, than oil is certainly thicker than blood. I was not disappointed, however, that there was not blood. The film ran long, at over 2 1/2 hours and this fact alone gives me the sneaking suspicion that audiences will be polarized over this epic production. You will either love it or hate it, I guarantee that. I loved it, by the way.

The critic for the Seattle Times called this Citizen Kane without Rosebud. I would agree with him to some extent, but the story conjures up more memories of Giant, with a little Grapes of Wrath feel to it. You see, the story is not about a wealthy oil magnate. At least not directly. It is about prosperity during a time of discovery in a new and somewhat wild West. It is not wild in the sense of cowboys and outlaws, but more so in the fact that the industrial revolution had begun, and raw materials were rising in value, while procurement of those resources became a more mechanical and streamlined process. This led to prospectors and speculators roving the lands for potential jackpots.

Daniel Day Lewis stars as Daniel Plainview, a lowly and lonely silver miner who sees the future of oil, and starts a small, yet successful drilling and barreling company. He is a smooth talking businessman who prides himself on speaking the truth and getting to the point. He uses economics to undercut the competition when seeking out new oil fields to exploit out of ignorant communities of farmers, and considers himself a family man although the relationship with his adopted son, H.W. is simply loveless. Lewis makes this film successful. His performance is mesmerizing to say the least. His voice is hypnotic and his professionalism and natural movements propel him to another plane as an actor in the industry. Without a doubt, this was the single best performance by an actor this year in film and he gets my vote for the Oscar.

The supporting cast did fine, but this was mostly a one man show. Paul Dano has received critical acclaim for his dual role as the Sunday twins, one of whom is the local overzealous evangelist at one of Plainview's project sites. There was something missing for me, and as this film spans the course of 30 years or so, the lack of aging at the climax bothered me a bit. The rest of the cast is mostly unknowns, but they held their own and were believable for the time.

Paul Thomas Anderson, whose body of work has been unimpressive aside from Boogie Nights and Magnolia created a masterpiece with this film. This is by far his crowning achievement. He adapted the Upton Sinclair novel "Oil!" himself, doing the screenplay and direction and despite its length and somewhat dry subject matter, it was very well done. There were times that the film was carried without dialogue, with just the music or sounds of an ax on rock, or wooden beams creaking under stress, and other times when the conversations and antagonized speech were marvelous. This was of course due to the talents of Daniel Day Lewis almost single-handedly.

The music was original, yet nostalgic of Alfred Hitchcock films. Fast paced and simple; single notes being played repeatedly, or sharps and flats played together to create an eerie feel that meshes well with the happenings on the screen. Jonny Greenwood, of Radiohead fame is responsible for the original music, and it is brilliant. It is not overwhelming in the slightest, but it is also not your typical score and it adds to the emotional crescendo of the film.

There is a surreal paradoxical element to the turn of the century setting on the screen, with music reminiscent of the 1960's, while maintaining a noticeable, but not quite disruptive modern quality. It is difficult to explain, but in combination is a quite unique overall movie. I have to give kudos to Lewis for his performance, Anderson for the creation of this epic journey, and Greenwood for the accompanying score. As I stated before, it is certainly going to polarize audiences, but I have a feeling that the academy will see it from my perspective. Lewis wins the Oscar. 9/10.

The Savages

The Savages is a bleak, introspective look at the aging process in our society, and the physical and mental decline that ride along, unable to do anything to change the course. The impact on loved ones as well as estranged is significant, but the question is posed, "is this really how it's supposed to end?" So undignified and impersonal. Our culture has regressed into an age where the elderly are virtually put out to pasture in retirement homes, and the weight of the guilty children who are charged with selecting those final places of unrest is often an emotional mixture of confusion and helplessness.

Fortunately, there is levity thrown into the mix. Despite the serious subject matter, these two miserable siblings manage to come together one final time to choose a proper place for their dementia-plagued father to spend his final days. There isn't much else to say about the story, as this is a character study and social commentary of sorts regarding our treatment of the elderly, particularly our own families. Phillip Seymour Hoffman (when will he just go by Phil Hoffman?) and Laura Linney are perfectly cast as the siblings who reluctantly take on this necessary, but very uncomfortable task. They decide on a place near Hoffman's home in Buffalo, and are torn between their true feelings for the man and what they feel is their responsibility. Both are highly educated, self-absorbed neurotic losers who share their flaws to the viewer one at a time throughout the movie. The banter between the siblings is authentic in every way possible. From the conversations on the phone to the sad reality check in the parking lot. It is made clear from the start that this was not a happy home in which they lived. It is this detail that makes the story all the more stirring.

The performances strike a very personal chord, not because of any familial dysfunction, but because of the inevitable decisions that will have to be made someday, and the regret, guilt, and pain that are inherently associated with those looming decisions. Hoffman serves up a trifecta this year with his performances (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Charlie Wilson's War) and will undoubtedly see his name on the Oscar ballot in one role or another. The dialogue and writing is remarkable, but the direction and editing was not. It was a little unrefined and some of the angles were a frankly awkward. Tamara Jenkins (not to be confused with the Olympic kayaker from my high school class) is one to watch in the future (as a writer). No doubt there was a bit of her own life rolled into this story, but it was refreshing and thought-provoking. The cast didn't hurt this film at all either. Overall, 7/10.

Walk Hard

Aside from the gratuitous full frontal male nudity, and perhaps the unsettling machete fight scenes, this was a mildly entertaining movie with some gut busting sequences. Walk Hard follows Dewey Cox, a fictitious Johnny Cash doppleganger from his rural upbringing in 1940's Alabama to a present day lifetime achievement award concert. The story mirrors 2005's Walk the Line in many ways; from his brushes with musical legends to the drug abuse, to his unhappy and dysfunctional family life. The caveat is that this is a comedic story with original music, created by the guy who directed Knocked up and the 40 Year Old Virgin, and who has had his hands in every successful comedy over the past 2 years (as well as 2008's slated comedies). Judd Apatow was recently named the top entertainer of the year, and that honor is deserved. As a director, writer and producer, he is bringing stardom to his laundry list of friends, who each seem to be finding starring roles out of virtually nowhere.

The film brings to the screen a familiar theme of a rags to riches story with the speed bumps of fame and unhappiness, and it does it through John C. Reilly. One of the most recognizable and memorable supporting actors of the past 15 years, he finally gets to headline a film, and he brilliantly shows off his comedic chops. On display is also his performing ability, and voice. He sings the cheesy and lyrically riotous songs with a straight face, and makes you develop a soft spot for this character that is so over the top ridiculous and ignorant that it actually works. Had it been another actor, the intended effect of homage through comedy may have turned out to be more insulting. He deserves his Golden Globe nomination, but has stiff competition this year and may lose out to Depp or Hoffman.

What kept the film afloat for lack of a real story was the plethora of cameos. In a great scene taking place somewhere in India or Tibet, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman and Justin Long play the Beatles and none are listed in the credits. Jenna Fischer plays the second wife of Cox (June Carter), and her performance is uplifting and proves that she can handle comedy with the big boys, and not just on television. Worthy of mention also is Tim Meadows, who has been out of the spotlight for quite some time, and although I've always kind of considered him a lightweight, he made for a delightful supporting character. Playing the drummer in Cox's band, he had some of the best lines of the movie, and his timing was right on.

Some of the jokes got a little old (the wrong son died!), and I wish that there was a little more musically, but all of the songs (performed) were original and captured the essence of Cox in the changing world of pop music. Heavily influenced by current trends, his sound shifts into the Bob Dylan, Punk, David Bowie and Brian Wilson forms of music, ultimately coming back to his Johnny Cash roots at the end. A good story, but there are some segments that slow down a bit too much. It would have benefited from more musical interludes and less of an attempt at pseudo-drama in the home-life. For the record, the song "Let's Duet" should have been nominated for the Golden Globe, not "Walk Hard". It is absolutely hilarious, full of double entendres and innuendo. If you're in a cheerful mood, this is a good movie, but you have to truly be in the mood for silliness. 7/10.