WHO MAY WIN & WHO DESERVES IT

Who may win & who may deserve it 16:03
Truth be told, just a couple of hours going into the Academy Awards, those of us who love, know and appreciate film can surely attest that a personal year-end list rarely has anything to do with the actual Oscars nominations. Still we are savvy enough to recognize that the selection of official AMPAS nominees does owe something to our collective opinions. The films most prominently positioned and with the most buzz can certainly secure their best chances of landing on Oscar's final list. It does not mean that these are the best films in any given year but it does suggest that these are the most popular of the films worthy of merit or recognition.

This year I was lucky enough to have seen almost every single film nominated in most categories and I know that while I shall be rooting for some to win, others will not take their glory home while some of my other favourites have been shut out completely will never even be mentioned again.

Recapping my selection of 2008, here's my rundown of a solid but not so glorious year in films. Pay close attention, this is not an Oscar recap but rather a personal list [always subject to revisions].

PICTURE
1 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2 FROST/NIXON
3 MILK
4 THE DARK KNIGHT
5 WALTZ WITH BASHIR & THE CLASS [tie]

Obviously I shall be rooting for SM but my feelings for both F/N and MILK are rather strong as well so would not cry if there's an upset. If any film can do it it'll be MILK. I still think it's safe to say that SM will take home the prize.

DIRECTOR
1 DANNY BOYLE - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2 RON HOWARD - FROST/NIXON
3 CHRISTOPHER NOLAN - THE DARK KNIGHT
4 ARI FOLMAN - WALTZ WITH BASHIR
5 GUS VAN SANT - MILK

Same is true here, Boyle deserves the win.

ACTOR
1 SEAN PENN MILK
2 FRANK LANGELLA FROST/NIXON
3 MICKEY ROURKE THE WRESTLER
4 JOSH BROLIN W
5 BRAD PITT THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

My year does not include Richard Jenkins [at least not for THE VISITOR] but in my mind, there is no one more deserving than the incredible Sean Penn. If Rourke takes the prize I'll understand the heat of the moment but won't be too impressed, no matter how good he was [and he was]. This year's Oscar belongs to Penn.

ACTRESS
1 KATE WINSLET REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
2 CATE BLANCHETT THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
3 ANN HATHAWAY RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
4 KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME
5 FRANCES MCDORMAND BURN AFTER READING

Winslet was cited for the wrong film, if you ask me. Blanchett was overlooked altogether and although not on my list I just saw Melissa Leo's involving performance in FROZEN RIVER, a deserving nomination for sure. Yet based on how I saw the year of actresses pass me by, strictly based on film merit, Hathaway deserves the prize in an otherwise superficial film trying to come off as authentic. Ultimately, Winslet will win for the wrong film.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
1 HEATH LEDGER THE DARK KNIGHT
2 MICHAEL SHEEN FROST/NIXON
3 BRENDAN GLEESON IN BRUGES
4 DAVID KROSS THE READER
5 JAMES FRANCO MILK

Glad to see James Franco winning the Independent Spirit, sorry to see Sheen overlooked, or even Gleeson for that matter, but this is Ledger's posthumous year - He is clearly going to make a splash that he'll unfortunately never know about. Also, if anything, Jenkins should have been nominated for his pathetically endearing sad sack of a boss in BURN AFTER READING.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1 ROSEMARIE DEWITT RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
2 PENELOPE CRUZ VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
3 MARISA TOMEI THE WRESTLER
4 TARAJI P. HENSON THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
5 AMY ADAMS DOUBT

Clearly Viola Davis has gotten way too much Dench-like attention. Yes she's solid but, come on, Adams certainly carries a certain burdensome weight on her shoulders delivering a misunderstood-by-many performance. At least Academy votes got it. And while Cruz will go home happy, justice was sorely lacking when Rosemarie DeWitt's performance as RACHEL was oversighted.

ENSEMBLE
1 MILK
2 THE DARK KNIGHT
3 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
4 FROST/NIXON
5 UN CONTE DE NOEL

A Screen Actors Guild category that deserves some attention. I believe that MILK had it on the money. What a picture perfect cast.

NON ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM
1 WALTZ WITH BASHIR [VALS IM BASHIR] tied with
1 THE CLASS [ENTRE LES MURS]
2 NE LE DIS A PERSONNE
3 THE COUNTERFEITERS [DIE FALSCHER]
4 LEMON TREE [ETZ LIMON]
5 THE SECRETS [HA'SODOT]

I noticed that there are plenty of worthy nominees but it makes sense that I am all for a BASHIR or CLASS win but cannot discount the ones I have not yet seen.

ANIMATED FEATURE (3 films)
1 WALTZ WITH BASHIR
2 WALL-E
3 KUNG FU PANDA

Criminal to know that BASHIR was overlooked in this category. That sector of the Academy has still to get it right. WALL-E wins by default, yes by default. A BASHIR nomination and win could [have] at least right was was wronged when PERSEPOLIS lost a year ago.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1 MILK
2 WALTZ WITH BASHIR
3 LEMON TREE
4 VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
5 IN BRUGES

Why was VCB not nominated? What happened there?

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
1 FROST/NIXON
2 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
3 THE CLASS [ENTRE LES MURS]
3 THE DARK KNIGHT
4 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
5 NE LE DIS A PERSONNE

I truly appreciated the F/N adaptation from glorious stage to thrilling screen. Peter Morgan is an ultimate scripter.

The remaining artistic and technical categories speak for themselves. There are some similarities between my list and the actual nominations.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
1 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2 AUSTRALIA
3 FROST/NIXON
4 THE DARK KNIGHT
5 MILK

FILM EDITING
1 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2 MILK
3 FROST/NIXON
4 THE DARK KNIGHT
5 THE WRESTLER

ART DIRECTION
1 AUSTRALIA
2 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
3 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
4 THE CHANGELING
5 MILK

COSTUME DESIGN
1 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2 AUSTRALIA
3 THE CHANGELING
4 MILK
5 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

ORIGINAL SCORE
1 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2 THE CHANGELING
3 THE DUCHESS
4 REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
5 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

ORIGINAL SONG
1 GRAN TORINO GRAN TORINO
2 JAI HO - SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
3 THE WRESTLER THE WRESTLER
4 BY THE BOAB TREE AUSTRALIA
5 DOWN TO EARTH WALL-E

When it comes to songs, this year's most contested category should be noted for all that is missing from its list. How is it possible that THE WRESTLER, GRAN TORINO AND AUSTRALIA got overlooked when there's clearly two more unused spots on this list?

SOUND MIXING
1 THE DARK KNIGHT
2 WALL-E
3 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
4 QUANTUM OF SOLACE
5 AUSTRALIA

SOUND EDITING
1 THE DARK KNIGHT
2 WALL-E
3 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
4 QUANTUM OF SOLACE
5 INDIANA JONES AND THE...

VISUAL EFFECTS
1 THE DARK KNIGHT
2 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
3 SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
4 QUANTUM OF SOLACE
5 AUSTRALIA

MAKE UP
1 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
2 THE READER
3 THE DARK KNIGHT
4 THE WRESTLER
5 SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK


So let's see what happens and until then enjoy - E