By the time Oscar noms role around, there are few surprises. Between Golden Globes, BAFTAs and every other film fest, the Academy knows how they’re supposed to vote. Though mainstream blockbuster fodder is sidestepped, smaller indies are also avoided in preference for more lauded art house fair. Granted, they often deserve a nod or two.
BEST MOTION PICTURE
Atonement
I thought Atonement was well done, particularly in regard to the ending that alters the whole film. But otherwise it was a pretty, moody film of angst and ruined lives. Despite the Globe hangin’ around its neck, I don’t think it deserves the big naked guy.
Juno
How nice to see such a joyful film nominated. This film has shattered the gloom of so many other fall contenders, and it is so fresh and creative. Though I don’t think it has a chance of winning, I’m thrilled that it was invited to the party.
Michael Clayton
Aghast, I have not seen this yet. Will rectify this week.
No Country for Old Men & There Will Be Blood
As I said before, this is where the race is. The Coen Bros. dark masterpiece, contemplating the randomness of death and a life well-lived vs. PTA’s brooding tale of greed and pride incarnate. Both beautifully detailed in dust and grime, with fantastic dialogue and phenomenal acting. No Country is more palatable, but Blood digs a little deeper into obscurity.
DIRECTING
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel
Juno, Jason Reitman
Michael Clayton, Tony Gilroy
No Country for Old Men, Joel & Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson
Joe Wright is ditched for the beautifully imagined Diving Bell. How to direct such small moments, such as acting with one eye or the limited visual field seen through it? A tough call with many worthy contenders, which is the best sort of awards race.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford & No Country for Old Men, Roger Deakins
Atonement, Seamus McGarvey
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Janusz Kaminski
There Will Be Blood, Robert Elswit
Always fun to have someone pulling double duty, and Coen favorite Deakins is more often a bridesmaid than the bride. No Country is carefully crafted, but Diving Bell is deliciously creative and Blood is painfully artistic in each frame. So wonderful to have so much talent in one of my favorite categories.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Juno, Diablo Cody
Lars and the Real Girl, Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton, Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco & Brad Bird
The Savages, Tamara Jenkins
How nice to see Lars, the dismissed film, get a little credit. Far more than syrupy or absurd, I felt it to be a careful drama about a troubled mind. How crazy to see an animated script in there to change things up – an odd choice. The Savages deserves attention for dealing with a hefty turning point with which many can identify and adding characters that help pull out an intriguing backstory. However, I'm rooting for Juno because Cody created a film that is simultaneously creative, fresh and dramatic.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement, Christopher Hampton
Away from Her, Sarah Polley
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Ronald Harwood
No Country for Old Men, Joel & Ethan Coen
There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson
If the power of this category falls to the words, how to quantify the Coen’s sparse script? It is because they have done so much with so little that they deserve credit. The Diving Bell is so visual that I believe they will be awarded for the more obvious applications. Blood pulls tremendous acting from a tremendous script – again, the race falls between this and No Country. (Have not seen Away from Her yet, though it sounds substantial and I'm thrilled to see Polley do well)
ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Seriously, what is going on with the constant Viggo noms? This film was unoriginal in every way, and the parties involved are capable of better. Lars’ Ryan Gosling would have been a better choice, or Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Savages, or Emile Hirsch for Into the Wild...pick one. But I don't suppose it really matters, because Day-Lewis wins the gold for devouring his role. Watching his portrayal, it's almost impossible to consider him as anyone else.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
Holbrook was sweet, but the nom is sentimental, and that sort of treacle is aggravating to me. Nominate someone for the role on screen, not for their life work. Hoffman is capable of much better (see Savages) – this role is only a dryly delivered jokester. The devil is a complex role, and Bardem inhabits it well. Keep the actor awards on the dark side.
ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
As with Viggo, why Cate in this Elizabeth? Not at all worthy of her great talents. Linney is another amazing actress, and though this film is quite well done, this is not her best. Page is superb, but I think the role is short of being meaty enough for Oscar territory. Cotillard, like Day-Lewis, consumes her character without having to make her likeable. Sympathy is held at a distance, and yet it is impossible to turn away from this portrayal. Give the girl her due.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Here's a great Cate role. She seamlessly slides into Dylan's skin and gender becomes an attribute that is no longer limiting. Break down the walls – I think all films should be cast this way. Ruby Dee is another sentimental nod, and you know what I think of those.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Beaufort, Israel
The Counterfeiters, Austria
Katyn, Poland
Mongol, Kazakhstan
12, Russia
Out of the 28 films I saw at PSIFF (hey, I had to work), I missed every one of these. I am shocked that 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days failed a nod, as it's been the fest darling of the year. But who goes to those crazy fests anyway?
BEST DOCUMENTARY
No End in Sight, Charles Ferguson & Audrey Marrs
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, Richard E. Robbins
SiCKO, Michael Moore & Meghan O'Hara
Taxi to the Dark Side, Alex Gibney & Eva Orner
War/Dance, Andrea Nix Fine & Sean Fine
Looks like Michael Moore has decided not to fight the documentary category this time around. His is a good film, but I think No End in Sight digs a little deeper. (I have not yet seen the others)
BEST DOC SHORT
"Freeheld," Cynthia Wade & Vanessa Roth (ShortFest winner)
"La Corona," Amanda Micheli & Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba," Tim Sternberg & Francisco Bello (ShortFest winner)
"Sari's Mother," James Longley
LIVE ACTION SHORT
"At Night," Christian E. Christiansen & Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente" ("The Substitute"), Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets" ("The Mozart of Pickpockets"), Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini," Guido Thys & Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman," Daniel Barber & Matthew Brown (ShortFest winner)
ANIMATED SHORT
"I Met the Walrus," Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli," Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski (ShortFest winner)
"Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis" ("Even Pigeons Go to Heaven"), Samuel Tourneux & Simon Vanesse
"Moya Lyubov" ("My Love") Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf," Suzie Templeton & Hugh Welchman
You know me – I love shorts. But I have not yet seen these particular shorts with one giant exception: "Tonto Woman." A beautiful capsule of life in the west (by Elmore Leonard), shrouded in mystery and encompassed by stunning scenery and excellent performances. The Palm Springs ShortFest knows how to pick 'em – this short one 1st place for Best Live Action over 15 minutes (other winners noted above).
ANIMATED FEATURE
Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud
Ratatouille, Brad Bird
Surf's Up, Ash Brannon & Chris Buck
Oo, diss to The Simpsons. I guess they're just not taken seriously on the big screen. Persepolis is excellent – funny and entertaining and yet terribly serious when tackling the changing atmosphere of Iranian politics. Black and white animation has rarely said so much.
FILM EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum, Christopher Rouse
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juliette Welfling
Into the Wild, Jay Cassidy
No Country for Old Men, Roderick Jaynes
There Will Be Blood, Dylan Tichenor
Possibly the most difficult task and least appreciated, the skill of ultimately shaping a film is a difficult award to assess. I'm torn between The Diving Bell and No Country.
VISUAL EFFECTS
The Golden Compass, Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris & Trevor Wood
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson & John Frazier
Transformers, Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl & John Frazier
When it comes to visuals, the blockbusters get their time in the sun. I missed the third Pirates flick, but the second had such impressive slimy creatures that I'm going to assume they matched their effects with this one.
ART DIRECTION
American Gangster: Art Direction, Arthur Max; Set Decoration, Beth A. Rubino
Atonement: Art, Sarah Greenwood; Set, Katie Spencer
The Golden Compass: Art, Dennis Gassner; Set, Anna Pinnock
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: Art, Dante Ferretti; Set, Francesca Lo Schiavo
There Will Be Blood: Art, Jack Fisk; Set, Jim Erickson
Creating an atmosphere that fits the film should be creative without being distracting from the performances, and it's often hard to view subtle displays when compared to flashier ones. But heck, I'll go for Sweeney Todd anyway.
COSTUME DESIGN
Across the Universe, Albert Wolsky
Atonement, Jacqueline Durran
Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Alexandra Byrne
La Vie en Rose, Marit Allen
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Colleen Atwood
Again, subtlety versus artsy. I've always enjoyed Atwood's design, so I choose Sweeney Todd again.
MAKEUP
La Vie en Rose, Didier Lavergne & Jan Archibald
Norbit, Rick Baker & Kazuhiro Tsuji
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ve Neill & Martin Samuel
Norbit will get its share of Razzies, so no need to shower it with Oscars. Pirates falls to digital sorcery, so I think La Vie en Rose should win for keepin' it real.
ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement, Dario Marianelli
The Kite Runner, Alberto Iglesias
Michael Clayton, James Newton Howard
Ratatouille, Michael Giacchino
3:10 to Yuma, Marco Beltrami
I enjoy Iglesias, but Marianelli's score still haunts me with its clean, simple chords.
ORIGINAL SONG
"Falling Slowly" from Once, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
"Raise It Up" from August Rush, nominees TBD
From Enchanted, Music by Alan Menken & Lyric by Stephen Schwartz: "Happy Working Song," "So Close," "That's How You Know"
What -- no Eddie Vedder? Give him at least one of Enchanted's noms. On the other hand, have you seen Once? So lovely and guided so sweetly by song. Give it to them.
SOUND EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum, Karen Baker Landers & Per Hallberg
No Country for Old Men, Skip Lievsay
Ratatouille, Randy Thom & Michael Silvers
There Will Be Blood, Matthew Wood
Transformers, Ethan Van der Ryn & Mike Hopkins
SOUND MIXING
The Bourne Ultimatum, Scott Millan, David Parker & Kirk Francis
No Country for Old Men, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff & Peter Kurland
Ratatouille, Randy Thom, Michael Semanick & Doc Kane
3:10 to Yuma, Paul Massey, David Giammarco & Jim Stuebe
Transformers, Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell & Peter J. Devlin
I am not going to pretend to have the sort of knowledge to pick these last two awards. I'm going to randomly choose Bourne for Editing & Transformers for Mixing.