The Oscars 2005 ceremony is now just over 15 hours away. After I saw Million Dollar Baby a bit earlier I felt like compiling a little list of predictions. M$B, by the way, is just so terribly sad. Turtles Can Fly is a sad movie, but because you know it wraps a dire reality. M$B is sad because it is so moving - a movie feat: great acting, great directing, my favourite of all the nominated movies (not just the Best Picture nominees, but all categories' movies) that I've seen for 2005 (outside of nominations 2046 is my favourite). The Aviator is great but has no soul. Sideways is brilliant in its simplicity. But M$B leaves you truly affected.
After roaming the web in search of informed opinions I made 2.5 changes, and added the "personal" choice in select cases (Natalie Portman is without a doubt my personal choice for supporting actress although I can see why Cate Blanchett should win it; nevertheless the single most compelling scene for supporting actress goes to Virginia Madsen in the scene in Sideways where she and Paul Giamatti talk about wine, and so it'd be really refreshing if she got it). To be interesting I tried to predict more than just the main acting and picture categories - but I didn't venture where I truly know nothing.
Just so I can say "See, I knew it!":
Actor in a leading role: Jamie Foxx (Ray)
Actor in a supporting role: Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) (personal: Alan Alda)
Actress in a leading role: Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) (personal: Hillary Swank)
Actress in a supporting role: Cate Blanchett (The Aviator) (personal: Natalie Portman)
Animated Feature film: The Incredibles
Art Direction: The Aviator
Cinematography: House of Flying Daggers
Costume Design: The Aviator
Directing: Scorcese for The Aviator (personal: Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby)
Foreign Film: Downfall
Best picture: Sideways (personal: Million Dollar Baby)
Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2 comments:
There are no words for my sheer heartbreak that Scorsese didn't get Best Director -- like, I know they need to make it up to Eastwood for skipping over "Mystic River," but c'mon guys, the Academy has a much bigger debt to Scorsese! Last Temptation of Christ, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York -- he didn't even get nominated for Taxi Driver, for christ's sake! They punish him for being an outsider, then when he sells his soul to meet Hollywood standards they accuse him of losing his fire. Sigh. It's so heart-breaking.
At this point they're obviously just waiting 'til he's dead or in a wheelchair so they can give him the final "screw you, marty!" lifetime achievement kiss-off.
I haven't seen Scorcese's famous earlier works but they have such reputations.
I saw both The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby within 24 hours and although I prefer the latter as a movie experience (I know for sure because it is still turning in my head) I thought the directing is a tie. I wish they could split the award just for once, but then I suppose that would take away the glamour of an Oscar. I can't hide it though, I'm pleased for Eastwood and pulling off something like that at his age is just wow!
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