The Oscars

Since the Oscars are on tonight, I thought I'd throw up some quick predictions before the show and then update with some reactions later.

I have a pretty simple lithmus test for the Oscars. I believe that Oscars should stick out. Either because it was a touchstone role or because that actor's oeuvre stands out amongst their piers. Basically the Oscars should be celebrating the best movies have to offer. My updated notes are in italics.

Best Picture - No Country For Old Men

This was the best reviewed movie of the year hands down and the consensus seemed to settle on this being the best picture of the year. "There Will Be Blood" was the sort of movie a lot of people felt very strongly about (including me) and that probably pushed its profile up a bit. "Juno" had a dark horse chance in the same way "Little Miss Sunshine" did last year. But ultimately it was No Country for Old Men's award to lose and it didn't.

Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis

I read an article recently that Daniel Day Lewis has done only 9 movies since winning his first Oscar in 1989 and has garnered Best Actor noms for three of them. That means he is Academy nominated in 40% of his movies and has won an Oscar 1 in 5 times he's appeared onscreen in the last ten years.

So I'm sorry for Johnny Depp and that years from now he'll be "can you believe he's never won?" discussions. He ran into (successively) Sean Penn in "Mystic River", Jamie Foxx in "Ray" and Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood."

Best Actress - Laura Linney

I like Laura Linney and I was hoping for a "lifetime achievement" award for her. I mean, since 1996, she's only been in "Primal Fear", "The Truman Show", "You Can Count On Me", "Mystic River", "Love Actually", "Kinsey", "The Squid and the Whale" and "Breach". I'm not mad Oscars. (Unlike last year when Jennifer Hudson won.) I'm just disappointed.

Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem

I can't really argue with this one. I think Phillip Seymour Hoffman was awesome in "Charlie Wilson's War." But Bardem has been excellent in movies like "Before Night Falls" so I can't argue this win will stick out years from now. He really does deserve the award.

Best Supporting Actress - Cate Blanchett

I wanted Cate Blanchett to win for the first of the two criteria I listed above. Her role as "Don't Look Back"-era Dylan was exactly the kind of boundary-stretching which actors should aspire to and recognized for instead of the typical Oscar-bait. That said Tilda Swinton has an Oscar-worthy oeuvre and "Michael Clayton" was one of my favorite movies of the last year (which is another post entirely).

Best Director - The Coen Brothers

My heart does swell with a little civic pride when Minnesota-born directors Joel and Ethan Coen take home the gold. I want Paul Thomas Anderson to win an Oscar one day since I've pretty much enjoyed every movie the guy has made. Then again, considering he keeps getting nominations, he either will eventually or become his generation's Scorsese. And even Marty won eventually.

Best Adapted Screenplay - The Coen Brothers

Okay, a rehash of what I said about best reviewed movie and civic pride before now. Can I let you in on a secret? I still haven't seen this movie. Since my regular movie viewing partner is squemish when it comes to violence, I never got out to this one. I'll see it eventually and I'm sure I'll really like it. I just haven't yet.

Best Original Screenplay - Diablo Cody

Again, more civic pride eventhough Ms. Cody is really from Chicago. She lives in Minneapolis and I've read her book and in CityPages for years. I even remember the posts on her blog about the movie coming together. So, in a way, it's kind of like following the rise of someone from your high school into stardom.

See you after the show... Any predictions for next year? Best Picture to "Semi-Pro"?