It's that time of a year again, when movie geeks like yours truly gather round excitedly and debate which of their favorites from the last year got snubbed, robbed or treated right, and when the rest of America wonders where their favorite movies are on the list at all. Flash-forward two months, when The People accept the Academy's choices as cannon and people like me rip their hair out. ANYWAY. My thoughts on the nominations that interest me, and my stunning indifference (expressed through silence) about those that don't.
BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
No surprises here. I've seen all but THE READER, and unless that thing knocks me on my ass, SLUMDOG is certainly the best of these five. (My thoughts on these four coming soon, I swear).
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
No surprises here. I've seen all but THE READER, and unless that thing knocks me on my ass, SLUMDOG is certainly the best of these five. (My thoughts on these four coming soon, I swear).
BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Much the same. Ron Howard more than adequately Ron Howards his way through the paint-by-numbers FROST/NIXON, just as Gus Van Sant could've been asleep at the helm and still made a decent movie out of MILK's formulaic script (he was fact awake, and made a pretty good movie out of it). Despite my love of Fincher, my affection for BENJAMIN BUTTON has dwindled since I saw it and, more importantly, since I've thought about it. That said, Fincher tricked me into thinking that BUTTON'S a great movie - it's not - and that's a work of directing wizardry. Still, though, Danny Boyle should take this one home.
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Much the same. Ron Howard more than adequately Ron Howards his way through the paint-by-numbers FROST/NIXON, just as Gus Van Sant could've been asleep at the helm and still made a decent movie out of MILK's formulaic script (he was fact awake, and made a pretty good movie out of it). Despite my love of Fincher, my affection for BENJAMIN BUTTON has dwindled since I saw it and, more importantly, since I've thought about it. That said, Fincher tricked me into thinking that BUTTON'S a great movie - it's not - and that's a work of directing wizardry. Still, though, Danny Boyle should take this one home.
Best Actor - Mickey Roarke in THE WRESTLER. That's all, let's go home.
Best Actress - What the shit? Somehow I haven't seen ANY of the films with a best actress nomination. I gots to get on that.
While Best Supporting Actor will undoubtedly go to Heath Ledger (who creepily died a year ago today), I gotta love the Academy for nominating Robert Downey, Jr. for TROPIC THUNDER. His performance was a fucking trip in the movie, sure, but the nomination is more of a recognition of how awesome he was in '08 - and how sad it is the guy won't ever get nominated for IRON MAN. That's right, I said it. Discuss.
Best Original Screenplay - Fucking aye right, IN BRUGES! I was so afraid this movie was going to get forgotten come Oscar time, especially in a category like this one where it really deserves. Good job, Oscars.
I love the Best Animated Feature category. They should just be honest and call it the Best Pixar Film and not give it out on Pixar's off years. All WALL-E.
If THE DARK KNIGHT wins Best Cinematography or Best Editing, I might shit. With RAGE. Read why.
It's a shame that Oscar-baiter BENJAMIN BUTTON had such spectacular and seamless make-up effects, because it'll likely steal HELLBOY II's much-deserved (and only) nomination.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
WALL-E, Thomas Newman
Woah. The one (other) category where DARK KNIGHT seemed to be a shoe-in was Best Original Score - and it got completely shut out. BENJAMIN BUTTON, WALL-E and SLUMDOG all had terrific scores (with SLUMDOG's being my favorite), though I can't say that I remember much of any music from either MILK or DEFIANCE. Really, one of the few categories where ol' Batman was truly deserving of all the hype and it gets no love? Kinda sad.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alexandre Desplat
Defiance, James Newton Howard
Milk, Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire, A.R. Rahman
WALL-E, Thomas Newman
Woah. The one (other) category where DARK KNIGHT seemed to be a shoe-in was Best Original Score - and it got completely shut out. BENJAMIN BUTTON, WALL-E and SLUMDOG all had terrific scores (with SLUMDOG's being my favorite), though I can't say that I remember much of any music from either MILK or DEFIANCE. Really, one of the few categories where ol' Batman was truly deserving of all the hype and it gets no love? Kinda sad.
All in all, I'm more or less "meh" about the nominations this year. I don't hold with some of the naysayers who call 08 a step down from the movie-stellar 07, but I just don't see the movies I loved reflected in the nominations enough to make me care. However, I wasn't expecting too much in the way of nominations for them, either. Net game, I just don't care this year. Hey who wants to skip getting drinking watching the Oscars this year and instead get drunk doing something else?
*Actually a lie.
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