Oscar Predictions 2008

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Film

February 23, 2008

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This might be the first time that I have ever really enjoyed every single nominee for Best Picture, and I believe that we will look back at 2007 as one of the strongest years in film from this decade.

I absolutely loved Juno, I really liked both Atonement and Michael Clayton, and I thought that No Country For Old Men was good but overrated. So my choice to take the gold statue is There Will Be Blood because it is a phenomenal movie, an instant classic and an epic masterpiece.

I always struggle with predicting who WILL win vs. who I want to win, so I decided to denote both below for the major categories.

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) * WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)
Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah)
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James…)
Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men) * WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War)
Hal Holbrook (Into The Wild)
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Julie Christie (Away From Her) * WILL WIN
Marion Cotillard (La Ve En Rose) * SHOULD WIN
Laura Linney (The Savages)
Ellen Page (Juno)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There)
Ruby Dee (American Gangster)
Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) * WILL WIN
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) * SHOULD WIN

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Persepolis * SHOULD WIN
Ratatouille * WILL WIN
Surf’s Up

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement *WILL WIN
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood *SHOULD WIN

BEST DIRECTOR
Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and The Butterfly)
Jason Reitman (Juno)
Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton)
Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men) * WILL WIN
Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) * SHOULD WIN

ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement * WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma

ORIGINAL SONG
“Falling Slowly” (Once) * WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
“Happy Working Song” (Enchanted)
“Raise It Up” (August Rush)
“So Close” (Enchanted)
“That’s How You Know” (Enchanted)

BEST PICTURE
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men *WILL WIN
There Will Be Blood * SHOULD WIN

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement (Christopher Hampton) *SHOULD WIN
Away From Her (Sarah Polley)
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (Ronald Harwood)
No Country For Old Men (Joel & Ethan Coen) * WILL WIN
There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Juno (Diablo Cody) * WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Lars and the Real Girl (Nancy Oliver)
Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)
Ratatouille (Brad Bird)
The Savages (Tamara Jenkins)

So what do you think?

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L.A. For a Day: Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice Benefit Show

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Grey's Anatomy, Television, Writer's Strike

February 21, 2008

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Next week I am to flying down to L.A. for less than 24 hours, to attend a one-night-only pop culture experience. The casts of Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice are putting on a musical comedy show to benefit the television crews who lost work during the Writers Strike.

Not only will almost all of the cast members from both shows be performing in some capacity, we will be treated to music by Loretta Devine (the Chief’s wife on Grey’s; she was in Dreamgirls on Broadway for years), Audra McDonald (Naomi on Private Practice; 4 Best Actress Tony Awards), and Sara Ramirez (Callie on Grey’s; Best Actress Tony for Spamalot). Click here to hear a snippet of Sara’s amazing voice (she appears at about the 1:10 mark), and here to watch Audra at last year’s Tonys.

Kid + candy store = me.

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Atonement: A Brief Review

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Film

February 20, 2008

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Initial opinion:
It was better than I’d anticipated in all categories, except for acting. I was not drawn to or compelled by any of the characters.

Oscar Snub:
I am quite surprised that director Joe Wright did not receive a nomination. He more than deserved it for Atonement, but then again, he was previously ignored for his work behind the camera on Pride & Prejudice.

Overrated Oscar Nod:
Supporting Actress Saoirse Ronan. The young star was memorable, but not Academy Award caliber…especially when compared to others in her category like Cate Blanchett. Ruby Dee (American Gangster) may be this year’s Gloria Stuart (Titanic, the sentimental vote), but I can see the potential for Ronan to sneak the victory a la Anna Paquin (The Piano).

Highlights:

  • The screenplay
  • The beautiful cinematography, including a long and brilliant single-shot war sequence on and around the beach
  • The original score
  • Keira Knightley’s green dress (although she REALLY needs to eat a few sandwiches)
  • The brief yet impactful appearance of Vanessa Redgrave at the end of the film


Do you need to see it in the theater before the Oscars on Sunday? Only if you’re the kind of person that likes to have seen all Best Picture nominees before the trophies are doled out. Otherwise, it will be a great rental. And tell your husbands and boyfriends that it is not a chick flick; a large portion of the movie focuses on a soldier at war.

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Our Funny Valentine: Princess Leia Takes the Stage

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Film, General Pop Culture

February 19, 2008

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Last week, we celebrated Valentine’s Day by immersing ourselves in an evening of pop culture history; we went to see Carrie Fisher’s one-woman show, “Wishful Drinking.”

You don’t have to be a huge Star Wars geek to appreciate Fisher’s presence, narrative and life. She is entertainment royalty, and her experiences growing up in the industry are unparalleled. Fisher’s perspective is genuine and bold; the Hollywood tarts of today probably won’t live long enough to expound upon their multiple rehab stints with such candor and humor.

Carrie Fisher is very engaging and funny, and appropriately self-deprecating.  I soaked in all of her anecdotes like a sponge, and loved every minute of it. If and when her show comes to your town, I highly recommend it.  In the meantime, go read or rent Postcards from the Edge. Talk about a great primer…

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