Tonight's the big night -- Oscar night. Although a lot of the major races seem to be a lock already, I find it kind of exciting that the BIG DOG (Best Picture) is still a wide open race.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Okay, I LOVE Jennifer Hudson, I do, but there's a part of me that really feels like she shouldn't win. She gave a great performance, yes, but I can't help but wondering if this isn't a fluke. Will we ever see her again on the big screen? And there's just this snobby part of me that can't help but feel that the Oscar should go to someone who has longetivity or the promise of it. My vote, then, would go to Abigail Breslin who was the source of all the sunshine in Little Miss Sunshine. I know she's only 11, but her potential seems pretty boundless. When Dakota Fanning is a strung-out coke head shaving her head and attacking the paparazzi, Abigail Breslin will still be turning out fine work. I could see her being the next Anna Paquin and emerging from her teens a beauty and a talent. Jennifer Hudson, though, will be the winner tonight, leaving little Abigail to pick up her trophy somewhere down the road.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
This is a tough one for me. I really was amazed by Eddie Murphy's work in Dreamgirls, and I will applaud when he wins. But if I had an Oscar ballot and was choosing a winner, I would not have put my X by Eddie's name. It's going to take more than one movie to let me forgive and forget The Nutty Professor or Norbit. Instead, I would have voted for Alan Arkin. Here is a brilliant character actor who has never won despite a career full of amazing work. His work in Little Miss Sunshine was beautiful, subtle, and funny. He'd get my vote, no doubt. Eddie's been experiencing a little backlash lately courtesy of those ridiculous trailers for Norbit and the media has been speculating that Oscar voters will have a hard time voting for him with the memory of him in that bikini still fresh in their minds. I think he is still the front runner, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear Arkin's name called out tonight instead.
BEST ACTRESS
Helen Mirren is a goddess. What more is there to say? This is her night.
BEST ACTOR
Okay, I have not seen The Last King of Scotland. I understand Forrest Whitaker is brilliant in it. He'll win. Okay, fine. I, however, would vote instead for Ryan Gosling's work in Half Nelson. He gave a fine, understated performance as a strung out teacher who still manages to inspire while struggling to keep his life from slipping off the rails. Who knew he had that in him?
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
I still have issues with Borat's inclusion here when Jason Reitman's hilariously dark Thank You For Smoking isn't here. I would love to see Children of Men be the surprise winner here considering it was forgotten in all the other major categories. I have a feeling, though, that The Departed may get the win here since it's the only one on the list actually nominated for Best Picture. Can you be the best screenplay without also being one of the best pictures?
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
This is a tough race. I wouldn't be surprised to see Pan's Labyrinth take this, but my vote is going with The Queen.
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Greengrass made United 93 a tour-de-force of cineme verite. I don't know the last time I've experienced such a gripping experience -- heartbreaking and real and never, never over the top. It left me speechless when it was over. It was, I maintain, the best picture of 2006. Its absence from the Best Picture category is a crime, and I would vote for Greengrass here to make up for that. Here's the problem: Scorcese is so due. He should have won 20+ years ago. Is The Departed his best work? Hell no. It's a great movie, yes, but let's put it up against Taxi Driver (my favorite Scorcese film still), Raging Bull, Goodfellas. The guy should have a shelf full of Oscars and he doesn't. Tonight is his FINALLY his night.
BEST PICTURE
Okay, here's the thing: I haven't seen 2 of this year's nominees. Letters from Iwo Jima never came here (and the weather made it impossible for me to drive out of town to see it this weekend as I had planned) I've been trying the video store to rent Babel all week. It's been 20 years since a Best Picture has won that I haven't seen first. So will my streak end tonight when Babel or Iwo Jima win? Babel is one of the frontrunners. That makes me a little nervous. However, let me tell you a story about last year -- Oscar night came and I had only seen one of the nominated movies -- Good Night and Good Luck. Brokeback Mountain was the lock. I was depressed. I hadn't had a chance to see it. Oscar afternoon, I went and rented Crash figuring I should at least see one other nominated movie so I didn't feel like a total loser. I watched Crash, finishing it about 5 minutes before the Oscars started. And then . . . hours later . . . the winner for Best Picture was announced: CRASH! I screamed. Oscar was looking out for me! With that said, I'm going to go out on a limb and pick one of the movies I've seen -- Little Miss Sunshine. It's a sweet, funny little film with a lot of heart. And wouldn't it be nice to see something like that win rather than something riddled with violence or that's so pretentious in its mission that you want to puke or that's one of those snobby intellectual exercises? It's a great film, and it would be so nice for Oscar to recognize that. So . . .fingers crossed . . . come on, Oscar, keep my streak alive!!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
In need of spiritual guidance?
If you're not a regular reader of bestweekever.tv, you should be. The brilliant folks over there have come up with this: Ask Buddha Britney.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Ladies Night
So it's a whole new competition now that the ladies have had their shot. Before this week, it seemed like maybe the men had the talent advantage in this year's Idol. After tonight, the men are all looking pretty darn weak. The ladies had the advantage of seeing the men raked over the coals last night, and they definitely brought their A game -- well, most of them anyway.
Stephanie Edwards started things off with a nice, soulful rendition of "How Come You Don't Call Me?" She has a good voice with nice jazzy overtones -- the kind of voice I typically tend to like. It wasn't a spectacular performance, but it was a good start. Definitely better than Rudy's "Free Ride" last night.
Things got a little bleak after Stephanie. Amy Krebs gave us an incredibly anemic performance of "I Can't Make You Love Me." It lacked any real soul or passion. That song is a heartbreaker. You have to feel it. I doubt Amy has ever felt anything close to what Bonnie Raitt was channeling in that song, and it showed in her lackluster performance. Amy could be in real danger this week.
After Amy came Leslie Hunt the Dog Walker (aka Crazy Eyes) who did a bland, karaoke version of "Natural Woman." Please! I could hear that at any bar in America. If you're going to take on Aretha, have the chops to do it and please don't make us sit through a vanilla pudding version of such a rich, velvety song.
Sabrina Sloan (aka "Black Cher" according to Julie) brought the girls back up to form with a nice version of "I Never Loved a Man." She at least made an attempt to capture Aretha's spark. I liked it. It wasn't the best performance of the night, but it was good enough to stand out and earn Sabrina a performance next week.
Antonella Barba may not be able to say the same thing. Her performance of "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" was riddled with nerves, pitch issues, and a general lack of stage presence. It was pretty hideous and perhaps the worst performance of the night if not for what came later. Between this performance and the pictures cropping up on the 'net of her on the toilet (http://www.idontlikeyouinthatway.com/pictures/20070220/anotella%20barba%20american%20idol/ab3.html), her time in the spotlight may be coming to an end.
It doesn't help that she was followed by Jordin Sparks who gave one of my favorite performances of the night with "Gimme One Reason." First of all, I love that song. It has a lot of spark without overwhelming a singer. Second of all, I love Jordin's spunk. I think she has what it takes to make it pretty far in this competition.
After Jordin came Nicole Tranquillo who came out and gave the absolute worst performance of the night, I thought. Her take on Chaka Khan was just yucky. It was all over the place and was shouted more than sung. I liked the comment that the song was "too urban" for her. Translation: Too Black.
Haley Scarnato broke out Celine's "It's All Coming Back to Me" again -- and it was better during Hollywood week. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't breathtaking. Probably okay enough for her to be around next week, but she could be in danger.
Melinda Doolittle -- who doesn't love her? Who isn't rooting for her? And I loved Simon's comment about how she has all this talent and none of the arrogance that's so typical of much of her competition. She is truly humble -- and truly gifted. Is she the American Idol? I don't know that I see it, but I also didn't expect Taylor Hicks to be the winner this time last year either. So who knows?
Alaina Alexander came out and took one of the sexiest, ballsiest songs of all time ("Brass in Pocket") and turned it into a Jessica Simpson-worthy cover. Simon's probably right that her looks may save her this week (although do men watch and vote for Idol?), but she needs to step it up next week. If she doesn't, I suppose Ryan will take care of her. Bravo to Simon for calling Ryan out on his obvious flirtation with Alaina. It was hilarious.
Gina Glockson came into tonight's performance as my favorite of the women. I still love her. Taking on "All By Myself" was gutsy. I still am haunted by Latoya London's breathtaking performance of that during this stage of season 3 (a version I downloaded and have on my mp3 player). Gina wasn't quite in Latoya's territory, lacking Latoya's skilled balance of power and vulnerability. And no, Gina, you didn't hit that note, but you came really darn close and gave a solid performance.
Of course, everything was completely blotted out when Lakisha Jones came out. I was dubious when Ryan said she was taking on "And I Am Telling You . . ." The power of Jennifer Hudson's performance still haunts me (and the soundtrack of Dreamgirls lives in my car so I can hear Jennifer belt it anytime I want). Personally, I thought the arrangement of the song was not that great and lacked a little of that power at the end, but damn. Good show. I don't think Jennifer Hudson has anything to worry about (sorry, Randy), but every single woman in this competition sure as hell does -- and you could see that realization on their faces when they showed the "holding room." If looks could kill, the sweet, humble, incredibly gifted Lakisha would have been dead on the floor before her phone number popped up on the screen. She's the one to beat, no doubt about it.
So . . .the best of the night: Lakisha (DUH!), Melinda, Sabrina, and Jordin. Worst: Nicole and Antonella.
Who's going home? My money is on Antonella and either Nicole or Leslie. Antonella MAY be able to ride that "cute best friend" schtick one more week, but her time has most likely come. Based on tonight's performance, I'm not sure she had what it takes to really be in the final 12.
Stephanie Edwards started things off with a nice, soulful rendition of "How Come You Don't Call Me?" She has a good voice with nice jazzy overtones -- the kind of voice I typically tend to like. It wasn't a spectacular performance, but it was a good start. Definitely better than Rudy's "Free Ride" last night.
Things got a little bleak after Stephanie. Amy Krebs gave us an incredibly anemic performance of "I Can't Make You Love Me." It lacked any real soul or passion. That song is a heartbreaker. You have to feel it. I doubt Amy has ever felt anything close to what Bonnie Raitt was channeling in that song, and it showed in her lackluster performance. Amy could be in real danger this week.
After Amy came Leslie Hunt the Dog Walker (aka Crazy Eyes) who did a bland, karaoke version of "Natural Woman." Please! I could hear that at any bar in America. If you're going to take on Aretha, have the chops to do it and please don't make us sit through a vanilla pudding version of such a rich, velvety song.
Sabrina Sloan (aka "Black Cher" according to Julie) brought the girls back up to form with a nice version of "I Never Loved a Man." She at least made an attempt to capture Aretha's spark. I liked it. It wasn't the best performance of the night, but it was good enough to stand out and earn Sabrina a performance next week.
Antonella Barba may not be able to say the same thing. Her performance of "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" was riddled with nerves, pitch issues, and a general lack of stage presence. It was pretty hideous and perhaps the worst performance of the night if not for what came later. Between this performance and the pictures cropping up on the 'net of her on the toilet (http://www.idontlikeyouinthatway.com/pictures/20070220/anotella%20barba%20american%20idol/ab3.html), her time in the spotlight may be coming to an end.
It doesn't help that she was followed by Jordin Sparks who gave one of my favorite performances of the night with "Gimme One Reason." First of all, I love that song. It has a lot of spark without overwhelming a singer. Second of all, I love Jordin's spunk. I think she has what it takes to make it pretty far in this competition.
After Jordin came Nicole Tranquillo who came out and gave the absolute worst performance of the night, I thought. Her take on Chaka Khan was just yucky. It was all over the place and was shouted more than sung. I liked the comment that the song was "too urban" for her. Translation: Too Black.
Haley Scarnato broke out Celine's "It's All Coming Back to Me" again -- and it was better during Hollywood week. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't breathtaking. Probably okay enough for her to be around next week, but she could be in danger.
Melinda Doolittle -- who doesn't love her? Who isn't rooting for her? And I loved Simon's comment about how she has all this talent and none of the arrogance that's so typical of much of her competition. She is truly humble -- and truly gifted. Is she the American Idol? I don't know that I see it, but I also didn't expect Taylor Hicks to be the winner this time last year either. So who knows?
Alaina Alexander came out and took one of the sexiest, ballsiest songs of all time ("Brass in Pocket") and turned it into a Jessica Simpson-worthy cover. Simon's probably right that her looks may save her this week (although do men watch and vote for Idol?), but she needs to step it up next week. If she doesn't, I suppose Ryan will take care of her. Bravo to Simon for calling Ryan out on his obvious flirtation with Alaina. It was hilarious.
Gina Glockson came into tonight's performance as my favorite of the women. I still love her. Taking on "All By Myself" was gutsy. I still am haunted by Latoya London's breathtaking performance of that during this stage of season 3 (a version I downloaded and have on my mp3 player). Gina wasn't quite in Latoya's territory, lacking Latoya's skilled balance of power and vulnerability. And no, Gina, you didn't hit that note, but you came really darn close and gave a solid performance.
Of course, everything was completely blotted out when Lakisha Jones came out. I was dubious when Ryan said she was taking on "And I Am Telling You . . ." The power of Jennifer Hudson's performance still haunts me (and the soundtrack of Dreamgirls lives in my car so I can hear Jennifer belt it anytime I want). Personally, I thought the arrangement of the song was not that great and lacked a little of that power at the end, but damn. Good show. I don't think Jennifer Hudson has anything to worry about (sorry, Randy), but every single woman in this competition sure as hell does -- and you could see that realization on their faces when they showed the "holding room." If looks could kill, the sweet, humble, incredibly gifted Lakisha would have been dead on the floor before her phone number popped up on the screen. She's the one to beat, no doubt about it.
So . . .the best of the night: Lakisha (DUH!), Melinda, Sabrina, and Jordin. Worst: Nicole and Antonella.
Who's going home? My money is on Antonella and either Nicole or Leslie. Antonella MAY be able to ride that "cute best friend" schtick one more week, but her time has most likely come. Based on tonight's performance, I'm not sure she had what it takes to really be in the final 12.
The Men -- Oy!
Holy crap! Were the guys just totally sucking it up on Idol last night or what? Good heavens. What a waste of 2 hours sitting through that schlock fest! (Granted, for me it was just a hair over an hour since I DVRed the show and watched it on fast forward -- missing commercials, missing some of the intro videos, and even occasionally zipping through the obligatory "Doesn't Simon suck?" banter coming from Ryan.) Last night definitely made me reconsider my top 6 predictions a bit as guy after guy came out and just, well, blew big, sticky chunks all over the stage.
Well, all save one -- Blake. Blake was really good, amazingly good. He picked a cool, contemporary song (Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know") and just gave a nice, fresh take on it. He was the only one I could imagine hearing on the radio (not that I listen to pop radio anymore) or buying his CD. Plus, he's pretty cute.
As for the rest . . . where do I begin? Well, let's start at the very beginning:
Rudy Cardenas started things off with a passable version of "Free Ride." It wasn't spectacular but it wasn't hideous. I thought it was an energetic way to start the show, but, let's be honest, "Free Ride" isn't exactly the greatest song nor did it really prove much of a showcase for Rudy. Will he be safe for next week? Who knows? Again, it wasn't hideous, but it was also the first performance of the night by a performer who hasn't really built a following yet, so he could be forgotten by callers and therefore vulnerable to being sent home. It would be a shame. I still think the guy has potential.
Next up was another I'd pegged to be a contender -- Brandon Rogers. Brandon tackled Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." Tackling Michael Jackson can be pretty brave, but not when you pick one of his less challenging songs. Again, it was just okay, and Brandon could be staring down the barrel of elimination.
After Brandon, it just seemed like it was one bland performance after another. Sundance came out with "Nights in White Satin." Really? You have all those songs to choose from, and you pick "Nights in White Satin," a song that's sure to produce either a coma or a big time acid flashback. Neither of this is exactly something you yearn for in your audience. You would think a guy like Sundance would have picked something big and bluesy to redeem himself after his hideous Hollywood week. Apparently not. I'm telling you -- this dude's days have GOT to be numbered.
The "Justin Timberlikes" (as Julie dubbed them last night) didn't disappoint in their blandness either. AJ Tabaldo gave us "Never Too Much," Chris Richardson gave us "I Don't Wanna Be," Jared Cotter gave us "Back at One," and Nick Pedro pulled out "Now and Forever." YAWN! AJ got Paula up and dancing (but then, so does one of those monkeys with the clashing cymbals), but he really wasn't all that impressive. I'm so tired of "Back at One" and "I Don't Wanna Be." There should be a moratorium on those being allowed on the show. PLEASE! And I was so tired of hearing contestants sing through their noses. When Simon finally commented on it, I literally applauded. It just is painful to listen to!!
Chris Sligh's "Typical" was anything but. I am completely unfamiliar with that song, but I did kind of agree when Simon said it sounded like a college performance. I could practically smell the stale beer in the frat house basement as one of the brothers' band took the stage. I like Chris, though, and I'm rooting for him, and I don't think America has tired of his humor -- yet.
Phil Stacey's "I Could Not Ask for More" started off really bad. I loved that look of loving horror on his wife's face as the reality started to sink in that MAYBE he wasn't good enough and MAYBE her dreams of being Mrs. American Idol were going to die before they'd even really had a chance to begin. But then, once he got out of that opening section where the notes were clearly too low for him, he actually did a pretty decent job. I would say it ended up being one of the better performances of the night if you disregard the opening verse.
So that brings us to the worst two performances of the night: Paul and Sanjaya. Paul tackled one of the greatest ballads of the 1980s (if not all time) -- "Careless Whisper." That song is a great chance for a vocalist to really show off range and dynamics. Paul did neither. It was a dull performance and just may be bad enough to put Paul on the chopping block.
And then there's my beloved Sanjaya who came out looking as adorable as ever and then proceeded to sleepwalk his way through Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet." It didn't. The song was too much for him. He couldn't handle it. I only hope that enough girls out there love Sanjaya the way I do and burned up the phone line for him and keep him around to redeem himself next week.
Who is going home? It's kind of a tough call with the plentiful amount of crap that was being thrown around on stage last night. I think Team Sanjaya will pull through and keep him around even though he really did give the worst performance of the night. Paul had the second worst performance, so I'm going to call him out. As for the second dude heading home, I'm going to go with Brandon. Even though I think Sundance was worse (A LOT WORSE), Brandon's placement will kill him and people will have forgotten all about him by the time they got to pick up the phones. (Another perk of DVR -- I could sit and call WHILE the performance was going on. I sent lots of love Blake's way -- not that he needs me!)
Well, all save one -- Blake. Blake was really good, amazingly good. He picked a cool, contemporary song (Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know") and just gave a nice, fresh take on it. He was the only one I could imagine hearing on the radio (not that I listen to pop radio anymore) or buying his CD. Plus, he's pretty cute.
As for the rest . . . where do I begin? Well, let's start at the very beginning:
Rudy Cardenas started things off with a passable version of "Free Ride." It wasn't spectacular but it wasn't hideous. I thought it was an energetic way to start the show, but, let's be honest, "Free Ride" isn't exactly the greatest song nor did it really prove much of a showcase for Rudy. Will he be safe for next week? Who knows? Again, it wasn't hideous, but it was also the first performance of the night by a performer who hasn't really built a following yet, so he could be forgotten by callers and therefore vulnerable to being sent home. It would be a shame. I still think the guy has potential.
Next up was another I'd pegged to be a contender -- Brandon Rogers. Brandon tackled Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." Tackling Michael Jackson can be pretty brave, but not when you pick one of his less challenging songs. Again, it was just okay, and Brandon could be staring down the barrel of elimination.
After Brandon, it just seemed like it was one bland performance after another. Sundance came out with "Nights in White Satin." Really? You have all those songs to choose from, and you pick "Nights in White Satin," a song that's sure to produce either a coma or a big time acid flashback. Neither of this is exactly something you yearn for in your audience. You would think a guy like Sundance would have picked something big and bluesy to redeem himself after his hideous Hollywood week. Apparently not. I'm telling you -- this dude's days have GOT to be numbered.
The "Justin Timberlikes" (as Julie dubbed them last night) didn't disappoint in their blandness either. AJ Tabaldo gave us "Never Too Much," Chris Richardson gave us "I Don't Wanna Be," Jared Cotter gave us "Back at One," and Nick Pedro pulled out "Now and Forever." YAWN! AJ got Paula up and dancing (but then, so does one of those monkeys with the clashing cymbals), but he really wasn't all that impressive. I'm so tired of "Back at One" and "I Don't Wanna Be." There should be a moratorium on those being allowed on the show. PLEASE! And I was so tired of hearing contestants sing through their noses. When Simon finally commented on it, I literally applauded. It just is painful to listen to!!
Chris Sligh's "Typical" was anything but. I am completely unfamiliar with that song, but I did kind of agree when Simon said it sounded like a college performance. I could practically smell the stale beer in the frat house basement as one of the brothers' band took the stage. I like Chris, though, and I'm rooting for him, and I don't think America has tired of his humor -- yet.
Phil Stacey's "I Could Not Ask for More" started off really bad. I loved that look of loving horror on his wife's face as the reality started to sink in that MAYBE he wasn't good enough and MAYBE her dreams of being Mrs. American Idol were going to die before they'd even really had a chance to begin. But then, once he got out of that opening section where the notes were clearly too low for him, he actually did a pretty decent job. I would say it ended up being one of the better performances of the night if you disregard the opening verse.
So that brings us to the worst two performances of the night: Paul and Sanjaya. Paul tackled one of the greatest ballads of the 1980s (if not all time) -- "Careless Whisper." That song is a great chance for a vocalist to really show off range and dynamics. Paul did neither. It was a dull performance and just may be bad enough to put Paul on the chopping block.
And then there's my beloved Sanjaya who came out looking as adorable as ever and then proceeded to sleepwalk his way through Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet." It didn't. The song was too much for him. He couldn't handle it. I only hope that enough girls out there love Sanjaya the way I do and burned up the phone line for him and keep him around to redeem himself next week.
Who is going home? It's kind of a tough call with the plentiful amount of crap that was being thrown around on stage last night. I think Team Sanjaya will pull through and keep him around even though he really did give the worst performance of the night. Paul had the second worst performance, so I'm going to call him out. As for the second dude heading home, I'm going to go with Brandon. Even though I think Sundance was worse (A LOT WORSE), Brandon's placement will kill him and people will have forgotten all about him by the time they got to pick up the phones. (Another perk of DVR -- I could sit and call WHILE the performance was going on. I sent lots of love Blake's way -- not that he needs me!)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
American Idol -- The Final 24
So last night was the big episode of Idol revealing who the top 24 finalists are who will be competing to make the final 12. Overall, it was a relatively interesting episode although it did seem to lack any real drama until the very end when it was down to the final 2 men and women. It seemed like if a contestant was getting a lot of build-up before walking into the room (and am I the only one who was reminded of Jennifer Beals's big final dance number from Flashdance?), he/she was probably going to get a "yes." I did get pretty tired of the "Sorry to tell you, you're going to be seeing a lot of us," schtick from the judges as well as Simon's "You are not . . . going home" bit. (I loved the look of confusion on a couple contestants' faces as they sorted through Simon's string of negatives to figure out the answer) GIRLS: There are also the "soul divas" -- Sabrina, Stephanie, Melinda, Lakisha. My money is on Melinda and Lakisha since they seem to have gotten the most airtime so far (and we all know that's a huge factor as America votes -- how else do we explain Jim Verraros?). Plus, they have the chops and the talent to deliver big time during the final 12. Both have image problems (unconventional looks, single motherhood) but hopefully their talent will keep them around for a very long time. Then we have the teens -- Antonella and Jordin. Will Antonella suffer the backlash of being best friends with the bitchy Amanda who actually said "God rewards good people" after Baylie Brown (and her Jesus-fish ring) was eliminated? Who spent the night before the group performances flirting with the boys and then denying she had been flirting, was offended to have been accused? Who knows? Antonella seems talented, but I just can't help but think that a raging bitch lurks behind that smile and America won't dig that. As for Jordin, gosh, she's cute. Her talent seems tentative, though, and will America send their phones blazing for the daughter of a pro football player? Does Jordin NEED this? That leaves us with Gina Glocksen, this season's Ryan Starr. I like Gina's spunk. I am rooting for her to go really far if only because she doesn't fall into one of these above categories and just might show a little more originality than others. So my prediction for the final 6 girls: Gina, Lakisha, Melinda, Alaina, Haley, and Antonella. (Jordin is my "wild card" spoiler selection) Now . . . onto the GUYS First off, there are the boy band rejects, we-wish-we-were-Justin-Timberlake-even-though- we're-nowhere-near-as-hot guys who seem pretty interchangable at this point -- Jared, Chris Richardson, AJ, and Nicholas. (Yes, Nicholas stands out in that he's milked that "I walked away from it all last year" thing, but seriously can you tell the difference between him and AJ without the subtitle announcing his name underneath) I mean, they're all okay and all have that sort of soulful vibe going, but when has that worked for a potential Idol? Seriously? And while we're on the subject, why have there never been any seriously HOT male Idols? (Okay, there was Ace Young last year, but outside of Ace, the guys have been cute but not HOT) I mean, the odds are good ONE of these guys could make it, but they'll just become this year's RJ or AJ or Ejay or Ace -- gone pretty soon and quickly forgotten. Then there are the rebels, the ones trying to break the mold by creating a mold just like all the others who've broken the mold over the years. This year's models are Sundance and Chris Sligh. First of all, Sundance should have been the one axed last night. His Hollywood week footage shows that he just doesn't have it. That nasal voice he pulled out during the group performance -- ew! So I'm rooting for him to go and go quickly. Will I be surprised if he makes it to the final 12? No, but I will shriek with agony should it happen. Now, Chris, on the other hand, is probably one of my favorites so far and could even become my favorite Idol ever if he keeps that quirky, Jack Osborne vibe and that sly sense of humor. I think I might even love Chris. The only thing standing in his way is . . . Sanjaya. He may very well be the cutest Idol ever! Yes, Justin, he has you beat. Ace who? Constantine bores me as I think about the adorable-ness that is Sanjaya. Now, before you guys go and call "To Catch a Predator" on me, know that when I drool over Sanjaya, I do it in a completely harmless way. I love him in a big sister, cool older aunt sort of way. He has this cool, cute, Indian David Cassidy, Tony DiFranco vibe that just speaks to the 16-year-old in me. Plus, the boy can sing. On the flip side of Sanjaya, there is the "this is our last chance" gang -- Brandon, Rudy, and Phil. All of them are pushing the upper limits of the Idol age requirement (although none of them look like they're flirting with an AARP card the way Taylor Hicks was) Brandon has been a back-up singer and this is probably his shot to break free. Rudy has been fronting a band in LA that doesn't seem to have made it yet. This is his show. And then there's Papa Phil who has a sort of cleaned-up Daughtry vibe about him, a new baby, and the prettiest eyes since . . . Sanjaya. I'm rooting for all three of these guys if only out of a sense of kindred spirits. There's Paul, the barefoot Asian out to destroy the stereotype enforced by William Hung. I like him. The barefoot thing is cute; the underwear thing is a bit gross. Last but not least, there's Blake. I'm not sure how I feel about Blake. The beat box thing is impressive, but that pony has been ridden as hard as it can and needs to be put to pasture. Blake needs to prove he can sing, and I'm not sure he's shown that yet. He's pretty easy on the eyes, but the pipes have to be there if he's going to be a contender. So my prediction for the final 6 guys: Sanjaya (DUH!), Brandon, Rudy, Phil, Chris Sligh, and Blake. (Wild card spoiler: Paul) |
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The Queen
The Queen finally came to town this weekend, so I managed to find some time in my uber-busy schedule to sneak in a Sunday matinee.
What an incredible film! I was predictably blown away by Helen Mirren's performance. She is just such a brilliant actress, never over the top, never hammy. She portrayed the Queen with such dignity and intelligence and just the slightest smack of vulnerability.
Michael Sheen was robbed! His Tony Blair was the perfect foil to Mirren's Queen. I loved the contrast between their lives -- the very proper British order of the Queen's Balmoral estate versus the "we have kids" chaos of 10 Downing Street with the toys on the floor and the kids' finger paintings on the wall. The conflict between his admiration for the Queen and his desire for modernization was so well played. He should have been an Oscar nominee. He provides the real heart of that film and being able to hold your own against Helen Mirren is no small feat.
Do I think I just saw the Best Picture of 2006? No. Of course, MY choice for the Best Picture isn't even nominated (United 93). I really don't see The Queen taking home Best Picture February 25, though. Giving Helen Mirren her long overdue Oscar and a likely screenplay nomination for Peter Morgan will be the Academy's way of recognizing a really fine, understated film.
What an incredible film! I was predictably blown away by Helen Mirren's performance. She is just such a brilliant actress, never over the top, never hammy. She portrayed the Queen with such dignity and intelligence and just the slightest smack of vulnerability.
Michael Sheen was robbed! His Tony Blair was the perfect foil to Mirren's Queen. I loved the contrast between their lives -- the very proper British order of the Queen's Balmoral estate versus the "we have kids" chaos of 10 Downing Street with the toys on the floor and the kids' finger paintings on the wall. The conflict between his admiration for the Queen and his desire for modernization was so well played. He should have been an Oscar nominee. He provides the real heart of that film and being able to hold your own against Helen Mirren is no small feat.
Do I think I just saw the Best Picture of 2006? No. Of course, MY choice for the Best Picture isn't even nominated (United 93). I really don't see The Queen taking home Best Picture February 25, though. Giving Helen Mirren her long overdue Oscar and a likely screenplay nomination for Peter Morgan will be the Academy's way of recognizing a really fine, understated film.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The nominees are . . . .
Best Picture
The Departed
Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Comments: I went 3/5 here. I knew United 93 was a long shot, but I still really think it was the best picture I saw last year (as much as I did love Little Miss Sunshine and the snubbed Dreamgirls). In retrospect, this list seems obvious. The Academy loves Clint Eastwood, and Letters from Iwo Jima (which I've note seen) is a remarkable achievement from all accounts. (The New York Times called it close to perfect) As for Dreamgirls, it's a musical with a weak script dominated by performances. I've said it before: what made Dreamgirls one of my favorite films of 2006 was not the story or the music even (outside of "And I Am Telling You"). It was Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy. Their performances were breathtaking. Their performances overcame some definite second act problems (at least on Broadway you got an intermission after "And I Am Telling You") and some pretty horrid performances from Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles (who only really shined during "Listen"). In the end, I'm actually kind of impressed that the Academy was able to separate the performances from the film and recognize the performances and the other elements of the show that actually made the film work as well as it did.
Best Actor
Forrest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Comments: I sort of went 100% on this. I thought Leo would get the nomination for The Departed rather than Blood Diamond, but I DID pick him as a nominee, so I could that as getting it right. Semantics, I know.
Best Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
Comments: I went 100% here. What can I say? I'm good.
Best Supporting Actor
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Comments: I went 3/5 here. I figured Nicholson would be the nominee from The Departed here. I mean, he's JACK NICHOLSON! And it was a pretty formidable performance. But Wahlberg was fabulous and his nomination is definitely deserved. And how awesome to see some love heading Jackie Earle Haley's way. Good ol' Kelly Lee finally made good! Who cares if he threw off my predictions? (And can I just say I'm secretly kind of happy to see Brad Pitt snubbed here? I am so sick of Brad Pitt!)
Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Comments: Emily Blunt was my wildcard in this category, and the love didn't come her way. But how exciting to see Abigail Breslin on this list. Might she be the youngest nominee? I'll have to check to see how she stacks up against Tatum O'Neal, Anna Paquin, Haley Joel Osment, and Justin Henry.
Best Director
Martin Scorcese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93
Alexandre Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Comments: Another 100% for me! Woo hoo.
Best Original Screenplay
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
Letters from Iwo Jima
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen
Best Adapted Screenplay
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
Borat
Little Children
Children of Men
Comments: Borat? Really? How can a movie that is supposed to be largely improvised be up for a screenplay nomination when there's Thank You for Smoking out there? Or The Devil Wears Prada? I LOVED Borat, but there's something just a little fishy to me about it being up for a screenplay nomination. As for the original nominees, I missed Iwo Jima in the hopes that maybe Volver would get it, loving the beauty of 2 foreign language films being up for best screenplay. I got my wish. I just picked the wrong foreign language film!
Overall, I really don't have a ton of complaints. I ended up averaging about 82% overall. I'm pretty happy, though, with the list of nominees. The ones I was really hoping to see on the list are all there with the exception of United 93 for best pic. I sort of love the irony of Dreamgirls leading nominations but not having any for Best Pic or Best Director. I'm sure Matthew Knowles will find a way to claim it's racist, anti-Beyonce propaganda winning the day.
The Departed
Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Comments: I went 3/5 here. I knew United 93 was a long shot, but I still really think it was the best picture I saw last year (as much as I did love Little Miss Sunshine and the snubbed Dreamgirls). In retrospect, this list seems obvious. The Academy loves Clint Eastwood, and Letters from Iwo Jima (which I've note seen) is a remarkable achievement from all accounts. (The New York Times called it close to perfect) As for Dreamgirls, it's a musical with a weak script dominated by performances. I've said it before: what made Dreamgirls one of my favorite films of 2006 was not the story or the music even (outside of "And I Am Telling You"). It was Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy. Their performances were breathtaking. Their performances overcame some definite second act problems (at least on Broadway you got an intermission after "And I Am Telling You") and some pretty horrid performances from Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles (who only really shined during "Listen"). In the end, I'm actually kind of impressed that the Academy was able to separate the performances from the film and recognize the performances and the other elements of the show that actually made the film work as well as it did.
Best Actor
Forrest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Comments: I sort of went 100% on this. I thought Leo would get the nomination for The Departed rather than Blood Diamond, but I DID pick him as a nominee, so I could that as getting it right. Semantics, I know.
Best Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
Comments: I went 100% here. What can I say? I'm good.
Best Supporting Actor
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Comments: I went 3/5 here. I figured Nicholson would be the nominee from The Departed here. I mean, he's JACK NICHOLSON! And it was a pretty formidable performance. But Wahlberg was fabulous and his nomination is definitely deserved. And how awesome to see some love heading Jackie Earle Haley's way. Good ol' Kelly Lee finally made good! Who cares if he threw off my predictions? (And can I just say I'm secretly kind of happy to see Brad Pitt snubbed here? I am so sick of Brad Pitt!)
Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Comments: Emily Blunt was my wildcard in this category, and the love didn't come her way. But how exciting to see Abigail Breslin on this list. Might she be the youngest nominee? I'll have to check to see how she stacks up against Tatum O'Neal, Anna Paquin, Haley Joel Osment, and Justin Henry.
Best Director
Martin Scorcese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93
Alexandre Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Comments: Another 100% for me! Woo hoo.
Best Original Screenplay
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
Letters from Iwo Jima
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen
Best Adapted Screenplay
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
Borat
Little Children
Children of Men
Comments: Borat? Really? How can a movie that is supposed to be largely improvised be up for a screenplay nomination when there's Thank You for Smoking out there? Or The Devil Wears Prada? I LOVED Borat, but there's something just a little fishy to me about it being up for a screenplay nomination. As for the original nominees, I missed Iwo Jima in the hopes that maybe Volver would get it, loving the beauty of 2 foreign language films being up for best screenplay. I got my wish. I just picked the wrong foreign language film!
Overall, I really don't have a ton of complaints. I ended up averaging about 82% overall. I'm pretty happy, though, with the list of nominees. The ones I was really hoping to see on the list are all there with the exception of United 93 for best pic. I sort of love the irony of Dreamgirls leading nominations but not having any for Best Pic or Best Director. I'm sure Matthew Knowles will find a way to claim it's racist, anti-Beyonce propaganda winning the day.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
American Idol Night 2
So I finally got around to watching the Seattle auditions. They were pretty dreadful although I really don't think any of them was anywhere near the level of, say, a William Hung or that Keith guy from season 2 (the "Like a Virgin" guy . . . anyone else remember him?) Okay, that "bush baby" guy was pretty icky and that weird computer guy who couldn't find his stuff . . . wow!
Several of the people, though, I thought, "You know, I can see how these people think they're good singers." They weren't spectacularly BAD, just not good enough to be pop stars.
Favorite moments:
1. The "Bush Baby" line from Simon. We seriously rewound that and watched it about ten times. It was just the way he said it -- "bush baby." Priceless! The only thing . . . Bush Baby and his friend (who -- okay, I have to ask -- was he mentally challenged?) -- how many times is Idol going to ride that "they became the best of friends waiting on line to audition" pony? It feels like they've done it at least two or three times already. I am willing to bet those two end up with primo seats at the finale in May.
2. I loved the two Indian kids -- the brother and sister. They were adorable. Imagine the great drama of a final two that pits adorable teen dream brother versus cute, sassy sister. OH THE DRAMA! It'll never happen, but the ratings would be intense!
Overall, though, I kinda feel like Idol is off this season. The "good" ones haven't been THAT good and the "bad" ones haven't been that bad. Maybe America has run out of undiscovered talent and delusional misfits.
Several of the people, though, I thought, "You know, I can see how these people think they're good singers." They weren't spectacularly BAD, just not good enough to be pop stars.
Favorite moments:
1. The "Bush Baby" line from Simon. We seriously rewound that and watched it about ten times. It was just the way he said it -- "bush baby." Priceless! The only thing . . . Bush Baby and his friend (who -- okay, I have to ask -- was he mentally challenged?) -- how many times is Idol going to ride that "they became the best of friends waiting on line to audition" pony? It feels like they've done it at least two or three times already. I am willing to bet those two end up with primo seats at the finale in May.
2. I loved the two Indian kids -- the brother and sister. They were adorable. Imagine the great drama of a final two that pits adorable teen dream brother versus cute, sassy sister. OH THE DRAMA! It'll never happen, but the ratings would be intense!
Overall, though, I kinda feel like Idol is off this season. The "good" ones haven't been THAT good and the "bad" ones haven't been that bad. Maybe America has run out of undiscovered talent and delusional misfits.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Colombian Idol?
A quick caveat: I am a day behind in watching American Idol. I DVR it, and I'm in tech rehearsal for the play I'm in (which opens TOMORROW NIGHT), so I'm pretty busy and having a hard time coming up with the roughly hour and a half block of time to watch Idol. I did see Tuesday's premiere, though.
Some thoughts:
1. Somehow, the people just didn't seem as freakishly bad in Minneapolis.
2. How many times did Simon say "Well, the people will like you?" Since when is that more important than talent? The people liked William Hung, too, but I didn't see him in Hollywood. The people also liked (a lot more than they deserved) John Stephens, Jasmine Trias, Nikki McKibben, Ace Young, Kellie Pickler, etc.
3. The locked left door to leave the audition room never stopped being funny. NEVER!
4. Would it have killed them to take that Cowardly Lion chick's poster? What a diss!
4. The Colombian Shakira wannabe (Perla?) prompted the following conversation last night between myself and my sister/roommate Julie:
MEL: Wow. A Latin American Idol. That would shake things up. Well, South American Idol. She's Colombian. It's like an Immigrant Idol. How appropriate.
JULIE: Great. Now we're outsourcing our American Idols! What's next?
Some thoughts:
1. Somehow, the people just didn't seem as freakishly bad in Minneapolis.
2. How many times did Simon say "Well, the people will like you?" Since when is that more important than talent? The people liked William Hung, too, but I didn't see him in Hollywood. The people also liked (a lot more than they deserved) John Stephens, Jasmine Trias, Nikki McKibben, Ace Young, Kellie Pickler, etc.
3. The locked left door to leave the audition room never stopped being funny. NEVER!
4. Would it have killed them to take that Cowardly Lion chick's poster? What a diss!
4. The Colombian Shakira wannabe (Perla?) prompted the following conversation last night between myself and my sister/roommate Julie:
MEL: Wow. A Latin American Idol. That would shake things up. Well, South American Idol. She's Colombian. It's like an Immigrant Idol. How appropriate.
JULIE: Great. Now we're outsourcing our American Idols! What's next?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Oscar Predictions
Okay, now that the Golden Globes are over, it's time to go out on a limb and predict who will and will not hear their names read next Tuesday. Before I start, I want to note that this year seems like it's shaping up to be the most predictable year as far as what will be nominated, making this task a little easier. Of course, there are always surprises, and hopefully, this year won't be any different. A lot of the winners have already been practically anointed via the 999 million critics awards that have already been given out, but again . . . maybe there will be surprises there, too! (Exhibit A: Crash. By this time last year, Brokeback Mountain was unbeatable. UNBEATABLE! And yet . . . Crash)
So . . . here goes . . .
BEST PICTURE
Babel
The Departed
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
United 93
Comments: The first three are probably givens. If they're NOT nominated, it will be a true stunner. Little Miss Sunshine seems destined to capture that "quirky indy" spot the Academy likes to have (plus, it's a darn fine film). United 93 is my "risky" prediction. The Queen or Letters from Iwo Jima may have a better shot, but I would love to see a film like United 93 get some recognition. I'm not beating the 9/11 horse here; I'm calling for recognition of a film that broke a lot of rules in going star-less, glitter-less. It's a stunning film and deserves recognition.
BEST ACTOR
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Comments: No, Leo won't snag 2 nominations in the same category. No, Sasha Baron Cohen will not be nominated, leading people to hope for another "anus bubble" -laden speech. Forest Whitaker has pretty much already engraved his name on this bad boy; the rest are just fillers anyway.
BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Comments: The thing that kind of cracks me up about how the media is making such a big deal about how this year, the Best Actress race is the one with all the heat, is the fact that it's the same 5 names that keep cropping up, with the same winner being predicted just about every time. (Has Helen Mirren lost any of the pre-Oscar awards yet?) Granted, there are several other performances sitting out there worthy of this list (Maggie Gyllenhaal could be the spoiler here, but the question is who would she bump? Who COULD she bump?) but these five are the clear front runners. In any other year, any single one of them would be the favorite to win -- if it weren't for those pesky other 4, especially that Helen Mirren.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Brad Pitt, Babel
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamonds
Jack Nicholson, The Departed
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Comments: Neither Hounsou or Arkin snagged Globe nominations. Those are strikes against them here. Either one of them could easily be replaced by Ben Affleck's turn in Hollywoodland. The pre-Oscar heat on Affleck, though, seems to have cooled considerably while the buzz on Little Miss Sunshine at least snagging some nominations has become almost deafening despite its shutout Monday night at the Globes. Personally, I would almost prefer to see Steve Carrell get the supporting actor nod here. His work in Little Miss Sunshine was a notice to us all that he's more than just a reliable nutjob. He has depth. Arkin, however, is more likely to be the one voters remember. Plus, Oscar loves to reward these great actors who've been around for decades and pop up to remind us why they're such legends. Arkin's never won, hasn't even been nominated since 1969. He deserves some love as does Hounsou.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada
Comments: Again, Jennifer Hudson already has the space cleared off on her mantel; the rest are just fillers. Cate Blanchett could sneeze on screen and earn a nomination (and the fact that she has THREE movies out there to help her garner a nod doesn't hurt things). Abigail Breslin was the heart and soul of Little Miss Sunshine. Emily Blunt is the wildcard here, perhaps, but the fact that she's able to generate any amount of buzz in a film so dominated by Meryl Streep's brilliance has to be worth something. Anything.
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin Scorcese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Paul Greengrass, United 93
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Comments: Eastwood and Frears become the best directors whose movies didn't make the cut. So why are Bill Condon and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris the ones shut out, the directors who directed the best movies yet aren't best directors themselves? First off, I can't imagine Oscar rewarding a team effort -- it seems to almost go against the whole idea of best director. That eliminates Dayton and Faris. As for Condon, well, who knows? Dreamgirls is a fine film, but the strength lies in the performances of Hudson and Murphy more than the story or music or even the direction itself. And if Baz Luhrman can't get nominated for Moulin Rouge (a film so clearly the work of a great, visionary director), it's hard to make a case for the less artistic work of Condon. If United 93 does get shut out of the Best Picture race, Greengrass gets to play spoiler. I can see the movie not getting a nomination; I have a hard time picturing Greengrass getting snubbed as well.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
Volver
Comments: United 93's realistic style will keep it out of the runnint here, allowing Volver and Pan's Labyrinth to sneak in AND give the Academy the chance to recognize some great foreign films, especially Pan's Labyrinth which could be a Best Picture contender in a less crowded year. The rest of all Best Picture contenders and it's hard to imagine them being shut out here.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Little Children
The Devil Wears Prada
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
Thank You For Smoking
Comments: Here's a chance for some "secondary" fine films of 2006 to get some love. In other years, Little Children or Notes on a Scandal would be shoo-in nominees for Best Picture. This year, not so much. Prada and Thank You for Smoking took good books and turned them into better movies. That will be recognized here.
So . . . here goes . . .
BEST PICTURE
Babel
The Departed
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
United 93
Comments: The first three are probably givens. If they're NOT nominated, it will be a true stunner. Little Miss Sunshine seems destined to capture that "quirky indy" spot the Academy likes to have (plus, it's a darn fine film). United 93 is my "risky" prediction. The Queen or Letters from Iwo Jima may have a better shot, but I would love to see a film like United 93 get some recognition. I'm not beating the 9/11 horse here; I'm calling for recognition of a film that broke a lot of rules in going star-less, glitter-less. It's a stunning film and deserves recognition.
BEST ACTOR
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Comments: No, Leo won't snag 2 nominations in the same category. No, Sasha Baron Cohen will not be nominated, leading people to hope for another "anus bubble" -laden speech. Forest Whitaker has pretty much already engraved his name on this bad boy; the rest are just fillers anyway.
BEST ACTRESS
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet, Little Children
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Comments: The thing that kind of cracks me up about how the media is making such a big deal about how this year, the Best Actress race is the one with all the heat, is the fact that it's the same 5 names that keep cropping up, with the same winner being predicted just about every time. (Has Helen Mirren lost any of the pre-Oscar awards yet?) Granted, there are several other performances sitting out there worthy of this list (Maggie Gyllenhaal could be the spoiler here, but the question is who would she bump? Who COULD she bump?) but these five are the clear front runners. In any other year, any single one of them would be the favorite to win -- if it weren't for those pesky other 4, especially that Helen Mirren.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Brad Pitt, Babel
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamonds
Jack Nicholson, The Departed
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Comments: Neither Hounsou or Arkin snagged Globe nominations. Those are strikes against them here. Either one of them could easily be replaced by Ben Affleck's turn in Hollywoodland. The pre-Oscar heat on Affleck, though, seems to have cooled considerably while the buzz on Little Miss Sunshine at least snagging some nominations has become almost deafening despite its shutout Monday night at the Globes. Personally, I would almost prefer to see Steve Carrell get the supporting actor nod here. His work in Little Miss Sunshine was a notice to us all that he's more than just a reliable nutjob. He has depth. Arkin, however, is more likely to be the one voters remember. Plus, Oscar loves to reward these great actors who've been around for decades and pop up to remind us why they're such legends. Arkin's never won, hasn't even been nominated since 1969. He deserves some love as does Hounsou.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada
Comments: Again, Jennifer Hudson already has the space cleared off on her mantel; the rest are just fillers. Cate Blanchett could sneeze on screen and earn a nomination (and the fact that she has THREE movies out there to help her garner a nod doesn't hurt things). Abigail Breslin was the heart and soul of Little Miss Sunshine. Emily Blunt is the wildcard here, perhaps, but the fact that she's able to generate any amount of buzz in a film so dominated by Meryl Streep's brilliance has to be worth something. Anything.
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin Scorcese, The Departed
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Paul Greengrass, United 93
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Comments: Eastwood and Frears become the best directors whose movies didn't make the cut. So why are Bill Condon and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris the ones shut out, the directors who directed the best movies yet aren't best directors themselves? First off, I can't imagine Oscar rewarding a team effort -- it seems to almost go against the whole idea of best director. That eliminates Dayton and Faris. As for Condon, well, who knows? Dreamgirls is a fine film, but the strength lies in the performances of Hudson and Murphy more than the story or music or even the direction itself. And if Baz Luhrman can't get nominated for Moulin Rouge (a film so clearly the work of a great, visionary director), it's hard to make a case for the less artistic work of Condon. If United 93 does get shut out of the Best Picture race, Greengrass gets to play spoiler. I can see the movie not getting a nomination; I have a hard time picturing Greengrass getting snubbed as well.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Pan's Labyrinth
The Queen
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
Volver
Comments: United 93's realistic style will keep it out of the runnint here, allowing Volver and Pan's Labyrinth to sneak in AND give the Academy the chance to recognize some great foreign films, especially Pan's Labyrinth which could be a Best Picture contender in a less crowded year. The rest of all Best Picture contenders and it's hard to imagine them being shut out here.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Little Children
The Devil Wears Prada
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
Thank You For Smoking
Comments: Here's a chance for some "secondary" fine films of 2006 to get some love. In other years, Little Children or Notes on a Scandal would be shoo-in nominees for Best Picture. This year, not so much. Prada and Thank You for Smoking took good books and turned them into better movies. That will be recognized here.
The Globes
So the Golden Globes were Monday night. I watched them on fast forward thanks to my best friend DVR. Nothing like breezing through 3 hours of awards in just about an hour! Nothing like being able to skip right over Warren Beatty's apparently mindnumbingly long speech. (And seriously . . . why was Tom Hanks presenting that award? Why not Hoffman? Or Nicholson? Or let's make things even more squirmy and get Julie Christie or Diane Keaton out there to really comment on Beatty's "talents"?) Overall, the Globes were pretty dull -- no real surprises other than Beyonce not winning Original Song. (Seriously -- she lost to a penguin song. Granted, it's a penguin song by Prince, but it's still a penguin song!)
Thoughts on the winners:
Dreamgirls/Jennifer Hudson/Eddie Murphy: First off, could Jennifer Hudson have been any cuter? Does she have a career beyond this movie? Who knows? The fact remains, though, that when she is on screen in Dreamgirls, the movie belongs to her. When she's not, the movie suffers unless Eddie Murphy is there in her place. This film would be nothing without those two. Beyonce is vapid, Jamie Foxx is bland, and the rest of the cast is little more than background. The stories of Effie and Jimmy, though, are riveting, compelling storytelling, and Hudson and Murphy deserve all the praise that's being heaped on them for their work. I do have to say, though, I've been a little disappointed that more attention hasn't been paid to the typically fine work turned in by Danny Glover in the film, but it's hard to get attention not singing in a musical.
Streep vs. Mirren: The two have set themselves up as the ones to beat for the Oscar. As delicious as Meryl is in Prada, this is Mirren's year. This woman needs an Oscar now! Hillary Swank has two of those bad boys and Helen Mirren has none? Where's the justice in that? Meryl, though, gets best speech of the night. Yes, Hugh Laurie was funny, but Meryl was Meryl -- gracious, funny, and just a little bit smarter than everyone else in the room. Mirren gets Best Dress, though. Wow. Jane Tennison has the cleavage of a 30 year old!
Whitaker vs. Borat: My prediction is that this is Sasha Baron Cohen's last big moment in the sun for Borat. I have a hard time imagining that the Academy will nominate him. I could be wrong (it's certainly happened before), but even with a nomination, a win is highly unlikely. Is there anyone out there, then, who can stop Forrest Whitaker? I kinda doubt it. Maybe the Academy will finally reward Peter O'Toole for a lifetime of incredible work, amends for all the times they've passed him over. But has anyone seen Venus? Of course, has anyone seen The Last King of Scotland? No, but the buzz is on Whitaker's side. There's always Leonardo DiCaprio, and maybe the Academy will decide his time has finally come. Let's reward Leo rather than a guy who has finally broken out of the character actor world to dominate the screen in a movie no one saw. (If an actor dominates the screen in an empty theatre, does he make a sound?) Leo is probably Whitaker's big competition, but he may be hindered more than helped by the fact that he turned in two solid performances this year -- one in a fabulous film (a film dominated, though, by solid performances) and one in an okay film that is elevated by 2 solid performances -- one from Leo and one from Djimon Hounsou. My money's still on Whitaker to be cradling the bald guy in February.
Dreamgirls vs. Babel vs. The Departed: The fact that Babel only won best picture may be telling. Can you really be the best picture without also having the best director or best screenplay? It will probably be nominated, but a win? It would be a shocker, especially if the Academy gives Scorcese his looooooooooooooooooooong overdue Best Director award and Babel can't score a Screenplay win. Personally, I've grown weary of those loosely connected, sprawling dramas. Please don't let another one win this year, especially when there are so many more deserving films like Dreamgirls and The Departed and United 93 and Little Miss Sunshine. As a theatre lover, I'm pulling for Dreamgirls even though I know deep down that the other 3 I just mentioned are truly better films. But when was the last time that the Best Picture was really and truly the BEST PICTURE of the year? Can you honestly say that Crash was the best film of 2005? Better than Capote or Good Night and Good Luck or even Brokeback Mountain? (And I was probably the only person who saw Brokeback that didn't love it, but I still think it was a better film than Crash) It will surely come down to a battle between these 3, I think, and the fact that none of the 3 has tremendous buzz at this point, that none of them has already been anointed as the obvious winner, is pretty telling and just might make for an interesting night come Oscar Night.
Thoughts on the winners:
Dreamgirls/Jennifer Hudson/Eddie Murphy: First off, could Jennifer Hudson have been any cuter? Does she have a career beyond this movie? Who knows? The fact remains, though, that when she is on screen in Dreamgirls, the movie belongs to her. When she's not, the movie suffers unless Eddie Murphy is there in her place. This film would be nothing without those two. Beyonce is vapid, Jamie Foxx is bland, and the rest of the cast is little more than background. The stories of Effie and Jimmy, though, are riveting, compelling storytelling, and Hudson and Murphy deserve all the praise that's being heaped on them for their work. I do have to say, though, I've been a little disappointed that more attention hasn't been paid to the typically fine work turned in by Danny Glover in the film, but it's hard to get attention not singing in a musical.
Streep vs. Mirren: The two have set themselves up as the ones to beat for the Oscar. As delicious as Meryl is in Prada, this is Mirren's year. This woman needs an Oscar now! Hillary Swank has two of those bad boys and Helen Mirren has none? Where's the justice in that? Meryl, though, gets best speech of the night. Yes, Hugh Laurie was funny, but Meryl was Meryl -- gracious, funny, and just a little bit smarter than everyone else in the room. Mirren gets Best Dress, though. Wow. Jane Tennison has the cleavage of a 30 year old!
Whitaker vs. Borat: My prediction is that this is Sasha Baron Cohen's last big moment in the sun for Borat. I have a hard time imagining that the Academy will nominate him. I could be wrong (it's certainly happened before), but even with a nomination, a win is highly unlikely. Is there anyone out there, then, who can stop Forrest Whitaker? I kinda doubt it. Maybe the Academy will finally reward Peter O'Toole for a lifetime of incredible work, amends for all the times they've passed him over. But has anyone seen Venus? Of course, has anyone seen The Last King of Scotland? No, but the buzz is on Whitaker's side. There's always Leonardo DiCaprio, and maybe the Academy will decide his time has finally come. Let's reward Leo rather than a guy who has finally broken out of the character actor world to dominate the screen in a movie no one saw. (If an actor dominates the screen in an empty theatre, does he make a sound?) Leo is probably Whitaker's big competition, but he may be hindered more than helped by the fact that he turned in two solid performances this year -- one in a fabulous film (a film dominated, though, by solid performances) and one in an okay film that is elevated by 2 solid performances -- one from Leo and one from Djimon Hounsou. My money's still on Whitaker to be cradling the bald guy in February.
Dreamgirls vs. Babel vs. The Departed: The fact that Babel only won best picture may be telling. Can you really be the best picture without also having the best director or best screenplay? It will probably be nominated, but a win? It would be a shocker, especially if the Academy gives Scorcese his looooooooooooooooooooong overdue Best Director award and Babel can't score a Screenplay win. Personally, I've grown weary of those loosely connected, sprawling dramas. Please don't let another one win this year, especially when there are so many more deserving films like Dreamgirls and The Departed and United 93 and Little Miss Sunshine. As a theatre lover, I'm pulling for Dreamgirls even though I know deep down that the other 3 I just mentioned are truly better films. But when was the last time that the Best Picture was really and truly the BEST PICTURE of the year? Can you honestly say that Crash was the best film of 2005? Better than Capote or Good Night and Good Luck or even Brokeback Mountain? (And I was probably the only person who saw Brokeback that didn't love it, but I still think it was a better film than Crash) It will surely come down to a battle between these 3, I think, and the fact that none of the 3 has tremendous buzz at this point, that none of them has already been anointed as the obvious winner, is pretty telling and just might make for an interesting night come Oscar Night.
Greetings
You know, I'm an opinionated person. I like to share my thoughts on things. So why has it taken me so long to jump on the blog train? Who knows? But the point is -- it's time. This is a chance for me to comment on things, mostly pop culture in nature. So here goes . . . !
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