Oscar Noms

THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS ARE IN BOYS!

I love The Lord of the Rings so I must point out that it recieved 11 Nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Cold Mountain, for the record, was royally snubbed in both of the aforementioned categories.

Here are the rest of the nominees:

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Johnny Depp – PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

Ben Kingsley – HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG

Jude Law – COLD MOUNTAIN

Bill Murray – LOST IN TRANSLATION

Sean Penn – MYSTIC RIVER

(you’ll notice that I’ve italicized one of the names above, that is because I believe this person/film will be the victor) After each category I shall explain my prediction… and hope to God that I am accurate 🙂

Okay, so this category is pretty much not one you usually have to think about very much. Now, I will concede that Bill Murray got the Golden Globe for Best Actor (Comedy). But this is the Academy, and the Academy sadly rarely gives out Best Actor awards for comedic performances. Now, this is not a end all be all of the awards syste. Sean Penn turned in two quality performances this year, one in Mystic River and the other in 21 Grams, he’s my bet for Best Actor.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Alec Baldwin – THE COOLER

Benicio Del Toro – 21 GRAMS

Djimon Hounsou – IN AMERICA

Tim Robbins – MYSTIC RIVER

Ken Watanabe – THE LAST SAMURAI

This category is a little trickier. Alec Bladwin is ruled out in my book because The Cooler has only been out for a few weeks on very limited disribution. Benicio has won before, Djimon really is an awesome actor and deserves to win… and In America as a film has been around for a while and has a fair sized viewership. Tim Robbins is a solid actor but my bet is on Ken Watanabe, he had a gut-churning sweet role in The Last Samurai. He is my pick.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Keisha Castle-Hughes -WHALE RIDER

Diane Keaton – SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE

Samantha Morton – IN AMERICA

Charlize Theron – MONSTER

Naomi Watts – 21 GRAMS

This line up is full of good chioces. Whale Rider has been a critical as well as an audience fave, which puts Keisha high up on the list, and so I’ve chosen her. Diane and Samantha are solid, but probably not as well known as the roles Charlize and Naomi had in their films.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Shohreh Aghdashloo – HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG

Patricia Clarkson – PIECES OF APRIL

Marcia Gay Harden – MYSTIC RIVER

Holly Hunter – THIRTEEN

Ren?e Zellweger – COLD MOUNTAIN

Yeah yeah yeah, Ren?e won the Golden Globe and that is the primary reason I’ve chosen her for the Academy Award too. She was nominated for Chicago last year but failed to attain the coveted little golden man. The other two high marks in this category are Shohreh, she has been a critical favorite, and Holly Hunter, who had an eye-opening role in Thirteen.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

BROTHER BEAR

FINDING NEMO

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE

The Triplets of Belleville would win most likely if it had been playing in more than just one theater in New York City. But seeing as that is the only place in the continental U.S. that you could view the film, I doubt that it will win. Brother Bear? No. Nemo? The fact that that film even EXISTS boggles my mind: the detail and faithful recreation of the ocean floor is amazing. And the story is not that bad 🙂

ART DIRECTION

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

THE LAST SAMURAI

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

SEABISCUIT

I like the Lord of the Rings. ’nuff said.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

CITY OF GOD

COLD MOUNTAIN

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

SEABISCUIT

I want City of God to win really badly in this category… however Girl With A Pearl Earring and Master and Commander are worthy competitors, especially Girl. It details a fictional period of the life of legendary painter Vermeer, whose work is noted especially for it’s photographic quality and unique representation of light.

COSTUME DESIGN

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

THE LAST SAMURAI

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

SEABISCUIT

For the third film, nearly every culture and character has a part and thus the whole breadth of the epic trilogy and it’s incredible costume design can be taken in 🙂

DIRECTING

CITY OF GOD

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

LOST IN TRANSLATION

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

MYSTIC RIVER

LOTR does have the buzz. City of God is nominated, which is awesome. But it will not win. Mystic River is Clint Eastwood’s best since Unforgiven… but it has nothing on LOTR!!!

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

BALSEROS

CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS

THE FOG OF WAR

MY ARCHITECT

THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND

Just a slightly-educated guess.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

ASYLUM

CHERNOBYL HEART

FERRY TALES

Sure beats me 😛

FILM EDITING

CITY OF GOD

COLD MOUNTAIN

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

SEABISCUIT

Truth be told, I think that City of God might win this one, it is a strong competitor. But I still think that LOTR has the buzz.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS

EVIL

THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI

TWIN SISTERS

?ELARY

It’s the only one I’ve heard of before 😛

MAKEUP

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

Gotta love them orcs!

MUSIC (SCORE)

BIG FISH

COLD MOUNTAIN

FINDING NEMO

HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

Enough Film Critic’s associations have picked Howard Shore again for Best Score, even though he’s already won for LOTR. Cold Mountain got T Bone Burnett to do the music (he did O Brother, Where Art Thou?), which could tip the scales. Big Fish was good, if reserved Danny Elfman. Finding Nemo was vintage Pixar. I have not seen House of Sand and Fog.

MUSIC (SONG)

“Into the West” – THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

“A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow” – A MIGHTY WIND

“Scarlet Tide” – COLD MOUNTAIN

“The Triplets of Belleville” – THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE

“You Will Be My Ain True Love” – COLD MOUNTAIN

The only other song on this list that even is good is the one from The Triplets of Belleville. Cold Mountain with two? 😦 A Mighty Wind got nominated, that is awesome. Not likely to win but awesome still to be nominated. Also a great song.

BEST PICTURE

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

LOST IN TRANSLATION

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

MYSTIC RIVER

SEABISCUIT

… You know why.

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

BOUNDIN’

DESTINO

GONE NUTTY

HARVIE KRUMPET

NIBBLES

Even though Pixar won this one last year, I’m going to go with them again 🙂

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

DIE ROTE JACKE (The Red Jacket)

MOST (The Bridge)

SQUASH

(A) TORZIJA ([A] Torsion)

TWO SOLDIERS

Um, I have no idea what these even are.

SOUND

THE LAST SAMURAI

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

SEABISCUIT

Lost last year but won Sound Editing? Odd. Gonna flip flop this year 🙂

SOUND EDITING

FINDING NEMO

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

My uneducated pick 🙂

VISUAL EFFECTS

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

Master and Commander was awesome and detailed, Pirates got a little old and cheesy. LOTR? Just right 🙂

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

AMERICAN SPLENDOR

CITY OF GOD

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

MYSTIC RIVER

SEABISCUIT

The other films in this category all deserve to be there hands down, but adapting Tolkien to the screen? Who would take on such a monsterous task? And it has as yet not won an award as such and so deserves above the others to take home the little golden guy.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS

DIRTY PRETTY THINGS

FINDING NEMO

IN AMERICA

LOST IN TRANSLATION

I’ve heard that this film is written so well, it is a favorite for this award.