So I thought that I should throw together my Oscar picks, being that the big day is just around the proverbial corner. I saw some excellent movies this year... and, some not so excellent movies this year. I was fortunate enough to go to Sundance last year and preview some great films. Only one of which is up for anything... that being, Laura Linney in, The Savages. Anyway, I will try and keep this short and sweet. Touching mostly on the main awards... that is to say, Picture, director, actor, actress, et cetera. Here we go...
Actor;
George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Daniel Day-Lewis (There will be Blood)
Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)
Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)
Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for old Men)
For me it's a no-brainer... Daniel Day Lewis' performance was so menacing, yet touching, I found myself wondering at times why do I like this person? And, other times wondering why don't I like this person? I think I could listen to DD Lewis read the bible and he would somehow make it more interesting than it is. But nevertheless PTA pulled an extraordinary performance from an even more extraordinary performer.
Supporting Actor;
Casey Affleck (Assassination of Jessie James)
Javier Bardem (No Country for old Men)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson's War)
Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild)
Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)
Again, all extremely talented individuals, but it has to be Mr. Bardem. Holy fuck! That was such an amazing performance. I can't say enough, or for that matter, anything. He was just that good.
Actress;
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
Julie Christie (Away from Her)
Marion Cotillard (La vie en Rose)
Laura Linney (The Savages)
Ellen Page (Juno)
I have to be honest, I haven't seen all these performances, but please... pretty please, I beg of the Academy to give Oscar to Ellen Page. I absolutely loved this little film and this big performance!
Actress Supporting;
Cate Blanchett (I'm not There)
Ruby Dee (American Gangster)
Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
Have to give it to Ms. Blanchett. If for no other reason that it takes quite the gifted individual to be nominated for an Oscar, let alone... two.
Cinematography;
Assassination of Jessie James
Atonement
The Driving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for old Men
There will be Blood
Holy 35mm Shit! This is a toughie, because Jessie James, No Country, and There will be Blood may be three of the best shot films in quite sometime. All are just fucking gorgeous, but I have to give it to, There will be Blood. It's beautiful. Moving on.
Directing;
The Driving Bell and the Butterfly
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for old Men
There will be Blood
Oh, shit... what is a boy to do? Just when you thought the Coen Brothers couldn't get any better, they go and make their masterpiece. Oh, but wait... another little filmmaker by the name of Paul Thomas Anderson goes and makes his masterpiece as well. FUCK! I love the Coens and I have to admit that I was not the biggest PTA fan on block, but There will be Blood is just fucking awesome. However, PTA did have Daniel Day Lewis by his side, maybe the best actor ever. And the Coens went and made Josh Brolin amazing again... okay, I'm going with The Coens. In terms of combined directing and filmmaking I have to give it to the Gods that are the Coen Brothers.
Picture;
There will be Blood
No Country for old Men
Juno
Atonement
Michael Clayton
And I thought picking director was hard. Let me get this out of the way... Juno is an amazing film, maybe my most liked film of the year. Okay, now that that is over... There will be Blood and No Country for old Men are in a dead heat if you ask me. I haven't left a movie theatre in quite sometime like I left after these two. In that, I have been thinking about both since I saw them. I won't bore you with what I think of both, you all know we are talking about two amazing films here. So here is how I came to my conclusion... I decided that I had to go with the film I'm still thinking about and that made a bigger home in my mind than the other. I had to go with that visceral feeling one gets when they see something. Okay... hardest thing I've had to do in awhile by the way, so on those grounds the best picture of 2007 was...
THERE WILL BE BLOOD!
Hopefully, this year will produce two masterful works like last year and make my head explode from trying to decide once again!
Swanny out.
