OSCAR® 2008 - A CRITIC'S PICKS FOR THE HOLLYWOOD GOLD by Edward X. Young

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There Will Be Oscars® – or will there be?

The biggest surprise on Oscar® Night will be whether there even is an Oscar® Night.  If the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) continues to strike, the 80^th Academy Awards® on February 24, 2008 will likely be an untelevised ceremony. The biggest question is whether anyone will care. Oscar® is in trouble; and its TV ratings are dropping. It’s all because of a crackpot scheme dreamt up by of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® (A.M.P.A.S.) and the TV broadcasters of the award show.

Once upon a time, Oscar® nominations were announced in February; and the Academy Awards® broadcast would take place in the springtime.  This gave the movie-going public ample time to see all the nominated pictures – so that on Oscar® Night, they’d have something to root for. Now nominees are announced mid-January; and awards are doled out one month later.  Considering most of Hollywood’s best movies are not released until the very end of the year, it’s apparent very few people will have a chance to see all or any of the Oscar®-nominated pictures by Oscar® Night.

A.M.P.A.S. was afraid they were losing their thunder to all the other acting award shows that are now on TV.  They may think they’re beating the competition; but I say they’re shooting themselves in the foot!  THERE WILL BE BLOOD might win all the big awards; but will anyone care if they haven’t seen the movie?

I hope the Academy will listen to me and come to their senses. Until they do, you can trust me, Edward X.Young, your Psychic Critic, to keep you colorfully informed about all the movies you have or have not seen.  If there is no televised Oscar® broadcast on February 24, you’ll still have the HollywoodGold website on SentinelSource to keep the Academy Awards® exciting and fun!

Enjoy my movie reviews and take heed of my Oscar® picks and predictions! Don’t forget to enter all the free contests! Please post a Movie Forum comment, because it’s your chance to be a critic, too!

BEST PICTURE:
JUNO (pictured left), the quirky comedy about teen pregnancy, may have won the public heart, because it’s the only movie nominated for Best Picture that doesn’t feature throats slashed, innocents unjustly accused, poison injected, cars blown up, skulls smashed by a captive bolt air gun, or brains beaten out with a bowling pin.  ATONEMENT may score points with the Academy’s voting members, because it’s one of those oh-so-British tea-and-crumpets movies (like THE ENGLISH PATIENT) that always appeals to those A.M.P.A.S. anglophiles. A good friend of mine, who’s a long-time member of the Screen Actors Guild, assures me that the legal-thriller MICHAEL CLAYTON will win, because it’s got everything (charismatic star, stellar supporting cast, dynamic direction, and a story that never stalls in which good triumphs over evil) that goes into the formula for a perfect Hollywood hit; and although it may be just a genre movie, like last year’s Oscar®-winner THE DEPARTED, it’s a great genre movie that could very well be the dark horse. 

Regardless, this critic says it’s a dead-heat race between two darker and more sinister pictures both rooted in a moral wasteland in a desolate American West that each copped eight Oscar® nominations. Although the over-long THERE WILL BE BLOOD is brilliantly executed, I think it’s more of an individual character study on an evil oil man than a conventional narrative – and too much of an “art film” to capture a wide appeal.  Whereas NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (pictured right), as brooding and bloody as it may be, is a bona fide classic with unforgettable iconic characters; it’s the best elegiac western since the late Sam Peckinpah was behind a camera – and it’s the Critic’s Pick and Prediction to win the Hollywood Gold.

BEST DIRECTOR:
The Critic’s Pick is Julian Schnabel (pictured left) for LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLION (translated: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY). I can’t believe that the country of France didn’t submit this picture to the Academy as their official entry for Oscar’s® Best Foreign Language Film; but I imagine that’s probably because the director isn’t French; he’s an American from New York City working abroad.  This remarkable film is based on a true story adapted from the autobiography of Jean-Dominique Bauby the Editor of Elle Magazine, who at the age of 43 is left nearly completely paralyzed by a massive stroke; and the only thing he can move is his left eye.  Against seemingly impossible odds, Bauby learns to communicate and compose his memoir solely by blinking that eye.  Facing a seemingly impossible task of telling the story cinematically, director Schnabel makes a daring choice to film nearly the entire story in the style of cinéma vérité from the eye’s point of view! The result is terrifying, claustrophobic, dream-like, and ultimately exhilarating – a testament to the triumph of the soul of an artist made by Schnabel, who’s actually a fine artist-turned-filmmaker.

However, I think the odds are slim that the Academy would give this award to a Hollywood outsider who directed a film in a foreign language.  The showdown is between The Coen Brothers (pictured right) and Paul Thomas Anderson.  Since THERE WILL BE BLOOD is not as entertaining as Anderson’s early masterpiece BOOGIE NIGHTS (a film he has yet to equal), the Critic Predicts that Joel & Ethan Coen will win the Hollywood Gold for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, because it’s the best directing they’ve ever done. It’s so refreshing that the Dynamic Duo of Alternative Cinema found the confidence to set aside their kooky trademark characters and self-conscious directorial tricks. When they decided to just tell a story, they tell it magnificently.

BEST ACTOR:
The Critic’s Pick is Viggo Mortensen (pictured left) for EASTERN PROMISES in which he plays a Vory V Zakone (translated as “Thief in Law”) a made-member of the ruthlessly violent Russian criminal brotherhood that has infiltrated the West.  Covered with mysterious tattoos of stars and religious motifs that symbolically recount a litany of crimes and a history of violence, Mortensen’s laconic Nikolai presents an outward charm and congeniality like a wall of translucent glass that barely masks a beast within. Mortensen plays his subtext-driven rendition like a Matryoshka doll, in that unexpected character dimensions are revealed in each successive scene. Although I don’t expect Mortensen to win this award, I’m pleased this Oscar® nomination has brought greater attention to this important film directed by David Cronenberg that’s a gritty and gruesome exposé of a real and dangerous criminal subculture that has for too long remained in the shadows.

The Critic Predicts that Daniel Day-Lewis (pictured right) will win the Hollywood Gold for his rendition of the incrementally corrupted oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in THERE WILL BE BLOOD.  It’s an epic level performance in a performance-dominated epic film.  Although apparently inspired by John Huston’s portrayal of the profligate water magnate Noah Cross in CHINATOWN (1974) it’s not an imitation but a deeper examination of a common theme. With such a rich and challenging role, it’s obvious that Day-Lewis must have had an actor’s field day as he gets the chance in this 2 hour and 38 minute picture to showcase the full range of his acting ability, creating a memorable character that is monstrous and pitiable, mythic and human.

BEST ACTRESS:
In this category, Cate Blanchett (pictured left) has made her mark in Oscar® history, holding the unique distinction of being nominated for two different performances in separate categories (Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role) in the same year, while at the same time also being nominated for the second time for playing the same character in two different films in different years, having received Oscar® nods for playing England’s Queen Elizabeth I in ELIZABETH (1998) and again in ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE this year.  Alas for Cate, as great as she is in the part, A.M.P.A.S. is likely to hold off on giving her the Hollywood Gold for playing the Virgin Queen until she makes her final take in the historical series. 

This year the Critic Picks Marion Cotillard for her majestic rendition of the legendary Parisian songbird Edith Piaf in LA MOME (aka LA VIE EN ROSE) which follows the singer’s extraordinary life from her ugly teenage years in brothels to her glamorous heyday in concert halls to her tragic death, dissipated and cancer-stricken at 47.  Although this role, which required impeccable singing talent as well as an expansive acting range, is head and shoulders above any other performance this year, it is in French, which makes this Critic Predict that the Academy will instead go with sentimental favorite Julie Christie (pictured right) for her performance in AWAY FROM HER in which she plays an Alzheimer’s victim who has completely forgotten that she has been happily married for over 40 years.  The elegant and luminous screen legend Christie does succeed in transforming an afflicted character that could have been tragic and depressing into a thing of beauty that’s vibrant and surprisingly life-affirming – and she deserves merit for that.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
It’s hard to believe that after all the incredible film roles he has played over a busy career spanning nearly half a century that 82-year-old Hal Holbrook has received his first Oscar® nomination ever for his performance in INTO THE WILD; and if it were any other year, this critic would say Hal stood an excellent chance, considering A.M.P.A.S. typically reserves this category to honor veteran actors for lifetime achievement.  Unfortunately for Hal, it’s no contest, because NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN has it in a lock.  It’s the Critic’s Pick and Prediction that Javier Bardem (pictured left) will make a clean getaway with this Hollywood Gold for his creation of an iconic screen villain. He’s a demon in black denim with a Johnny Ramone hair-do, who’s armed with a captive bolt air gun (a device used to kill animals in a slaughterhouse), who’s even scarier than Hannibal Lecter. Just wait for the Halloween costume next year!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Like Hal Holbrook, 83-year-old Ruby Dee is a sentimental favorite.  Her professional career in movies stretches back to 1939 – almost 70 years!  And the nod she got for playing the mobster’s mom in AMERICAN GANGSTER is her first Oscar® nomination ever.  Regardless, Ruby must concede to Cate Blanchett (pictured right), who won’t win it for playing a Queen of England, but will get the gold for her portrayal of a “king” of popular music in I’M NOT THERE, director Todd Haynes’ bizarre and brilliant biopic of Bob Dylan.  That’s right, Cate Blanchett plays Bob Dylan!  Or to be precise, she is one of six performers (including the ill-fated Heath Ledger) to play ever-evolving personas of legendary Dylan over the course of his illustrious career. But Blanchett’s amazing androgynous rendition is the best – and the Critic’s Pick and Prediction to win the Oscar®.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
What were they thinking when they failed to nominate THE SIMPSON’S MOVIE?  Perhaps they were offended by Bart’s full frontal nudity. (I’m not kidding!)  SURF’S UP which is about penguins hanging ten doesn’t stand a snowballs chance, since that other penguin cartoon, already won last year. RATATOUILLE, featuring gormandizing rodents with a taste for gourmet food, was made by Brad Bird (the genius who gave us THE INCREDIBLES), who has a lot of Hollywood clout.  However, the Critic Picks and Predicts that PERSEPOLIS (pictured left) will prevail.  This French language film (featuring the voice of Catherine Deneuve) is too remarkable to ignore. Based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, who also co-directed and co-scripted PERSEPOLIS, it’s an eye-opening autobiographical account of an outspoken woman growing up in Iran. Representing a revolutionary leap forward in the art form, this animated feature (which is not a kid’s movie) presents a thought-provoking personal perspective on the Muslim world.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
29-year-old Diablo Cody (pictured right), the stripper-turned-screenwriter who wrote JUNO, is the Critic’s Pick and Prediction to win this award. This winsome sleeper hit about teen pregnancy is so funny, poignant and clever (and stands so far above the competition) that it’s hard to believe it was written by a first-timer!  When did she find the time to hone her craft?  Was she reading William Goldman between sets at the go-go bar?

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
This Oscar® race is a dead heat that’s too close to call. The two obvious front runners are Joel & Ethan Coen (pictured left) for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and Paul Thomas Anderson for THERE WILL BE BLOOD.  The deciding factor will be how exactly the Academy’s voting members define what is a “Best Adapted Screenplay.”  The Coens scripted a very faithful translation of Cormac McCarthy’s “Southern Gothic” novel. Anderson only very loosely based his script on Upton Sinclair’s story – and instead created something that’s new, different and even better. It’s a coin toss. My knowledge of Hollywood politics makes me think they won’t let Anderson walk away empty-handed if the Coens get the Hollywood Gold for directing.  So the Critic Picks NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN but Predicts that THERE WILL BE BLOOD will win this Academy Award®.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Normally I can’t stand Michael Moore (pictured right) because I maintain that he doesn’t make documentaries; rather, he makes propaganda films that violate ever rule in the textbook of proper documentary filmmaking. Moore is an editorialist who decides on an advance agenda before he ever pulls the trigger on a camera – and then pulls every dirty trick in the book to prove his premise.  Nevertheless, never have his manipulative skills been so warranted.  In taking on the lying, cheating, and oh-so-powerful providers of so-called “health care” in the United States as controlled by profit-oriented health maintenance organizations (HMOs) somebody had to pull a few rabbit punches. Because Moore’s new film SiCKO is such an urgent wake-up call, this Critic Picks, Predicts and enthusiastically urges the Academy to give SiCKO an Oscar®.

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BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
A virtually impossible category to predict, because of the five nominated foreign language features, only one film (the Israeli entry BEAUFORT) has even been released in the USA – and that was only days before the Oscar® nominations were announced.  Two of these other features will not be commercially released until after the Academy Awards®; and two others may never be screened in US movie houses.  So how is one to judge what one has not seen?  On the director’s reputation alone, this Critic Picks and Predicts that KATYN, the entry from Poland, will win the Oscar®, because it’s directed by 81-year-old Andrzej Wajda (pictured left), who is regarded as the greatest filmmaker in the history of his country.  This brilliant artist is also a courageous freedom fighter who has put his career and life on the line with earlier films like ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958), MAN OF MARBLE (1977), and MAN OF IRON (1981), all pictures in which Wajda dared to challenge and criticize Poland’s Soviet oppressors.  I can only assume that his latest effort is likewise a work of beauty and social relevance.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT THE WORLD’S END looks like they spent $200 million on Computer Graphic Imaging (CGI) and about $1.98 on its stupid screenplay.  THE GOLDEN COMPASS, starring Nicole Kidman, has impressive effects, but a thinly veiled anti-Christian pro-pagan agenda that’s patently obvious to anyone who read the book by the militant atheist writer of Children’s stories, Phillip Pullman. (And I thought Nicole Kidman gave up Scientology when she divorced Tom Cruise!)  Therefore the Critic Picks and Predicts and hopes to God that TRANSFORMERS (pictured right), the movie based on the Hasbro action figures, will win the Hollywood Gold.  It may just be a kid’s movie; but it’s one heck of a wildly entertaining kid’s movie – and its state-of-the-art effects are really wicked cool! But what else can you expect from TRANSFORMERS executive producer Steven Spielberg?

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
In LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLION (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) (pictured left), an ingeniously executed introspective biographical picture told from the internal viewpoint of a paralyzed man’s left eye, the camerawork is even more expressive than the accomplished actors.  It’s an astounding effort from Janusz Kaminski, who is regarded by many as the world’s greatest cinematographer.  Spielberg uses him all the time; and he won Oscars® for SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and SCHINDLER’S LIST.  The Critic Picks and Predicts he’s getting a third statuette.
 

BEST EDITING:
Those Coen Brothers (pictured right) sure know how to cut a film too! In NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, not only do they know how to build tension when necessary by picking up the pace, but they also know when to slow down for contemplative moments – or even not cut at all to hold the drama.  In their editing, they reveal confidence and understanding of cinematic expression that even exceeds their talents as writers and directors.  Not only does this Critic Pick and Predict them to win this award, but also suggests that A.M.P.A.S. should invent a new category just for these guys:  Best All Around Versatile Artists In Every Aspect of Filmmaking.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Featuring snappy Stephen Sondheim tunes and more graphic throat-slashing than any picture I can remember, director Tim Burton’s loving tribute to Hammer Films, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (pictured left) is a bloody good show that deserved far more Oscar® attention than it got. Unfortunately, the Academy seldom embraces horror movies or musicals these days – and this one is both. (There Will Be Blood -- and Singing!)  Nevertheless it can’t be denied that Burton always has the wildest and woolliest costumes; and his regular designer Colleen Atwood is the Critic’s Pick and Prediction to win this award.

BEST SONG:
Walt Disney Pictures’ delightful self-parody, ENCHANTED, has three nominations in this field which may indicate an edge.  Nevertheless, the Critic’s Pick and Prediction is that the Oscar® will go to “Falling Slowly” from ONCE (pictured right) starring Glen Hansard (of the Irish band The Frames). Think back to the scene where the duo first sing the tune in the music store; and I dare you not to be swept away with emotion.  Add to the fact that Hansard is the must-have guest at private dinner parties in Hollywood for after-dinner sing-alongs, and then you’ve got as close to a sure thing in this category as you can get.

The Critic Picks and Predicts that the Oscar® for Best Make-up will go to Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald for LA MOME (aka LA VIE EN ROSE) for an unbelievably convincing aging process on the actress playing Edith Piaf that looks genuine even in lingering well-lit close-ups. For its incredibly creepy and atmospheric sets, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET will win for BEST ART DIRECTION. The BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT will be THE TONTO WOMAN.  The BEST ANIMATED SHORT will be I MET THE WALRUS. The Oscar® for BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE will go to James Newton Howard for MICHAEL CLAYTON; Howard was formerly of the band Toto and now holds the reputation of being the fastest and most reliable film composer in Hollywood. The BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT will be FREEHELD, the powerful New Jersey-made film about a terminally ill woman fighting for the legal right to leave her property to her long-time gay companion. Because sound mixer Kevin O’Connell (pictured left) holds the record for having the most Oscar® nominations without a win (20 times!), the Critic thinks it would be too cruel not to finally give him and his team the Academy Award® for BEST SOUND for TRANSFORMERS, which should also take the Hollywood Gold for BEST SOUND EDITING.

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Read the Critic's reviews of the five nominated films