And now it's that time of year when Liz spouts her opinion on matters which do nothing but enhance her small life. Movies!
Oh yes, the nominations are out. And here are my personal picks, which are not necessarily the favorites:
Best Picture Nominees
-Atonement
-There Will Be Blood
-Juno
-No Country For Old Men
-Michael Clayton
Liz's Pick
No Country For Old Men -- This film is so well made. The Coen Brothers have outdone themselves. Really. The fact that there's no score to speak of leads to the majority of suspense and thrill. Each scene becomes more suspenseful and interesting, even though they get less bloody.
Best Actor Nominees
-Daniel Day Lewis
-George Clooney
-Johnny Depp
-Viggo Mortensen
-Tommy Lee Jones
Liz's Pick
George Clooney -- I think it's George's year. This movie was not a big box office success. It even slipped under my radar, as far as awards were concerned. But George's, as well as Tilda Swinton's and Tom Wilkinson's, performances in this movie are just spectacular. The story line is a bit complicated, but each scene builds upon the last. I love the intricacy and subtlety.
Best Actress Nominees
-Ellen Page
-Julie Christie
-Cate Blanchett
-Marion Cotillard
-Laura Linney
Liz's Pick
Ellen Page -- This is her movie and she's adorably bang on in it. All the characters are spot on, but Ellen just takes the cake. Her totally believable performance as the spunky pregnant teenager is one of those performances we'll all be talking about ten years from now. Welcome to Hollywood Ellen!
Best Supporting Actor Nominees
-Hal Holbrook
-Javier Bardem
-Casey Affleck
-Philip Seymour Hoffman
-Tom Wilkinson
Liz's Pick
Casey Affleck -- Not a heavy favorite for this category, what with Javier Bardem being the golden boy this year, but I'm gonna take a risk here. I think Casey put all of himself out there in "The Assassination of Jesse James". And it was all good. Everything else disappointed for me, except Casey. He's emerging as a brilliant actor, loved by his fellow actors.
Best Supporting Actress Nominees
-Cate Blanchett
-Ruby Dee
-Amy Ryan
-Saoirse Ronan
-Tilda Swinton
Liz's Pick
Tilda Swinton -- A lot of people might have thought I would pick Cate for her performance in "I'm Not There". I would have, except that Tilda was nominated. She has always played beautifully opposite any actor and she does so in a phenomenal way in "Michael Clayton". She was born to play this role; the anxious, yet deliberate foil to George Clooney's focused legal manhunt.
Best Foreign Film Nominees
-12
-The Counterfeiters
-Katyn
-Beaufort
-Mongol
Liz's Pick
The Counterfeiters -- Oscar loves a WWII film about Nazis and this one offers a wide range of acting skills and story. If this film should hit your local theater, go see it. Yes, subtitles are present, but hey - interesting true story + cool machinery = good time.
Best Director Nominees
-Julian Schnabel
-The Coen Brothers
-Jason Reitman
-Tony Gilroy
-Paul Thomas Anderson
Liz's Pick
Julian Schnabel -- His movie is a total gem from start to finish. Julian has a vision and measure to his madness. The film is art, since he is also a painter. And that's what film should be. I'm a little upset Sean Penn wasn't nominated - he could easily take the place of Tony Gilroy. And where was the nod for Joe Wright? With those two biggies out of the way, I choose Julian for his sheer brilliance.
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees
-Sarah Polley
-Ronald Harwood
-Christopher Hampton
-The Coen Brothers
-Paul Thomas Anderson
Liz's Pick
Christopher Hampton -- "Atonement" may not have been the best movie of the year in my opinion, but it's shining glory is the screenplay. Ian McEwan's wonderful book was masterfully adapted by Hampton, even with all the time jumps. Not once did I feel slowed down by the decades of story involved. Not once did I feel like I'd missed some key element to the very ornate story. It's about as true to a novel a screenplay can be.
Best Original Screenplay Nominees
-Diablo Cody
-Nancy Oliver
-Tamara Jenkins
-Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, and Jim Capobianco
-Tony Gilroy
Liz's Pick
Tamara Jenkins -- I am so happy "The Savages" was nominated, both here and for Laura Linney's performance as the neurotic sister having to take care of her senior father. This is a screenplay with characters who write, so the standard was meant to be upheld in a big way. And with actors like Linney and PSH... the movie was taken to a higher level.
*The Things Left Behind*
--Nominations for Sean Penn's "Into The Wild"--
I mean, Eddie Vedder wasn't even nominated for Best Song! Come on people! Yes, there were some good scores and songs in movies this year, but Penn's film relied so heavily on the music, it was like a separate character. Same as the direction and writing. I am a little upset that it didn't get much love.
--No Angelina or Keira--
I am not surprised that Keira or Angelina were not nominated. While I have not seen Angelina's performance, I doubt it would have stood up to the women who were nominated. The Globes have many nominations that don't show up anywhere else. Neither of the actresses were nominated for these performances, other than at the Globes.
--Just Off The Grid--
This was a really good year for film. I will be very honest about this issue. In movie years like 2005, when "Brokeback Mountain" took charge, other films take a back seat. (Would anyone have remembered "Crash" came out the same year if it hadn't won?) And I hate it. All films should be given their due. This year is a good example of that, as seen with all the different award shows so far. But there were a few films that weren't even being talked about: "The Namesake", "Youth Without Youth", "After The Wedding", "Once", and "Zodiac". None of these movies (with the exception of "Once") have been nominated. And they more rightly deserved a nod, rather than say... "Charlie Wilson's War" and "Sweeney Todd" - sorry Johnny fans...
OK. I've put in my twelve cents. Your turn.