Wednesday, December 26, 2007

There Will Be Praying

Today is the day. Oscar ballots have been dropped into the postal system and are speeding their way to AMPAS homes even as I type. Now's the time to beg your higher power to do what it takes for... [insert your favorite Oscar hopeful here]! That is, if you feel like your higher power cares about the movies. I know mine does.

This then is the week for all predictive-types to let their overanalytic side run wild. What is happening right now to influence the ballots (most AMPAS voters return their ballots within the first few days)? What names are stuck in their memories. Which screeners did they just watch?

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

Julie Christie (a must win); and, so sorry here, John Travolta (a nomination would be fine - I'm not expecting him to win). I thought he was lots 'o fun. I now offically do not like (my 3-day-post-seeing-it review) "No country for old men"....i don't get all the raves....and saw Javier Bardem as totally dead-pan the whole way thru. i hope he does not win.

Anonymous said...

Oh, if I could ask for justice in this world of movie awards, things would be this way:

Zodiac in for Best Picture and favorite in Director, Screenplay and Cinematography. Robert Downey Jr would be a lock in the supporting category.

Paul Greengrass would receive his second nomination.

Adrien Brody (The Darjeeling Limited), Kurt Russell (Death Proof) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Southland Tales) would be remembered.

Best Score = Johny Greenwood (There Will Be Blood)

Anonymous said...

I know that I'm not in the majority here but I am reposting my comments on Atonement that I left a couple of days ago in response to the GG nominations.

Finally saw Atonement on Christmas Eve in LA and must admit that I loved it. I've read the novel and was still devastated by the ending. I haven't seen all the contenders so I'm not ready to say Atonement should win a pile of oscars but I really hope that the inevitable "backlash" doesn't keep it from being nominated. Seeing the film was a great moviegoing experience and I continue to be haunted by it. I love this film and applaud everyone involved.

Anonymous said...

I am all about No Country For Old Men (Javier, Tommy Lee, Coen Bros.), Eastern Promises (Viggo and David), Into the Wild (Emile all the way, Sean, Hal, Catherine). Oh, and Julie Christie for best actress. Or else.

Anonymous said...

Praying for Amy Adams to make it over Cate Blanchett. Praying for Atonement to get everything it can possibly get its hands to. Praying for a surprise nod for Across the Universe in a tech category ( :( i know it won't score anywhere else). Praying for 4 months, stellet licht and xxy to get a foreign slot and darjeeling and waitress to get a screenplay nod (i can dream...) sorry bout the waitress nat :P

Anonymous said...

I'll be fine as long as Atonement has a good showing. I'll even be fine if they bypass McAvoy (a crime if you ask me) and Knightley just as long as they get Picture, Director, Screenplay, and everything else. Heh.

Is it my favorite film of 2007? No. Maybe. I don't know what film takes the honor yet, but this "backlash" this beautiful film is getting is very much so undeserved.

Random nomination I would LOVE: Best Song for "So Close" (Enchanted) over the fun yet largely shallow "How Do You Know"

Anonymous said...

keri russell keri russell keri russell

(if only)

The Jaded Armchair Reviewer said...

For minky James McAvoy to get as much love as he can.






(Julie Christie too!)

Anonymous said...

I don't care about the others as long as Amy Adams gets nominated for Best Actress. Please voters, make it happen!

And if That's How You Know is also nominated (and Amy gets to perform it), I would by even happier.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous: Even better if both So Close and That's How You Know are nominated. Those are both lovely songs.

Anonymous said...

WOW! You guys have great choices, truly. I agree about "Atonement." It still haunts me till this day and I saw it over a week ago. BRILLIANT! It is a phenominal picture, and I hope it scores nods for Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Ronan, Redgrave, and GARAI (Who in my opinion is the best Briony), plus screenplay, cinematography, costumes, and score.

I am also rooting for AMY ADAMS who delights in "Enchanted." I think she'll edge out Cate Blanchett due to the preferential voting system of AMPAS> If she doesn't that'll really suck.

Macavoy's good looking, but I'm not sure he's Oscar worthy here. He was last year in Soctland, but they didn't recognize it, Idiots!

Back to basics, Christie, of course! I hope Juno is ignored, corny ass movie.

"Enchanted" movie song "Thats how you know" is the best, followed by "Happy Workign SOng." Hopefully, they'll give "Once" some score love as well, and maybe a screenplay...

Travolta would be cool too. Y ay.

gabrieloak said...

I really want to see James McAvoy, Viggo, Julie Christie, and Once recognized.

I really don't care much about any other nominations.

CanadianKen said...

Still haven't caught up with some of the key titles i.e. THERE WILL BE BLOOD, JUNO, AWAY FROM HER. Oddly I've seen very few of the big best actress contenders so far - and I'm usually all about actresses. But - from the many 2007 films I've seen and enjoyed - here's my ideal nominee list (so far)in the other three acting categories:(I've put an asterisk beside the names of my favorite in each group)

ACTOR:
JOSH BROLIN "No Country For
Old Men"
JOHNNY DEPP "Sweeney Todd"
EMILE HIRSCH "Into the Wild"
JAMES McAVOY "Atonement"
VIGGO MORTENSEN "Eastern Promises"*

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
ED HARRIS "Gone Baby Gone"*
HAL HOLBROOK "Into the Wild"
DARSHAN JARIWALA
"Gandhi My Father"
EDWARD LANDERS "Sweeney Todd"
ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL
"Eastern Promises"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
ROMOLA GARAI "Atonement"*
AMY MADIGAN "Gone Baby Gone"
SAMANTHA MORTON
"Elizabeth:The Golden Age"
VANESSA REDGRAVE "Atonement"
AMY RYAN "Gone Baby Gone"

I pretty much agree with jimmy on Javier Bardem; Brolin's is the only performance I really admired in "No Country". I'm also on board with Anonymous in rating Romola Garai as the best Briony. As for Amy Ryan, though she's good and has won a whack of precursor awards, I'd consider her work in GONE BABY GONE fifth in pecking order behind my other four nominees.

Steven said...

I too loved Garai's Briony the best. I don't know why she's not getting any love from anyone!

I hope Sweeney is catching on. I would love to see Helena sneak in somehow, but I don't see how it's possible.

I saw Enchanted again today (whatever, I took my mother and younger siblings) and fell in love all over again with Amy Adams. She is so good in the movie, as is James Marsden. I really hope Amy makes the ballot.

Best Song - Anything and everything from Once, "That's How You Know" from Enchanted, and that song from Ratatouille. In fact, I would love to see Ratatouille nominated for a bunch of awards, especially Score.

~Steven

Glenn Dunks said...

I think the people in the best positions right now would be Amy Adams (surely a large number of Academy members popped the Enchanted screener in the player over the Christmas break for the family), Viggo and Ryan (people surprised by their GG/SAG noms checking out to see what the fuss is about) and Casey Affleck (how can these people vote without seeing the man winning the majority of prizes?)

Anonymous said...

i hope viggo does not get in i still do not understand the raves ,the noms or the critics love i do feel it is THAT fight people remember.

Anonymous said...

I am all for thr GARAI love here as well. Ronan comes in the most overrated performance of the year.

Would love for Amy Adams to get in over Blanchett.

Paul Dano, Ben Foster and Gordon Pinsent all deserve noms.

JULIE CHRISTIE MUST WIN!!!

Anonymous said...

These probably aren't going to happen, but Once for Best Picture, Leslie Mann and Charlotte Gainsbourg for Best Supporting Actress, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Best Actor (for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead).

Glenn Dunks said...

The reason Garai isn't getting the awards love is because she has the most placid of the Briony roles. Siaorse Ronan has the young bewildered/lying/imaginative Briony, Redgrave has the truly redemptive Briony and Garai's Briony just kind of stares blankly off into the distance. Nothing against Garai, it's just that Briony - during the time that Garai portrays her - is full of guilt, yet her character doesn't get to express it. So it comes off as a smaller performance than the others.

Catherine said...

Most of my hopes seem like long shots, but it never hurts to dream. I'd love for Sam Morton and Charlotte Gainsbourg to be nommed for Best Supporting Actress, Laura Linney for Best Actress and Chris Cooper for Best Actor. Cooper was so fantastic in Breach but that film was virtually ignored everywhere, even though it I thought it was great. Most of the big hitters (TWBB, NCFOM) haven't opened here yet, but I'd love a Best Pic for Michael Clayton and Zodiac. Best Original Song for Kate Bush, just for the novelty factor. Jonny Greenwood, for Score. Not that I've heard it yet, but it's Jonny Greenwood, like...

Glenn Dunks said...

Samantha Morton is one of the biggest head scratchers of the season if you ask me. That seemed like such a slam dunk (twice nominated actress in acclaimed crying/screaming biopic role) yet nothing. Being backed by the Weinsteins doesn't exactly help.

Catherine said...

Yeah, I saw Control ages ago and I remember thinking "Yep, she's a lock". A few months later? Tumbleweed..

Anonymous said...

Albert Finney in "Before the devil knows you're dead". Please! Please! Please! Please!

Anonymous said...

Shakira for Despedida.

Anonymous said...

Once needs to get a nomination somewhere! It's too bad that it's only real chance is in the song category

Catherine said...

The more I think about Once, the more I don't care about it. Maybe it's because I didn't like the music, which is such an integral part of the storyline. I didn't think it was a bad film, but the hyperbole lain on it is baffling. Yes, we Irish are charming and lovely and all that, but ...really? It's that good?

Anonymous said...

Nicole Kidman - Margot at the wedding

Seriously, where is the love ?

Anonymous said...

Have you all seen the new teaser trailer for The Duchess on youtube?

There. Will. Be. Haters.

Anonymous said...

Strange...by this point in the year, I am usually rooting for one or two underdogs to crack a short list, but as good as the year has been, there is nothing out so far that has inspired me to be a passionate advocate. Haven't seen "There Will Be Blood...", "Atonement", "Sweeney Todd", and a handful of other heavy hitters, so it could still happen.

Nathaniel, I do hope that the voters are actually taking a few minutes to do what we do all the time...look at the "Best of 2007" lists coming out and say "Wow, I still haven't seen (fill in the blank). Maybe I should pull that one out of my pile of screeners before I put ink to paper." If they are, then maybe someone like Casey Affleck still has a chance, even without the 'time to sink in' effect. Beter than nothing, right?

Anonymous said...

BEST SUPP. ACTRESS
Tilda Swinton- "Michael Clayton"

BEST SCREENPLAY
"Knocked Up"

lylee said...

I'm on board with the Amy Adams love.

A Best Actor nominee slate that includes Frank Langella (hey, this is what prayers are for), Tony Leung (ditto, though even more impossible), and Viggo (much more possible).

Irfan Khan nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The "tumbleweed" phenom seems to be especially strong this year, as films either bowed too early or underperformed, or simply got lost in the shuffle - and with them the performances therein. Didn't anyone else think Chris Cooper might have had a shot when "Breach" came out? Or Keri Russell, of course? And did anyone besides me see "The Lookout"?

Academy amnesia for anything pre-October that didn't gross $200m continues to boggle me.

lylee said...

Although I guess the Academy's amnesia will make an exception for Christie and Cotillard - that much seems certain.

I, too, don't quite get the Bardemania for "No Country." Brolin deserves more love.

Anonymous said...

The only ones I'm really rooting for this year are Marion Cotillard (to win the Oscar), Hal Holbrook (to at least get nominated), Viggo Mortensen (b/c it's f-ing time that he was nominated for something), Casey Affleck (cuz he was awesome and had an incredible year), Diablo Cody (seems like a cool chick that I'd want to meet in real-life), and Ryan Gosling (my longshot). Don't fail them this year Academy voters!!!!

Anonymous said...

Longshot, but I'm hoping for Best Picture and Best Director nominations for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Also, nominations for Viggo Mortensen and Frank Langella. They did awesome work this year and deserve some recognition.

NATHANIEL R said...

alison i think you might get your wish with SCHNABEL

Anonymous said...

Tang Wei. As BEP and JT would sing, where is the love???

Anonymous said...

Viggo for Best Actor!

Falling Slowly for Best Song!

That Cate Blanchett doesn't get in for Golden Age! (please god)