It's Officially Oscar Month...and I'm in a movie club, which is way cooler than your book club so...

Here is what i think should go down at the oscars on February 24, 2008 (imagine that in a deep, action movie house film voice)

Actor in a leading role: Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"
--Daniel (we're on a first name basis) is the best in the game. hands down. no one does what he does. An excellent article that seconds this is found here http://www.dallasobserver.com/2008-01-03/film/d-day/ And I just love him.

Actor in a supporting role: Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"
--maybe it was the bad bowl cut that mad him look so mean, or maybe it was just the soulless look behind his usually very beautiful eyes. or maybe it was because Bardem can play a killer so seemingly effortlessly even though he hates guns and driving, whatever it was, it worked for me even though i am still impressed that johnny depp sings rather well. Charlie Rose would agree. http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/11/16/1/a-discussion-about-the-film-no-country-for-old-men

Actress in leading role: Ellen Page in "Juno"
--I know she's young and probably not unlike the cool, quick witted Juno so it probably wasn't a huge stretch for her, but little miss ellen page sold me with her role and its hardly forgettable. Second would be a tie between Laura Linney or Cate Blanchett. Cate's my fave but Linney is severly underated.

Actress in a supporting role: Cate Blanchette in "I'm Not There"
--Okay, has anyone ever seen footage of Bob Dylan from the '65-66 era? Well, if you haven't deear ol' Cate's version is uncannily close. Check it out on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyWgzUGOliw

Best Animated Film: Persepolis (Sony Pictures Classic)
--Surf's up is cute, and excellent on blueray i might add, but it was the character of Marjane Satrapi and her journey through adolescence and young adulthood while living a life far from the american one i am so caught up in that truly tuggled at my heart strings. Plus, the animation is pretty much perfection. Punk is not Ded! http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/persepolis/

Achievement in Art Direction: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
--Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo created a lovely grotesque backdrop for the fantasticly twisted imagination of Tim Burton. http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/

Achievement in Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood"
--Good cinematography helps tell a story; as well all know, "There Will Be Blood" had very little dialogue throughout the film and relied heavily on a brilliant soundtrack and the harsh landscape and lighting of the dark and empty world of greed and deceit. Fantastic. http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/Culture/2008/01/28/22589/

Achievement in Costume Design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
--I must confess, this is one of the few movies I haven't seen; however, the stills are enough to sell me http://www.elizabeththegoldenage.com/site/site.html You too, huh?

Achievement in Directing: "No Country for Old Men"
--Not only are the Coen brothers tremendously talented, but they were adapting and staging from an equally gifted author who has a fan base (hi there) who wouldn't want to see his work raped from recognition. Meticulous and poetic. I could gush about this film and Ethan and Joel all day but instead you can just read the facts about them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_Brothers

Best Documentary Feature: I can't pick if I have seen less than half of the movies and in this case I haven't seen any. I'm just being fair. I'm hoping it's not Sicko though because I get sick of Michael Moore, even when I'm agreeing with what he has to say. http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Best Documentary Short Subject: Please see above, minus the Michael Moore briefing.

Achievement in Film Editing: "No Country for Old Men"
--This is a difficult one for me, Roderick Jaynes did a great job with considering what should and should not be kept in regards to the fluidity of the film. Anyone who has read the book would probably picture the film as is. http://www.nocountryforoldmen-themovie.com/

Best Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters" (Austria)
--While I haven't seen any of these either, I must say this looks the most interesting --based on the true story of the king of counterfeiters who goes on to help supply Nazi Germany with false currency. http://www.sonyclassics.com/thecounterfeiters/

Achievement in Makeup: "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
--Norbit shouldn't be nominated for anything. PERIOD. And Pirates did a fairly swell job, but the stills from this film truly capture an era. http://www.edithpiafmovie.com/

Original Score: "Atonement"
--Perfection to say the least. Never have I not been annoyed by here an typewriter. This category would have been a hard one had they included "There Will Be Blood" and Johnny Greenwood's amazingly surreal contribution to music in film. The reason why is found here: http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2008/01/why_jonny_greenwoods_score_was.html
I still think it should be worthy of something. Isn't all art regurgitation anyways? Nonetheless, Dario Marianelli created the perfect soundtrack for "Atonement."

Original Song: I haven't watch Enchanted and I am slightly pissed that they didn't include Eddie Vedder's solo stuff for "Into the Wild." I mean, "Enchanted" gets three picks? Why? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Wild_(soundtrack)

Best Picture: "There Will Be Blood"
--This is the hardest by far, but nothing from this movie has left me; music, characters, landscape--a landmark in film. I've already seen it twice and it only gets better.
http://paramountvantage.com/blood/

Best Animated Short: Yeah, haven't seen any of these so I leave you to figure it out.

Best Live Action Short: Again, I would love to see them but...

Achievement in Sound Editing: "There Will Be Blood"
--Again, sound, rather than dialogue or another factor, was important to this film. No loose strings here.

Achievement in Sound Mixing: "There Will Be Blood"
--you can tell I really dig this movie. wow. no pun intended.

Achievement in Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass"
--I actually have only seen clips but I am hoping for this one to pull through...http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/

Adapted Screenplay: "Atonement"
--I have already stated that "No Country fold Old Men" did an excellent job in managing to stay true to McCarthy's original vision as created in his novel by the name. However, McCarthy is a pretty straight and narrow kinda guy. I just don't see how the Coens could have screwed it up. On the other hand, Ian McEwan's a different ol' chap. Reading from the two authors will tell you that; and, I have read that "Atonement" was a book that several wanted to adapt but few thought could be done. Read this: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/08/atonement_so_good_i_adapted_it_twice.html

Original Screenplay:"Juno"
--Lars and the Real Girls is a very distant second, but who can compare with the wit and loveability of the cutest girl on earth who learnes that a "doodle can't be undid?" Way to go Diablo Cody, who is an interresting character herself --http://www.mspmag.com/features/features/79839.asp


Donzo!