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Marie
Asner’s Oscar Picks for 2008
“The Dark Knight” was not nominated for Best Film and the world hasn’t stopped turning. It seems this time, a Blockbuster/Money-Maker does not a Best Film make. Except for the expected Heath Ledger nom for Best Supporting Actor, “Dark Knight” is in the tech nom’s and designed to go round the block in their classy version of a motorcycle. This year’s nominations range from a few minutes on screen time (remember Judi Dench in “Shakespeare in Love”) to getting yourself beat up soundly (“The Wrestler.”) We have familiar names (Meryl Streep ) and new ones (Viola Davis and Richard Jenkins). This will be an interesting vote and the presentations will be on February 22, 2009.
Best Picture nomination for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” takes the aging process in reverse. Love is when you meet halfway and photography here is stunning. Adapted from a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. “Frost/Nixon” is adapted from the stage play with the same stars, the film catches fire halfway through when the interview actually starts. “Milk” is a biopic of a gay civil rights activist who was murdered, but the film seemed too much a documentary. “The Reader” shows illiteracy in a thought provoking new light and against WWII. “Slumdog Millionaire,” which I predict will walk away with just about everything but the center podium, tells a strong story of poverty and going against all odds. My choice is “Slumdog Millionaire.” What film should have been included? “Defiance” which got a nomination for music and “Gran Torino,” another tale of redemption.
Best Director includes David Fincher for “Benjamin Button.” What an achievement to pull together a cast against changing times, but then this happens in “Slumdog Millionaire,” also, directed by Danny Boyle. A large cast, photographic background and interesting story. Ron Howard directed “Frost/Nixon” as a stage play, with only a few outside scenes, instead he centered on the actors, one of which, Michael Sheen, was shut out for a nomination. Gus Van Sant and “Milk” told the story of Harvey Milk, but all he had to do was hand a script to Sean Penn and film around that. Stephen Daldry with “The Reader” had an aging process and three stars (Kate Winslet, David Kross, also shut out for a nom, and Ralph Fiennes) to continue this tale. It worked. This is a tough choice, but I think Danny Boyle for “Slumdog Millionaire” is my choice. Who should have been included? How about Edward Zwick for “Defiance?”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role has Richard Jenkins, an actor who has been building a repertoire for years and now got a nom for “The Visitor.” Here was a man learning about a new culture in new ways. Frank Langella reprises his Broadway role as Nixon in “Frost/Nixon” and won a Tony for that role.“ ’nuff said. Sean Penn inhabits the role of Harvey Milk to the exclusion of everyone else in the film. They might as well have stayed home. Brad Pitt, with the help of technology, does the aging role of a man going backward in time in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Pitt does nail this role. Mickey Rourke as “The Ram” in “The Wrestler” walks away with wrestling honors as someone seeking redemption. I choose Mickey Rourke, but I think Sean Penn just might win, instead. Eliminated from a nominations was Clint Eastwood for “Gran Torino”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role includes Josh Brolin in “Milk,” but I don’t think this is Brolin’s strongest work. Robert Downey, Jr. steals his scenes in “Tropic Thunder” as an actor who goes to extremes for his role. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a major figure in “Doubt” but is here as Supporting, but his scenes with Meryl Streep sparkle. Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” was only there as a catalyst and then disappeared. However, it is Heath Ledger as The Joker in “Dark Knight” who brought that film about. My choice is Ledger. Not mentioned was David Kross for “The Reader.”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role has an actress I have been touting since I saw the film, “Frozen River,” and that is Melissa Leo. In our economy, there are various ways to make extra money, and her choice is unusual. Anne Hathaway, as did Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road,” plays a character who is a catalyst and not always pleasant. This role did not suit Hathaway. Meryl Streep in “Doubt” brings old school against new school and I loved the way she worked with the camera. Kate Winslet having a romance with a younger man (David Kross) in “The Reader” was a courageous role. Her hand movements in the film spoke volumes. Angelina Jolie brought pathos to the role of a mother with a lost child in “Changeling.” Though I think Meryl Streep will win this category, my choice is Melissa Leo.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role includes Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler.” Though a great part of the time, she is wearing skimpy outfits as a pole dancer, it’s her story that comes through. Amy Adams as the naive nun in “Doubt” went overboard as someone who seems to live in sweetness and light. Viola Davis, also in “Doubt” made a strong impression, but was another of the roles that lasted but a few minutes. Taraji P. Henson for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” also had to age---the right away---making us believe in this woman who could care for a child no one else wanted. Penelope Cruz did the I’m-not-quite-here role well, surprising many. My choice is Taraji P. Henson. Rosemarie DeWitt and Debra Winger were both not nominated for “Rachel Getting Married.”
Animation just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? What to choose between the canine/movie world of “Bolt” against the Far East and a lovable panda in “Kung Fu Panda” and the imaginative outer space robot, “Wall-E.” Decisions, decisions, and I go with “Wall-E.”
Documentaries range from Hurricane Katrina to walking the wire between the now non-existent twin Trade Towers to “The Betrayal,” Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World” and “The Garden.“ I choose “Man on Wire” for the details on how this feat of walking on a wire, 1100 feet off the ground, was accomplished and even the Dark Knight wouldn’t have attempted this.
In the Foreign Language Film category, none of the nominations have played in my area of the country, so all I can do is list them for you as follows:
The Baader Meinhof Complex-Germany
The Class-France
Departures-Japan
Revanche-Austria
Waltz with Bashier-Israel
However, the ones I did see, and thought nomination-worthy, such as “Brick Lane,” “Edge of Heaven” and “Mongol,” were not brought to the forefront.
Original Score for a Motion Picture always intrigues me. Do you have percussion to beat the audience into submission, or gentle flutes. In these nominees, everything was appropriate both to the country and what was actually being done on the screen. “Wall*E” has Thomas Newman with a lively score with outer space tendencies. “Slumdog Millionaire” from A. R. Rahman with an Indian flair is captivating. “Milk” by Danny Elfman has selections from the 1970’s while James Newton Howard gives “Defiance” strength. Alexandre Desplat’s theme for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was memorable, but my choice would be “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Original Song from a Movie doesn’t have the one I thought, “The Wrestler” by Bruce Springsteen, though he won a Golden Globe for it. Instead, there is “Down to Earth” from “Wall*E” by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman. “Slumdog Millionaire” has two by A. R. Rahman, “Jai Ho” and “O Saya” and since I don’t have a soundtrack to find them, I’m not going to choose in this category.
Adapted Screenplay is from another medium and in this case, two from the stage, “Doubt” and “Frost/Nixon.” Both were mostly in closed spaces, but didn’t give the appearance of claustrophobic. “The Reader” grasped the idea of illiteracy and pathos, and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” took a shorter story and made it into a feature film, giving breath to the characters. “Slumdog Millionaire” did the same for the book, and in this instance, it will be a tie between Eric Roth and Robin Swicord for “Benjamin Button” and Simon Beaufoy for “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Last, Original Screenplay, and as with Melissa Leo in “Frozen River,” I’ve been touting this film, by Courtney Hunt, for the original idea. It goes against “Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky” which many didn’t see as such. There is Martin McDonough’s “In Bruges” for crime with a lift, Dustin Lance Black’s idea for “Milk” and Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon” for “Wall*E.” This is a tough choice, but I’m going with “Frozen River,” though I think “Milk” or “Wall*E” will take it. It’s really a toss-up.
That’s it for this year. Happy movie-going.
“The Dark Knight” was not nominated for Best Film and the world hasn’t stopped turning. It seems this time, a Blockbuster/Money-Maker does not a Best Film make. Except for the expected Heath Ledger nom for Best Supporting Actor, “Dark Knight” is in the tech nom’s and designed to go round the block in their classy version of a motorcycle. This year’s nominations range from a few minutes on screen time (remember Judi Dench in “Shakespeare in Love”) to getting yourself beat up soundly (“The Wrestler.”) We have familiar names (Meryl Streep ) and new ones (Viola Davis and Richard Jenkins). This will be an interesting vote and the presentations will be on February 22, 2009.
Best Picture nomination for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” takes the aging process in reverse. Love is when you meet halfway and photography here is stunning. Adapted from a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. “Frost/Nixon” is adapted from the stage play with the same stars, the film catches fire halfway through when the interview actually starts. “Milk” is a biopic of a gay civil rights activist who was murdered, but the film seemed too much a documentary. “The Reader” shows illiteracy in a thought provoking new light and against WWII. “Slumdog Millionaire,” which I predict will walk away with just about everything but the center podium, tells a strong story of poverty and going against all odds. My choice is “Slumdog Millionaire.” What film should have been included? “Defiance” which got a nomination for music and “Gran Torino,” another tale of redemption.
Best Director includes David Fincher for “Benjamin Button.” What an achievement to pull together a cast against changing times, but then this happens in “Slumdog Millionaire,” also, directed by Danny Boyle. A large cast, photographic background and interesting story. Ron Howard directed “Frost/Nixon” as a stage play, with only a few outside scenes, instead he centered on the actors, one of which, Michael Sheen, was shut out for a nomination. Gus Van Sant and “Milk” told the story of Harvey Milk, but all he had to do was hand a script to Sean Penn and film around that. Stephen Daldry with “The Reader” had an aging process and three stars (Kate Winslet, David Kross, also shut out for a nom, and Ralph Fiennes) to continue this tale. It worked. This is a tough choice, but I think Danny Boyle for “Slumdog Millionaire” is my choice. Who should have been included? How about Edward Zwick for “Defiance?”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role has Richard Jenkins, an actor who has been building a repertoire for years and now got a nom for “The Visitor.” Here was a man learning about a new culture in new ways. Frank Langella reprises his Broadway role as Nixon in “Frost/Nixon” and won a Tony for that role.“ ’nuff said. Sean Penn inhabits the role of Harvey Milk to the exclusion of everyone else in the film. They might as well have stayed home. Brad Pitt, with the help of technology, does the aging role of a man going backward in time in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Pitt does nail this role. Mickey Rourke as “The Ram” in “The Wrestler” walks away with wrestling honors as someone seeking redemption. I choose Mickey Rourke, but I think Sean Penn just might win, instead. Eliminated from a nominations was Clint Eastwood for “Gran Torino”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role includes Josh Brolin in “Milk,” but I don’t think this is Brolin’s strongest work. Robert Downey, Jr. steals his scenes in “Tropic Thunder” as an actor who goes to extremes for his role. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a major figure in “Doubt” but is here as Supporting, but his scenes with Meryl Streep sparkle. Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” was only there as a catalyst and then disappeared. However, it is Heath Ledger as The Joker in “Dark Knight” who brought that film about. My choice is Ledger. Not mentioned was David Kross for “The Reader.”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role has an actress I have been touting since I saw the film, “Frozen River,” and that is Melissa Leo. In our economy, there are various ways to make extra money, and her choice is unusual. Anne Hathaway, as did Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road,” plays a character who is a catalyst and not always pleasant. This role did not suit Hathaway. Meryl Streep in “Doubt” brings old school against new school and I loved the way she worked with the camera. Kate Winslet having a romance with a younger man (David Kross) in “The Reader” was a courageous role. Her hand movements in the film spoke volumes. Angelina Jolie brought pathos to the role of a mother with a lost child in “Changeling.” Though I think Meryl Streep will win this category, my choice is Melissa Leo.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role includes Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler.” Though a great part of the time, she is wearing skimpy outfits as a pole dancer, it’s her story that comes through. Amy Adams as the naive nun in “Doubt” went overboard as someone who seems to live in sweetness and light. Viola Davis, also in “Doubt” made a strong impression, but was another of the roles that lasted but a few minutes. Taraji P. Henson for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” also had to age---the right away---making us believe in this woman who could care for a child no one else wanted. Penelope Cruz did the I’m-not-quite-here role well, surprising many. My choice is Taraji P. Henson. Rosemarie DeWitt and Debra Winger were both not nominated for “Rachel Getting Married.”
Animation just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? What to choose between the canine/movie world of “Bolt” against the Far East and a lovable panda in “Kung Fu Panda” and the imaginative outer space robot, “Wall-E.” Decisions, decisions, and I go with “Wall-E.”
Documentaries range from Hurricane Katrina to walking the wire between the now non-existent twin Trade Towers to “The Betrayal,” Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World” and “The Garden.“ I choose “Man on Wire” for the details on how this feat of walking on a wire, 1100 feet off the ground, was accomplished and even the Dark Knight wouldn’t have attempted this.
In the Foreign Language Film category, none of the nominations have played in my area of the country, so all I can do is list them for you as follows:
The Baader Meinhof Complex-Germany
The Class-France
Departures-Japan
Revanche-Austria
Waltz with Bashier-Israel
However, the ones I did see, and thought nomination-worthy, such as “Brick Lane,” “Edge of Heaven” and “Mongol,” were not brought to the forefront.
Original Score for a Motion Picture always intrigues me. Do you have percussion to beat the audience into submission, or gentle flutes. In these nominees, everything was appropriate both to the country and what was actually being done on the screen. “Wall*E” has Thomas Newman with a lively score with outer space tendencies. “Slumdog Millionaire” from A. R. Rahman with an Indian flair is captivating. “Milk” by Danny Elfman has selections from the 1970’s while James Newton Howard gives “Defiance” strength. Alexandre Desplat’s theme for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was memorable, but my choice would be “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Original Song from a Movie doesn’t have the one I thought, “The Wrestler” by Bruce Springsteen, though he won a Golden Globe for it. Instead, there is “Down to Earth” from “Wall*E” by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman. “Slumdog Millionaire” has two by A. R. Rahman, “Jai Ho” and “O Saya” and since I don’t have a soundtrack to find them, I’m not going to choose in this category.
Adapted Screenplay is from another medium and in this case, two from the stage, “Doubt” and “Frost/Nixon.” Both were mostly in closed spaces, but didn’t give the appearance of claustrophobic. “The Reader” grasped the idea of illiteracy and pathos, and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” took a shorter story and made it into a feature film, giving breath to the characters. “Slumdog Millionaire” did the same for the book, and in this instance, it will be a tie between Eric Roth and Robin Swicord for “Benjamin Button” and Simon Beaufoy for “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Last, Original Screenplay, and as with Melissa Leo in “Frozen River,” I’ve been touting this film, by Courtney Hunt, for the original idea. It goes against “Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky” which many didn’t see as such. There is Martin McDonough’s “In Bruges” for crime with a lift, Dustin Lance Black’s idea for “Milk” and Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon” for “Wall*E.” This is a tough choice, but I’m going with “Frozen River,” though I think “Milk” or “Wall*E” will take it. It’s really a toss-up.
That’s it for this year. Happy movie-going.