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:: He Said, She Said: The Oscars
Best Picture
He says: The race for best picture is the most wide-open of all the major categories. “The Departed” is vintage Scorsese, telling the intriguing story of undercover cops and criminals. But the Academy hasn’t liked a Scorsese film for best picture yet, and I don’t think they are going to start now. “Letters from Iwo Jima” is an extraordinary war film, which the Academy tends to favor, but it is also a foreign language film, and no foreign language film has ever won best picture. “Little Miss Sunshine” is the only film with which I have a problem with being a best picture nominee. Yes, it is funny, moving and thought provoking in parts, but overall it is depressing and predictable. Interestingly, it could pull off an upset. It won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble cast, and actors have a plurality of the Oscar votes. 'The Queen' works better than all the other nominees, it is the only one that leaves the audience fully satisfied. "Unfortunately,“The Queen” is too small a film for the Academy to give its highest honor. In my original review of “Babel” I wrote that it was an “international version of ‘Crash.’” Well, “Crash” won last year’s award, so why can’t its international counterpart win this year?
Best Male Performance He says: I am ashamed to admit that I have not yet seen any of the nominated performances. All have received high praise outside of the nominations. Judging from other award events, however, Forest Whitaker should win for his portrayal of Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.” Whitaker has already won 16 best actor awards this year from critics groups and guilds from all around the world, including the crucial SAG Award. Peter O’Toole is the “sentimental favorite” for his performance in “Venus,” and Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson” could pull the upset based on rumors from around the film world.
Best Female Performance He says: Even though she reportedly called the Oscars “the crème-de-la-crème of bullsh**,” Helen Mirren will win for her commanding yet vulnerable performance as Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen.” True, she has won both the Golden Globe and the SAG awards, but her Oscar win will be because of the quality of her performance, not its merits. Only Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal” seems to have the slightest of chances to upset Mirren. Special mention should go to the beautiful Penélope Cruz for her moving and magnetic performance as a devoted mother and caring daughter in Pedro Almodóvar’s “Volver,” a film that was snubbed from a best foreign film nomination.
Best Director He says: The godlike Clint Eastwood will not win this award for the same reason that the equally divine Tom Brady didn’t win the Super Bowl this year: he has won so much that he doesn’t need to win again. Neither Paul Greengrass nor Stephen Frears have the stature to get enough votes to win. Martin Scorsese would seem to be the front-runner, but I don’t think he will win and, frankly, I don’t want him to, not now. Scorsese is the greatest American director alive, but the Academy has missed its chance to honor him for his best work. “The Departed” is one of Scorsese’s most entertaining films, but it is not nearly as deep or powerful as “Raging Bull” or “Goodfellas,” both for which he was nominated and lost, or his best film “Taxi Driver,” for which he wasn’t even nominated. If Scorsese won for “The Departed” it would be like when Al Pacino won best actor for “Scent of a Woman,” a movie hardly anyone remembers. Pacino was also passed over for his best work in “The Godfather” movies and “Scarface,” among others. All hope is not lost for Scorsese though, he will still get the Honorary Award in due time, that honors not just a single good work but a lifetime of great works. So to whom will the Oscar go this year? What about a younger director with a couple fine movies already under his belt? What about the man who directed the movie to be named best picture of the year?
Best Picture She says: This category is perhaps the hardest to call because it has so many strong contenders. I agree that “The Queen” is extraordinary and essentially flawless, but it is too small of a film to win. “The Departed,” my personal favorite, has superb acting and directing and an intense, intelligent script. If the Academy gives Martin Scorsese the directing honor though, which is probable, voters may feel that’s enough recognition for the film. With its strong cast and moving story, “Babel” seems a likely candidate, especially since it won the Golden Globe. I’m going to have to make a controversial choice here though, and go with “Little Miss Sunshine” as the winner. The film won the SAG for best ensemble cast, and actors make up the biggest percentage of Oscar voters. It also won top prizes from the Writers Guild and the Producer’s Guild, the latter almost always guaranteeing a best picture win. While Oscar doesn’t usually like comedies, it does love indie films. I expect “Sunshine” to sweep in for a surprise win like last year’s “Crash.”
Best Male Performance She says: This category features great performers, but only one really strong contender. Will Smith’s portrayal of a struggling father in “The Pursuit of Happyness” is very moving but not enough to get him a win. Had Leonardo DiCaprio been nominated for “The Departed” I’d say he might have a shot. His performance in “Blood Diamond” is certainly noteworthy, but his work in “The Departed” is far superior. In that film, he effectively kills his pretty-boy image from “Titanic” with his intense and fast-paced performance. However, I think this award belongs to Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland.” His fierce and powerful performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is one of the strongest I’ve seen in awhile. At times he appears lighthearted and likeable, other times he is downright barbaric. No one else could achieve that kind of balance.
Best Female Performance She says: This is a category full of strong women, but like the best actor race, this one seems to be a lock. Meryl Streep is a scene stealer as the boss from Hell in “The Devil Wears Prada.” She single handedly pulls this film out of the traditional romantic comedy genre with her attitude and biting wit. Streep already has a handful of Oscars though, so the Academy won’t hesitate to finally recognize the incredible Helen Mirren. In “The Queen,” Mirren doesn’t just portray Queen Elizabeth II, she becomes her. She plays her with grace and dignity but also doesn’t hesitate to let her emotions show. Her performance is absolutely flawless. She’s won every major award so far, and rightfully so.
Best Director She says: This category is full of talent, but the race will ultimately come down to two directors. “Letters from Iwo Jima’s” Clint Eastwood has a shot for the simple reason that the Academy worships him. Eastwood is extremely talented but he’s taken home the gold before. He went head to head with Martin Scorsese in 2004 when Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” beat Scorsese’s “The Aviator.” This time, though, Scorsese will finally take the prize. His direction is what made “The Departed” a truly exceptional film. The Academy has denied him enough. It’s finally Scorsese’s time to shine.
Reporter: Andrew Prince & Alexa Milan - 02/22/07
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