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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Oscar.

No, no, I'm not referring the prestigeous Academy Awards, about to be held. Nope. I'm talking about the modern classic Oscar, Sylvester Stallone's pivotal, career-making performance as Angelo 'Snaps' Provolone, a mobster who promises his dying father to leave the world of crime entirely. Of course, this being a comedy and therefore right up Stallone's alley, hilarity ensues.

Stallone's powerhouse performance alone is reason enough to dust off the old VHS and pop it into the VCR. From the get-go, this film is filled to the brim with ....

Ok, screw that, let's talk Academy Awards.

A coupe of days left until the little golden dudes will be handed out by the dozens in a preposterously expensive, overlong ceremony - and because I live in Europe (AKA 'Non-US-land') I won't be able to see it. Plus, God deemed it wise to invent timezones and I simply cannot be buggered to stay up all night and follow the shindig online. So, I, like all the other normal folk, will be dependent on the newscasts first thing monday morning.

But honestly, who cares? I know who are going to win anyway. And you will, too, after reading this bit.

I'll stick to the important ones.



Best motion picture of the year

I've already declared my undying love for Atonement, and I'd love for this virtuoso bit of filmmaking to take home the shiny statuette. However, director Joe Wright's absense from the 'Best Director' shortlist does not bode well for this adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, which is a damned shame, because the mind-boggling tracking shot of the chaos at the beach at Dunkirk deserves an Oscar on its own. Not to mention the kick in gut you get in those final, heartbreaking ten minutes.

But, in all fairness, No Country for Old Men is a winner to be proud of. Mesmerising, harrowing stuff.

Should win: Atonement.

Will win: No Country for Old Men.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Whoever wins, James McAvoy will have been robbed. But I'll stop waxing lyrical about Atonement.

The best actor this year will be a shoe-in: Daniel Day Lewis. I'm yet to see There Will Be Blood, but I know enough about it to know Mr. Lewis had better prepare his 'Darn, I have nothing prepared'-speech. And to be honest, he deserves it on the back of his performance in 2002's The Gangs of New York alone, which was the single best acting performance I have ever seen.

Should win: Daniel Day Lewis.

Will win: Daniel Day Lewis.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

I adore Ellen Page. To the point of calling it a schoolboy crush. Juno was great fun, and 2005's Hard Candy knocked me off my socks, so I'd love for her to win the award, if only to see her make a few trademark wisecracks on that stage. But she won't. No matter, great things will happen for her anyway.

It'll be Julie Christie.

Should win: Ellen Page.

Will win: Julie Christie.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Javier Bardem. Javier Bardem. Javier Bardem. Javier Bardem. Javier Bardem. Javier Bardem.

It'll be javier Bardem.

Should win: Javier Bardem.

Will Win: Javier Bardem.



And that's where my predictions end. Pretty limited, I confess, but come monday you'll be hassling me for next week's lottery numbers.

Mark my words.

5 Comments:

Blogger The Snakehead said...

You're so gay.

7:53 am  
Blogger Martin said...

Okay.

Why?

7:17 pm  
Blogger The Snakehead said...

Because you're hot.

8:53 pm  
Blogger Pearce said...

I reckon that Julie Christie deserves to win. She was frickin' amazing in Away From Her, a movie I could not convince any of my friends to see. The entire rest of the audience had grey hair.

People apparently are turned off by movies about Alzheimer's as they are by movies about a guy driving around on a lawnmower (another great movie I couldn't convince anyone to see).

9:00 pm  
Blogger Martin said...

Snake.

Erm. Thanks. I guess.

Pearce.

Ah yes, The Straight Story, a remarkable little film, all the more because it was made by the otherwise indecipherable David Lynch.

As for Julie Christie, she's a shoe-in, in my opinion.

A few more predictions, before the show airs tonight:

- Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men.

- Best Original Screenplay: Juno.

- Best Original Score: Atonemement.

9:12 pm  

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