FranksFilms and the Oscars

No - I didn’t attend the Oscars this year - but I did watch them on TV. I’ve always been mildly interested in them, but this year is different. This is the first year in living memory that I’ve actually seen most of the nominated films - and ………can actually voice an opinion about them. So while I sit here and watch the broadcast with the laptop on my ……..well, lap - I can tell you when they made the right decision, and when they get it completely wrong - as usual.

First: The fashions. Whenever I watch the red carpet thingy before the show, I always think the same thought. The men all look the same (a tux is a tux - it’s black! That’s it!), but it seems that the women all strive, with every fiber of their being, to set themselves apart from everyone else, usually by wearing the most garish, outlandish, outfit imaginable. It’s unlikely that any gown worn tonight will ever - can ever - be worn again, without evoking degrees of ridicule. Then again, maybe that’s the point.

Predictions: Forget it! If I’m right, I let you know. If I’m wrong, I’ll just rant about what idiots the academy is.

The Awards:

Costume Designer: ? Does anyone ever pay attention to this one? Elizabeth, the Golden Age??? Are they crazy? This film can’t possibly win for costume desi… - Oh wait - yeah, OK.

Animated Feature: Ratatouille. Was there really any other choice? …..besides that ……..and that one?

Make-up: This, I assume is the stuff they put on your face - and not what they do after a fight. La vie en rose. OK, I did see it and yes, she did wear a lot of makeup. They made a beautiful actress look plain and old. Yay!

Visual Effects: It better be something cool - it better be something cool - something cool oh please oh please oh please oh - The Golden Compass? Oh crap! I didn’t see it. If you did, tell me - was it better than Pirates of the Carribean?

Art direction: What do these people do? Sweeney Todd. OK, I get it. They make everything look right.

Best Supporting Actor: There’s only one possible winner - and ……………………….YESSSSS! Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men - a bad ass - with a stupid haircut. The world does make sense.

Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton - long overdue - and she was great - but I really didn’t see that coming. My money was of Cate Blanchett. The voting must have been very close.

Adapted Screenplay (based on existing material): Fingers crossed …………YES. The Coen Brothers‘ No Country for Old Men. I am so smart.

Sound Editing & Mixing: I normally would care a whit about this, but I’ve recently been exposed to the sound editing process for film - it’s hard. The Bourne Ultimatum - Sure! Why not?

Best Actress: If Julie Christie doesn’t win, I’m never watching this show again. OK, maybe Marion Cotillard was good too in La Vie en Rose, but the Academy obviously didn’t see Julie Christie in Away From Her.

Foriegn Language Film: Who cares? I didn’t see any of the nominated films. The problem is that these movie don’t show here, and I won’t get a chance to see them until they come out on DVD and I can’t rent them. The Couterfeitters - As good a choice as any.

Best Song: This category always ticks me off because they all suck ………..except this year’s winner, “Falling Slowly” from Once, one of the single most uplifting moments in film this past year.

Cinematography: There Will be Blood which did a great job at capturing the desolate landscape of early America. My money would have been for Atonement, for the landing beach scene, but what do I know? I just saw all the nominated films ………well, half of them anyway.

Musical Score: Atonement. No, is wasn’t a musical - but it did have music. And what memorable music it was. You may remember such numbers as “Watching From the Window”, “Walking Through the Woods”, “Typing in My Diary”, and of course “Running Next to the Jeep”. I’m whistling that one right now.

Best Documentary: Taxi To The Dark Side - about torture. I knew that would win, torture is just so trendy these days.

Original Sceenplay: I kinda hope Diablo Cody wins for Juno. Her story is as great and dramatic and storybookish as her screenplay. ……..and yes - the ex-stripper wins. Now go out and see this movie!

Best Actor: There’s only one possible winner here - Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood was the most powerful crazy and psychotic portrayal of a obsessive crazy-person this year. If you haven’t seen this film, rent it when it’s released on DVD.

Best Director: Joel & Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men, probably their best film since Fargo. These guys make the greatest movies of all time. If you’re a fan, you know what I mean. Check out their catalog of films here and hold a Coen Brothers festival in your own home.

Best Movie: I have my fingers crossed ………. YES - No Country For Old Men. It honestly was the best movie - and that’s saying a lot considering that all of the nominated movies were outstanding.

That’s it! At this point I could go into a long drawn out rant about all the great films that weren’t nominated, but it’s late and I’m going to bed. Now you can do what I usually do after the Oscars, fill out your “movies to rent” list, or add to your NetFlix queue. You really can’t go wrong with any of the winners (or even the nominees). Of course, that list should already be somewhat lengthy from my own recommendations from the FranksFilms site.

Good Night.