Pick the winners, win no prizes!
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:11am Will Pfeifer
The Oscars get handed out Sunday night, which means the deadline is drawing near for predictions. So that’s what I want from all you movie fans. Which movie, director, actor, actress — whatever — is going to take home that career-enhancing gold statue. Choose any category (or categories) you want and pick a winner. And, for bonus points, tell me which movie (or actor or actress or whatever) you’d give the Oscar to — even if it wasn’t nominated.
I’ll reveal my picks in eight major categories this Sunday for the Beat the Movie Man contest, but here’s the big category to whet your appetite:
BEST PICTURE: After decades of making a string of brilliant movies, the Coen Brothers will finally take home the Oscar for their dark, disturbing (and refreshingly enigmatic) movie, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I think it’s going to take at least three other major awards, too, but this is obviously the big prize.
My personal pick would be David Fincher’s ZODIAC (which, as I pointed out here, didn’t even get a single nominee). NO COUNTRY was very good (and so was THERE WILL BE BLOOD), but I just watched the director’s cut of ZODIAC recently and was reminded how great it is. It might be three hours long, but it zips along beautifully.
How about you?
Entry Filed under: Oscars
9 Comments Add your own
1. Bob Schaper - Asst. Metro Editor | February 22nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I’ve only seen two of the Best Picture nominees, but Juno is far better than No Country.
Juno is about humans, the kind who live next door and you went to high school with. Nobody drags an air tank around and kills people with a captive bolt pistol (the technical name for the cow-stunning thingie). When the characters in Juno talk, the dialog sounds genuine and not scripted. (When was the last time you heard somebody in real life give a long-winded speech without being interrupted? In No Country, EVERYBODY delivers long, softy-spoken soliloquies, the sort that are interrupted almost instantly by the person you’re talking to.)
At the same time, Juno’s story is far more complex, though deceptively simple. Using teenage pregnancy as an entree, the movie explores all sorts of tricky subjects. Is it really possible to love somebody forever? Is maturity synonymous with age? What defines a good parent? Is it ethical to throw up in your step-mom’s favorite urn?
And though I’ve probably made it sound heavy, the movie is actually very sweet and funny at the same time.
My vote goes to Juno.
2. Adam | February 22nd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Daniel Day Lewis, Daniel Day Lewis, and Daniel Day Lewis! No one even comes close to his performance this year, should win and will win. Others Marion Cotillard should win but probably won’t. Jesse James for cinematography but if Deakins gets it for No Country, at least he wins. I would give There Will Be Bood best picture, but No Counrty winning is fine with me.
3. Will Pfeifer | February 22nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Bob — I haven’t seen JUNO yet (I know, I know, the Movie Man should at least see a few movies, right?) and I’ve heard good things. One negative thing I have heard, though, is that JUNO’s dialogue sounds exactly like something that’s been scripted, full of clever wordplay and hip references. I don’t have a problem with that — or with the speechifying in NO COUNTRY. If you ask me, movies shouldn’t necessarily sound like real life, they should sound better.
Adam — I’m in complete agreement. Daniel Day Lewis was amazing (and he’s going to win, too!)
4. elDizzle | February 22nd, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I ‘m putting my money on No Country for Old Men for the Oscar. I thought it was fantastic and I loved that their was no soundtrack to speak of, just alot of ambient noise. Some of the scenes were perfect, I especially like the part when Tommy Lee Jones sits down in the trailer and pours himself a glass of milk.
Juno was also great and I was a fan of the smart witty dialogue. I loved that smart, witty Juno had smart, witty parents. What a concept!
I haven’t seen There Will Be Blood yet. The best acting performance I personally saw amoung the nominees was George Clooney in Michael Clayton. I watched it and Valley of Ellah on back to back nights and would vote Clooney over Jones… I’d probably be in the minority there. I’m sure if I’d seen There Will Be Blood , I’d change that vote to Lewis, which is why I choose him for the contest.
That’s my four of five cents!
5. Bob Schaper - Asst. Metro Editor | February 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
“If you ask me, movies shouldn’t necessarily sound like real life, they should sound better.” Movie Man
I agree, but should they sound like Garrison Keillor on lithium? I think not….
6. elDizzle | February 23rd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
“I agree, but should they sound like Garrison Keillor on lithium? I think not….” Bob Schaper
If it’s a cold blooded hitman who may or may not be Death himself, I’d say that’s spot on. Death has no emotion.
Great description, by the way.
7. Pat Cunningham | February 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
OK, WillBob, here are your winners: Best Picture: No Country for Old Men. Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis. Best Actress: Ellen Page. Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem. Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton. Best Director: The Coens. Best Original Screenplay: Juno. Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men.
8. Bob Schaper - Assistant Metro Editor | February 24th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
PC, I just watched Michael Clayton and I would have to agree with your choice of Tilda Swinton. She was good enough to make me mad every time she showed her pale, banal face on screen.
How was the movie itself, you ask? It was excellent except for the ending, which actually spoiled the entire film. Let me be clear: This could have been one of the best movies of the last 10 years, the kind that defines an entire era in American history. And George Clooney’s speech near the end (”I’m a fixer; you don’t kill me, you buy me”) could have become iconic.
Instead, it all gets flushed down the Hollywood drain, leaving us with nothing but a slightly-darker version of The Firm. T’is a shame.
9. Jen Sensible | February 25th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Schaper -
How would you have wanted want the darn movie to end? With a shootout?
As creepy and mysterious as Clayton was - do we know if he was, indeed, a lawyer? - you root for him. I think it’s cool that movie ends with him standing on principle, even though you get the sense his hands aren’t exactly clean.
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