THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora
Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscars. Show all posts

AWARDS - Tambay's Oscar Predictions!

Posted on 1:22 PM comments (9)
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This is a repost of an original entry made on the 22nd of January, the day the nominees were announced. I predicted who/what I thought would win in each category, and I still stand by them, a month later. So, place your bets!

Let's just get right to it. Who/what I think will win each main category is in BOLD, along with my comments.

Best picture
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Finally saw it. Over-rated!! Yet, given its above competition, I think it's its award to lose... unfortunately)

Actor
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" (He won it at the Golden Globes; so, I think the Academy will give it to him as well... everybody loves a "comeback" story. Although, I'll keep my eye on Richard Jenkins above. He's the sleeper/spoiler in all this. "The Visitor" didn't get nods in any other categories.)

Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader" (She won 2 at the Globes - Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress - which she shouldn't have. So, I think this is her year. Anne Hathaway is also in my sights.)

Supporting actor
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" (Next to "comeback" stories, the Academy loves sentimentality. Don't get me wrong - Ledger put on a good show; but I'm not so sure he's included in the conversation if he was still alive. We'll never know, will we? BTW, Robert Downey Jr in "Tropic Thunder?" Are you fucking kidding me? Was Eddie Murphy ever nominated for his "multi-facial" turn in films like "The Nutty Professor?")
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

Supporting actress
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt" (This is the toughest category, I think, because all the performances are worthwhile. But, I'm going with Viola. She didn't win the Globes, thanks to Kate Winslet; and with Winslet not nominated in this category, this time around, I think it's Viola's... or maybe it's just my heart talking.)
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

Director
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" (I'd love to see Gus Van Sant walk away with the award, but, more often than not, the director of the winner in the Best Picture category wins the Best Director award. So, the Irish-Englishman wins.)

Foreign-language film
"The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany
"The Class," France
"Departures," Japan
"Revanche," Austria
"Waltz With Bashir," Israel (I haven't seen all of these, so I'm going with the one I've heard most about from American critics, as I'm guessing that's likely how the judges will vote.)

Adapted screenplay
Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon" (I'm going to go out on a limb on this one and NOT give it to the expected winner, "Slumdog Millionaire." I think "Frost/Nixon" will win something, and this might be it.)
David Hare, "The Reader"
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Original screenplay
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River" (A coup for indie cinema! I haven't even seen the film; but the buzz since last year's Sundance Grand Prize win has been near-deafening. I'll see it eventually. Also, I'm wondering why "Milk" is nominated in this category. The screenplay is based on the life of a real person; I thought "Original Screenplay" meant it had to be pure fiction, from the imagination of the writer, and not based on something or someone or some event that already was.)
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, "WALL-E"

Any surprises? Clint Eastwood and "Gran Torino" got completely shut out, as I believe he should have been. I like the man, but this, his last effort, was inexcusable, given the talent involved.

Also, "The Dark Knight" got no love in the Best Picure category, and neither did Christopher Nolan for Best Director, despite all the fanboy and girl chants. Many will be disappointed.

That's it for me!!!! How about you?



VIDEO - Sergio Mims Talks Oscars

Posted on 1:06 PM No Comments
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video
Check out Monsieur Sergio Mims (frequent contributor to this blog), along with critic Michael Phillips predict the winners during tomorrow night's Oscar ceremony, on Chicago's local WTTW TV station!


Taraji P Henson As Brad Pitt's Mother

Posted on 9:29 AM comments (2)
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I'm sure everyone has seen the lovely-looking trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by now, starring Brad Pitt as the titular character who is born an old man and ages backwards, and Cate Blanchett as the woman he falls in love with along the way. However, I'm not sure if it's yet common knowledge that Taraji P Henson (Hustle & Flow, Talk To Me) has a significant role in the film, and is listed 3rd in the credits (right behind Pitt and Blanchett) on most marketing materials I've seen of the film, ahead of names like Tilda Swinton.

In the film, she plays a character by the name of Queenie, Brad Pitt's mother. I haven't read the original F. Scott Fitzgerald story that the film is based on, but from what I've heard, her character didn't exist in his version, so she may have been added into the feature adaptation. I'm guessing she adopts Benjamin Button.

I need to read the short story :o) If you'd like to, you can read it HERE. I will read it later on today. It's only 23 pages.

Anyway... yes, she plays a significant role in the film, and some are already throwing her into the Oscar mix for 2009, as a "Best Supporting Actress" nominee! The film itself is already getting a lot of Oscar buzz, but reading that her performance could warrant a nomination is nice!

I found an old interview she did with Blackfilm.com in which she talks briefly and excitedly about her role in the film. The interview is from June 2007, when the film was beginning production.

Here's an excerpt:

"This role is certainly the biggest role of my career and most challenging to date because I age from 26 to 71, prostethics, fat suit and all. It's a period piece. Early 1900 period piece. It's incredible work. This is the film that I can't wait for to come out. It's the biggest project that I've worked on to date and that's the one that will get me to the very next level. People would ask me, "How does it feel to work with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett?" like I would go ga-ga over it, and a little bit of me was like that and is like that, and at the same time, that's where I belong. This is where I always saw myself, as an A-list actress. So, I'm right where I belong."

I've been a David Fincher fan since Seven, and Benjamin Button is one film I'm looking forward to seeing later on this year!

If you haven't seen the trailer, here it is. We do get a few shots of Taraji in it:

2008 Academy Award / Oscar Nominations - My $.02

Posted on 10:33 AM comments (4)
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In honor of tonight's Academy Award celebration, this is a repost of my picks for who will win in the major categories. This was originally posted a month ago, on January 22, soon after the nominees were announced. Looking over the list now, there are a couple of changes I would make, given all that's transpired in the last month. BUT, I'll stick to my original picks!

So, what do you think?

The nominations for the 80th annual Academy Awards were announced Tuesday morning, with "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" leading the way with eight nods each. Not-so surprisingly, "colored" faces are mostly absent this year. Although, I thought the Oprah Winfrey produced, The Great Debaters was a lock for something - whether direction, acting, picture... something. Not that I think it's fully deserving, but I recall hearing much talk about a possible Oscar campaign for the film and its stars, with the Golden Globes leading the charge. Guess not. Oh well... life goes on, right? Ruby Dee's nomination for best supporting actress (American Gangster) is certainly a surprise. I haven't seen the film (no interest) but influenced by her nomination, I'm just might...

Notable omissions: despite all the noise about her NAACP Image Award nomination, Angelina Jolie didn't get any love from the Academy for her portrayal as Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart Also, Tommy Lee Jones should have received a nomination for his supporting role in the Coen Brothers western, No Country For Old Men.

Yes, it was a horrible year for blacks on screen folks! There just wasn't much for us to cheer, and it's evident below. Although I think it wasn't a very good year for film in general.

The nominations follow below, along with my selections for who will win in red bold, and other ramblings, in parentheses:

Best Picture

"Atonement" (This will win. Didn't see it. But the word on it is strong)
"Juno" (Over-rated)
"Michael Clayton" (a little puzzled by this one. Saw it... entertaining mostly. Not a best picture nom.)
"No Country for Old Men" (Solid but over-rated)
"There Will Be Blood" (Solid, but without Daniel Day Lewis, it wouldn't be on this list)

Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney, "Michael Clayton" (Like George Clooney. Not his best)
Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood" (Awesome performance. He was the movie and he will win)
Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (Ho-hum)
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises" (Didn't see it; a long-shot)

Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, "Elizabeth - The Golden Age" (A good actress in a mediocre flick)
Julie Christie, "Away From Her" (Yawn)
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose" (Eh... *shrugging*... although I think she will win)
Laura Linney, "The Savages" (Didn't see it. Doubt she'll win)
Ellen Page, "Juno" (Over-rated, over-hyped)

Actor in a Supporting Role

Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (good job, but not his time yet)
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men" (His name is already in the envelope. Although I couldn't get past the funny hair cut)
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild" (Memorable film; forgettable role)
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War" (Yawn)
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton" (Love the guy; always solid in his roles, even this one. But Bardem's haircut gets the nod this year)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There" (Wow, nominated in 2 categories. Go Cate! She'll win this one. Mesmerizing performance)
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster" (Intriguing selection. Likely a long-shot)
Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement" (Who?)
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone" (Who?)
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton" (captivating in her business suits; but can't beat Cate as a man)

Directing

Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (I think this will be his year)
Jason Reitman, "Juno" (Eh...)
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton" (Shouldn't be on this list)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men" (The usual, but no gold this year fellas)
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood" (Strong 4th outing, since Punch-Drunk Love. But it was Daniel Day Lewis's show)

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Diablo Cody, "Juno" (Aarrghh... no more Juno noms, please!! Although, I think it will win in this category)
Nancy Oliver, "Lars and the Real Girl" (Nope)
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton" (Sorry Tony)
Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, "Ratatouille" (Interesting selection. Would be even more interesting if it wins)
Tamara Jenkins, "The Savages" (Pass)

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Christopher Hampton, "Atonement" (Hmmm... I think it's his to lose)
Sarah Polley, "Away From Her" (Word is strong on this one; surprised she wasn't nominated for Director)
Julian Schnabel, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Probably not)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men" (Again, usual solid work, but not this year)
Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood" (Again, it's Daniel Day Lewis's film)

Alright - that's all folks!

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