Tonya M. Fleetwood

If you'd like to contact me: TMF222@YAHOO.COM

I've been waiting, Oscar!

February 26, 2005 - 7:07 pm

It's finally Oscar time, my favorite television event! This year was an incredible year for movies, which is why I'm a little disappointed that practically the same movies are nominated in every category. There were definitely some films that were overlooked, including Bad Education, Birth and Garden State. Ok, so Garden State may not be Oscar-caliber in every category, but you can't deny how quirky and original the screenplay is. I definitely feel that it should have been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. And Gael Garcia Bernal and Nicole Kidman should have been nominated for their relative roles in Bad Education and Birth. Both performances were incredible. Let's move on to my predictions...

Best Picture
~Nominees~
The Aviator
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Finding Neverland
Sideways

Who I want to win: The Aviator
I enjoyed this movie on every level. Each element of this movie is outstanding. The story has a lot of emotions; it keeps your attention. And it's told very stylistically down to the well-written script, the spectacular use of CGI effects, the visionary directing, and the dead-on acting. I especially liked how it was shot with the intent of replicating the look of older films that used the two-strip Technicolor process. That's why the peas and the golf course appear blue. I appreciate the film history within the story and how it's portrayed in such an elegant and sophisticated way. And of course the acting is top grade. It further solidifies my argument that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the best working actors. Why else would legendary director Scorsese keep working with him? The Best Picture Oscar should go to the movie that is best in every way, and The Aviator succeeds far more than the other nominees. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the other movies. I very much liked them actually, but The Aviator is the best. The only film that I do not want to win is Finding Neverland. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't impressed either. I thought it was sweet and sentimental, but I definitely don't think it's the best picture, by far! I'll be disappointed if it wins, which it won't.

Who will win: The Aviator
Based on it's Golden Globe win and all of the industry conversation, I think The Aviator will be victorious. I'm not completely confident with this prediction though, as Sideways has won a few top prizes of its own. And Million Dollar Baby has enough of the shock-element to make it stick in a voter's mind while filling out the ballot. Again, the only way I'll be disappointed is if Finding Neverland wins.

Best Director
~Nominees~
Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby
Taylor Hackford, Ray
Alexander Payne, Sideways
Martin Scorsese, The Aviator
Mike Leigh, Vera Drake

Who I want to win: Martin Scorsese
I enjoyed all of these movies, which is a sentence I will probably keep repeating. Each one is well-directed. I feel that a director has more work to do when the story is more complex. Sideways was not a particularly complex movie. The only reason Taylor Hackford sticks out to me is that he's a white guy directing a high-profile black biopic. Maybe he'd relate to the story the same way if he were black, maybe not. All I'm saying is that I think he probably had to work at it and the project must have meant a great deal to him. I think this category is going to be a race between Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. I'm picking Scorsese, because he's never won before and The Aviator could very well be his best film.

Who will win: Martin Scorsese
For some reason I think that a lot of the Academy feel the same way about this as I do. I think they'll take into account all of the major cinematic contributions Scorsese has made during his Oscar-less career. It's either going to be Scorsese or Eastwood. Clint Eastwood was involved very heavily in each aspect of Million Dollar Baby. I'm not saying that Martin Scorsese wasn't, but Eastwood even wrote the score! Voters may take that into account combined with his body of work, which could lead to Clint taking home the gold.

Best Actor
~Nominees~
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland
Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator

Who I want to win: Jamie Foxx
Actually, the only person I don't want to win is Johnny Depp. This isn't because I don't think he's terriffic, because I will always have a soft spot for him since his first movie was Nightmare on Elm Street. I just wasn't impressed by Finding Neverland. All four of the other nominees should win over Johnny. And if any of the other four win, I'll be pleased. Each of their respective performances were briliant. I'm picking Jamie Foxx, because I think he's an extremely genuine actor, and his acceptance speech will be the best speech in the history of speeches!

Who will win: Jamie Foxx
What? Do you really think anyone else has a chance of winning? Maybe, but I'm saying probably no.

Best Actress
~Nominees~
Annette Bening, Being Julia
Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake
Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace
Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Who I want to win: Kate Winslet
Good performances were given by each nominee. I wasn't extremely impressed by Catalina Sandino Moreno. Maria Full of Grace was a decent enough movie with some really difficult scenes, but her performance seemed very amateur. That sounds right since this is the first thing she's ever done. She's too young and too green to win. Annette Bening was great as an aging actress. Wait...that's because she is an aging actress. She brought incredible wit and energy to her character, but I don't really think she deserves an Oscar for the performance. Imelda Staunton was great, and she's so adorable. I won't be upset if she or Hilary Swank win, but I absolutely adore Kate Winslet. Eternal Sunshine was one of the most original and unique movies I've seen and her performance was one of the best parts.

Who will win: Hilary Swank
Yep, she's going to win again. I loved Million Dollar Baby. It was one of those movies that made me go home and sit in total silence for a bit. The story really got to me. Hilary Swank was very good. I'm not really a fan of hers. There's something about her that bugs me, but I do feel like her performance is Oscar-worthy. She has a very independent-movie look about her, and there would have been no way that a typical Hollywood actress could have pulled this role off. Julia Roberts or Gwyneth Paltrow, for example, would have ruined it. She's a talented girl.

Best Supporting Actor
~Nominees~
Clive Owen, Closer
Alan Alda, The Aviator
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Jamie Foxx, Collateral
Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby

Who I want to win: Clive Owen
I absolutely loved Closer; definitely one of the top five movies of the year. Along with Natalie, Clive Owen was what drove the emotional connection in the film. All you had to do was look at Clive's face in the movie to feel the level of disgust and compassion you're supposed to experience. He was sleezy and sexy at the same time, and that's not just because that's the way his character is supposed to be. He was perfect for the part. A part of me would love to see Thomas Haden Church win. It would be one of the best success stories ever. He went from being a television star, to a has-been, to an Oscar nominee! I liked his performance too, even though his character is an ass. I'll be very disappointed if Alan Alda wins. I understand that actors are often nominated because of their resume, but I really think that you should consider the film they're being acknowledged for before you bring in their past work. Alan Alda's performance in The Aviator was nothing more than him sitting in chair for the majority of the little screen-time he had while moving his hands around a little and making a few faces. I feel like anyone could have done his character. I can't believe he was nominated for this performance. Jamie Foxx and Morgan Freeman were great though. I don't think Jamie will get this one since he'll be winning the Best Actor Oscar. Morgan on the other hand...

Who will win: Morgan Freeman
Although I don't necessarily think this should be the performance he wins an Oscar for, I do think he deserves the statue. Morgan Freeman is a very talented actor, and he hasn't won before. Out of all of the nominees, Morgan is the most worthy. Just please don't let Alan Alda win.

Best Supporting Actress
~Nominees~
Natalie Portman, Closer
Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
Laura Linney, Kinsey
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda

Who I want to win: Natalie Portman
If you don't know who I want to win this category, then you just don't know me. Natalie Portman is my favorite. I think she's so talented for being so young and for never having professional training. Her talent is undeniably a gift. And she was the best part of Closer. Although her character was completely made up, she was the one person in the story that you had the most compassion for. You feel like her tears and pleas are genuine. She's immersed in her character completely, and it shows. Plus, it's Natalie Portman playing a stripper. It was definitely a new direction in her career, and if she doesn't win, then it's ok, because I'm sure this nomination will help her get many more nominations in the future. Ideally I would like Virginia Madsen to win if Natalie can't. It would be another great success story. There's always been something intriguing about Virginia Madsen, and I'm so happy for her that she got to show her talent in Sideways. The other performances were great, so I won't be disappointed if the others win.

Who will win: Cate Blanchett
I know that Cate deserves this award, but I really want Natalie to win. I was hoping Natalie would get nominated last year for Cold Mountain, but the production company didn't campaign for her hard enough. Anyways, Cate did a very comedic and passionate portrayal of Katherine Hepburn. I very much enjoyed her performance, which was even better than Leo's. She's going to win, and she deserves to win. I need to accept it.



Go to Older Entries Directory If you'd like to contact me: TMF222@YAHOO.COM I've been waiting, Oscar! February 26, 2005 - 7:07 pm It's finally Oscar time, my favorite television event! This year was an incredible year for movies, which is why I'm a little disappointed that practically the same movies are nominated in every category. There were definitely some films that were overlooked, including Bad Education, Birth and Garden State. Ok, so Garden State may not be Oscar-caliber in every category, but you can't deny how quirky and original the screenplay is. I definitely feel that it should have been nominated for Best Original Screenplay. And Gael Garcia Bernal and Nicole Kidman should have been nominated for their relative roles in Bad Education and Birth. Both performances were incredible. Let's move on to my predictions... Best Picture ~Nominees~ The Aviator Million Dollar Baby Ray Finding Neverland Sideways Who I want to win: The Aviator I enjoyed this movie on every level. Each element of this movie is outstanding. The story has a lot of emotions; it keeps your attention. And it's told very stylistically down to the well-written script, the spectacular use of CGI effects, the visionary directing, and the dead-on acting. I especially liked how it was shot with the intent of replicating the look of older films that used the two-strip Technicolor process. That's why the peas and the golf course appear blue. I appreciate the film history within the story and how it's portrayed in such an elegant and sophisticated way. And of course the acting is top grade. It further solidifies my argument that Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the best working actors. Why else would legendary director Scorsese keep working with him? The Best Picture Oscar should go to the movie that is best in every way, and The Aviator succeeds far more than the other nominees. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the other movies. I very much liked them actually, but The Aviator is the best. The only film that I do not want to win is Finding Neverland. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't impressed either. I thought it was sweet and sentimental, but I definitely don't think it's the best picture, by far! I'll be disappointed if it wins, which it won't. Who will win: The Aviator Based on it's Golden Globe win and all of the industry conversation, I think The Aviator will be victorious. I'm not completely confident with this prediction though, as Sideways has won a few top prizes of its own. And Million Dollar Baby has enough of the shock-element to make it stick in a voter's mind while filling out the ballot. Again, the only way I'll be disappointed is if Finding Neverland wins. Best Director ~Nominees~ Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby Taylor Hackford, Ray Alexander Payne, Sideways Martin Scorsese, The Aviator Mike Leigh, Vera Drake Who I want to win: Martin Scorsese I enjoyed all of these movies, which is a sentence I will probably keep repeating. Each one is well-directed. I feel that a director has more work to do when the story is more complex. Sideways was not a particularly complex movie. The only reason Taylor Hackford sticks out to me is that he's a white guy directing a high-profile black biopic. Maybe he'd relate to the story the same way if he were black, maybe not. All I'm saying is that I think he probably had to work at it and the project must have meant a great deal to him. I think this category is going to be a race between Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. I'm picking Scorsese, because he's never won before and The Aviator could very well be his best film. Who will win: Martin Scorsese For some reason I think that a lot of the Academy feel the same way about this as I do. I think they'll take into account all of the major cinematic contributions Scorsese has made during his Oscar-less career. It's either going to be Scorsese or Eastwood. Clint Eastwood was involved very heavily in each aspect of Million Dollar Baby. I'm not saying that Martin Scorsese wasn't, but Eastwood even wrote the score! Voters may take that into account combined with his body of work, which could lead to Clint taking home the gold. Best Actor ~Nominees~ Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby Jamie Foxx, Ray Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator Who I want to win: Jamie Foxx Actually, the only person I don't want to win is Johnny Depp. This isn't because I don't think he's terriffic, because I will always have a soft spot for him since his first movie was Nightmare on Elm Street. I just wasn't impressed by Finding Neverland. All four of the other nominees should win over Johnny. And if any of the other four win, I'll be pleased. Each of their respective performances were briliant. I'm picking Jamie Foxx, because I think he's an extremely genuine actor, and his acceptance speech will be the best speech in the history of speeches! Who will win: Jamie Foxx What? Do you really think anyone else has a chance of winning? Maybe, but I'm saying probably no. Best Actress ~Nominees~ Annette Bening, Being Julia Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Who I want to win: Kate Winslet Good performances were given by each nominee. I wasn't extremely impressed by Catalina Sandino Moreno. Maria Full of Grace was a decent enough movie with some really difficult scenes, but her performance seemed very amateur. That sounds right since this is the first thing she's ever done. She's too young and too green to win. Annette Bening was great as an aging actress. Wait...that's because she is an aging actress. She brought incredible wit and energy to her character, but I don't really think she deserves an Oscar for the performance. Imelda Staunton was great, and she's so adorable. I won't be upset if she or Hilary Swank win, but I absolutely adore Kate Winslet. Eternal Sunshine was one of the most original and unique movies I've seen and her performance was one of the best parts. Who will win: Hilary Swank Yep, she's going to win again. I loved Million Dollar Baby. It was one of those movies that made me go home and sit in total silence for a bit. The story really got to me. Hilary Swank was very good. I'm not really a fan of hers. There's something about her that bugs me, but I do feel like her performance is Oscar-worthy. She has a very independent-movie look about her, and there would have been no way that a typical Hollywood actress could have pulled this role off. Julia Roberts or Gwyneth Paltrow, for example, would have ruined it. She's a talented girl. Best Supporting Actor ~Nominees~ Clive Owen, Closer Alan Alda, The Aviator Thomas Haden Church, Sideways Jamie Foxx, Collateral Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby Who I want to win: Clive Owen I absolutely loved Closer; definitely one of the top five movies of the year. Along with Natalie, Clive Owen was what drove the emotional connection in the film. All you had to do was look at Clive's face in the movie to feel the level of disgust and compassion you're supposed to experience. He was sleezy and sexy at the same time, and that's not just because that's the way his character is supposed to be. He was perfect for the part. A part of me would love to see Thomas Haden Church win. It would be one of the best success stories ever. He went from being a television star, to a has-been, to an Oscar nominee! I liked his performance too, even though his character is an ass. I'll be very disappointed if Alan Alda wins. I understand that actors are often nominated because of their resume, but I really think that you should consider the film they're being acknowledged for before you bring in their past work. Alan Alda's performance in The Aviator was nothing more than him sitting in chair for the majority of the little screen-time he had while moving his hands around a little and making a few faces. I feel like anyone could have done his character. I can't believe he was nominated for this performance. Jamie Foxx and Morgan Freeman were great though. I don't think Jamie will get this one since he'll be winning the Best Actor Oscar. Morgan on the other hand... Who will win: Morgan Freeman Although I don't necessarily think this should be the performance he wins an Oscar for, I do think he deserves the statue. Morgan Freeman is a very talented actor, and he hasn't won before. Out of all of the nominees, Morgan is the most worthy. Just please don't let Alan Alda win. Best Supporting Actress ~Nominees~ Natalie Portman, Closer Cate Blanchett, The Aviator Laura Linney, Kinsey Virginia Madsen, Sideways Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda Who I want to win: Natalie Portman If you don't know who I want to win this category, then you just don't know me. Natalie Portman is my favorite. I think she's so talented for being so young and for never having professional training. Her talent is undeniably a gift. And she was the best part of Closer. Although her character was completely made up, she was the one person in the story that you had the most compassion for. You feel like her tears and pleas are genuine. She's immersed in her character completely, and it shows. Plus, it's Natalie Portman playing a stripper. It was definitely a new direction in her career, and if she doesn't win, then it's ok, because I'm sure this nomination will help her get many more nominations in the future. Ideally I would like Virginia Madsen to win if Natalie can't. It would be another great success story. There's always been something intriguing about Virginia Madsen, and I'm so happy for her that she got to show her talent in Sideways. The other performances were great, so I won't be disappointed if the others win. Who will win: Cate Blanchett I know that Cate deserves this award, but I really want Natalie to win. I was hoping Natalie would get nominated last year for Cold Mountain, but the production company didn't campaign for her hard enough. Anyways, Cate did a very comedic and passionate portrayal of Katherine Hepburn. I very much enjoyed her performance, which was even better than Leo's. She's going to win, and she deserves to win. I need to accept it.