Today I am going to be doing "If I Picked The Oscars" for the year 2008. This year was actually a really strong year for film, with so many that I love. So this year it is a lot more difficult for me to make picks. Actually, my personal favourite films of the year didn't even make the final 5, again with some glaring omissions. So if I had to do the whole nomination/winning process over again, the result would be VERY different. However, we are sticking to the actual films that were nominated.
So, without any hesitation, let's go straight to the big one.
BEST PICTURE
MY PICK: Frost/Nixon
WON: Slumdog Millionaire
Let me get this out the way now. I really really liked Slumdog Millionaire. I thought it was a fantastic film, and it was a worthy winner of the Best Picture award. However, of the films that were nominated, I thought the film that was the most cleverly crafted and delivered was Frost/Nixon. The climax to the film was spectacular and wonderful cinema to watch: two grown men, both skilled int he art of verbal deception, trying to outwit each other like two tired boxers in the ring. Or two chess champions waiting for the other to crack. This is by no means an easy feat, and I feel Ron Howard delivered what should've been the film that won Best Picture (of the ones that were nominated).
Now, here is where it gets interesting. I feel that the top movies of the year weren't even nominated, namely The Dark Knight and The Wrestler. A close pick, but I would've named The Wrestler as the best movie of 2008. There were others that were strong too, such as Revolutionary Road, Doubt, Gran Torino, WALL-E. All-in-all, an excellent year for film.
BEST DIRECTOR
MY PICK: Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
WON: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
This was a really really difficult decision. Both these directors had vastly different canvasses to paint on: Boyle had to deal with a story on a grand scale, dealing with many aspects at once. Howard had to deal with more of an intimate setting and story, a lot more confined. It was a tough choice. Boyle is a most worthy winner, have no issue with him winning, But in the end, I would've given my vote to Ron Howard. His direction in Frost/Nixon, particularly the final act, is sublime and spot on. I personally think this was a better achievement then A Beautiful Mind (which he actually won for).
But if we were to look at the films that weren't nominated, I think the best directing came from Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight. What more does this guy have to do to even be nominated??!
BEST ACTOR
MY PICK: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
WON: Sean Penn (Milk)
I was quite happy with pretty much all the winners this year, but THIS was the category that upset me the most. I saw all the performances that were up for Best Actor, and there was some fine work. Frank Langella was commanding in Frost/Nixon. But the performance that resonated with me was Mickey Rourke's amazing turn as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler. What an amazing comeback performance by the 'comeback' actor. It is one of my favourite performances ever, and one of the best of all-time.
Now Penn was really good in Milk too, but no way should have have beaten Rourke. At the end of his acceptance speech, he even acknowledged his "good friend" Mickey Rourke, as if embarrassed. Penn already had an Oscar, one which he deserved for Mystic River. He didn't deserve it here. He knew deep down Rourke should've won, and so did the rest of the cinema world. This was a terrible mistake by the Academy.
BEST ACTRESS
MY PICK: Meryl Streep (Doubt)
WON: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Another weird choice by the Academy here. They got the right actress...but for the wrong film. She would've been nominated (and victorious) for her performance in Revolutionary Road, a vastly superior role. The Reader was more of a supporting turn, not really a lead. So again, looking at the nominees, if she had been nominated for Revolutionary Road she would've had my vote. But from the ones that were nominated, I would've picked Meryl Streep in Doubt.
This actress continues to amaze me. There literally is nothing this woman can not do. Her performance in Doubt was chilling, almost to the point of striking fear into the audience where we literally could feel every emotion she felt. A great performance by a great actor.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
MY PICK: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
WON: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Is there anyone else? From the moment I saw him in The Dark Knight, I just knew he would be absolutely unstoppable for the Oscar. An unforgettable performance by an actor taken from us way to soon.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
MY PICK: Taraji P.Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
WON: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)
Some people may think this is a weird choice, too pick probably the most obscure performance of the bunch. Whilst Cruz delivers a great performance, I feel that Taraji P. Henson was brilliant for her role as the confused, overburdened mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I felt she embodied a performance of greater depth and emotions, and would've gotten my vote.
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