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For all the movement in the awards game this week – Jeff Bridges leap-frogging into contention, the animation race swelling to five nominees, “Precious” continuing to gather momentum – my head hasn’t really been in it this week.
That’s partly because we’re all still making blind prognoses until four unseen juggernauts – “Nine,” “Avatar,” “The Lovely Bones,” and “Invictus” – finally deign to show their faces. And partly because I’m only looking forward to one of those titles with sincere movie-fan enthusiasm, as opposed to professional curiosity. Sometimes you just get the wholly subjective feeling that it isn’t going to be ‘your’ Oscar season – and while I’m not there yet, the fear is setting in.
So, with no current awards developments getting me particularly enthralled or incensed, I’ve spent most of my time lately in a reflective state. With ‘best of the 2000s’ lists already coming thick and fast, and my DVD trawl through the decade’s leftovers for my own list in full swing, Oscar’s own performance over the last 10 years has been on my mind.
As I discussed in this space a few weeks ago, it’s been a slightly schizophrenic decade of Oscar winners, one that has blurred long-held definitions of “Oscar-bait.” One does have to wonder about the identity or cultural relevance of any group that can alternately celebrate such disparate achievements as “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Gladiator” and “No Country for Old Men.” Who are these people, and what do they know?
But for once, I don’t want to labor the whining and sniping that makes up the awards-watcher’s default tone. For there have been both positive developments and treasurable individual moments across the past decade of Oscar ceremonies, beginning with the sweep of a film that many now choose to dismiss, but nonetheless suggested a fresh start of sorts for the Academy.
Yes, “American Beauty” was a film of the 1990s, but its five-trophy haul in the spring of 2000, breaking a seven-year streak of period pieces in the Best Picture category, had a whiff of new millennium thinking about it. No, the film wasn’t revolutionary. But it was risqué by Academy standards, and did attempt to engage with the zeitgeist in a way that voters prized on-and-off throughout the decade. (Even a frolic like “Chicago” was dressed up by media as an allegory for modern celebrity culture.)
This kickstarted a self-imposed facelift of sorts for the Academy, as the 2000s saw them sporadically engaging politics (notably in that still-touchy Best Picture battle of 2005) and redressing assorted cultural imbalances.
The number of non-white acting champs doubled, the first non-white Best Director was crowned, and small concessions were even made to foreign-language cinema (and not just from the Academy’s European comfort zone). Cinematic biases were addressed, not least of which was the unprecedented triumph of fantasy in 2003. Even the Best Original Song category played along, embracing hip-hop and world music for the very first time.
Not all of these efforts were successfully executed, and puzzling decisions still peppered the decade. (Did anyone, even the people who voted for it, think “A Beautiful Mind” was the very best film of 2001?)
But in the past ten years, the Academy has made a more concerted attempt to remain relevant than we usually give them credit for. For that, and before we plunge into this year’s shenanigans, I’d like to briefly celebrate the five best major-category choices this decade has given us.
Best Picture: For me, the triumph of “No Country for Old Men” was the category’s most daring artistic triumph since “The Deer Hunter.” (And it may not even have been the best of its field). Incorporating genre film, American psychology and jet-black comedy, it’s everything we thought a Best Picture winner couldn’t be.
Best Director: Forget the 2005 Best Picture kerfuffle for a moment. Ang Lee’s triumph for “Brokeback Mountain” not only made him the category’s first non-white winner, but one of only two directors to be honored for films in two languages. That the victory came for a film that itself broke social boundaries only made the moment sweeter, but it was all secondary to the simple fact that one of the medium’s greatest was getting his due.
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis’s second win for “There Will Be Blood” smoothed over an egregious snub five years previously, broke a stultifying run of biopic winners and provided a face-saving major-category win for an immediate American classic, but most mercifully of all, it proved that the Academy still values eccentricity.
Best Actress: The film may be from 1999, but Hilary Swank’s win for “Boys Don’t Cry” amounted to a new-century landmark for the Academy: never had such a low-budget indie production finished first in one of Oscar’s top races, much less one with such a courageously queer sensibility. How fortunate that the moment coincided with the Academy honoring a performance for the ages.
Best of the rest: No win this decade delighted and surprised me as much as Pedro Almodovar’s Best Original Screenplay triumph for “Talk to Her”: that voters could put up with the film’s study of near-necrophilia, its Buñuelian vaginal fantasy sequence and its non-English dialogue to recognize the genius of its construction seemed indicative of unprecedented sophistication and worldliness growing in the Academy’s ranks.
Alas, it wasn’t quite to be – and the fluke-ish win was, in all probability, only enabled by the failings of the Best Foreign Film race to begin with – but it was a seed of hope nonetheless. As we head into a new decade of Oscar winners, and as I wrap up this very shapeless column, it’s that seed that keeps me going.
73 responses so far
1 11-11-2009 at 2:40 pm
Robert Hamer said...
Speaking of ignoring Best Picture “kerfuffles” and celebrating Best Director achievements, I was proud of the Academy for seperating the man from the artist and rewarding the long-overdue Roman Polanski for his work on The Pianist despite his distasteful personal behavior.
You didn’t mention the triumphs of the supporting categories; I’m curious to know your opinion on that. For me, one that made me cheer was Chris Cooper in Adaptation. Sure there have been more memorable winning performances *cough*Heath Ledger*cough* but this one was such a pleasant surprise. Here was a reliable, consistent, hard working character actor who has been in the business for (roughly) twenty years with no previous nominations, and the Academy has a notorious history of snubbing character actors (Steve Buscemi and John Turturro come to mind), so to see him on that podium was extremely gratifying.
Speaking of character actors finally getting their due after years of great work and no nominations, how awesome was Tilda Swinton’s dark horse victory in Best Supporting Actress? She gave such an incredibly layered, subtle performance that was arguably the best thing about Michael Clayton and to see the Academy agree with me and have her beat out the showboating frontrunner Cate Blanchett and the critic’s darling Amy Ryan was one of the most best moments of that year’s ceremony.
2 11-11-2009 at 2:41 pm
Robert Hamer said...
Hmm…that post sounded sort of repetitive. I should proofread them a little better.
3 11-11-2009 at 2:43 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Glad you’re also finding things to celebrate in the decade, Robert. I ran out of both time and column space, but my Best Supporting picks both come from the same year: Benicio Del Toro and Marcia Gay Harden. By quite a distance, in fact.
And I’m afraid I wasn’t as overjoyed at Tilda Swinton’s win as you were, worthy actress that she is: I was 100% on the Cate train that year. Chris Cooper’s win certainly wasn’t a surprise to me, but I agree that it was the correct pick in an otherwise dull category. I never got on with “The Pianist,” so I still have mixed feelings about Polanski’s win: though I wish he’d won for something more subversive, I’m ultimately glad he has one. (And you’re right: the Academy’s disregard for his personal affairs is an example of the kind of forward thinking they’ve begun to exhibit this decade.)
4 11-11-2009 at 2:46 pm
Brent said...
I started following the Oscars in 2005, Guy.
I eventually hunted down the previous nominees and saw the recent Director noms for Egoyan and Lynch, and the O.Screenplay love for Y Tu Mama Tambien and the aforementioned Talk to Her.
I don’t know what was in the water those years. Further back to a delicious Kieslowski nod for Rouge and the stunning Cries and Whispers Picture nom, what do you think is the main factor that causes these out of the park choices? And why is it only “some” years?
There Will Be Blood one year. Frost/Nixon the next. Never ceases to amaze me.
5 11-11-2009 at 2:51 pm
Robert Hamer said...
Oh, man, I LOVED Benicio del Toro’s performance in Traffic. I would have picked him as my “triumph” if he hadn’t been such a front-runner early on, but I actually rank his Oscar-winning performance as one of the best of the decade. Marcia Gay Harden was also outstanding in Pollock and I am proud of the Academy for not rewarding Kate Hudson (”Aw, now mother and daughter both have Oscars!”) for simply being cute and sexy in Almost Famous. There’s just that nagging feeling in me that it would have been even more gratifying to see the first Asian winner of Best Supporting Actress since Miyoshi Umeki and have rewarded Zhang Ziyi for her fiery performance in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
6 11-11-2009 at 2:54 pm
James D. said...
Mickey Rourke winning would have been a triumph, but alas, it was not meant to be.
Sofia Coppola’s win for her screenplay was fantastic, even if she could not get the Director spot while everyone congratulated themselves on swordplay.
7 11-11-2009 at 2:54 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Brent: You’re asking the questions that plague me every year. I wish I knew the answers.
8 11-11-2009 at 2:57 pm
Ivan said...
A certain proof that the Academy did so WRONG in the noughties is that most of their nominees for best picture, were and are absents in any list that contains the best films of the decade.
Maybe they have better chances in the lists of the most mediocre and bad films of 2000´s… come to my mind Chocolat, A Beautiful Mind, Seabiscuit, Crash, The Reader, etc.
9 11-11-2009 at 3:03 pm
Roger said...
In spite of beeing one of the best colums i’ve read so far, i can’t shake the feeling of disappointment that you didn’t even mentioned The Lord of the Rings (your two you-should-know-what-i’m-talking-about situations do not count as mentions!). I know it wasn’t anything unexpected or that it was overdue cause of 2002 lost but still, it’s one of the things that pleases me about this decade (i’ve watched and followed every oscar rece since 1999) is the fact the a movie, or 3, can cause such a unanimous appeal. I mean the Movie won 11 statuettes!!!
Anyway, Just wanted to say that i liked your collum very much and to show the little pin that got nailed under my shoe when reading it.
10 11-11-2009 at 3:11 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Roger: Glad you liked the column! I must confess that I’d probably have made more of the “Lord of the Rings” sweep if I personally liked the films more. In the end, this column is made up of one man’s opinion alone.
But personal feelings aside, I do think “Return of the King” was a pretty exemplary choice: loved by the public and critics alike, a fine craft showcase, a cultural phenomenon, etc. I have no issue with its win, even if my vote would have gone to “Lost in Translation.”
11 11-11-2009 at 3:11 pm
Loyal said...
“That’s partly because we’re all still making blind prognoses until four unseen juggernauts – “Nine,” “Avatar,” “The Lovely Bones,” and “Invictus” – finally deign to show their faces. And partly because I’m only looking forward to one of those titles with sincere movie fan enthusiasm, as opposed to professional curiosity.”
I feel like I should know the answer but I don’t. Which film?
12 11-11-2009 at 3:11 pm
Speaking English said...
Del Toro? Really? I absolutely adore “Traffic,” but his win there for me is a bit of a head-scratcher. Didn’t think he was all that special. I find his performance in “21 Grams” infinitely more rewarding and would give him the trophy for that.
And it’s cheating a bit to pick Swank 1999, I think. Charlize Theron is the hands-down (however obvious) choice here. Now there’s a performance for the ages.
13 11-11-2009 at 3:11 pm
davidraider88 said...
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Probably the best acting of the decade, male or female.
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Most of the best actress winners came from films that were either mediocre or awful. Never once watching “The Queen” did I think Mirren was acting, she completely embodied her character.
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Probably cliche at this point to pick Ledger, but this was also a category filled with old actors who won for their body of work and not their performance. Ledger gave a truly frightening performance that totally overshadowed Christian Bale’s and made the film even more memorable. Javier Bardem and Benicio Del Toro would be my 2nd and 3rd choice.
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago
In a movie filled with musical performances, Zeta-Jones stole the show by being sexy and seductive while out-dancing and out-singing practically everyone.
Best Original Screenplay: Talk To Her, Pedro Almodovar
In the first half of the decade, I think this category had the right winners, but in this 2nd half of the decade, the winners have been mediocre to forgettable.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.
Adapting from a short story while being faithful to the literary source can be a very tough task.
14 11-11-2009 at 3:15 pm
Me. said...
If there was an Academy Awards ceremony that made me feel joy throughout, it was in 2004, when “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won 11 Oscars including Best Picture. The trilogy is probably the biggest achievement of the decade in my eyes, and I’m really happy that the Academy was able to recognize it.
I also loved Roman Polanski and Adrien Brody winning Best Director and Actor respectively for “The Pianist”, a masterpiece. It is one of the most beautiful celebrations about the survival of man during extreme situations, and the climatic scene with Szpilman playing the piano to the S.S. Soldier is one of the most powerful scenes I’ve ever seen. Complex emotions shown through simplicity. Breathtaking.
I also have to say the Oscars were spot on for honoring Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose”. I knew that, dispite the fact that she was in a foreign film, talking a foreign language, she would win. I’m surprised this article doesn’t mention her. She deserved her win for completely becoming Edith Piaf. I was stunned when I saw her in the film for the first time. I couldn’t understand how it was possible. I saw Edith Piaf in every shot. It’s amazing how the real Marion is completely different in real life. I wouldn’t have recognized her as the actress from “La Vie en Rose” had I seen her somewhere else.
I also LOVED Almodóvar’s Best Original Screenplay victory. Great mention Guy!
15 11-11-2009 at 3:16 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Loyal: Ha! I almost don’t want to say. Have a guess.
English: Not cheating by my definition of the exercise. Besides just the performance, I’m picking the win, the moment, the significance. That’s all 2000. (By the way, I’d have picked Del Toro for “21 Grams,” too.)
Me: With regard to Cotillard: Again, a commendable acknowledgement of worthy work. (My heart always sings a bit when foreign-language films triumph in general categories.) Not my favorite of the nominees though.
16 11-11-2009 at 3:28 pm
Me. said...
Who was your favorite of the nominees Guy?
17 11-11-2009 at 3:29 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Oh, this is fun. Have a guess.
18 11-11-2009 at 3:32 pm
Me. said...
Julie Christie?
19 11-11-2009 at 3:34 pm
Loyal said...
Well, if you dont want to say, it has to be Avatar. Or Nine. Could be The Lovely Bones I guess. I can rule out Invictus…I think.
LOL.
20 11-11-2009 at 3:45 pm
Michael said...
I don’t think it is The Lovely Bones either, but I could be wrong. Maybe it is Nine? I am going to go with Nine and feel real dumb when I am wrong.
21 11-11-2009 at 3:49 pm
Silencio said...
I still remember the moment Almodovar’s name was called for the original screenplay Oscar. It was one of the most ecstatic moments of my awards-watching life. And only partly because it propelled me to the victor’s chair in our college Oscar pool. It was a thrilling moment.
I maintain that the fantasy craze stole A Mighty Wind’s original song Oscar, but I can live with that. There are enough moments when the Academy makes a skeptic smile.
22 11-11-2009 at 3:51 pm
Guy Lodge said...
Michael: Correct.
Me.: Incorrect.
;)
23 11-11-2009 at 3:55 pm
Michael W. said...
My triumph would have to be when Steven Soderbergh won best director. I litterally jumped out of my chair and screamed out loud.
The worst year must be 2004 when Return of the King made a ridiculous clean sweep. Fellowship is so much better in every way and should have won best picture. I was ok with Jackson getting the director award in 2004 though, but I will never understand why the film was awarded with so much from both the critics and the industry.
Best best picture winner: No Country for Old Men
Best best director winner: Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
Best lead actor winner: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
Best lead actress winner: Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich)
Best sup. actor winner: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best sup. actress winner: Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener)
Biggest upset: Brokeback Mountain NOT winning best picture.
24 11-11-2009 at 4:08 pm
Speaking English said...
Laura Linney was his pick, I’m guessing.
25 11-11-2009 at 4:23 pm
Rob Cameron said...
I suppose I’ll post my favorite wins in each of the categories.
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: Martin Scorsese
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress: Helen Mirren
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
26 11-11-2009 at 4:28 pm
Clarence said...
Lovely post today :)
I agree with Ang Lee being the triumph of the decade since I was totally engrossed in his film when I saw it.
Best Picture: The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King –hands down the best film of the 9 best pictures in my opinion
Worst Picture: Although Crash was highly overrated, I can’t argue against A Beautiful Mind being the worst. I was so bored when I saw it. Soooo long and inaccurate
Best Director: Ang Lee hands down
Worst Director: Ron Howard for making a horrible movie
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis! It was the best performance of the decade
Worst Actor: Russell Crowe in Gladiator…I think he was so much better in A Beautiful Mind. Loved Gladiator though, I just didn’t think he was that Oscar-worthy.
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard. I literally screamed jumped up and down when I saw her win cuz I thought Julie Christie would take it. She was friggin amazing in the movie.
Worst Actress: Hilary Swank Million Dollar Baby–Simply because she didn’t deserve it more than Kate Winslet that year.
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem. Scary is not enough to describe his performance.
Worst Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin – Steve Carrell was 100 miles away better than him in the movie and Eddie Murphy, more than anyone, should have won it.
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz. Amazing performance :) Still can’t think of anything better that year.
Worst Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger…”And it rains.” It was such a horribly pathetic performance. She looked so confused the whole time.
27 11-11-2009 at 4:32 pm
John said...
Has ANYONE seen or know people who have seen ‘Nine’, or ‘The Lovely Bones’, or ‘Invictus’, or ‘Avatar’ for input?
28 11-11-2009 at 4:38 pm
Guy Lodge said...
@English: Yep, Linney had my vote. It’s funny, I remember that nomination surprised so many people, and I never even considered taking her out of my predictions the entire year.
29 11-11-2009 at 4:51 pm
SJG said...
I’m a new poster but I’ve been sneaking around here for a while. I’ve been a devotee of the Oscars since I first heard about them in the frenzy surrounding Titanic. (I was only in 4th grade. It’s scary for me to realize that people who were in 4th grade when Titanic came out are now graduating college, even if I happen to be one of them.) This is like the best Oscar buzz site I’ve ever come across. I love it.
Anywho, my Best Best Winners of the decade (72nd-81st ceremonies) would have to be:
Best Best Picture: The Return of the King
Best Best Director: Martin Scorsese
Best Best Actor: Daniel-Day Lewis
Best Best Actress: Marion Cotillard
Best Best Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Best Supp. Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones
I haven’t necessarily been consistent with how I’ve chosen the best wins. For example, I don’t really think The Return of the King was truly the best picture in its year, but it was a major victory for Peter Jackson’s obviously astounding achievement with the whole trilogy. Frankly, The Fellowship of the Ring is the one that should have won Best Picture.
Also, I have to say I kind of feel like Penelope Cruz actually gave a better performance than Catherine Zeta-Jones, but the sheer work that the latter had to put into her performance definitely gives her the edge, IMHO.
I guess most of the rest are pretty self-explanatory. I think The Departed doesn’t get the love it deserves, and even though I suspect Martin Scorsese really only edged out Stephen Frears because no one wanted to see him lose again, I happen to think that his work on the Departed is what took what might have been a fairly typical reworking of a foreign film and turned it into something worthy of the original.
All of that being said, I’m going to follow Michael W. in saying what was the biggest upset of the decade for me (besides A Beautiful Mind beating FOTR): Renee Zellweger losing Best Actress to Halle Berry. Not only is it a major disappointment to me when excellent comedic roles get snubbed in favor of bathetic high-drama performances, the fact that Berry’s win was accompanied by more to-do about her race than her actual performance makes it particularly repellent to me. I’m not convinced she won because anyone actually favored her performance, but because it was an opportunity to look “diverse”. Maybe I’m too cynical though.
30 11-11-2009 at 4:55 pm
SJG said...
I.e., I was following Michael W. in stating a biggest upset… not that we had the same opinion on what that was.
31 11-11-2009 at 5:20 pm
Me. said...
Here are my picks (1999 films do not count):
Best Picture
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Best Achievement in Directing
Roman Polanski – The Pianist
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody – The Pianist
(Sorry DDL fans. Adrien Brody’s subtle portrayal of W. Szpilman brought levels of depth and emotion that truly showed the beauty of mankind survival in strong times. He moved me in soo many ways. On the other hand, I felt rather cold-distanced with Daniel Plainview, as good as DDL was and all.)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Marion Cotillard – La Vie en Rose
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
(Javier Bardem is so close though)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Catherine Zeta-Jones – Chicago
(Penélope Cruz is also really close and should have also won for “Volver”. Also, Adriana Barraza and Rinko Kikuchi were stunning in “Babel” and would be my tied winners for the decade)
32 11-11-2009 at 5:48 pm
SJG said...
Me:
Oh thank you thank you for pointing out that Penelope Cruz should have won for Volver. I’m always afraid to suggest that Helen Mirren shouldn’t have won, but Cruz really outperformed her I’m afraid. Not that Mirren didn’t act her ass off… but Cruz’s role in Volver was far and above the best in that category that year.
And now I’m suddenly remembering Kate Winslet’s painful loss to Hilary Swank…
33 11-11-2009 at 6:02 pm
Guy Lodge said...
SJG: Never be afraid to suggest anything! Anyway, Judi Dench should have beaten both Mirren and Cruz ;)
34 11-11-2009 at 6:07 pm
Patryk said...
Paul Greengrass getting a nomination for “United 93″ was one of my favorite Oscar nods of the decade. Brilliant.
35 11-11-2009 at 6:13 pm
JP said...
My favourites:
BEST PICTURE: Slumdog Millionare
BEST DIRECTING: Peter Jackson
BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day Lewis
BEST ACTRESS: Helen Mirren
BEST SUP. ACTOR: Heath Ledger
BEST SUP. ACTRESS: Catherine Zeta-Jones
36 11-11-2009 at 6:32 pm
coffeefortwo said...
Great post: perfect timing and a fun way to look back at the ten years of movies coming to a close. I hope it’s okay that I swiped your idea (with full credit to you) for my own post today.
I think you’re right about the Academy getting riskier in their choices. The shift was complete just a couple of years ago when Hal Holbrook, Ruby Dee and Julie Christie all lost in their respective categories, sentimental choices that could have (and maybe would have) easily prevailed in earlier years.
37 11-11-2009 at 6:32 pm
Jack said...
My favorites of the decade:
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Peter Jackson
Best Actor: Denzel Washington, Training Day
Best Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
38 11-11-2009 at 6:34 pm
Roger said...
Well At least we all agree in something: Beautiful Mind Should never have won the Oscar. I kinda agree with Russel Crowe but not the movie. And the most shocking thing is the fact that there was such a great competition! Years ahead better!!! I mean, it’s almost impossible for me to understand how come such a boring movie got the Oscar instead of The Fellowship of the Ring??? Everyone will now FOTR for years and years to come but who will remember BM??? That is the most disgratful win this decade… I’m Afraid i’m a Crash fan but i also agree that Brokeback was a better piece of filmaking.
BEst Picture: Return of the King (Best should have won – Brokeback)
Directing: Peter Jackson (C’mon!! Look at the triology!! Ang lee was very good but I can’t see Brokeback as better that Either of the LOTR – Best Should have won – David Fincher)
Actor: Daniel Day Lewis (Nothing to say there)
ActressHelen Mirren/Julia Roberts/Marion Cottillard (Should have won – Kate Winslet!!!! Eternal sunshine!!!!)
SAct: HEath
SAct: CAte Blanchett
39 11-11-2009 at 6:40 pm
Roger said...
And Guy, As a fellow European living in London, I do agree that things on this side of the Ocean Look a lot better and more complex and they have a lot more to fight to be known and seen! But that’s what makes them Greater!
40 11-11-2009 at 6:48 pm
Me. said...
To SJG: I feel no shame to say Penélope Cruz was a thousand miles better than Helen Mirren. Her performance brought me to tears. Such a strong woman with so many tragedies on her side. A truly beautiful performance. I fell in love when she sang “Volver”. She should have won. I’m in love with Raimunda. The end. Mirren was also great but I didn’t really care for “The Queen”. At least not in the way I cared for “Volver”.
41 11-11-2009 at 6:53 pm
Me. said...
Also, what’s with all the hate for “A Beautiful Mind”? That was a stunning film! While my winner that year would be “Amélie”, followed very closely by “The Fellowship of the Ring”, I have no problems with “A Beautiful Mind” winning. Impeccably acted, intense, gripping and didn’t let me go until the end. The schizophrenia concept was incredibly well put on screen and Russell Crowe’s powerful performance complemented it perfectly. Jennifer Connelly also deserved her Oscar.
42 11-11-2009 at 7:04 pm
SJG said...
Me:
You and I think alike. (Me and I think alike, hehehe.) I too actually like A Beautiful Mind (although I staunchly believe The Fellowship of the Ring was most deserving that year). And Jennifer Connelly’s was in my opinion one of the more deserved supporting Oscars given out in the past 10 years.
Also, @Guy, Judi Dench had me thoroughly convinced that she deserved the Oscar… until I saw Helen Mirren’s performance, when I felt pretty sure it was a draw. But I didn’t get a chance to watch Volver until after the ceremony, and then I totally recanted my support for both.
But really all three were very deserving performances… you KNOW it’s a great year for the Actress category when the WEAK contenders are Kate Winslet and Meryl Streep!
43 11-11-2009 at 7:11 pm
Me. said...
I love “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. It was a part of my life, and it makes me feel nostalgic whenever I see them again. They’re beautiful films. While full of stunning epic battles and grand spectacle, there’s also a lot of emotions concerning friendship, sacrifice and love. “All you have to decide is what to do with that time that is given to you” is a quote that has stayed with me. The scene with Sam telling Frodo “Don’t worry Mr. Frodo, I cannot carry it for you, but I can carry you!” symbolized hope and made me cry. The scenes with the lightning of the beacons and the rohirim at Pelennor Fields gave me shivers. The ending, with Frodo going to the Gray Havens, also made me cry.
44 11-11-2009 at 7:17 pm
Chris138 said...
To this day, I am still puzzled why Benicio won so many Oscars for “Traffic”. Love the movie, but didn’t see anything that award-worthy in his performance.
45 11-11-2009 at 7:17 pm
Chris138 said...
Whoa, realized I just said “so many Oscars”… meant to say “so many awards.” Whoops.
46 11-11-2009 at 7:47 pm
Mike said...
Best Picture: LOTR
Director: Peter Jackson
Actor: Daniel Day Lewis (Mickey Rourke would be almost tied with him had he won like he should have..)
Actress: Marion Cotillard, hands down (if only Kate Winslet had won for Eternal Sunshine)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett or Catherine Zeta Jones (btw I loved Jennifer Connelly, but I really don’t get the love for Penelope Cruz in VCB, I wasn’t that impressed at all)
47 11-11-2009 at 7:48 pm
Matthew Starr said...
I still don’t get how DDL lost for Gangs of New York. There should be an open investigation.
48 11-11-2009 at 7:55 pm
Rick said...
How about the worst?
Picture: Crash
Director: Ron Howard
Actor: Russell Crowe
Actress: Reese Witherspoon
SActor: Morgan Freeman
SActress: Renee Zellweger
49 11-11-2009 at 7:58 pm
Simon said...
Wow I can’t believe no one has said Charlize Theron was the best actress. Her performance in Monster is one of top five performances ever. Unbelievably incredible.
50 11-11-2009 at 8:48 pm
Speaking English said...
I did. Theron is far and away best female performance of the decade, and best performance along with Day-Lewis (both roles).
51 11-11-2009 at 8:51 pm
davidraider88 said...
@Simon
Probably because “Monster” is already pretty much a forgotten film.
52 11-11-2009 at 9:11 pm
Speaking English said...
Too bad. Hard to understand how such a transcendent, searing work of art can dissipate in one’s memory.
53 11-12-2009 at 1:39 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
Even though it eventually became predictable, I still think the Heath Ledger love fest last year culminated in the coolest Oscar victory since Kevin Kline in 1988.
And go figure — look who introduced Ledger’s performance at the Oscarcast.
54 11-12-2009 at 2:08 am
mike said...
Best Actor-Denzel Washington Training Day
Best Actress-Halle Berry Mosters Ball
Best Supporting Actor-Morgan Freeman -MDB
Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Hudson Dreamgirls
Best Director-Martin Scorsese The Departed
Best Movie-The Departed
Best Original Song-Eminem Lose Yourself
Worst Actor-Daniel Day Lewis There Will Be Blood
Worst Actress-Charleze Theron- Mosters Ball
Worst Supporting Actor-Alan Larkin. Eddie Murphy is the most talented person in movies and that was a slap 4 his non-ass kissing behaviour.
Worst Supporting Actress-I dont even pay attention to this category i cant remember anyone.
Worst Film-Gladiator
Worst Director-Ron Howard
Worst Screenplay-Borat
55 11-12-2009 at 2:09 am
Nigel Bridgeman said...
OK, bests and worsts from me:
Best Picture and Director
Just before “The Aviator” lost I said on the Goldderby forums that the Academy would wait to honour Scorsese with the non-Oscar bait “The Departed”. Some people said that it was too much of a genre flick. I wish I had a link to that thread and remembered who said I was wrong. Oh well. “The Departed” and Scorsese for that very reason.
Worst Picture and Director – A Beautiful Mind. Ridiculous.
Best Actor
The worst for me was Sean Penn. I really didn’t like him in “Mystic River” – to be honest, I never really liked him in anything apart from “Dead Man Walking” until I saw “Milk” earlier this year. My personal pick for Best Actor in 2003 was the unnominated Paddy Considine for “In America”.
The best Best Actor was Adrien Brody. Sure, part of the reason he won was because he was the only non-winner nominated, but he still deserved it.
Best Actress
This category hasn’t really done much for me over the last ten years, so I’ll just go with Marion Cottilliard for being only thing approaching a surprise as the best one.
Worst: Nicole Kidman. Give me a break.
Best Supporting Actor
Would Heath Ledger have won – indeed, even been nominated – if he hadn’t died? We’ll never know. That said, it was one of the few times that the Academy has gone outside the square and awarded a truly great performance in a genre flick. If only they weren’t so scared to do it more often (I’m thinking Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone).
For worst, I’ll go with the Academy giving an Oscar to one of my favourite actors, George Clooney. He gave an Oscar-worthy performance, yes, but I hate it when the Academy gives A-list stars Oscars in the supporting categories. It’s just not right and I’ve never thought it right. Sigh.
Best Supporting Actress
Rachel Weisz was… I just can’t think of the words to describe her performance and what it did to me, so I’ll just say that hers was my favourite. It was also one of the best films of the year, so of course it wasn’t nominated for Pic, Director or Actor.
Worst: Jennifer Connelly in “A Beautiful Mind”. One of the most boring performances in years, and the worst nominated performance since Kathleen Quinlan looked at the sky and cried for two hours in “Apollo 13″. Honourable mentions to Zellweger and Blanchett for the aforementioned “no stars in Supporting!” rule, although I liked the sentiment of giving Blanchett a lifetime achievement award for less than ten years in the movies.
56 11-12-2009 at 4:05 am
Guy Lodge said...
Okay, I knew it only a matter of time before the goodwill ran out and we started getting into “worsts”! For what it’s worth, here are my least favourite wins of the decade:
Picture: “Crash”
Director: Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
Actor: Jamie Foxx, “Ray”
Actress: Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Supporting Actor: Michael Caine, “The Cider House Rules” (for the sticklers saying that’s cheating, Morgan Freeman is next)
Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger, “Cold Mountain”
Original Screenplay: “Crash”
Adapted Screenplay: “The Pianist”
Foreign Language Film: Nowhere in Africa”
Animated Feature: “Shrek”
Documentary Feature: “An Inconvenient Truth”
I should perhaps explain that, despite my diss in the article, I don’t really dislike “A Beautiful Mind.” I’ve just never met or heard ANYONE who loved it. That makes it a truly perplexing winner to me. (Meanwhile, as you may have guessed, I wouldn’t have given it to “Fellowship” either.)
57 11-12-2009 at 4:16 am
Nigel Bridgeman said...
The only thing I can think of re: A Beautiful Mind is that it became the frontrunner because everyone listened to everyone else and started to believe that it was worthy. When you think about it none of the other Best Picture nominees was really an Oscar movie either:
Gosford Park – Robert Altman movie
In the Bedroom – too indie
LOTR:FOTR – fantasy (also, “Ooh, let’s honour the whole trilogy in two years!”
Moulin Rouge! – too musical and wacky
It probably won because it was the most Academy friendly, but I still don’t know what made critics and pundits install it as the frontrunner so early on – if memory serves it started becoming the favourite before the critics awards were being handed out.
That said, looking at the other films nominated that year I can’t really see anything else that could have been friendly enough to win. It would be interesting to see 2001 repeated now, given that the Academy seems more open-minded than they were back then. Black Hawk Down? Amelie?
58 11-12-2009 at 5:35 am
Roger said...
Guy: Thats a list of worsts that i would never expect… Are they Personal opinion worst or “General Quality” bad?
59 11-12-2009 at 5:44 am
red_wine said...
The 2 most gratifying Best Picture nominations for me were There Will Be Blood, I thought it was too brilliant for the academy. And Letters From Iwo Jima, it really seemed to have no chance.
I wouldn’t give the entire credit of No Country to the academy. It was pretty obvious it was gonna win. It had swept through the guilds, the academy just did what was expected of it.
The best ‘Best Picture’ win for me is Million Dollar Baby. I wasn’t really into Oscars in 2004 and I had only seen Aviator and liked it a lot. And I thought it was utterly obvious that it was going to win. I was actually like wtf, MDB won? And then I saw the movie and I would now count it as 1 of the greatest achievements of this decade.
The Best Director nomination has to be David Lynch. That film is just so splendidly loopy, kudos to the director’s branch for nominating it.
Worst Winner: Gladiator
60 11-12-2009 at 5:59 am
Guy Lodge said...
Roger: Personal opinion, of course. What else can we go on?
Red: True about “No Country.” But as we learned in 2005, the Academy doesn’t always do what is expected of it. So I give them some credit.
61 11-12-2009 at 9:07 am
Me. said...
Peter Jackson being the worst winner of best directing? Are you serious Guy? The trilogy would not have been possible without his vision, both artistically and emotionally. He`s my second choice, right after Polanski.
62 11-12-2009 at 9:23 am
Guy Lodge said...
“Least favourite” isn’t quite the same as “worst.”
63 11-12-2009 at 9:55 am
evelyn garver said...
Great conversation! All Oscar buffs, especially those of us who have been watching for decades, know that winning can depend on the year’s social or even political trends, the acdemy’s mood, and the relative strength or weakness in each category. These factors are likely eternal. I do want to say that there are some artists whose work rises above all trends. Daniel Day-Lewis (who rightfully should have 3 Oscars) and Helen Mirren have achievements which will stand the test of time and astonish generations of critics and viewers. Adrien Brody should be so lucky!
64 11-12-2009 at 10:29 am
mike said...
4 the cat that said how did daniel day lewis lose 4 Gangs Of NY, please explain to me, not a film connerseur but a regular average film fan that dips in and out certain years regarding Oscar, what was the difference betwween his GONY performance and There Will Be Blood. I know i aint no movie film expert that can write paragraphs on nuance etc like Manohla Dargis but 2 me, it was the same over the top method acting ish. thats real talk.
65 11-12-2009 at 10:40 am
Nigel Bridgeman said...
DDL’s performance in GONY never did much for me either. Then again, I didn’t care for the film.
He gave three of my all-time favourite performances in My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father and There Will Be Blood, so you’d like think I’d like him in Gangs of New York as well.
66 11-12-2009 at 4:13 pm
Louis said...
Guess I’ll give my best and worst too, but many of you might want to discredit me from the start because I confess to hating DDL’s performance in There Will Be Blood.
BEST
Picture: The Departed
Actor: Adrien Brody
Actress: Charlize Theron
Supporting Actor: Chris Cooper
Supporting Actress: tie- Swinton/Harden
Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine
Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
WORST
Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Actor: Daniel Day Lewis
Actress: Halle Berry
Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman
Supporting Actress: tie- Connelly/Zellweger
Original Screenplay: Milk
Adapted Screenplay: A Beautiful Mind
67 11-12-2009 at 8:11 pm
Me. said...
Great Best Actor pick Louis. Adrien Brody is definately the Best Actor of the Decade in my eyes (with Bruno Ganz in “Downfall”).
68 11-14-2009 at 9:15 pm
head_wizard said...
Best choices
Best Picture-The Departed
Best Director-Ang Lee
Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis-There Will be Blood
Best Actress-Halle Berry
Best Supporting Actor-Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress-Tilda Swinton
Best Adapted-Sideways and Brokeback Mountain
Best Original Screenplay-Lost in Translation
69 11-15-2009 at 12:36 am
Patrick said...
Interesting discussion! Here are my choices:
Best Picture: Chicago (as much for reviving the musical genre as for its actual quality)
Worst Best Picture: Return of the King (gack!)
Best Director: Danny Boyle
Worst: Peter Jackson (why does this man keep getting money?)
Best Actor: It’s a motley crew, but I’ll go with Adrien Brody
Worst: Jamie Foxx (his Ray Charles wasn’t bad, but you had to know we’d get a decade of crap as a result) and Daniel Day-Lewis (yawn)
Best Actress: Halle Berry (no question)
Worst: Reese Witherspoon (no vulnerability…is she made of plastic?)
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney (even though it’s arguably not a supporting role)
Worst: Heath Ledger (won because he died; Alan Arkin’s a close second)
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Worst: Renee Zellweger
Most Overlooked: the brilliance of Far From Heaven
Most Overpraised: the most boring, unconvincing movie in history, Brokeback Mountain (with LOTR and Lost in Translation right behind)
Okay, shoot…
Best Actress:
70 11-16-2009 at 11:26 pm
Marvin said...
I was actually disgusted that the Academy chose to award Howard over Altman and A Beautiful Mind over Gosford Park, one of my favorite films ever.
I was delighted when they nominated Penelope Cruz for Volver and was thrilled that Cate Blanchett won for her Kate Hepburn performance in The Aviator.
Ang Lee’s win was sweet indeed and so was Pedro Almodovar’s.
Children of Men, Y tu mama tambien, Lost in Translation and Before Sunset garnering Oscar nominations was also nice to see.
71 11-16-2009 at 11:30 pm
Marvin said...
Also I don’t think Chicago has held up over the decade.It leaves me flat now and I used to love this movie.