I don’t know about you, but I got crushed like a bug in last year’s office Oscar pool. But not to worry, I’ve been watching my carbs, running five miles a week, and reading awards guru Dave Karger’s ”preposterously early look” at the 2006 Oscar frontrunners in the July 22 issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Somehow, Dave fails to mention Tara Reid’s taut horror vehicle Alone in the Dark among the contenders (it must’ve slipped his mind), but he gives the lowdown on 15 other movies that are expected to get a big push from their respective studios, including Memoirs of a Geisha (starring Ziyi Zhang, left), Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead, The Producers, and Broken Flowers. Which of his early picks do you think is most likely to take home top honors come March 5 of next year?
My dark horse pick for a nomination: Miranda July’s brilliantly offbeat “Me and You and Everyone We Know” for Best Screenplay. I know, I know, it’s probably a longshot that any Academy member will have even seen this obscure film but, in my opinion, this screenplay deserves some Oscar-level acknowledgement.
Geisha
harry Potter
king Kong
Me and you and everyone else we know
The New World
I thnik that Crasg may get alot of nominations, hopefully Sandra Bullock will walk away with the best actress award, it is about time she was recognised by Oscar!
I think the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line should fair well in nominations particularly for Joaquin and Reese.
Cinderella Man
Broken Flowers
The Constant Gardener
Walk the Line
Match Point
Cinderella Man
Broken Flowers
Memoirs of Geisha
Match Point
The Constant Gardener
Cinderella Man
Broken Flowers
The Producers
Match Point
The Constant Gardener
Memoirs of a Geisha
Crash
The Constant Gardener
The New World
Walk the Line
Actress:
Joan Allen – Upside of Anger
Ziyi Zhang – Memoirs of a Geisha
Charlize Theron – North Country
Gwyneth Paltrow – Proof
Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line
Supporting Actress:
Gong Li – Memoirs of a Geisha
Toni Collete – In Her Shoes
Rachel Weisz – The Constant Gardener
Sandra Bullock – Crash
Frances Mcdormand – North Country
Here are my strong predictions: (My choices are *)
Best Picture:
Cinderella Man
Memoirs of Geisha*
Broken Flowers
The Constant Gardener
Walk the Line
Best Actor:
Joaquin Phoenix – Walk the Line
Robert Redford – An Unfinished Life
Bill Murray – Broken Flowers*
Russell Crowe – Cinderella Man
Ralph Fiennes – The Constant Gardener
Best Actress:
Joan Allen – Upside of Anger (personally didn’t like)
Jennifer Lopez – An Unfinished Life*
Gwyneth Paltrow – Proof
Ziyi Zhang – Memoirs of Geisha
Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line
Supporting Actor:
Anthony Hopkins – Proof*
Morgan Freeman – An Unfinished Life
Supporting Actress:
Renee Zellwegger – Cinderella Man
Rachel Weisz – The Constant Gardener*
Sandra Bullock – Crash
I assume it will easily win for best special effects, but here’s my long-shot: Ian McDiarmid deserves a best-supporting actor nod for Star Wars Episode III. The man just chews the scenery to pieces in this film, and gives up a Shakespearian-level depth to his performance.
What about Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote?
How about screenplays?
My vote is for Woody Allen’s Match Point.
Not sure if it will win an Oscar… but I think North Country is a strong contender in a few of the categories. Charlize Theron has yet another powerful performance portraying a victim of sexual harrassment in a small mining town. It is difficult to predict movies without seeing them. Alexander was a huge disappointment. Is Memoirs of a Geisha another Crouching Tiger? Will Munich live up to Spielberg’s excellence as with Schindler’s List… yet another Jewish theme. Neither Memoirs nor Munich have been released in theatres, so we will see what happens at the box office, which could certainly hurt any chances for wins on Oscar night.