Quick hits on today’s nominations:
It’s good to see the Academy leaned strongly toward popular movies that people might have actually seen this year. At least a little bit. (C’mon, Academy: meet us halfway.) I know Benjamin Button got some ungodly number of noms, but I also don’t know anyone who’s seen it, whereas I know tons of people who saw, loved, and talked up Slumdog Millionaire. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll vote lots of awards for the little movie that has long stretches take place in Hindi. It’s the multicultural future, people!
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
Still haven’t managed to make it out to see Benjamin Button, which is 3 freakin’ hours long and needs to be the best thing since sliced bread to make me shoehorn that into a date night. Of the three we have seen— Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, and Frost/Nixon—the best far and away is Slumdog Millionaire, which you should go see right now if you haven’t seen it yet.
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Seen three of these as well, and Mickey Rourke is just as fabulous as everyone says in The Wrestler. As Darin put it, while watching that movie you don’t think about parallels to Rourke’s career, you think about the fucking character he’s playing. That said, Sean Penn was also pretty great as Harvey Milk, but Rourke’s career comeback story makes for much better copy.
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
We’ve seen one of these: Anne Hathaway, who was really good in her role, but the entire movie annoyed me so much that I refuse to think about it any more. This is probably Kate’s year—and it’s a Holocaust movie! Lesson learned: always listen to Ricky Gervais for career advice.
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Ha! They definitely want viewers’ butts in seats this year! Sorry, Josh, you were wonderful, but this is Heath’s year.
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Again, seen one of these, and while Marisa Tomei was very good in The Wrestler—that whole Oscar thing: not so much of a fluke!—I have no idea whose year this is.
Achievement in Directing:
I actively disliked the direction in Milk, and I thought Frost/Nixon was just…stentorian. I think this is Danny Boyle’s.
Best Animated Film:
Are they allowed to give it to anyone other than Wall-E? Check the Academy’s charter on this one.
Best Original Screenplay:
I’m happy to see Martin McDonough here, because In Bruges was a classic McDonough piece, contrasting outrageous humor and horrifying, wrenching violence in one of the more thrilling and affecting movies we saw last year. Of the three I’ve seen, I’d probably go with Milk, as kind of a consolation prize for losing everything else.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Probably Benjamin Button, to make up for losing every other damn category to Slumdog Millionaire.