How did I not comment on these already? I love that you nominate Trond Nilssen!!!! UGH, you know how I feel about that performance. These images are great. I love it when our nominees don't really mesh because it spreads so much wealth in these years for film. Such inspired picks all the way around.
Picture: The Artist Drive Midnight in Paris Moneyball-Winner Source Code Loved all these films but being neither a big sports fan nor a whiz with numbers I was surprised how accessible Moneyball was for the lay person. That it was emotionally engaging on top of that made it my winner.
Director: Woody Allen-Midnight in Paris Michael Hazanavicius-The Artist Duncan Jones-Source Code Bennett Miller-Moneyball-Winner Nicholas Winding Refn-Drive The other four men did terrific things with their material but Miller's ability to take what was basically a story about percentages and guide it in such a way as to make it not just interesting but fun seems the strongest accomplishment.
Actor: Dominic Cooper-The Devil's Double-Winner Michael Fassbender-Shame Ryan Gosling-Drive Brad Pitt-Moneyball Michael Shannon-Take Shelter This was a tough category to chose since there isn't a weak contender among the five. Michael Shannon is great as a man trying hard to keep himself together as he feels things slipping away Fassy is equally good as he faces different problems but a similar situation is the depressing Shame. Gosling is the calm center in the alternately icy cool and shockingly violent Drive. Pitt's meditative, emotionally rangy performance in Moneyball may be his best so far and would have been my choice of this year's nominees though I loved The Artist and Jean Dujardin's work which didn't make my cut. But Cooper in the dual role as The Devil's Double is simply extraordinary but somehow was passed over come nomination time
Actress: Viola Davis-The Help Anna Paquin-Margaret Tilda Swinton-We Need to Talk About Kevin Charlize Theron-Young Adult Kathleen Turner-The Perfect Family-Winner The reverse of the actors all of these are good performances but I don't feel passionately about any one in particular however Turner, who doesn't get nearly enough opportunities these days, carries the entirety of Perfect Family on her shoulders and finds every possible nuance in her nutty complex character.
Love these! Midnight in Paris used to be in my top 5, and I really like Moneyball. I've seen both films several times. Thrilled to see Paquin and Theron (hated to snub her) in Best Actress, and that Cooper nod for The Devil's Double is brilliant. I couldn't fit him in, but he was great in that.
Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks-Drive Tom Hardy-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Jonah Hill-Moneyball Nick Nolte-Warrior Corey Stoll-Midnight in Paris-Winner Hill really surprised me in Moneyball being able to flesh out his character remarkably well. Tinker is a plodding, disappointing slog but Hardy's portrait of the weary rogue agent is gold as is Nolte's worn out father in Warrior. But this was between Brooks atypical slimeball of a crime lord and Stoll's pinpoint perfect take on Hemingway in Midnight in Paris. I went with Stoll since he managed to steal the film handily in the least amount of time.
Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain-Take Shelter Anjelica Huston-50/50 Carey Mulligan-Shame Vanessa Redgrave-Coriolanus-Winner Octavia Spencer-The Help Anjelica Huston makes every one of her too few seconds count in 50/50, Spencer a no nonsense joy in The Help and Chastain handles the complexities of her role like a pro. Any other year my winner would be Mulligan's searing work in Shame but Vanessa Redgrave is so damn good in Coriolanus I couldn't imagine choosing anyone else.
Great picks again. I love most of these, though I'm not as high on the performances from Huston and Spencer. Glad that Hardy got another nod, and it's awesome that Stoll and Redgrave are your winners.
Very neat choices. Here is what my ballot would've looked like (subject to change):
Best Picture: 50/50 Attack The Block Drive Shame (WINNER) Weekend
Best Director: Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive (WINNER) Lars Von Trier, Melancholia Steve McQueen, Shame Lynne Ramsay, We Need To Talk About Kevin Andrew Haigh, Weekend
Best Actor: Tom Cullen/Chris New, Weekend Michael Fassbender, Shame (WINNER) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50 Ryan Gosling, Drive Peter Mullan, Tyrannosaur
The inclusion of both Tom Cullen and Chris New seems like a bit of a cheat. But because of how they are the narrative and their performances complement each other, I feel that one is incomplete without the other.
Best Actress: Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Best Supporting Actor: John Boyega, Attack The Block Albert Brooks, Drive (WINNER) Patton Oswalt, Young Adult Brad Pitt, Tree of Life Mark Strong, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Seems cruel to leave Christopher Plummer out because he deserved his Oscar. But, Tinker Tailor had one of the best ensembles of the year and I wanted to include at least one actor from that bunch.
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids Carey Mulligan, Shame Kim Wayans, Pariah (WINNER) Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Chastain and Mulligan were at a very close "any other year" second and third place, respectively. But ultimately, it was Kim Wayans who won out for me for her astonishingly layered work in Pariah. If you haven't seen that film, I highly recommend it.
Best Original Screenplay: 50/50 Attack The Block Bridesmaids Shame Weekend (WINNER)
Originally, I picked Shame. That is until I saw Weekend, whose genius behind its script is that it feels unscripted.
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants Drive (WINNER) Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy We Need To Talk About Kevin
Thanks! I love your picks. Several of the performances were very close to making my ballot, particularly Colman, Olsen, Swinton, Theron, and Woodley. Also, it's great to see a win for Nicolas Winding Refn (my runner-up), and I love that you included both Cullen and New for Weekend. I really need to see Pariah and give Tinker Tailor another look. Who's your Best Actress winner?
Nice. It was a tough year to pick just five. It's funny because it was a great year for lead actresses, yet I didn't really think it was represented well in the actual BA category.
Yeah, I love strong years for performances, but it sucks when I have to narrow it down to five. The acting categories at the Oscars don't always reflect the strength of the year, sadly.
What a rich year, and I adore your love of Hugo! What a wonderful film. I just reviewed the book/film on my blog. Love seeing it adored, and I think it's one of Scorsese's finest films.
How did I not comment on these already? I love that you nominate Trond Nilssen!!!! UGH, you know how I feel about that performance. These images are great. I love it when our nominees don't really mesh because it spreads so much wealth in these years for film. Such inspired picks all the way around.
ReplyDeleteThe Academy can suck it!
Thanks for commenting! Oh, Nilssen is fantastic, and I also love when our awards spread the wealth. I can't wait to finish the images for this year!
DeletePicture:
ReplyDeleteThe Artist
Drive
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball-Winner
Source Code
Loved all these films but being neither a big sports fan nor a whiz with numbers I was surprised how accessible Moneyball was for the lay person. That it was emotionally engaging on top of that made it my winner.
Director:
Woody Allen-Midnight in Paris
Michael Hazanavicius-The Artist
Duncan Jones-Source Code
Bennett Miller-Moneyball-Winner
Nicholas Winding Refn-Drive
The other four men did terrific things with their material but Miller's ability to take what was basically a story about percentages and guide it in such a way as to make it not just interesting but fun seems the strongest accomplishment.
Actor:
Dominic Cooper-The Devil's Double-Winner
Michael Fassbender-Shame
Ryan Gosling-Drive
Brad Pitt-Moneyball
Michael Shannon-Take Shelter
This was a tough category to chose since there isn't a weak contender among the five. Michael Shannon is great as a man trying hard to keep himself together as he feels things slipping away Fassy is equally good as he faces different problems but a similar situation is the depressing Shame. Gosling is the calm center in the alternately icy cool and shockingly violent Drive. Pitt's meditative, emotionally rangy performance in Moneyball may be his best so far and would have been my choice of this year's nominees though I loved The Artist and Jean Dujardin's work which didn't make my cut. But Cooper in the dual role as The Devil's Double is simply extraordinary but somehow was passed over come nomination time
Actress:
Viola Davis-The Help
Anna Paquin-Margaret
Tilda Swinton-We Need to Talk About Kevin
Charlize Theron-Young Adult
Kathleen Turner-The Perfect Family-Winner
The reverse of the actors all of these are good performances but I don't feel passionately about any one in particular however Turner, who doesn't get nearly enough opportunities these days, carries the entirety of Perfect Family on her shoulders and finds every possible nuance in her nutty complex character.
Love these! Midnight in Paris used to be in my top 5, and I really like Moneyball. I've seen both films several times. Thrilled to see Paquin and Theron (hated to snub her) in Best Actress, and that Cooper nod for The Devil's Double is brilliant. I couldn't fit him in, but he was great in that.
DeleteSupporting Actor:
ReplyDeleteAlbert Brooks-Drive
Tom Hardy-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Jonah Hill-Moneyball
Nick Nolte-Warrior
Corey Stoll-Midnight in Paris-Winner
Hill really surprised me in Moneyball being able to flesh out his character remarkably well. Tinker is a plodding, disappointing slog but Hardy's portrait of the weary rogue agent is gold as is Nolte's worn out father in Warrior. But this was between Brooks atypical slimeball of a crime lord and Stoll's pinpoint perfect take on Hemingway in Midnight in Paris. I went with Stoll since he managed to steal the film handily in the least amount of time.
Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain-Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston-50/50
Carey Mulligan-Shame
Vanessa Redgrave-Coriolanus-Winner
Octavia Spencer-The Help
Anjelica Huston makes every one of her too few seconds count in 50/50, Spencer a no nonsense joy in The Help and Chastain handles the complexities of her role like a pro. Any other year my winner would be Mulligan's searing work in Shame but Vanessa Redgrave is so damn good in Coriolanus I couldn't imagine choosing anyone else.
Great picks again. I love most of these, though I'm not as high on the performances from Huston and Spencer. Glad that Hardy got another nod, and it's awesome that Stoll and Redgrave are your winners.
DeleteVery neat choices. Here is what my ballot would've looked like (subject to change):
ReplyDeleteBest Picture:
50/50
Attack The Block
Drive
Shame (WINNER)
Weekend
Best Director:
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive (WINNER)
Lars Von Trier, Melancholia
Steve McQueen, Shame
Lynne Ramsay, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Andrew Haigh, Weekend
Best Actor:
Tom Cullen/Chris New, Weekend
Michael Fassbender, Shame (WINNER)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Peter Mullan, Tyrannosaur
The inclusion of both Tom Cullen and Chris New seems like a bit of a cheat. But because of how they are the narrative and their performances complement each other, I feel that one is incomplete without the other.
Best Actress:
Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur
Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Best Supporting Actor:
John Boyega, Attack The Block
Albert Brooks, Drive (WINNER)
Patton Oswalt, Young Adult
Brad Pitt, Tree of Life
Mark Strong, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Seems cruel to leave Christopher Plummer out because he deserved his Oscar. But, Tinker Tailor had one of the best ensembles of the year and I wanted to include at least one actor from that bunch.
Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Carey Mulligan, Shame
Kim Wayans, Pariah (WINNER)
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Chastain and Mulligan were at a very close "any other year" second and third place, respectively. But ultimately, it was Kim Wayans who won out for me for her astonishingly layered work in Pariah. If you haven't seen that film, I highly recommend it.
Best Original Screenplay:
50/50
Attack The Block
Bridesmaids
Shame
Weekend (WINNER)
Originally, I picked Shame. That is until I saw Weekend, whose genius behind its script is that it feels unscripted.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants
Drive (WINNER)
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Thanks! I love your picks. Several of the performances were very close to making my ballot, particularly Colman, Olsen, Swinton, Theron, and Woodley. Also, it's great to see a win for Nicolas Winding Refn (my runner-up), and I love that you included both Cullen and New for Weekend. I really need to see Pariah and give Tinker Tailor another look. Who's your Best Actress winner?
DeleteElizabeth Olsen. Although it was a squeaker between her, Swinton, and Theron.
ReplyDeleteNice. Theron was this close to making my ballot. Olsen would probably be just behind her.
DeleteNice. It was a tough year to pick just five. It's funny because it was a great year for lead actresses, yet I didn't really think it was represented well in the actual BA category.
DeleteYeah, I love strong years for performances, but it sucks when I have to narrow it down to five. The acting categories at the Oscars don't always reflect the strength of the year, sadly.
DeleteWhat a rich year, and I adore your love of Hugo! What a wonderful film. I just reviewed the book/film on my blog. Love seeing it adored, and I think it's one of Scorsese's finest films.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's one of his best. Though, A Separation would be my Best Picture winner now. (I need to update this ballot.)
DeleteA Separation is superb!
Delete