Because it takes a great deal of time to write about all the the nominees I have decided to divide this up into a series leading up to Saturday or Sunday when before the Oscar I will announce my picks for Best Picture. Also on Sunday after the Oscar are over I hope to post my thoughts. I realize it has been awhile since my last post. This is due to lack of internet and a lack of time.
Let's start...
Art Direction :
There Will Be Blood
Sweeny Todd
Atonement
American Gangster
The Golden Compass
Who Should Win: There Will be Blood is the best film of the year and the reason for this is in no small part due to the art direction of this film. It captures with great aplomb the time and place in which is supposed to. It is not showy art direction, but something powerful that transcends that.
Who Will Win: This is a hard one to call. I am inclined to think that the voters will go for the showy musical art direction of Sweeny Todd. However there has been much said of the look of Sweeny Todd being superfluous. So I think I have to choice There Will Be Blood.
Editing Nominees:
The Bourne Ultimatem
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Into the Wild
The Diving Bell
Who Should Win: Hmm... in this category, more than any other, it is not saying too much to say that all are worthy. However I must ditch logic and go with the heart on this one. Into the Wild is told in such a unique way, with interesting editing, that makes it all the more powerful. So from the heart I choose the underaprieciated masterpicece Into the Wild.
Who Will Win: Normally the answer to this question is very easy. Whoever wins this award almost always goes on to win Best Picture. However this year the editing award of the two biggest contenders, No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood, are maybe too indie to win this award. They are both gritty and lack the sort of polished editing that the Academy so loves. So I have to choose The Bourne Ultimatem, a masterpiece of what else but editing. Editing that is crisp, slick and freshly polished.
Costume Design:
La Vie en Rose
Sweeny Todd
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Atonement
Across the Universe
Who Should Win: Across the Universe. I say this only because this is only place where it is nominated and now having watched three times I have to say it deserves something.
Who Will Win: Though call. My instinct once again tells me to trust that when it comes to costumes trust that royalty trumps everything. However the backlash against Elizabeth: The Golden Age is probably too much. So I see it as either Sweeny Todd or La Vie en Rose. Oscar rule number 100, when in doubt go for the more serious. I would say that La Vie en Rose is probably the best bet. However no big shock is Sweeny Todd takes it.
Makeup:
Norbit
La Vie en Rode
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Who Should Win: La Vie en Rose is a fairly good movie. Norbit is not. And POTC is, well, better than the second one. However when it comes to makeup I have to say POTC is probably the hardest to do. So POTC then, why not?
Who Will Win: La Vie en Rose. If anything else wins consider me shocked.
Visual Effects:
Transformers
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Golden Compass
Who Should Win: Transformers, hands down, no contest. Not only did they make a movie about giant robots look real. They also made it pretty damn entertaining.
Who Will Win: Without a doubt Transformers.
Coming up next: The Sound awards, the screen writing awards, the directors and the best film of the year.
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7 comments:
I will have to agree with your choices.....mostly because I haven't seen most of the movies this year. Too busy with video games I guess. I do have to say though that POTC deserves digital effects more than makeup if they were to get something based on their fish people. I didn't see Transformers though....so maybe POTC should just stay on the sidelines.....oh wait...Orlando Bloom was shirtless....is there a category for that?
There is not yet. However there is some consideration of making a ceremony the week before. At this ceremony awards would be given out for shallow thing best shirtlessness and Best buttox. You will enjoy it. It will probably get better ratings than the real thing.
As far as costuming goes, I don't think the winner will be Across the Universe. Although I believe it is a great film, the costuming was too easy. Elizabeth is a good contender for the costuming, just for the fact that costumes are the only reasons period pieces are made, you are correct in saying that it probably won't win. So with ACTU and Liz out, I'll have to say Rose should win. I have never seen this movie, and i don't know what the costumes look like; however, I think the costumes for Sweeney and Atonement wouldn't have been too hard to design. There have been so many films set in those time periods that it's hard to be original. We also have great historical evidence as to what they wore in those times, so one couldn't be too creative for risk of being inaccurate. The contenders, I think, are Liz and Rose. If Liz has a lot of negative response to it, then one would assume that Rose will win. The film Elizabeth is a bunch of inaccurate events being acted out by people in pretty dresses. If I'm not mistaken, Elizabeth wears a colour in the movie that the real queen never wore. I could be mistaken in this, but if I'm not, then the movie definitely should not win. As far as the other predictions go, I haven't the foggiest.
I disagree with the previous anon about Sweeney Todd's costumes being in a period that is done a lot. It's costuming was not strictly period. It was a mish mash of styles and periods. Very Victorian age through the eyes of a romantic goth.....plus denim. Having said that....I think that style works better on stage than it does in film (usually) because plays rely so heavily on costuming to aid in telling the story and making individual statements about the characters (I'm sure film uses it too...but speaking from experience). Also....I resent the implications that I would enjoy something that you labeled as shallow immediately before saying I'd enjoy it. Unless there are many clips of the lovely shirtlessness
Of course their be numerous scenes of shirtless and various other images of the sort. I completely agree with gingersnaps about the costuming of Sweeny Todd. I feel the costuming is, as you say, probably too stagey though. I also don't think its right to say the costuming of Across the Universe was easy. In fact of all the films I would say its one of the harder ones. After all, consider the scenes with Dr. Robert, much of the costuming there is very difficult and uniquely artistic.
I didn't pay attention to the other costumes during the doctor robert scene, but the doctor himself didn't have much of a costume in my opinion. He was basically bono in cowboy hat and an ugly beard. No offense to anyone who loves the costumes or anything. It's a wonderful movie.
Also how about the parade scene? Or the scenes after Dr. Robert? Eddie Izzard's part? The costume design is truly the stuff of greatness. Thanks for keeping the posts alive on this one. I really enjoy reading everyones comments. Don't worry about offending people. Part of what makes movies so great is the debate that they can inspire
Great Costuming from ATU
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/images/2007/10/29/across_the_universe.jpg
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