Oscar picks

Lets just jump right in...

This must be the first year in my life that I haven't seen a single best picture nominated movie at the theatre.

Best Picture:

The Aviator - Epic about Howard Hughes
Finding Neverland - Story of the guy who wrote Peter Pan
Million Dollar Baby - Story of a woman who wants to be a boxer
Ray - Ray Charles
Sideways - Story of two guys going through a mid-life crises

Hmm.. Sometimes Hollywood likes to pick an underdog to prove they are not quite.. soo.. Hollywood. Not this year. The Aviator will win. It's been a pretty weak year for movies, hasn't it? Usually I have a favorite movie that I would like to see win best picture. This year I really don't care. I'll add all these films to my netflix queue, but I'm not overly excited about it.

Science fiction, as a genre, is in the toilet right now.. Alien vs. Predator? Gah.. Hopefully Star Wars III is good. Episode I was trash, and II was just slightly better. The trailers look good, but we all know that doesn't mean much.

Best Actor:

Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp in Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator
Clint Eastwood in Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx in Ray

Hollywood had been such a racist industry for so long that they are still trying to make up for it. Jamie Foxx will win, but Johnny Depp is the better actor. I've always liked Clint Eastwood, but he's won so many awards, I don't think he'll ever see another Oscar. He will get one of those 'lifetime achievement awards' some day I'm sure. Leonardo DiCraprio just rubs me the wrong way for some reason. Don Cheadle is nominated to fulfill the 'non-mainstream actor that nobody has heard of' position.

I really think Johnny Depp is an amazing actor. Consider his performances in Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Chocolat, Blow, and Pirates of the Caribbean. All such varied rolls, and masterfully performed. He seems to do it with such ease, which is absolutely the hallmark of a brilliant actor. How many other Hollywood actors can do that? I think Ed Norton is one of the very few others who can, and perhaps Brad Pitt.

I see Depp has been cast to play Willy Wonka in a remake of the classic, directed by Tim Burton. Talk about perfection. Tim Burton is the only person I would pick to direct such a complex movie, with very dark undertones. I'd be willing to wager that Depp wins his best actor Oscar for that role. I can't wait.

Guess who was the directors first choice for the roll? Go ahead.. guess. Marilyn Manson, but apparently there was a scheduling conflict. Now that would have been something.

One actor overlooked for nomination is Jim Carrey. They should have dropped Eastwood and nominated Carrey for his performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I identified with that character. We all know that Carrey can play the zany comedy rolls, but he's also shown he has the ability to make you feel things just from looking at him. It was a tremendous performance.

Has an actor ever won an Oscar for both best actor and best supporting actor? Jamie Foxx is nominated in both.

Best actress:

Annette Bening in Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno in Maria Full of Grace
Imelda Staunton in Vera Drake
Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

You know, I really don't care. There's really only one actress that I like right now, and that's Angelina Jolie. It's not that she's such a great actress (she is pretty good though), but she has charisma. All the other actresses seem the same to me. All the major male lead actors are distinct. With the women, they all blend together into a generic formula. Where are personalities like Elizabeth Taylor? Where are the movies where the draw is the female lead? Not a single female actress draws box office on her own. Call me sexist, but that's the truth.

While I'm thinking about it, Uma Thurman is very good as well.

All the other categories? Who cares? As I said, it was a very weak year for movies. I guess my picks boil down to The Aviator for best picture, and Jamie Foxx for best actor.