Okay, some trivial Oscar talk today...I'm fed up with the Demfest, the Ketchup Kid will win it easily. Ho. Hum.
My biggest gripe is that Sean Austin wasn't nominated in the Supporting Actor catagory for Samwise Gamgee. Austin's performance was an emotional touchstone that bound the three films together and Samwise emerged as the quiet hero of the epic.
Best Actor: I'm pulling for Johnny Depp in spite of his loopy anti-American ramblings, he has a great body of work, making risky and unpredictable choices...his Cap'n Jack Sparrow was was a pearl. My second choice would be Bill Murray, a comedy icon who should have been recognised for "Groundhog Day". As much as I despise Viggo Mortensen's lameass politics, his portrayal of Aragon was masterful, sustaining and refining the character, he should have been nominated for Best Actor.
Best Actress: Dianne Keaton? Puleeze, get the fargin' hook and what's with the stupid gloves? Charlize Theron's a lock...her Golden Globe dress clinched it.
Best Supporting Actor: Alex "Fatboy" Baldwin and Tim "Pussywhipped" Robbins may cancel each other out...but if Best Actor doesn't go to Penn, they may want to make a anti-Bush statement with Baldwin. The nod should go to Djimon Hounsou, a magnificent and underated actor who should have been nominated for Gladiator.
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson, for "Pieces of April", but Renee Zellweger continues to give flawless performances...she should have copped one for "Chicago" and/or "Bridget Jones Diary"... she'll win.
Best Animated Feature: "Finding Nemo" will easily win, again a keeper.
Best Picture and Director: "LOTR:Return of the King" (representing the entire trilogy), of course. "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" was a terrific ride and Peter Weir has been a favorite of mine since the stunningly beautiful "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and the powerful "Gallipoli". I'd normally be rooting for Weir, but not this year. Eastwood's "Mystic River" was gripping, his usual level of excellence, but I wouldn't watch it again or buy the DVD.
It's gotta be Peter Jackson for best adapted screenplay, director and picture. LOTR's lasting quality and box office numbers can't be ignored in an industry that lives and dies by gross receipts. It also doesn't hurt that Jackson is not an American.
My test for BP is always which of the nominated films will be around in twenty years? LOTR and MACFSOTW...both timeless period pieces...perhaps Mystic River as part of Eastwood's legacy and catalog.
That's my dos centavos.