If I chose the Oscar Nominees…
If I chose the nominees, none of that would have happened. Permit me to unlock this web page with the key of film obsession. Beyond it is another dimension- a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of liberties. You’re moving into a space of both shadow and substance, of crimes and misdemeanors. You’ve just crossed over into . . . the Beaubien Zone. In here, I am the sole voter of the 81st Annual Academy Awards. To make it more interesting, I will not recognize any of the existing nominees from that thing we’ll call reality, as much as it pains me to see the Best Supporting Actor category without the Michael Shannon nomination. Not only is the challenge more enticing, but it also works as a collection of those deserving – some even more – who were snubbed. Now this would have been a far more entertaining Oscar Night!
Best Picture
Synecdoche, New York (2008): Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Sidney Kimmel
In Bruges (2008): Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin
The Dark Knight (2008): Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
Revolutionary Road (2008): Bobby Cohen, Sam Mendes, Scott Rudin
Let the Right One In (2008): Carl Molinder, John Nordling
Special Mention: Wendy and Lucy (2008): Larry Fessenden, Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Brendon Gleeson for In Bruges (2008)
François Cluzet for Ne Le Dis à Personne (Tell No One) (2008)
Lee Pace for The Fall (2008)
Michael Shannon for Shotgun Stories (2008)
I was very tempted to also nominate Philippe Petit from Man on Wire for Best Actor. True, he is just playing himself, then again, he is always performing. Plus he does his own stunts!
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Kristen Scott Thomas for Il y a Longtemps Que Je T’Aime (I’ve Loved You So Long) (2008)
Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Inés Efron for XXY (2008)
Lina Leandersson for Let the Right One In (2008)
Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Special Mention: Michelle Williams for Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Eddie Marsen for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Bill Irwin for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Aaron Eckhart for The Dark Knight (2008)
Wally Dalton for Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Ralph Finnes for In Bruges (2008)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Samantha Morton for Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Elsa Zylberstein for Il y a Longtemps Que Je T’Aime (I’ve Loved You So Long) (2008)
Marina Hands for Ne Le Dis à Personne (Tell No One) (2008)
Rosemary DeWitt for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Olivia Thirlby for Snow Angels (2008)
Best Achievement in Directing
Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight (2008)
Charlie Kaufman for Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Mike Leigh for Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Tomas Alfredson for Let the Right One In (2008)
Martin McDonagh for In Bruges (2008)
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Synecdoche, New York (2008): Charlie Kaufman
Wendy and Lucy (2008): Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt
The Fall (2008): Dan Gilroy, Nico Soultanakis, Tarsem Singh
My Winnipeg (2008): Guy Maddin
Rachel Getting Married (2008): Jenny Lumet
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Dark Knight (2008): Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Let the Right One In (2008): John Ajvide Lindqvist
Tell No One (2008): Guillaume Canet
Snow Angels (2008): David Gordon Green
XXY (2008): Lucia Puenzo
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Let the Right One In (2008): Hoyte Van Hoytema
The Fall (2008): Colin Watkinson
My Winipeg (2008): Jody Shariro
In Bruges (2008): Eigil Byrld
XXY (2008): Natasha Braier
Best Achievement in Editing
Tell No One (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
Let the Right One In (2008): Tomas Alfredson, Daniel Jonsäter
Wendy and Lucy (2008): Elliot Graham
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Synecdoche, New York (2008): Lee Smith
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Let the Right One In (2008): Eva Norén
Synecdoche, New York (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
My Winnipeg (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
Burn After Reading (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Tell No One (2008): Mathieu Chedid
Standard Operating Procedure (2008): Danny Elfman
Wendy and Lucy (2008): Will Oldham
In Bruges (2008): Carter Burwell
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Gran Torino (2008): Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum (“Gran Torino”)
The Wrestler (2008): Bruce Springsteen (“The Wrestler”)
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
$9.99 (2008): Tatia Rosenthal
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In) (2008) (Sweden)
My Winnipeg (2008) (Canada)
XXY (2008) (Argentina)
Ne Le Dis à Personne (Tell No One) (2008) (Belgium)
Il y a Longtemps Que Je T’Aime (I’ve Loved You So Long) (2008) (Belgium)
If Canada’s Les Invasions Barbares (The Barbarian Invasions, dir. Denys Arcand) was nominated for (and won) the Best Foriegn prize back in 2003, then Maddin’s kaleidoscopic docudream My Winnipeg deserves to contest against all the other countries. I know Technically, Guy Maddin’s swimmy prose should be considered a language alien to English, but that’s just me.
“Wait a minute!” someone cries. “You can’t nominate two films from the same country!” It is a stupid rule that each country has to submit only one film to the oh-so-precious! Academy Awards. What? Would the labour of watching more worthy entries from the same country out of hundreds more be too much blood and sweat for the American Foreign Film Jury to spend? In my universe, there would be no stupid rules!
© 2008 – 2024, CINELATION | Movie Reviews by Chris Beaubien. All rights reserved.
