Sarah's Ramblings

Best Picture: No Country for Old Men

Best Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)

The Coens have never won Best Director - no, not even for The Grand Lebowski! I know! I think this is their year. Michael Clayton was lucky to get nominated. Juno is a comedy. Not enough people saw Atonement. That leaves No Country and There Will Be Blood for Best Picture. There Will Be Blood is the perfect example of an auteurist flick; it never could have been what it is without Day-Lewis and Anderson working together. So I think if they don't give the Oscar to Anderson for directing, he won't get it for Best Picture.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)

This one's already engraved on the statuette. I saw this movie last night, and he's everything you've heard and more. He will, in fact, drink the other nominees' milkshakes.

Best Actress: Julie Christie (Away From Her)

Big ups for the Canadian film, woot woot! I would've said Page but I think she's too young to win.

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

Haven't seen it, but this is another lock.

Best Supporting Actress: Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)

I predict this will be the "big upset" category. Ryan and Swinton are supposedly great, but I think more people saw Atonement. I'm thinking of when Anna Paquin won for The Piano here.

Costume Design: Atonement

That green dress is a character all by itself. I just hope they don't repeat the presentation of the costume nominees in the same way this year, with models in a tableau. It just looked awkward.

Original Song: "That’s How You Know" - Enchanted

I love this song. I love Amy Adams singing it. I love Patrick Dempsey's reaction. I love this movie. That is my only explanation.

Foreign Language Film: 12

Just guessing here. This is the first year in a while I haven't heard of any of these. I know: shaaaame, shaaaaame. I'm surprised Four Months, Three Weeks, 2 Days isn't here, unless it didn't actually get released in 2007.

Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men

Apparently it's EXACTLY like the book, and the Academy's a sucker for that sort of thing. I love the book Atonement, but by its very nature they would have had to cut out about 75% of it.

Original Screenplay: Juno

There's no way Juno isn't going to win something. But both Page and Reitman are too young, and Diablo Cody's making a real name for herself. It's the first time I've seen so
much attention paid to a screenwriter.

Finally, Penny Karma's been having a bit of trouble getting people to respond because most people haven't seen many of the nominated films. I'm no better. So here's my completely subjective list of best of '07.


Best Picture: There Will Be Blood.

I didn't enjoy it, but I do like it a hell of a lot.

Best Director: Jason Reitman, Juno.

He took what could have been Napoleon Dynamite and turned it into a gem. The guy is obviously one of the most talented comedic director out there - Thank You For Smoking makes me laugh every time. If I had seen Away From Her - yes, shaaaaaaame, shaaaaaaame - I would have picked Sarah Polley. I've been a Sarah Polley fan since before I could read. That's fan cred, right there. And I have seen her direct before, so I know of what I speak.

Honourable mention to Adrienne Shelley for Waitress.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Duh. The only one who might have given him a run for his money is Cillian Murphy in Sunshine.

Best Actress: Keri Russell, Waitress.

I've already talked everyone's ear off about this movie. Basically, it's kinda perfect.

Honorable mention: Nikki Blonsky in Hairspray.

Best Supporting Actor: Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood.

How the hey-nonny-nonny did he not even get nominated? Folks, have you seen what Day-Lewis does to him during the movie? And he plays two parts, the larger of which he had to replace the original actor in after 2 weeks of shooting. It's Paul motherloving Dano!

Honorable mention: the kid who plays H.W., De Niro in Stardust.

Best Supporting Actress: Cripes, I'm having a hard time trying to think of one here. All my favourite supporting characters this year appear to be men. Hmmm; I'm going to have to go with Amanda Bynes in Hairspray. Not so much for the performance - she probably wouldn't make it onto a top 5 list of my favourite performances in that movie - but for proving that good roles for young female comedians/comic actresses do exist. I'm looking at you, Sarah Silverman.

Costume Design: I have no idea, but whoever dressed James McAvoy for Becoming Jane should get a negative Oscar. Ooooh, he's just a wee little leprechaun in a green velvet coat, thrashing aboot the forest looking for his luck charms!

Original Song: "That’s How You Know" - Enchanted

Yes, still the same. I think they should institute a category where films can be nominated for a non-original song. My example here is "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge! It was ineligible for the Oscar because it was originally written for Romeo + Juliet, even though it was never used. I mean, just because "Sea of Love" wasn't originally written for Juno, it should still be eligible for some award. You can't tell me there's no artistry involved there at all.

Foreign Language Film: No idea again.

Adapted Screenplay: I don't know - Hairspray? Sweeney Todd?

Original Screenplay: Hot Fuzz

This movie is a slice of fried gold, and I defy anyone to tell me otherwise. Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Nick Frost and Jessica Stevenson/Hynes could beat up a puppy in front of me and I would still think they were just about perfect. If Juno can be nominated, there's no reason Hot Fuzz can't be. Hell, The Full Monty was nominated for Best Picture!

Also, how did the hell did TWBB not get nominated for Best Score?