The Public Opinion Soapbox

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2251 Location: Chambersburg

I figured it was time to discuss the upcoming Academy Awards and everyone's predictions. I hope as many of you got to enjoy some of the great films that came out in 2007 as I did.

I'm still trying to decide which I enjoyed more; No Country For Old Men or There Will Be Blood, but I'm predicting No Country will take it. I hope.

Best Picture

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Actor

George Clooney Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen Eastern Promises

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie Away from Her
Marion Cotillard La Vie en Rose (La môme)
Laura Linney The Savages
Ellen Page Juno

Best Supporting Actor

Casey Affleck The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress

Cate Blanchett I'm Not There
Ruby Dee American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan Atonement
Amy Ryan Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton Michael Clayton

Best Original Screenplay

Juno Diablo Cody
Lars and the Real Girl Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille Brad Bird
The Savages Tamara Jenkins

Best Adapted Screenplay

Atonement Christopher Hampton Atonement, novel by Ian McEwan
Away from Her Sarah Polley "The Bear Came over the Mountain", short story by Alice Munro
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Ronald Harwood Le scaphandre et le papillon, memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby
No Country for Old Men Joel and Ethan Coen No Country for Old Men, novel by Cormac McCarthy
There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson Oil!, novel by Upton Sinclair

Best Animated Feature

Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

Torgo · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:18 pm Post subject:

I dunno. Only saw "Sweeney Todd" this year.

* sound of crickets
_________________
"The Master would not approve..."

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2251 Location: Chambersburg

Did you like Sweeney Todd? I'm planning to see it at the Carlisle Theater in March.

Torgo · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:35 pm Post subject:

Oh, I thought it was amazingly good. Only Tim Burton could put together a convincing horror musical. And Johnny Depp impresses me more and more the older he gets.

Do not take anyone squeamish. For serious.
_________________
"The Master would not approve..."

cookieclaygirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1777 Location: shippensburg

pepper · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 12

A good description for "Sweeney Todd" would be "There Will Be Blood"! I've seen both movies. Drove up to Mechanicsburg for ST and it was worth the drive. And I am not a Tim Burton fan but having seen the stage production - his interpretation is nothing less than brilliant.

The only thing I found redeeming about "Blood" was the acting and the "look" of the movie. Daniel Day Lewis was amazing as was the young actor who was in "Little Miss Sunshine" - a career to watch with great anticipation.

A chick flick, for sure, but I thought "Definitely Maybe" was a notch or two above the usual rom-com. I consider it a breakthrough role for Ryan Reynolds - yep, he's just signed on to be a mutant in the Wolverine movie currently in production.

Pepper

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2251 Location: Chambersburg

Looking forward to ST; I'm not much into modern musicals, but this seems so bizarre and unique that I can't help but enjoy it. I'm also not much of a Tim Burton fan, but Johnny Depp owns the acting world these days and the buzz alone is worth a look.

There Will Be Blood captivated me from start to finish. And the music... wow! It was like another character in the movie. Daniel Day Lewis was literally unbelievable and he's certainly a lock for best actor. He put his role in Gangs of New York to shame. And if anyone saw My Left Foot, then I'll say it was superior to that as well. Paul Dano (the Little Miss Sunshine actor) was equally brilliant. The film is huge, and I still hold that No Country was more enjoyable, but Blood was a close second for me.

How about animated films? Did anyone see Ratatouille? Not only was it the best animated movie I've seen in a very, very, very long time, but this is the first time I've seen an animated film nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

pepper · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 12

TWBB was too dreary, depressing and demoralizing for me. BUT I did enjoy watching DDL and Paul Dano perform emotional, demanding roles. Your comment re music is spot on. Cinematography also excellent.

Loved Ratatouille! The trailer captured me months before its release. It did not disappoint and I usually don't go to animated features. Made exceptions for "Finding Nemo" and "Flushed Away". As a child I was enthralled by Dr Seuss' books - "Horton Hears A Who" was a favorite. Looking forward to the movie. And the Oscars!

Coppy · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 2251 Location: Chambersburg

So what do the Netflix customers think? Since I participated in the poll, I have the results:

Best Picture
42% No Country for Old Men
19% There Will Be Blood
17% Atonement
13% Juno
9% Michael Clayton

Best Actor
62% Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
17% Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
12% George Clooney for Michael Clayton
5% Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises
4% Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah

Best Actress
30% Ellen Page for Juno
27% Julie Christie for Away from Her
22% Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth: The Golden Age
14% Marion Cotillard for La Vie en Rose
7% Laura Linney for The Savages

Best Supporting Actor
58% Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men
16% Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson's War
10% Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild
9% Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
7% Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
30% Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There
26% Ruby Dee for American Gangster
15% Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone
15% Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton
14% Saoirse Ronan for Atonement

Best Animated Feature
81% Ratatouille
14% Persepolis
5% Surf's Up

Best Directing
55% Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men
20% Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood
11% Jason Reitman for Juno
9% Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton
5% Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Adapted Screenplay
41% No Country for Old Men
27% Atonement
16% There Will Be Blood
10% The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
6% Away from Her

Best Original Screenplay
60% Juno
24% Michael Clayton
7% Ratatouille
5% Lars and the Real Girl
4% The Savages