With Oscar nominations coming out on January 22, everyone is wondering who will walk away with 2008’s Academy Awards. But without knowing who has been nominated, it’s even harder to guess who will get the prize. With a long list of excellent, groundbreaking films released throughout 2007, it’s hard to pick the top contenders in any category. Yet with the acclaim many films received last year, some seem at least sure to receive a few Oscar nods, if not Oscar wins. Here are a few of my own Oscar nominee predictions for the 2008 Awards. According to the Academy Awards website, up to five nominees may be elected in each category; therefore, I have selected five contenders in the four major categories for your consideration.
According to rule one of the Academy Award regulations, awards must be awarded based on “outstanding achievements in theatrically-released feature-length motion pictures”
Best Picture
With the number of films released in 2007, it was hard to select just five who seemed sure to receive Oscar nominations. According to rules two and three of the Academy Award regulations, films released from midnight on January 1, 2007 to midnight at the end of December 31, 2007 in Los Angeles County were eligible for nominations. To be considered for award purposes, feature-length films must be at least forty minutes.
One film that seems almost certain to receive an Oscar nod in this category is No Country for Old Men. The film, released on November 21 of last year, has thus far won two Golden Globe awards: one for Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture, awarded to the Coen brothers, and one for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, which was awarded to Javier Bardem. The film also won thirty-seven awards from a variety of film critic circles and associations, including four from the New York Film Critics Circle. Yet another film based on a novel, the critically acclaimed film weaves a tangled web of satisfying dissatisfaction; it is one of few recent films that creatively and unexpectedly leaves viewers strangely satisfied with the dissatisfying turns of events occurring throughout the film. Dealing with themes of temptation, justice (and injustice), and ruthless corruption, this is one of today’s best modern westerns. It is also a unique feat for directors Joel and Ethan Coen.
Though strange to mention directly after such an intensely-motivated film as No Country, another high-hoping Oscar contender is Juno, a light-hearted yet eye-opening feature starring Ellen Page and Arrested Development‘s Michael Cera. This film is not your typical coming of age story. It deals with a complicated series of relationships and broken lives, revolving around the strangely hilarious issue of an unplanned pregnancy. The film was nominated for three Golden Globes. The surprising success of the film is owed in major part to the stellar performance by Ellen Page, whose development as a character was both heart-breaking and mind-blowing in its clear representation of an atypical, offbeat girl growing up much sooner than expected. Though the film seemed a little too purposefully-poignant and stereotypically rooted in a coming of age account at times-there were more than a few moans over lines like “I guess I don’t know what kind of girl I am”-overall the movie proved to know what it was doing, both creatively, artistically, and expressively.
Another offbeat contender for the Best Picture award is the thriller-musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Film actors Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter deliver characteristically bewildering yet crowd-pleasing performances. The two actors, who seem perpetually drawn to the weird, fantastical, and slightly creepy when it comes to films, create oddly loveable characters that happen to be on a killing spree in Victorian London. The film is both macabre and amusing in its plot devices, character development, and more. Some doubt a film with such a long title could ever win an Academy Award these days, but I think Sweeney Todd stands a good chance of cutting in-no pun intended . . . well, maybe a little-on the nominations.
Of course, no Best Picture nominations for films from 2007 would be complete without Atonement. This stunning film, also based on a novel, delivered powerful performances from James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, as well as from fourteen-year-old actress Saoirse Ronan. The film is jam-packed with beautiful images, settings, and costuming to match the beautiful epic romance. Though Knightley is an actress who typically fills the limelight in a film, she takes only a corner of it compared to the performance by McAvoy, whose acting talent truly shone in this film. Likewise, though claiming Knightley as her acting role model, Saoirse Ronan seemed a step above her, delivering a surprisingly strong performance. Knightley delivered an excellent performance as well, but her two cast mates were most assuredly given their time to shine in this feature. Some predict-I among them-that the film’s slow pace may hinder its chances of actually taking the prize, but for its epic, stunning beauty, the film at least deserves a nomination.
Finally, one of the most controversial films of the year: The Golden Compass. Though not an award-winning film yet, the picture definitely delivered a stunning series of performances that matched a stunning series of settings. Though marketed as a children’s film, the feature had some harsh images that made it seem more adult at times. I’m convinced that, by merit of its popularity, intrigue, and to some levels controversy, this film may round out the nominees in the Best Film category.
With these potential nominations in mind, I predict the award going to No Country for Old Men. The most successful in regards to already-received awards and acclaim, the film seems certain to be a hard-to-beat contender in this category.
Best Actor
With the nominees for Best Picture out of the way, it was surprising to find that most of my predictions for the Best Actor category were not featured in those films. The only actor who bridges both categories is Johnny Depp, who is likely to receive a nomination for his performance in Sweeney Todd. Also a contender in this category is Daniel Day-Lewis, for his stunning performance in There Will Be Blood. Lewis portrays a ruthless oil tycoon who constantly wrestles with his own demons in pursuit of more and more material wealth. His progression as a character is cleverly performed by Lewis, and makes him a hard contender for the award.
Also in the running is Academy Award winning actor Denzel Washington, for his performance in American Gangster. In this film, Washington portrays a villain you almost can’t help but root for on some levels. It’s a surprising, yet at the same time not, role for Washington; though typically a favorite hero-type, Washington still manages to portray an everyday man with exceptional strength who perseveres despite all odds (well, sort of). Still, his performance was definitely a shining one in this film, and in my opinion earned him an almost definite place on the nomination ballot.
Next is George Clooney. Clooney’s performance in Michael Clayton was intriguing, to say the least; not his typical glamour role, but he’s moved away from that-with the exception of the Ocean’s films, that is-in recent years. The inner-turmoil his Clayton faces is delivered in a well-rounded performance by Clooney, one of his best in recent years. His coolness on screen continues to shine, even in the dark of this film, but it is the atypical nature of that cool that makes it worth a nomination. Not a definite nomination, to be sure, but perhaps a more likely one than some others.
Finally, there is Eastern Promises‘ Viggo Mortensen. This performance was . . . well, gritty and dirty, something Mortensen seems very much into these days. With one of the most heart-racing performances of the year, many think Mortensen will earn a nomination for one simple reason, three simple words: nude fight scene. I’d say viewers have missed something very, very badly if this were the basis for his nomination. His performance as Nikolai was certainly intense, at times even chilling in his cold, nicely concealed menace. Through Mortensen, we are exposed to a character with a mysterious past and hidden secrets; we want there to be good in him, even if we can’t see it, and the fact that Mortensen keeps the suspense and intrigue going with this character throughout the film earned him a place-perhaps a less-likely, but still nicely earned, place-among the other potential nominees in this category.
Despite how much I would love to see Depp walk away with this award, my prediction is that Daniel Day-Lewis will steal it this year.
Best Actress
Two actresses from the Best Picture category filtered into this one as well. But before getting to them, let’s look at the other three potential nominees. First is Angelina Jolie, for her performance in A Mighty Heart. Based on the true-story of Marianne Pearl, her husband Danny, and her attempt to find out what happened to him, this film revolves around Jolie’s performance as a woman frantically searching for her missing husband. Despite being a slow-film overall, Jolie delivered a heart-wrenching performance, reminding viewers that she is a very talented actress across the board.
Marion Cotillard gave an even more impressive performance in La Vie en Rose, the story of singer Edith Piaf. Cotillard’s transformation into Piaf was simply breathtaking; her performance as the singer was absolutely astonishing, a surprisingly realistic performance. To call her role a performance doesn’t do it justice; the indescribable transformation Cotillard went through almost literally made her become Edith Piaf. Her role in the film was stunning, creative, and intense. She is going to be hard to beat when it comes to the best actress nominations.
After such an ultimate transformation of an actress in film, it’s hard to put this next actress directly after her. But it has to be said: Amy Adams’ performance in Enchanted just might earn her a nomination. Some may call it unlikely, but I’d say it’s a possibility. Many female viewers left the film wanting to be her, and for more reasons than the fact that she got to hang out with Patrick Dempsey. Adams’ performance was clever, charming, and, dare-I-say-it, almost too cute for words. She truly was a Disney princess in this film! Just take my word for it; her performance was, at heart, Oscar-worthy.
The final two nominees are Ellen Page and Keira Knightley. To be honest, Knightley’s performance was only enough to earn her a possible fifth-spot in the category; while it was a crowd-pleaser, and definitely moving, her character fell to more of a secondary role compared to the performance by McAvoy, so while she’ll probably get a number of votes, it is just as likely that she won’t necessarily make the ballot. Still, her chances are pretty good. It is Ellen Page who is far more likely to earn a spot on the ballot. Her performance was absolutely delightful, and truly showed off her acting talents in a pleasantly surprising way. She is almost a definite nominee. Yet despite her stunning performance as the crowd-pleasing Juno, my guess is that Marion Cotillard will walk away with the Oscar, and I’d be very disappointed if this weren’t the case!
Best Director
In the Best Director category, it’s typically the directors of the films that made the Best Picture ballot. Yet in this case, Ridley Scott’s direction of American Gangster will likely earn him a nomination. Likewise, Julian Schnabel’s artistic and at times mind-blowing direction of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly has given him a good chance of earning a nomination. Besides these two directors, the last three all had films in the likely Best Picture category. Joe Wright’s stunning direction of Atonement may earn him a nomination, though the film’s slow pace may damage his chances of actually winning, or of even getting nominated. Jason Reitman delivered a fabulous film with Juno; the creative representation of characters, the realistic language, and the moving story are enough to earn him a likely spot on the ballot. Finally, Ethan and Joel Coen’s direction of No Country for Old Men, will likely make them the hard-to-beat contenders in this category. Despite the merits of the other films and their directors, I predict the Coen brothers will walk away with the award, with Schnabel likely coming in at a close second, even if there are no second-place awards.
The actual nominees for the 2008 Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 8:30 AM EST (5:30 AM PST) on ABC. Eager fans can either watch the nomination announcements on their local ABC channel or visit Oscars.com, where the nominations will be streamed live via the web.
