the shiny golden men

i think i have to.

the oscars:

best picture - no country for old men: okay. totally okay with this. it was a dead heat between there will be blood and this, so i am totally okay with this.

best actor - daniel day lewis: uh, duh. i mean, really. there was no question here. at all. no one else had a chance.

best actress - marion cotillard: okay, i guess. i mean, i wish laura linney would have won, but that was based more on finding 'la vie en rose' boring than really on the performances, so totally acceptable.

best supporting actor - javier bardem: i suppose. i would've chosen tom wilkinson, as far as an actually masterful performance rather than a cleverly creepy one. but bardem haunts my dreams, in terrifyingly erotic ways, so whatever.

best supporting actress - tilda swinton: it was her or ruby dee. and she was very, very, very good.

best director - joelethan coen: i see why. i would've chosen julien schnabel, but that's okay. 'the diving bell and the butterfly' nearly made me vomit, i can't see the academy being able to stomach it.

adapted screenplay - joelethan coen: yeah. definitely. no question on this one.

original screenplay - diablo cody: ugh. i despise diablo cody. juno was cute and clever. i would've preferred ratatouille if they wanted cute and clever, though.

original song - glen hansard (once): thank god. the rest of the options were horrible.

original score - dario marianelli/atonement: okay, it was the best of the options given. there is no reason that they shouldn't have nominated 'there will be blood'.

cinematography - robert elswit (there will be blood): yes. totally okay with this. would've preferred 'the diving bell and the butterfly', as it was actually creative cinematographically, but 'blood' was unquestionably the most conventionally exceptional of the bunch. 'the assassination of jesse james' was also exceptional, creatively. but unusual doesn't get rewarded, unfortunately.

editing - christopher rouse (bourne ultimatum): seriously? no, really... 'diving bell' should've won here. or at least 'blood'. blech.

costume design - elizabeth: the golden age: you know, i really don't care that much. hooray for neck ruffs? i think this is awarded based on the amount of fabric used.

art direction - sweeney todd: okay, i totally accept this one. it was a cohesive fantasy world, and the most evident use of art direction.

animated feature - ratatouille: give ratatouille best original screenplay so that persepolis could win this. good lord, pixar shouldn't just AUTOMATICALLY get the oscar. persepolis was better, overall. and they used an old animation stand. whatever.

animated short - peter and the wolf: sure. they pick the boring one. tutli-putli should have won. or moya lyubov. both were more accomplished.

live action short - the mozart of pickpockets: yep. no question here. at all.

documentary feature - taxi to the dark side: i'm just glad fucking sicko didn't win.

documentary short - freeheld: you know, i really don't like documentaries. documentary shorts are even less interesting.

foreign language film - the counterfeiters: eh, mongol was more interesting. this is such a throwaway category, anyhow.

visual effects - the golden compass: well, i suppose they were choosing between evils?

makeup - la vie en rose: they can't exactly give it to norbit, now, can they.

sound editing - the bourne ultimatum: again, totally unacceptable. it seems like they were forced to choose between 'no country' and 'blood' and didn't want to, so they chose something else. which is ridiculous. 'blood' should've won here.

sound mixing - the bourne ultimatum: yeah, 'no country' should've won here.

ah, yet another catalogue of why i hate the academy.
i feel sick.
brakhage, anyone?