Every year I try to watch as many Oscar movies as possible, but I never mange to watch them all, by a long shot. This year I’ve almost done the impossible, I watched all of the major Oscar nominated movies. The only ones I am missing are the foreign movies. So let’s talk about the main nominations, which you can find at oscar.com
Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis only had one scene in Doubt, but she really nailed the conflict between her son’s mental health and physical health. A memorable role.
Best Supporting Actor
I was happy to see Robert Downey Jr nominated, I think he did a great job in Tropic Thunder. However I would like for Heath Ledger to get this, it was both hilarious and scary.
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway was a surprise for me but I doubt she will win. Meryl Streep is always good, but we’ve seen this type of role from her. Kate Winslet will probably get it, her role was more peculiar, an older woman who is mentally younger. But my favorite was Sally Hawkings in Happy Go Lucky, unfortunately she wasn’t even nominated.
Best Actor
This year’s nominations are almost all very good. As much as I like Benjamin Button, I don’t think Brad Pitt had a very difficult role. He pulled it off, I just don’t think it deserved a nomination. I really liked Richard Jenkins, he had a very subtle role and pulled it off perfectly. Sean Penn completely immersed himself into his role, I hardly recognized him. But my favorite has to be Mickey Rourke, in a very personal and touching role.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Benjamin Button and Slumdog both have a good structure, I enjoyed the way they told their stories. But Button had me more emotionally involved.
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River had a really original screenplay. But In Bruges had the best plot as well as dialogs.
Best Director
Milk and Frost/Nixon didn’t impress me with their style. Same for The Reader. Slumdog had a lively style thanks to Danny Boyle’s clear vision. But Benjamin Button’s visuals were even more stunning, and they complemented the visual effects as well as the performances. I really hope David Fincher will be awarded.
Best Picture
I wasn’t really impressed with these nominations, apart from my favorite: Benjamin Button. All the other movies were good, but I wouldn’t even rank them in the top 10 of 2008.
2008 was already a weak year for me, but the nominated movies aren’t even the best. Definitely a disappointing year. Hopefully the show itself will still be interesting.