Singing Sondheim isn't as easy as it looks.
(Credit: DreamWorks/Paramount)
From: Berkshire, Geoff
To: Pais, Matthew
Subject: RE: Oscars
Oh, now we've got a knife fight on our hands (no nudity though, we'll leave that to Viggo).
Once again I love the five choices the voters made here, but for me this category boils down to Day-Lewis vs. Depp, in what should be a match for the ages.
I agree Day-Lewis' big, loud, wonderfully showy turn will steamroll its way to a worthy win, but I'd argue that Depp is every bit his equal. It's not just any old singing he pulls off as Sweeney, it's the rich, layered, melodically complex, story-driving lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. And he does it with a British accent. Ask any theater dork you know and they'll spend the next two hours of your life telling you what an achievement that is—especially for someone who never sang professionally before!
As for the few times he's not singing (and often when he is), Depp's performance is a master class in physical acting. His facial expressions and body movements are on the level of silent movie legends, whether he's casually rebuffing the romantic advances of his landlady, cutting a rival barber down to size (figuratively and literally) or relishing his chance encounter with the judge who wronged him. It's an epic performance, and the greatest achievement yet to emerge from the magnificent ongoing Burton/Depp collaboration.
Besides, didn't Jennifer Hudson win an Oscar last year by completely nailing just one song?
I've gotta say, I'd love a performance like Hudson's in the supporting actress race this year. It's so...dull. The irony is that it's the most wide open race of all. Amy Ryan nabbed most of the critics’ awards for "Gone Baby Gone," Blanchett won the Golden Globe for "I'm Not There" and then Ruby Dee won the SAG award for "American Gangster." I say it should be Tilda Swinton's turn come Oscar time as the ruthless corporate lawyer who was anything but a caricature in "Michael Clayton."
Things on the supporting actor side are less suspenseful, but that doesn’t make me any less excited about Javier Bardem’s inevitable win for "No Country for Old Men." He's as instantly iconic as Day-Lewis (or Depp) and while that doesn't always warrant an Oscar, in this case there's simply no rational argument against it. Right?
