It's the haircut that's truly legendary.
(Credit: Miramax)
From: Pais, Matthew
To: Berkshire, Geoff
Subject: RE: Oscars
Hey now, I never said I was up for a knife fight. But if you can think of a way to have it via email, I am awfully curious how that would work. Regarding Depp, I must confess both his performance and the movie overall left me shrugging my shoulders a bit, impressed with everything on a technical level but that's it. At your request though, I will call all of the theater dorks I know—I'm sure I can drum up one or two.
Jennifer Hudson did win mostly thanks to one song, but her performance in "Dreamgirls" is a showstopper in the best way. She owns the screen and acts/sings circles around everyone else in the movie, creating her own universe of feeling through song. Depp's pipes are certainly better than average, but I'm not sure I see how a murderous singing barber evokes an award-worthy mix of force and passion. I think he deserves an award at the Johnny Depp awards—"You've really outdone yourself this year, mate"—but not at the Oscars.
You're right that this year's supporting actress race lacks a bit of a spark. Blanchett has some momentum (she may have stolen it from Ryan) but I think Swinton may slide into the winner's circle as a way of honoring "Michael Clayton." She could not have been better in the role, with subtle movements that revealed incredibly large truths about an attorney who's smart, cold and desperately afraid that she can't handle an increasingly complicated situation.
Supporting actor race, zzzzzzzzzzzzz ... It's all Bardem, and anyone with any common sense would call his performance legendary. At least we agree there!
The Coen brothers look like winners in the directing category too, though Julian Schnabel and Paul Thomas Anderson both did really, really phenomenal work. Schnabel may not be back for a while but I have no doubt Anderson will be. Despite our disagreements on "There Will Be Blood" there's plenty of genius kicking around in there, and PTA has become one of the few young filmmakers to really earn the anticipation that greets his movies.
Though Jason Reitman kinda doesn't deserve the nod for "Juno," it's cool to see a second-time director up there, and it's even cooler for first-timer Tony Gilroy for "Michael Clayton." Do you think Gilroy will have much of a career, or will he be one and done?
