OSCARS

I'm aware that many of these films aren't even up for Oscars, and due to the fact that I have yet to see some of the major films that are out for Oscars this Sunday (Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Good night...etc) I still thought I would put forth some of my favorite films and actors of the year.

BEST PICTURE:
You and Me & Everyone we know. I don't know why this film sticks out to me as much as it does in my selection here. Perhaps it was the offbeat characters hoping to fall in love in their various stages of life, or perhaps it was just the general philosophical weirdness that we see in certain parts of the film, but I was really taken in by Mirandy July's film. From the sexual confusion to the brimming innocence of a young child, the palatte of emotions and experiences of the characters that walk that fine line but never fall into the realm of disgusting or unbelieveable, was incredible, and it's a film like this that I hope to make one day.

BEST ACTOR:
Terence Howard, Hustle and Flow/and to a lesser extent, Crash. I was skeptical when first viewing this film, as I had just seen "Four Brothers", and had already had my fill of "gangster" or "urban" experiences for the day. However, this neither a movie about rap, nor is it about the posturing that we see only from our white suburban viewpoints about a genre of music. I felt that Howard, in stark contrast to his "savior" role in Crash, was a character here that we found just as easy to hate as it was to love and root for him. His painful portrayal of a man hoping to make his mark before the dangerous life of living in the ghetto finishes him off was outstanding, and during the film we honestly believe and root for him even as he does anything possible to make his dream happen.

BEST ACTRESS:
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica. I've always thought, at least before Desperate Housewives that Felicity Huffman was an incredible character actor. Able to fill supporting roles and even carry an episode or a part of a film by herself amazingly. (Anyone who's seen "sports night" or "magnolia" knows what I mean. I think she's finally due for some recognition here in Transamerica, which played at the Milwaukee Film Festival this past fall.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man. I know the movie was fairly run-of-the-mill oscar hodepodge (think "A Beautiful Mind or similar crap), but I've always felt that Giamatti has that pent-up "I'm pissed at the world and I'm going to be as pissy and moany as I can, yet still-loveable" feel to him. I felt the same way about his performance in "American Splendor". Maybe it's because I'm similarly a pretty tightly wound individual much like Mr. Giamatti's characters are, but I found his portrayal as Jim Braddock's trainer and manager to be the only redeeming factor of this film.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amy Adams, Junebug. Her wonderfully overblown, ADD-style performance in this indie favorite did actually win her a nomination. But to me, what put her in serious (and ultimately, winning) contention for this category was the way that she played the sensitive, yet never discouraged optimist to Johnny's (Ben Mckenzie from the O.C) moody and jealous pessimest. When Johnny is passively abusive to her, we can see in her large green eyes the struggle and the pain that

BEST SONG:
Just for a fucking laugh, I'm going with "Wait until tomorrow" by the Stereophonics, from the "Crash" soundtrack. Just out of the pure absurdity of the selection of this track for the film. I can't think of a more white-bread band (at least in England) being picked for such a worldy and racially-themed film.

Ok, so I overwhelmingly DID pick films that were actually nominated. So sue me, fuckers.