Real Movie Review-Movie Reviews, Movie Quotes, Movie Trivia

…And It’s Oscar Time, Ladies and Gentlemen!
(imagine a rousing rendition of “Hurray For Hollywood)

It’s that time of year, when the most prestigious and well-publicized awards show releases its nominees to a hungry, salivating pack of critics and journalists and a largely uncaring public. Oh well, I’ll write about it anyway, since this is a movie website and because I have no life other than what I steal from the silver screen…so here it goes! Below I will add my all-knowing, and all-interesting, little views of each category. Cajun Carl may add a little input, marking his comments with a CC (pretty clever, huh?).

Performance by an actor in a leading role

George Clooney in Michael Clayton -overrated…no chance
Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood – The best bet – Won         the drama Globe, so he may be in good shape, here.         Still not playing near me. Maybe some day.
Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd – Johnny picked up the Comedy         Globe to add to his trophy room,     but I don’t think he is         a good bet for the Oscar.
Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah – Good, but not good         enough
Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises – My pick, but a dark         horse to win, here.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – Casey “Baby Ben” Affleck did a         good job, here, but not quite this good.
Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men – Best Bet, since he beat largely the same field for his Globe, but         Wilkinson could take him here at the ‘Big Show’.
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War – I liked this movie and this performance, but probably the most         unlikely to win, besides Casey.
Hal Holbrook in Into the Wild – Hmmm, I haven’t seen this one, yet (not in my area), Hal is a long time         character actor who could scoop a ‘we owe you’ Oscar.
Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton – This is the best performance of the year, in my opinion and he has been         unsuccessfully nominated before (In The Bedroom). I am         putting him just below Bardem as most likely to win.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth: The Golden Age – never write off sumptuous British period pieces, but this is a         sequel, and kind of a lightweight movie, so I doubt it.
Julie Christie in Away from Her – Best Bet – best performance and got the Globe, so should deservedly win this         one.
Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose – Never saw it
Laura Linney in The Savages – Never saw it
Ellen Page in Juno – Ellen gave a great performance in a very good film, but she is too young, the film is to light         and this will be one of those “It’s a honor just to be nominated”, things.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There – She is playing a real person (sort of) and playing someone completely different         from herself. Since the Academy loves both of those         circumstances, this is the closest thing to a sure bet         there is, this year.
Ruby Dee in American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan in Atonement – Since Saoirse has the best performance in this critically acclaimed film, she is the         only other nominee to have a shot, here.
Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton

Best animated feature film of the year

Persepolis (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Ratatouille (Walt Disney): Brad Bird – Should win easily.
Surf’s Up (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Achievement in art direction

American Gangster (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
Atonement (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer – 2nd most likely         to win.
The Golden Compass (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set         Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by         DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti;         Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo – Great sets in         this one. It should win and I think it will.
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Achievement in cinematography

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins – Some really nice         film work, here, but most likely will be ignored.
Atonement (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey – Best bet.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Achievement in costume design

Across the Universe (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
Atonement (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Universal) Alexandra Byrne – Might snag one here.
La Vie en Rose (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood – Best Bet

Achievement in directing

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
Juno (Fox Searchlight), Jason Reitman – Some very nice work, here, but most likely too light to win.
Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – Best Bet – at least until         I see Diving Bell and Blood.
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Best documentary feature – No pick – have only seen one.

No End in Sight (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group         Production: Richard E. Robbins
Sicko (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan         O’Hara – This was great, (I admit I haven’t seen the         others, however. Has anyone?), but I don’t think Moore         can win this year.
Taxi to the Dark Side (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
War/Dance (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best documentary short subject – who watches these? I don’t even know where to see them.

Freeheld A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
La Corona (The Crown) A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
Salim Baba A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
Sari’s Mother (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley

Achievement in film editing – Well, I really have only the simplest of how to judge film editing, and have not seen three of the nominees, but I guess I’ll take a shot.

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal): Christopher Rouse – some good work, here
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
Into the Wild (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor – Best bet, so far, I guess

Best foreign language film of the year – I haven’t see any of these. Not playing in my area. Why would they? Probably only me and one other guy would even think about seeing any of them.

Beaufort Israel
The Counterfeiters Austria
Katyn Poland
Mongol Kazakhstan
12 Russia

Achievement in makeup

La Vie en Rose (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
Norbit (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel – Best Bet. This movie made         a fortune, they have give it something.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) I didn’t think that the music in any of these films was anything special. What do I know?

Atonement (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli – Best bet, since it won the Globe, I guess
The Kite Runner (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by         Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
Ratatouille (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami – This flop deserves nothing.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Falling Slowly” from Once (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
“Happy Working Song” from Enchanted (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
“Raise It Up” from August Rush (Warner Bros.): Nominees to be determined
“So Close” from Enchanted (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
“That’s How You Know” from Enchanted (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz – No         idea what will win, but of the nominees, I guess this is         my fave. I still think Music and Lyrics had the best         original songs.

Best motion picture of the year

Atonement (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers –         Best Bet, but please, God, no.
Juno (Fox Searchlight) A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith,         Producers – Very good film, but too light for an Oscar win.
Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry         Orent, Producers – Are they kidding? most overrated film         of the year.
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin,         Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers – haven’t seen         Blood (below), so this is my choice so far, though I think         the snubbed Eastern Promises was a little better.
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production:         JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi,         Producers.

Best animated short film – Where do they show these? Birthday parties?

I Met the Walrus A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
Madame Tutli-Putli (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and
        Maciek Szczerbowski
Même Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven) (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production         Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
My Love (Moya Lyubov) (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec         Production Alexander Petrov
Peter & the Wolf (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh         Welchman

Best live action short film Who watches these? I mean, really, who? I don’t know anyone, who has ever seen any live action short film.

At Night A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth Il Supplente (The         Substitute) (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia         Production: Andrea Jublin
Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
Tanghi Argentini (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
The Tonto Woman A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew         Brown

Achievement in sound editing – I’m like a vegan judging a BBQ rib cook off here, but someone has to do it, so here it goes…

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg – the sound was good here, but unlikely         to win
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay – Best bet, I think because the voters         probably only know a little more about the category than         I do and will go with what has won other stuff.
Ratatouille (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Matthew Wood
Transformers (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins –         bad movie, good sound, so maybe, who knows.

Achievement in sound mixing with all I know about sound mixing, I’m a blind man picking his favorite porno, here, but here it goes.

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter         Kurland – Best bet….just because
Ratatouille (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
Transformers (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and         Peter J. Devlin

Achievement in visual effects

The Golden Compass (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben         Morris and Trevor Wood – Very cool polar bears, but is         that enough?
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier –         Best bet – Made so much money, it will likely win.
Transformers (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl         and John Frazier – probably the best effects of the three,         but it is so bad, will they let it win something?

Best Adapted screenplay

Atonement (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
Away from Her (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen         Best bet, I think, but I might be letting my own opinion         cloud my judgment.
There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Original screenplay

Juno (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody – Best bet, or should I say my best guess, in a category that         can go anywhere, but I’m pulling for you, Diablo!
Lars and the Real Girl (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
The Savages (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins

Every year, around this time, Hollywood kicks off its own holiday season and gives itself the gift of film awards, that range anywhere from well-deserved, to arbitrary, to bought and paid for. The Academy Awards are the most prestigious of these, but the Golden Globes also enjoy considerable media support and serve as a weather vane to gauge which direction the Oscar winds are blowing.

The Golden Globe winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a non-profit group whose goals are to build strong cultural ties to the rest of the world, to recognize achievements in film and television, to contribute to other non-profit entertainment organizations and to encourage study of the arts. Well, it sure sounds good. I’ll give them that.

Listed below are the 2008 Golden Globe movie nominees. In each category, Cajun Carl or I may have added our initials after which nominee that we think should win. But since we are not allowed to attend press screenings (we are working on it), and since so many of these films have not been released to the general public, yet, that might take a couple weeks. In the meantime, you can print this page out and add your own picks. If you are more successful than we are, you will receive…well, nothing, but it will probably make you feel good and you can brag about it to friends and family members who might pretend to care, or you can e-mail us and brag, but since we will have no idea if you are telling the truth, we won’t care either. C’est La Vie.

But have fun, anyway and enjoy.


Hollywood Foreign Press Association 2008 Golden Globe awards for the year ended December 31, 2007

1. Best Motion Picture – Drama

American Gangster — Won’t win but great way to spend a couple of hours
Atonement — Winner. I picked them to win and they did – biiiiiig accomplishment – for my next trick, I predict a sunrise for tomorrow – MMM
Eastern Promises — should have won – MMM
The Great Debaters –Absolute must see – CC, – still waiting for it to show in my area :( – MMM
Michael Clayton — impressed others more than me – MMM
No Country for Old Men– This is great and a close 2nd choice for me. MMM
There Will Be Blood — looks good, but also not playing near me, yet. Why does Hollywood distribute like this? Make a few more copies and let people see the damn movie!

2. Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture –
Drama

Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age — big budget British based period piece- may win – MMM
Julie Christie – Away From Her – Winner! The best work won – how’s that for any upset? The best performance, but a small film, easily ignored
Jodie Foster – The Brave One — performance good, but movie wasn’t be taken seriously (nor should it be).
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart — she won’t be taken seriously
Keira Knightley – Atonement – I picked Knightley as the most likely undeserving winner. Glad to be wrong.

3. Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama

George Clooney – Michael Clayton — I know that George is a media darling, but not even close.
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood – Winner! I hope they finally release it in my area before I forget what it is.
James McAvoy – Atonement — This film is a critics fave and he could have pulled it off, but I’m glad he didn’t.
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises — I think this was the best performance – my pick, didn’t win – figures.
Denzel Washington – American Gangster — Denzel always good, but slightly weaker film than above

4. Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Across The Universe
Charlie Wilson’s War Good, but not that good.
Hairspray — I thought this one should win
Juno — Juno is great, but Hairspray still gets the nod from me – barely.
Sweeney Todd Winner – it was an impressive piece of work (and I’m not even a Burton/Depp fan), but third best in my opinion.

5.Best Performance by an Actress In a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray A close second to Ellen Page.
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd
Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose – Winner. Who? What movie? Huh?
Ellen Page – Juno – Ellen was robbed on this one! I want a Grand Jury investigation and a Geraldo expose, damn it! This was a one girl show, and this is that one girl – gets my vote.

6. Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd Winner – I figured he would win, he did.
Ryan Gosling – Lars And The Real Girl – missed this one – I’m only one man, damn it!
Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson’s War Hanks is good, but are they tired of giving him more stuff?
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages – see note on Lars, above
John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Did an excellent job, and I’m giving him my vote, but apparently that wasn’t enough to upset Depp.

7. Best Animated Feature Film


Bee Movie
Ratatouille Winner – original and very good, I said it should win and it did. Easy call. – MMM
The Simpsons Movie- good, but not original enough

8. Best Foreign Language Film

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (France and USA) – Winner
The Kite Runner (usa)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)

9. Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Cate Blanchett – I’m Not There – Winner! Good performance in a weak field. I prefer Ronan, but this is a fine choice, too.
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson’s War Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Saoirse Ronan –Atonement — I think she deserved this one, but maybe next time.
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

10. Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Casey “Baby Ben” Affleck was really good, I wish I could give him my vote, but Wilkinson was too good.
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men Winner – Another fine performance. I picked him as the most likely winner, but I still pick Wilkinson.
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson’s War Great job, but a tough field
John Travolta – Hairspray — It takes more than a dress, John.
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton – great performance – deserved the win, but didn’t get it. Call Ellen Page, Tom, she is talking to the Grand Jury. You should, too.

11. Best Director – Motion Picture

Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd
Ethan coen & Joel coen – No Country for Old Men — I picked the Coen boys as my ’should win’. Apparently that wasn’t enough – MMM
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell And The Butterfly – Winner. I guess I should see this one, now?
Ridley Scott – American Gangster
Joe Wright – Atonement — I picked this as the likely winner. I was wrong. Alert the media, because that NEVER happens! MMM

12. Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Diablo Cody – Juno – This is good, but I have to go for the Cohen dialogic genius
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen – No Country for Old Men – Winner! I picked them. They picked them. All is right in the universe.
Christopher Hampton – Atonement – I thought this one would undeservedly win. It didn’t. My faith in my fellow critics is restored (partially).
Ronald Harwood – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Aaron Sorkin – Charlie Wilson’s WarGood, but not quite good enough in a strong field.


13. Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder – Into The Wild
Clint Eastwood – Grace Is Gone
Alberto Iglesias – The Kite Runner
Dario Marianelli – Atonement Winner, whatever.
Howard Shore – Eastern Promises


14. Best Original Song – Motion Picture


“Despedida” – Love In The Time Of Cholera
music by: Shakira, Antonio Pinto
lyrics by: Shakira
“Grace is Gone” – Grace is Gone
music by: Clint Eastwood
lyrics by: Carole Bayer Sager
“Guaranteed” – Into The Wild
music & lyrics by: Eddie Vedder – Winner! Never saw it. Never heard it. Never said it. (Picture monkeys to get my little joke, here).
“That’s How You Know” – Enchanted
music by: Alan Menken
lyrics by: Stephen Schwartz
“Walk Hard” – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
music & lyrics by: Marshall Crenshaw, John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, Kasdan — I like this one, MMM, but really best song of the year, should have gone to the song from Music and Lyrics, an underrated Hugh Grant effort this year.