It’s ON!

The past seven days have been a flurry of activity. It really was the best Black Weekend ever! Apparently, Black is the new black. But then again – black has always been the new black, now hasn’t it? The inauguration was easily the biggest event in the history of Washington D.C! I love how the president’s inaugural address immediately got down to business, but it also reminded me that he has been getting down to business since November Fourth! Now that Barack Obama is President Obama we can finally get to what’s really important.

THE OSCARS!

That’s right, Oscar nominations came out today, and boy are they interesting. A lot of it is exactly what we expected [Slumdog Millionaire] and some were unexpected [Benji Buttons getting 13 nominations! Huzzah!] while others were completely omitted. The best thing about this year in movies is there were so many good movies that the omissions seem… tough to take.

What’s great about the Golden Globes is that they give a lot of room for different types of movies and performances. The fact that performances are separated into comedy/musical and dramatic areas is extremely kind. And that difference is what I notice the most on the day that the Oscar nominations are announced.

For example, the phenomenal Kate Winslet won two Golden Globes: supporting actress for The Reader, and Lead Actress for Revolutionary Road. Yet she was only nominated for one Oscar, for leading actress. For The Reader. Until this morning, Ms. Winslet was the front-runner for the leading actress Oscar for Revolutionary Road. Now that her nomination is for what she won a Globe in the supporting category – all bets are off. As much as I love, love, love Kate Winslet, I much prefer not having a clear idea in my mind of who will ultimately win the award. Things just got fun! Meryl Streep is never to be ignored in any category, even though she hasn’t won in a long time. Anne Hathaway has been talked about since the day Rachel Getting Married opened in theaters back in the fall. Angelina Jolie gives an AMAZING and subtle performance in Changeling. That movie did not do as well as it should have. I think people thought it was going to be a kidnap thriller, and it simply wasn’t - it was much better that that. Ms. Jolie’s work in that movie is impeccable. And in a year where she also appeared in Wanted, it just goes to show you what she can do. I’ll admit the girl could stand to eat a few more pork chops, but her acting chops are out of this world. Yeah, I said it!

Robert Downey, Jr. gets a nod for Tropic Thunder! That performance is at once crazy and classic. Five months later, my mouth is still agape.

No Cate Blanchett this year. Huh?

Mr. Heath Ledger scored the nomination he deserves! Christopher Nolan said it best when he accepted Ledger’s posthumous Golden Globe: We can all see the giant hole left in the future of cinema. I’m not going to lie to you - Brokeback was the first thing I saw him in that mattered to me. But I had no idea of what he was capable of until The Dark Knight.

No Clint Eastwood. At all?

I have to say that I was surprised about Colin Farrell winning the Globe for In Bruges only because that movie did not get the attention it deserved. That movie is good, it’s the little movie that could. Rent it, and you’ll understand. I have to admit, if it won the Oscar for original screenplay, I wouldn’t complain…

Revolutionary Road was left to Art Direction and costume design. What?

This is exactly what I mean – the omissions are glaring, but at the end of the day there are no more than five nominees in each category. It’s a good list, and should make for an interesting ceremony. Good luck to Hugh Jackman, a lot rests on his shoulders!

Congratulations to all the nominees!!! Have some champagne – you all deserve it. But don’t get too relaxed, now the real work begins.


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