Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)
Biggest Snub:
Tobey Maguire – Seabiscuit
My Overall Thoughts:
This is yet another year where one powerful performance dominated. Penn’s portrayal of a grieving father outshiones all of the others and there was little doubt who would win.
My Rankings:
Acting Performances
5. Bill Murray
4. Jude Law
3. Johnny Depp
2. Ben Kingsley
1. Sean Penn
Movies
5. Lost in Translation – Extremely boring film about two strangers spending a few days together in Japan trying to find themselves. Murray and Johansson have a strange kind of chemistry that works only part of the time. There are lots of better films about strangers meeting and forming a bond while in a foreign land. How did this film win an Oscar and have two other nominations?
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Fun adventure film that adds in laughs and thrills, but I’m still not convinced that it should have gotten any Oscar nominations, let alone Best Actor for Depp eventhough he was entertaining (moreso than a few of the other nominees).
3. Cold Mountain – A bit drawn out and I had trouble believing the matching up of Law and Kidman, but other than that it does an adequate job of transporting us to The South during the waning days of The Civil War. Not nearly as good as Minghella’s The English Patient (1996). Zellwenger was definitely deserving of an Oscar for her role.
2. House of Sand and Fog – Great movie about family honor shown by two very culturally diverse families. Kingsley and Connelly are both amazing here. Love the subtle buildup that keeps switching between a drama and thriller.
1. Mystic River – Amazingly done by Eastwood, who is one of the best directors around. Excellent performances and storyline.
Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Yes! Penn’s performance in Mystic River was amazing and if it wasn’t for the juggernaut LOTR sweeping just about every other award this year, this film might have been able to get more win because it is amazing to watch.
Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!
MovieRob 