Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)
Biggest Snub:
Jim Carrey – Man on the Moon
My Overall Thoughts:
This was a year where it was a real fight between Spacey and Washington throughout the awards season despite Farnsworth and Crowe also giving amazing performances.
My Rankings:
Acting Performances
5. Sean Penn (Not yet seen)
4. Denzel Washington
3. Kevin Spacey
2. Russell Crowe
1. Richard Farnsworth
Movies
5. Sweet and Lowdown (Not Yet Seen)
4. The Hurricane – Very preachy film that feels like it is trying more to highlight Washington’s performance instead of the story itself. Lots of holes in the plot is exacerbated by the fact that there is much controversy as to the truth of the story being told. Music tho is excellent. Expected much more from Jewison.
3. American Beauty – Amazing movie about getting the most out of life and not getting bogged down by it. Great performances all around especially by Cooper and Spacey!
2. The Straight Story – Such an amazing film because it’s done so simple yet has such an unbelievable impact on multiple levels. The story itself is quite an emotional one even though it is all presented in such a subtle way. Farnsworth is superb here and really deserved his Oscar nomination for playing such a role to perfection. Even after nearly twenty years, he holds the record of the oldest Oscar nominee for Best Actor which is quite a feat for a 79 year old. The music is beautiful to listen to and the way that they shoot the landscapes of the American Midwest is so breathtaking to watch as the journey moves along.
1. The Insider – Excellent portrayal of a man trying to show his convictions, but still fearing for the safety of his family, career and ultimately his life. Really follows the message about journalistic responsibility and trust to the public. Pacino is great here, but Crowe is even better; perhaps even his best role ever. Very gripping and unfortunately still very relevant even 20 years after the real story happened.
Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Yes and No! Spacey does an amazing job in AB, yet the performances by Crowe and Farnsworth were still better. I can understand tho, how the Academy could go with Spacey at that time tho.
Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!
