Friday, February 22,2008
Page 6
CAMPUS VOICE
‘No Country’ likely winner of Best Picture
Lack of a Best Picture
nomination for ‘Eastern
Promises’ is one of this
year’s disappointments.
A little advice for those of
you placing bets on this year’s
Academy Awards; 17 of the
past 23 Best Picture Golden
Globe winners have also won
the Academy Award for Best
Picture.
However, it is important
to know that three of the six
mismatches have come in
succession, starting with Clint
Eastwood’s “Million Dollar
Baby” (2004), followed by Paul
Haggis’“Crash” (2005), and last
years best picture winner “The
Departed,” (2006) directed by
Martin Scorese.
Joel and Ethan Coen’s “No
Country for Old Men” did not
win the best picture Golden
Globe this year, which I think
guarantees a Best Picture award
at the Academy Awards this
year. •
“No Country” along with
director Paul Thomas Anderson’s
“There Will Be Blood,”
garnered eight nominations
each, including a best lead actor
nomination for “There Will Be
Blood’s” Daniel Day-Lewis
and a best supporting actor
nomination for “No Country’s”
Javier Bardem.
“No Country for Old Men”
has been awarded Best Picture
16 times this year by various
associations which include
the Broadcast Film Critics
Association, the Online Film
Critics Society, the Satellite
Awards, the Toronto Film Critics,
Association, the Washington DC
Area Film Critics Association,
and the National Board of
Review, USA.
As for acting, Daniel Day-
Lewis is a solid favorite, with
his performance in “Blood”
earning him 15 best actor
awards from various film critics
associations, as well as the
Golden Globes. This is Lewis’
fifth Oscar nomination, and his
first since 2002’s “Gangs of
New York.” His last win was
in 1989 for his performance.in.
INSIDE THE
MOVIES
by MATTHEW
HEMENWAY
Jim Sheridan’s “My Left Foot,”
which was also Lewis’ first ever
Academy Award nomination.
Julie Christie is perhaps as
well on her way to winning her
second Academy Award, having
won 14 Best Actress awards so
far for her performance in Sarah
Policy’s “Away from Her,”
which includes a Golden Globe
award.
Diablo Cody is poised to win
the Oscar for Best Original
Screenplay for Juno. In recent
years the Academy has taken
a liking to similar trendy
indie films. 2006’s “Little
Miss Sunshine,” directed by
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie
Farisk, was the last indie film
to receive widespread acclaim,
earning four Academy Award
nominations, including Best
Picture.
Other best original screenplay
nominations include Brad Bird
for “Ratatouille,” Tamara
Jenkins for “The Savages,” Tony
Gilroy for “Michael Clayton,”
and Nancy Oliver for “Lars and
the Real Girl.”
Some notable cuts this year
include Tim Burton’s “Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barber of
Fleet Street”, which despite
winning the Golden Globe
for Best Picture-Musical or
Comedy received no best
picture Oscar nomination. The
film received a total of three
nominations, which consist of
a much deserved Best Actor in
a Leading Role nom for Johnny
Depp, a Best Achievement in Art
Direction nom for Dante Ferretti
and Francesca Lo Schiavo,
and a Best Achievement in
Costume Design nom for
Colleen Atwood.
James McAvoy and Keira
Knightly seemed like a lock
for a Best Actor/Actress
nomination for “Atonement,”
but surprisingly missed out.
I happen to agree, with the
Academy’s decision here, but
I don’t agree with three of
their seven nominations for
“Atonement,” or the four noms
for “Juno” for that matter. Ridley
Scott’s “American Gangster,”
nominated for three Golden
Globes, which include Best
Director, Best Motion Picture-
Drama, and Best Performance
by an Actor in a Motion Picture-
Drama, received only two
Academy Award nominations.
Oddly enough, the Oscar
noms went to non Golden Globe
nominated Ruby Dee for acting,
and Arthur Max and Beth A.
Rubino for Art Direction.
David Cronenberg’s “Eastern
Promises” is, in my opinion, the
most under recognized film this
year, garnering only one Oscar
nom for Viggo Mortenson for
Continued on 7
Photo courtesy
of FOCUS FEATURES
Right: Viggo Mortenson
starred in “Eastern
Promises.” Though not
nominated for Best Picture,
it was easily one of the best
movies of the past year.
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The Foundation of
Wayne Community College presents
Maiy IBliumclh Scores
Come welcome back
Ray Bunch, Emmy
winning composer, in a
gala event April 12
in Moffatt Auditorium.
Cost: $50
Ticket information: 735-5151, ext 745