Oscar Week: Best of the Best
Best Actress
Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents) Charlize Theron (North Country) Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice)
I have been wrestling with this category for awhile now. None of the performances were jump off the screen incredible, yet they were all perfectly played and solid in there own way. Judi Dench has no shot, because most people have never even heard or Mrs. Henderson Presents, though she was excellent. The one role that seems to have some buzz around It is that of Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, and don’t think that her popularity in Desperate Housewives doesn’t have something to do with it. I thought the movie was bad and her performance only ok, nothing special. I believe this is a three horse race, between Charlize Theron, Keira Knightley, and Reese Witherspoon. While North Country did not hit it big at all, Theron was excellent, maybe even better than her academy award winning role in Monster. Witherspoon is the big favorite in this category, but I thought she was only slightly above average here. The one performance I thought was great was that of Knightley’s. Hopefully voters are not swayed by some of her other recent performances like that in Domino and Pirates of the Caribbean. She took the part and ran with it in Pride & Prejudice; she was magnetic on the screen. Everything about her in the role was perfect and I hope she gets the credit she deserves. MY PICK: Keira Knightley PREDICTION: Reese Witherspoon
Best Actor
Heath Ledger (Broke back Mountain) Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) David Strathairne (Good Night, and Good Luck) Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow)
This is easily the most difficult category to choose for an Oscar in a long time. I cannot remember when you could honestly say all 5 nominees were totally deserving of this award. Four of the nominees are from Non-Major Studio films, that is unprecedented. Terrence Howard probably gives the best performance he will ever give and he has no shot at winning. For him to be nominated from such a film is a credit to the job he did, turning this “pimp wanna be rapper” into a character of such depth and courage. Joaquin Phoenix probably had the toughest job, especially after last year’s performance by Jaime Foxx. But Phoenix was excellent in his portrayal of the Country Music Legend. David Strathhairne and Phillip Seymour Hoffman also had the task of playing real people, but not nearly as well known as Johnny Cash. Hoffman was absolutely stunning as famed author Truman Capote; he was one of those guys who became the character throughout the movie. He seems to have gotten deep down inside Truman Capote to bring out this selfishness that drove this man to the sick twisted lengths that he went to in order to write his acclaimed novel, “In Cold Blood.” Strathairne on the other hand had the opportunity to introduce most of America to the best Television journalist ever, Edward R. Murrow. Following Murrow through his courageous crusade against Senator Joseph McCarthy, Strathairne plays Murrow with the perfect pitch and never becomes too preachy or self serving in his role. I firmly believe he would win in almost any other year, except this year he is slamming into a juggernaut. As great as all those other performances, Heath Ledger gives an all time performance in Brokeback Mountain. Honestly, it is up there with any performance you can think of: Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Humphrey Bogart. His character so detailed, so layered and in the end yet so vulnerable to his own feelings which he thought had been betraying him his whole life. He took this movie from ordinary to extraordinary, and displayed an enormous amount of talent which I don’t think anyone knew he had. MY PICK: Heath Ledger PREDICTION: Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents) Charlize Theron (North Country) Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice)
I have been wrestling with this category for awhile now. None of the performances were jump off the screen incredible, yet they were all perfectly played and solid in there own way. Judi Dench has no shot, because most people have never even heard or Mrs. Henderson Presents, though she was excellent. The one role that seems to have some buzz around It is that of Felicity Huffman in Transamerica, and don’t think that her popularity in Desperate Housewives doesn’t have something to do with it. I thought the movie was bad and her performance only ok, nothing special. I believe this is a three horse race, between Charlize Theron, Keira Knightley, and Reese Witherspoon. While North Country did not hit it big at all, Theron was excellent, maybe even better than her academy award winning role in Monster. Witherspoon is the big favorite in this category, but I thought she was only slightly above average here. The one performance I thought was great was that of Knightley’s. Hopefully voters are not swayed by some of her other recent performances like that in Domino and Pirates of the Caribbean. She took the part and ran with it in Pride & Prejudice; she was magnetic on the screen. Everything about her in the role was perfect and I hope she gets the credit she deserves. MY PICK: Keira Knightley PREDICTION: Reese Witherspoon
Best Actor
Heath Ledger (Broke back Mountain) Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) David Strathairne (Good Night, and Good Luck) Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line) Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow)
This is easily the most difficult category to choose for an Oscar in a long time. I cannot remember when you could honestly say all 5 nominees were totally deserving of this award. Four of the nominees are from Non-Major Studio films, that is unprecedented. Terrence Howard probably gives the best performance he will ever give and he has no shot at winning. For him to be nominated from such a film is a credit to the job he did, turning this “pimp wanna be rapper” into a character of such depth and courage. Joaquin Phoenix probably had the toughest job, especially after last year’s performance by Jaime Foxx. But Phoenix was excellent in his portrayal of the Country Music Legend. David Strathhairne and Phillip Seymour Hoffman also had the task of playing real people, but not nearly as well known as Johnny Cash. Hoffman was absolutely stunning as famed author Truman Capote; he was one of those guys who became the character throughout the movie. He seems to have gotten deep down inside Truman Capote to bring out this selfishness that drove this man to the sick twisted lengths that he went to in order to write his acclaimed novel, “In Cold Blood.” Strathairne on the other hand had the opportunity to introduce most of America to the best Television journalist ever, Edward R. Murrow. Following Murrow through his courageous crusade against Senator Joseph McCarthy, Strathairne plays Murrow with the perfect pitch and never becomes too preachy or self serving in his role. I firmly believe he would win in almost any other year, except this year he is slamming into a juggernaut. As great as all those other performances, Heath Ledger gives an all time performance in Brokeback Mountain. Honestly, it is up there with any performance you can think of: Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Humphrey Bogart. His character so detailed, so layered and in the end yet so vulnerable to his own feelings which he thought had been betraying him his whole life. He took this movie from ordinary to extraordinary, and displayed an enormous amount of talent which I don’t think anyone knew he had. MY PICK: Heath Ledger PREDICTION: Phillip Seymour Hoffman
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