If We Picked the Winners 2007
By
February 22, 2007
They turned in some of the year's very best performances, but received none of the glory of the Oscar front runners. Hey Academy, here's our vote for ... Who should have made the Oscar spotlight.
CHILDREN OF MEN
The most haunting and memorable film of 2006 was also the most glaring omission from the academy's Best Picture scorecard: Alfonso Cauron's ''Children of Men.''
In ''Men,'' women are infertile, humans have lost hope and most have given up, succumbing to the chaos around them. But a former activist (Clive Owen, right) has a change of heart when he's entrusted to lead a miraculously pregnant girl to safety. Despite critical praise, a late release date kept it off the academy's radar.
That's a shame, because through ''Children'' we're reminded that it's the knowledge that there is a tomorrow -- even if we won't be there to see it -- that gives us a reason to keep going. The political thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, and 47 days after seeing ''Men,'' I still can't get it out of my head. -- Sarah Carlson
AKEELAH AND THE BEE
Very few films celebrate the importance of intelligence. Even fewer celebrate the power of words. ''Akeelah and the Bee'' -- released in April of last year -- celebrated both, creating a powerful story of determination and intellectual exploration as experienced by an 11-year-old spelling bee contender.
Starring Keke Palmer as the titular champion and Laurence Fishburne as her mentor, ''Akeelah'' was critically acclaimed, but inexplicably overlooked. It may not have been ''Little Miss Sunshine,'' but ''Akeelah'' shined brighter than almost any film last year. -- Erin Steele
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Sure, he was nominated. Problem is, he was nominated for the wrong film.
Though Leo displayed his ample acting chops in his nominated role in ''Blood Diamond,'' it was in ''The Departed'' - as a hot-headed cop-turned-mafia-mole - that the King of the World did his best work.
As Boston-bred Billy Costigan, DiCaprio expertly metamorphoses from anxious to angry to resigned to revengeful. It's no wonder the film's Irish gang could never finger Costigan as the snitch: with DiCaprio slipping into Costigan's shoes, you never knew what to expect. -- Erin Steele
RINKO KIKUCHI
She doesn't say one word, but Kikuchi's bold, Oscar-nominated performance in ''Babel'' was worth a thousand Jennifer Hudsons. As Chieko, a deaf teenager, she draws us into her world - one in which she feels invisible to men, who only see her for her disability. Her desire to be desired consumes her as she takes drastic measures to feel one drop of acceptance, and it's that need to be loved that drives the characters of ''Babel.'' All are put to the test emotionally, but hers is the one you'll feel the most for and connect with. In a cast boasting well more than 100, that's saying something. -- Sarah Carlson
TONI COLLETTE
Though she's no stranger to the Oscar spotlight, Toni Collette's brilliant performance as the glue that holds the frazzled Hoover family together in ''Little Miss Sunshine'' was sadly overlooked this year. Collette's co-star - and title pageant contestant - Abigail Breslin received a
(well-deserved) nomination for best supporting actress, but it was Collette who turned in the more layered performance.
Collette's turn as the matriarch of an unhinged household was a hilarious melding of heartfelt meets headstrong. By the time her character cuts loose with the rest of her motley crew atop a beauty pageant stage, you can hardly blame her for such a manic release. After all, Collette kept audiences sympathetic to her every move throughout each step of the Hoovers' odyssey. -- Erin Steele
ALEC BALDWIN
The King of the Cameo, Alec Baldwin set the bar almost too high for brief cinematic appearances as suit-clad sales shark Blake in ''Glengarry Glen Ross.'' Fourteen years later, he nearly outdid himself in ''The Departed'' as sharp-tongued Capt. Ellerby, who is determined to catch Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello in the act.
As Ellerby, Baldwin doesn't just master the one-liner; he's a salty-diatribe-spewing savant, a genius of testosterone-fueled tirades. Apparently, his '90s-era Mamet crash course continues to pay off. -- Erin Steele
MARK WAHLBERG
It pains me to think that the odds are on Eddie Murphy to walk away with the Oscar on Sunday. Murphy, who brought us the gems ''Dr. Doolittle,'' ''Daddy Daycare'' and ''Norbit,'' is hogging the spotlight that should be shining on Mark Wahlberg, who made a fine run at stealing every scene he graced in ''The Departed.''
Wahlberg's take as a Boston police investigator was perfect; In a game of cat and mouse, he risked everything to discover the rat who was tearing his unit apart. He has to temporarily leave his job, but he gets the last line, and thankfully he's in talks to headline a ''Departed'' sequel. At least he's getting the recognition he deserves (and was denied when he was snubbed for ''Boogie Nights''): While he has been building a steady body of work, Murphy has been selling his soul.
Wahlberg's the real winner because we can continue to expect greatness from him. What can we expect from Murphy? With a $33 million opening for ''Norbit,'' I'm predicting a ''Norbit 2.'' -- Sarah Carlson
RYAN GOSLING
Ryan Gosling's portrayal of Dan, a young, drug-addicted history teacher in Brooklyn was one of the more understated performances in the Best Actor category. Dan slides further and further into a drug-addled depression, trying to come to grips with life while forming an interesting relationship with one of his students, 13-year-old Drey (Shareeka Epps), who finds Dan on the verge of passing out in a girls' bathroom stall. The moment when Dan realizes who it is that has discovered him is heartbreaking, and it is mirrored later on as Drey learns more about the world of drug dealing. ''Half Nelson'' is a small, unassuming film, but often it is the unassuming performances that are the toughest to pull off. -- Sarah Carlson
IVANA BAQUERO
Those who fell in love with ''Pan's Labyrinth'' couldn't escape the spell of Ivana Baquero, who simultaneously serves as the film's heroine and the audience's guide through the film's maze of magic and war.
The 12-year-old Baquero showed talent beyond her years as Ofelia, embodying a bull-headedness to rival even that of the film's titular Labyrinth dweller.
Baquero stands as our link to the magic and mayhem of childhood, and in doing so, created one of the year's most memorable performances. -- Erin Steele
A little too much spotlight? We think it's a sin to give this 'Devil' so much praise ...
Meryl Streep is amazing at her craft - that's indisputable. Her devout fan base is just as impressive as her resume, and I know this because a coworker of mine is threatening to end our friendship over what I'm about to say. To me, her 14th nomination for ''The Devil Wears Prada'' is puzzling: The movie isn't good, and Streep could deliver that performance in her sleep.
She was the saving grace of ''Prada,'' obviously having fun as a soft-spoken, fairly evil fashion editor, but what else was there? The role wasn't meaty; it was just fun to play. This isn't as bad as giving Johnny Depp his first nomination for ''Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,'' but it's close.
Maybe I'm being too picky; after all, a performance is a performance, regardless of the film's genre. But at the very least, Streep should have been nominated in the supporting actress category, making room for other hopefuls such as Maggie Gyllenhaal for ''SherryBaby.'' -- Sarah Carlson
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Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below -- responsibility lies with the relevant reader alone.
Posted by: Pats on February 22, 2007 7:47 PM
"The details of your incompetence do not interest me." -- Miranda Priestly
Posted by: Daddy Vegas on February 24, 2007 9:34 AM
Wow, did wilford brimley find a soul mate? Do you guys sit up till all hours of the night chain smoking and talking movies?
Well what ever you are doing, keep it up.
The Departed wholy crap what a movie. Every line above is true about the movie/actors/scene stealers.
like the new digs, keep it up