[Greg_M]

Many people don't understand how difficult it was to bring "CHICAGO" to the screen AND get it "Right". Rob Marshall certainly derseves the Oscar, it's a shame if Martin gets it based on a body of work especially when GONY is inferior to his past films "Goodfellas" "Taxi Driver" "Raging Bull" (That's what the Life Time Achievement award is for" GONY mainly has the impressive epic cast of extras and an expensive set, but the screenplay had problems and the ending hurt the feel of the film.

All of "CHICAGO"'s nominations are warranted, not many actors could have pulled off these roles, most of the New York actors had exceptional dancing skills but many failed to bring the vulnerability to the role of Roxie which made the film believable. Renee gave an exceptional performance, she really carried the film, unlike Nicole who had more of a supporting role n "The Hours" and again, I feel many people view her make-up as part of her performance. Renee was also nominated for best actress last year, which many people seem to forget.

Lafitiah (She won't win) was also exceptional in the role, the others mentioned for the part could not come close to matching her :Rosie O'Donnell, Bette Midler, even Kathy Bates. Catherine Zeta Jones, was good especially when one considers the elimination of her accent. Gere should have gone for Supporting actor, he would have won in that catagory.

A few years from now "The Hours" will have lost some of it's power, Chicago most likely will not (It's story has held up for over 75 years)

Daniel Day Lewis was great in GONY (even though he owes a lot of his performance to Robert DeNiro) It would be great to see him win (Without him GONY would have been hard to sit through)

"I Move On" will most likely win best song (since the rest of the CHICAGO score isn't eligible "All That Jazz" "Razzle Dazzle") I doubt the members will honor Emimen though U2 has a chance.

I would guess GONY will win many tech awards: cinematography, costumes, scoring, while TTT will win the effect awards.

After all we've been through the last two years I can't see a depressing film win Best Picture (The Pianst, The Hours) I would guess CHICAGO will win, after all, 30 years ago "The GODFATHER" beat "Cabaret", while Bob Foose took home best director, we'll most likely have the reverse this year "CHICAGO best picture,with Scorese best Director.

[Craig S]

After finally seeing The Pianist today, I have to say the Academy did a pretty damn good job with their Best Picture nominees this year. I rated three of the five nominees (Hours, Pianist, TTT) 10/10, one (Chicago) I'm wavering between 9 & 10, and the "worst" of the lot is GoNY, which despite all of its problems has many moments of brilliance and rates a solid 9.

There's not many years I can say this, but I wouldn't have a problem with any of these winning.

[Seth Paxton]

I agree Craig, though I was not as blown away by The Pianist or The Hours as many people were, I can respect the high quality of both those films and they each had moments that were brilliant even to my less adoring eyes.

Also, several of my top films simply aren't the sort of films to be nominated anyway (such as Spider-Man) and many others just were way too polarizing or even alienating of audiences (Solaris, Punch-Drunk Love).

I knew Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was being left out which bums me a little, but so many other good films are in that I don't care. I was very pleased that Frida did so well. I thought it was terrific yet it seemed to be getting a blah response from critics.


TTT and Chicago are my top 2 films so that thrills me, and GONY has one of my favorite all-time acting efforts so I'm pleased its in the mix.


But I will agree that Scorsese is already assured of a lifetime award and while I think he should have probably won at least one yearly award (though most of the years he was up against equal competition) it still bugs me that the Academy perpetuates the "make-up vote". I wish one year they would just say "you know what, let's just go with the best of this year". Because if they now skip Marshall and he does 3 more films of this level and keeps getting pushed aside for Altman, or Jackson, or Polanski, or Soderbergh, then someday it will be his turn to screw someone else on a make-up call.


But then again I think the argument might be made by some fans that Scorsese was the best director this year. I don't agree, but even still it's not like his effort was shit. It's just not Goodfellas/RBull/TDriver.


I've already counted Chicago as the winner since my formula has it already as a lock. This could be the year that the formula breaks (after proving out on the last 9), but considering that it says exactly what most of the pundits have been saying I'll trust it as correct.

So with that in mind I consider that award already handed out and I look forward to the moment when the Chicago team goes up.

On the other hand, Actress, Actor, Supporting (both), those are some nice races. Those will have me guessing right up to the end.

And we have a HDTV broadcast and a Peter O'Toole Lifer tribute. Just think, we will be seeing better quality on those film clips than we get with DVD. A taste of HD-DVD to come.

[John^Lal]

I am pleased to see LotR:TT, Chicago, and The Pianist nominated for best picture, but would have been happier to see Road to Perdition nominated rather than The Hours or at least Gangs of New York. Though GoNY had epic components, we don't need it nominated for Best Pic just because of make up votes for Martin Scorsese who may have been snubbed for his better Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull. Though the academy likes doing this, as we saw very well last year with Ron Howard and A Beautiful Mind.
Chicago, i think will win, it was a very well made movie, and i enjoyed it (being a musical, i couldn't sit through Moulin Rouge last year)
The Pianist was a great survival story, but it didn't hit my emotional strings the was Schindler's List and Life is Beautiful did.
TTT, my #1, though part of what will be known as the greatest undertaking in film history, obviously will not win being the middle child in ONE long movie being without a begninning and/or end.

[OcieB]

I would have liked to see Punch-Drunk Love nominated for best pic, with PTA up for Director.

P-D L was, in my opinion, one of the best made films this year, maybe in recent years. By this i mean that everything that the audience hears and views relates to how the character feels at the moment; and in return makes the audience feel the same way. Accomplishing this in a film is no doubt a hard task, and i think PTA should have gotten more credit for such a wonderful film.

No other film this year (that i have seen) has gotten me so involved with the feelings of the characters; and i think that, in future years, the academy should really take this into consideration. Am I alone on this?
PS if the post doesnt seem too clear, then say so and i will expand.

[Matt Stone]

You're not alone, but polarizing films never get nominated for awards, and if PDL was anything...it was polarizing. There are a lot of members on this board that love the film (myself included), but I never expected any noms.

[Patrick Sun]

Well, they could have released PDL in the final 2 weeks of December...

[Mark Pfeiffer]

I did my part for Punch-Drunk Love, but I knew it wouldn't be enough outside of my little circle. Too quirky, too unsuccessful at the box office, and released too early.

[OcieB]

Quote:

Well, they could have released PDL in the final 2 weeks of December...

haha, SO TRUE! but then i would have to wait even LONGER than i have to already to get the DVD! I'm counting the days until April 1st.

oh and Mark, thats a damn good list you got there.

[Mark Pfeiffer]

OcieB, thanks, although I can't take all the credit (and don't agree with all the choices). There were around fifteen of us who voted.