Oscar Sunday: What Should Win

I just watched David Edelstein on CBS Sunday Morning discuss who was going to win the Oscars tonight.  I think he's profoundly wrong about some things, and, since the massive number of readers of this blog (ar ar) know, I see many movies and have an opinion about what should win.  I'm not predicting here, I'm giving my opinion and what my vote would be.

Best Picture is often the point of much contention and this year is no different.  To continue playing off Edelstein, it seems Kathleen Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty, having gotten the early buzz, but then spin and politics have turned it into not quite the favorite.

My vote goes for Silver Linings Playbook.  It's quirky, different, well written, well acted and insightful. It turns the notion of romantic comedy some (does anyone doubt early on that Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's characters should get together?) and the excellent use of Philadelphia neighborhoods (the diner has gotten more famous) adds to its appeal.  It may not win, but...there's my vote.

For best actor, Edelstein indicated Daniel Day Lewis was a lock.  Really?  Sure, DDL was great as Lincoln, but it looked too easy.  By that I mean that acting like Lincoln was scenery chewing and DDL did it well.  I like my acting more subtle, even only a little.  I saw them all and I like Denzel in Flight.  

For best actress, I've only see Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark (by which I wasn't impressed) and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings.  I wasn't impressed by either performance to the point of thinking "this was the best performance of the year", so I think one of the others should win.  But I suspect there'll be a big swing to Chastain.

For best supporting actor, there are some quality performances.  I've seen four of the five (who's actually seen The Master?) and DeNiro, Arkin, Jones, and Waltz were all excellent (unlike what I've seen from Best Actresses).  I'd vote for DeNiro, though I'd think about Waltz.  DeNiro is excellent as the tightly wound father of bipolar Bradley Cooper but Waltz is subtly brilliant as the understated bounty hunter in Django.

The best supporting actress statue should go to Helen Hunt, but I suspect it won't.  It seems Anne Hathaway, without hair, impresses everyone else.  Ah, yes, "acting" in a musical.  Talk about scenery chewing.

I've seen almost all the animated films and as good as Frankenweenie was, I am a huge fan of Pirates.  It would have my vote.

And music: I am intrigued by the original score nominees.  I get why Skyfall received a nomination, although I'm not sure that's not overselling it -- the music was memorable.  John Williams ALWAYS gets a nomination (for Lincoln).  I don't remember the music in Life of Pi or Argo, which says something.  But I do remember Anna Karenina.  Maybe it's the nature of the movie's directing choices, but the music seems so important -- I guess ballroom scenes lend themselves to that.  That'd be my vote.

That's enough.  It won't go as I think it should -- it never does.  And the wrong people will wear the wrong outfits (who wants to see DeNiro's decolletage?).  Have fun watching.  Go Silver Linings.