VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I, Robot
Spider-Man 2
Will Win: Spider-Man 2
Should Win: I, Robot
The winner here is just as often something not known for special effects (Gladiator!?!) as your usual orgy of eye candy. But here, pretty much everything is an effects-fest, so give it to the one that made the most money (and got the most critical plaudits).
I, Robot, for me, had the most convincing fx of this bunch (though how Sky Captain didn’t make it in here is beyond me). Spidey still just looks too rubbery. Sonny, on the other hand, wasn’t supposed to be human, so he was easier to buy. That, and I was really expecting the movie to suck.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Incredibles
Shark Tale
Shrek 2
Will Win: The Incredibles
Should Win: The Incredibles
Virtually every animation award that can go to The Incredibles has. It swept the Annies and the critic’s circles. Not to mention a cool $258mil in the bank. However, Shrek 2 is, like, the third-highest-grossing film of all time, but even that can’t buy this pot. So, Pixar finally gets back at DreamWorks for taking away the first of these awards in ’01 (see Shrek v. Monsters, Inc.).
The Incredibles is simply one of the best films of last year. It deserves to be up for a lot more than this, but I’ll be happy with its Best Original Screenplay nod. I’d even be happy to see Brad Bird get a Best Supporting Actor nod, but I ask too much.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Aviator
House of Flying Daggers
The Passion of the Christ
The Phantom of the Opera
A Very Long Engagement
Will Win: The Aviator
Should Win: A Very Long Engagement
Most of the time, this award goes to a Best Picture nominee if not Best Picture itself. Rarely is merit a consideration if the first criterion is not met. (A well-deserved win for Road to Perdition was, sadly, most likely influenced by the death of its recipient prior to the nomination). With that in mind, the interesting (if not always effective – I mean how blue does the grass have to look?) photography of The Aviator is a good bet.
The interesting and effective work of Bruno Delbonnel should be on display here. His rich ambers sear through the screen and his angles enhance the surreal world of Engagement. He shoulda won for Amelie, too, but a lot of this is post-Amelie let-down talking. I’m not the only one. The American Society of Cinematographers gave it top honors this year (in a serious upset, no less).
Article comments
1 - DrPat
I haven't made the study of it that you obviously have, David, but I think the Academy might award The Passion of the Christ in this category to make up for its non-nomination to any of the top 6 major award categories.
2 - El Bicho
If the Academy does give The Passion best cinematography, it will be have nothing to do with any sort of make-up for non-nominations because the film wasn't in the top five in any of those categories. It's a good film, but not a great one.