However, with a nudge and a wink in my admiration for Davis’ work, my personal vote would go for Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler. Her turn as the stripper who becomes the object of Mickey Rourke’s growing romantic affection is almost a lead role and really the textbook example of a supporting, complementary role to the lead. The impact of either performance would not become complete without the other and it is through her character that we draw the line through both the wrestling and pole dancing professions in the film and see that they are both essentially about selling a product towards the juvenile nature of men. She understands that, as Rourke’s character does not, and she is able to suggest this from the start almost entirely without dialogue underneath her instinctive generosity towards the wrestler. It is great work that is easy to overlook because Tomei makes it look so easy, which is why I think more votes will probably go for Davis, who pops out more visibly.
Prediction: Viola Davis, Doubt
Preference: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Best Original Screenplay: This is the category I think will make the political statement of Oscar night. The screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black, was one personally touched by the legacy of Harvey Milk to bring gay rights into the forefront and reportedly inspired him to come out amidst growing up in a Mormon household. Those emotions will no doubt flow through an impassioned speech he will give on Oscar night.
The screenplay for Milk was a good one although, in my opinion, I felt it was a little too conventional a biopic and too predictably lionizing an account of Harvey Milk, as a more audacious screenplay would have been willing to portray a fuller human portrait of the man with more of his flaws addressed as well as his strengths. In terms of pure quality, I would go with my favorite film of the year, WALL·E, as all of the emotion and heart in the screenplay was not in human dialogue but in imagining the communication between robots and creating one of the most unusually romantic stories in years. All that and they also managed to write a great science-fiction story and a stark, foreboding environmental warning in the mix. Well, the Academy may give the Pixar folks the trademark long overdue award at some point in the future but the condescension towards animated films still lingers and since Milk also has the Best Picture nod as well, it is the likely winner.
Article comments
1 - handyguy
Milk a conventional biopic?? Too lionizing of its subject? I think you saw a different movie than I. Harvey Milk's political machinations [not always pretty] and his questionable taste [in at least one case] in boyfriends provide a fair amount of the movie's plot.
Both Milk [Gus Van Sant] and Benjamin Button [David Fincher] are brilliantly and innovatively directed by two of the best filmmakers now working.
Slumdog is entertaining, and also extremely well directed, but it's a bit predictable and manipulative and superficial, eh? I agree it's likely to win, but then, so did Crash and A Beautiful Mind and other movies that were far from their years' best.
2 - Jordan Richardson
I didn't like Benjamin Button at all, but I'm pretty sure it'll scoop the top prize. The BAFTA's aren't all that good of an indication, as Atonement was the big winner there last year.
I do like Slumdog Millionaire quite a bit and prefer it to any of the nominees. Frost/Nixon would be my second choice.
Agree on Melissa Leo as Best Actress, she was incredible and that whole film was excellent. I would rather have seen Winslet get nominated for Revolutionary Road. Surprised at the Jolie nomination, really, and annoyed that Sally Hawkins wasn't nominated.
Also hoping for a Mickey Rourke Oscar win. Actually, I'm pretty much hoping for anyone but Brad Pitt. I have a sneaking suspicion that Pitt will win it, though.
ALL of the Best Supporting Actor nominees were great this year. No way Ledger doesn't win, though. Best Supporting Actresses were all also excellent, but I'd like to see Penelope Cruz pull this one off. It's a longshot, but I think she was superb.
Best animated flick is WALL-E even though Kung-Fu Panda was also excellent.
Best director should go to Danny Boyle, although I'd rather have seen nominations for Mike Leigh, Sam Mendes, Darren Aronofsky, Tomas Alfredson, Werner Herzog, and Woody Allen (I know, I know...I live in a dream world).
Best documentary (and one of the absolute BEST films of the year) is Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World. Best foreign language film will probably be Waltz with Bashir, although the best movie of 2008, Let the Right One In, should have been nominated. To me, that's the biggest oversight at this year's Oscars.
Adapted screenplay should go to Doubt, while original screenplay should go to Happy-Go-Lucky.
3 - John
I agree with you that "Let the Right One In" was one of the best films last year but unfortunately it was not the official submission from Sweden to the Best Foreign Language Film category (as per policy, there is only one allowed for submission and it was "Everlasting Moments," which did not end up getting nominated). I would have liked to see the movie at least get recognized for Best Adapted Screenplay (and it is better than any of the actual nominees in the category) but the Academy did not have enough reach for that.
4 - Jordan Richardson
Ah, I knew there had to be a reason. Thanks for clearing that up, John!