Last Sunday was TV Sunday -- 12 straight hours of hangover-induced TV watching, and a span where I didn't bother to crack a book, strike a yoga pose or utter a responsorial psalm.Today is Big Movie Saturday. Within a 24 hour period I will have seen three full-length movies and five shorts -- all of which have some connection with tomorrow's Academy Awards.
After today, I'll be qualified to judge 80 of the 113 individual nominations covering every category, which isn't bad considering I saw fewer movies in 2006 than in a long time.
This includes seeing every nominee for Best Picture.
So, what movie do I think will win, and what should win?
If the vote were held an hour from now, I'm not sure which film I'd choose for Best Picture. It really would depend on my mood at the time.
For starters, I wouldn't vote for Babel. Why? Here's my "54 word" review.
I also wouldn't vote for Little Miss Sunshine, though I loved it. By even being nominated, this movie has won, and it's a ray of welcome sunshine in a world that needs great comedies.
So it's down to three movies as my personal choice:
* Letters From Iwo Jima. This is one-half of the Eastwood World War II masterpiece, along with Flags of Our Fathers. This film had moments that will stick with me forever. (Here's my thoughts on the film.)
* The Departed. Maybe the most entertaining film of the year. Think about it: This film was based on a Hong Kong film that was inspired by Scoresese in the first place. So it's derivative of something that was derivative of Scorsese to begin with. How often has that happened? But this isn't Scorsese's absolute best movie. How can Scorsese win for this fine film when two finer films, Goodfellas and Raging Bull, didn't?
* The Queen. I think this film, on all levels, was the most perfect this year, all things considered: acting, writing, everything. All involved should celebrate with a nice cup of tea. Good show!
So what do I think will win? The Departed.
Which film would I vote for, if push comes to shove? ...The Departed.
But if either Letters or The Queen comes out on top, I certainly won't be disappointed.
All three films tower over Babel.
***
What do you think?
4 comments:
Well, I am not sure I agree about "The Queen," because it was basically a lavish television movie.
"The Departed" is not even in the top 5 Scorcese films. He absolutely does not deserve that award.
Ray, you've inspired a future post on the Five best scorsese movies. and i don't think the departed will make the cut.
Departed is not based on a Japanese film! Please give the right credits!
My dear anonymous friend: Thanks for the note. I've changed the entry to reflect the movie's true origin, which is Hong Kong. A lot of websites, including Rotten Tomatoes, are calling it a Japanese movie, so your input is appreciated.
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