Awards
Page Index
* OSCAR coverage here
'04 FiLM BiTCH
Awards
by
Nathaniel R
GOLD,
SILVER, AND BRONZE medals!
Honoring favorite achievements of 2004.
Semi Finalists and Finalists refer to achievements that were considered
and are well regarded.
Contenders I only think it's fair to show what I've seen. You can't
see everything. Click here.
Traditional
Oscar categories: Majors
/
Technicals
/ Technicals 2 (Tally of Noms)
Special Categories: Extras
/ Extras 2 / Scenes
1 / Scenes 2 (Tally
of Noms)
Best
Picture
the
years best films are
| Before
Sunset dir Richard Linklater Warner Independent |
Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind dir. Michel Gondry (Focus Features) |
Sideways dir Alexander Payne Fox Searchlight |
Spider-Man
2 dir Sam Raimi Universal |
Vera
Drake dir Mike Leigh Fine Line |
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| Linklater,
Hawke, and Delpy revisit their decade-old creations to intimate and
moving effect. Wow. |
Another
brainy comic masterpiece from Charlie Kauffman. This one tops the others
with its broken heart. |
Alexander
Payne leaves the satire behind to make a warm comedy. It made critics
(justly) drunk with pleasure. |
"There's
a hero in all of us" may be a naive sentiment, but this grand myth-making
superhero epic, makes me believe. |
In 'the year of the biopic' this fictional portrait of one little woman
feels the most expansive and truthful. |
|
the full top ten list ~ year in review
article |
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| OSCAR
Race Here |
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Best Director
the
auteurs are...
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|
Michel
Gondry Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |
Mike
Leigh Vera Drake |
Sam
Raimi Spider-Man 2 |
Lars
Von Trier Dogville |
Yimou
Zhang House of Flying Daggers (& Hero) |
| Navigating
special effects, twisty laughs, and complex plotting, he never loses
the heart & soul of this romance. |
His
singular method of working (months of rehearsal and improv) continues
to pay enormous dividends. |
No
director's work this year felt more joyful. Terrific storytelling and
palpable love of the 'low' material. |
The
most potent director working. Still a commanding and divisive auteur
in full control of his wicked gift. |
Spectacles
truly worth 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing over are rare... his one-two punch
doubled our pleasure in 2004. |
| Finalist:
Kim
Ki Duk beautiful handling of the meditative Spring, Summer,
Fall, Winter,...and Spring *
Alexander Payne tipping his actors Sideways and showing
the beauty in imperfections * Martin Scorsese conjures
considerable razzle dazzle in The Aviator Semi
Finalists: Brad Bird for making The Incredibles
a worthy successor to his classic The Iron Giant *
Pedro Almodovar for continuing his amazing roll with
Bad Education * Alfonse Cuaron for finally
giving Harry Potter... some cinematic magic * Michael
Mann for Collateral -I've never had as good
of a time in a cab. |
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| Oscar
Race |
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Best
Actress in a Leading Role
the
goddesses are...
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|
Annette
Bening as "Julia Lambert" in Being Julia |
Julie
Delpy as "Celine" in Before Sunset |
Nicole
Kidman as "Anna" in Birth (and "Grace" in Dogville) |
Imelda
Staunton as "Vera" in Vera Drake |
Kate
Winslet as "Clementine Kruczynski" in Eternal Sunshine |
Biting
with relish into Julia, she laughs, chews the scenery, and
swallows this dream role whole. Bonus Points: The performer caught performing. |
No
actorly Oscarbait crutches --just a full and beautiful characterization
infused with intelligence. Bonus Points: The waltz. |
A
talented actor possessed by auteur lust = a very good thing. Bonus Points: A Bergman-worthy silent sustained closeup of her face. |
No
actor's performance this year was more crucial to their film's artistic
success. Bonus Points: "I know why you're here." |
Three-dimensional,
spirited, and piercing as a reckless young lover. Bonus Points: Understanding her character's cruel streak. |
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| Oscar
Race |
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Finalist:
Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Volume 2 -still brilliant, yes,
but I gave her the gold medal last year and this is more of the same
as she navigates less bloody but more brutal emotional battles *Semi
Finalists: Natalie
Portman in
Closer, ascending to major stardom. Can't wait to see what
she does next * Toni Collette in Japanese
Story pays back her attentive director's faith with mesmerizing
nuance * Laura
Linney in radiant sexual bloom in P.S. * Catalina
Sandino Moreno the title star of Maria Full of Grace
who gives a steady and natural debut * Julia Roberts in Closer
against type with real aplomb.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
the
gods are...
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| Gael
Garcia Bernal as "Angel /Zahara" in Bad Education |
Jeff
Bridges as "Ted Cole" in The Door in the Floor |
Jim
Carrey as "Joel Barish" in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |
Paul
Giamatti as "Miles" in Sideways |
Clive
Owen as "Larry" in Closer |
| Multifaceted,
magnetic, and always "acting" -it's three performances in
one. Bonus Points: Breaking down after filming a scene. |
Magnificent
arguably career- topping work. Bonus Points: Considering his filmography, "career topping" is a true compliment. |
His
love-sick and weary openness feels revelatory. Bonus Points: Finally funneling his comedic skills into a successfully dramatic role. |
A
terrific, funny, heartfelt character study. Top notch. Bonus Points: The way his voice softens when talking to both of the women he loves. |
The
compelling brute. A dynamite ferociously powered star turn. Bonus Points: Unnerving when baiting his wife's confession. |
| A
ridiculously overcrowded year... for those who think I am willfully
contrarian, please note that my best actor list last
year was a 100% match with the Academy and that drawing from the
finalists below (more Academy friendly types) would make up a perfectly
respectable Best Actor list on its own. Finalists: Liam Neeson as Kinsey in Kinsey -wonderfully possessed with knowledge lust * Leonardo DiCaprio The Aviator * Tony Leung Infernal Affairs * Jamie Foxx as "Ray Charles" and as "Max" in Ray and Collateral a truly big ticket year for Foxx * Don Cheadle moving in Hotel Rwanda * Semi - Finalists: Tobey Macguire as 'Peter Parker' in Spider-Man 2 -still the perfect actor for this * Daniel Brühl as 'Alex' in Goodbye Lenin! -who inspires affection with his sincere work * |
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| Oscar
Race |
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Best
Actress in a Supporting Role
the
outstanding women are...
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Cate
Blanchett as "Katharine Hepburn" in The Aviator |
Patricia
Clarkson as "Vera" in Dogville |
Daryl
Hannah as "Elle Driver" in Kill Bill Vol. 2 |
Virginia
Madsen as "Maya" in Sideways |
Natalie
Portman as "Sam" in Garden State |
| From
the moment she strides onscreen, the movie pulses with new energy. Bonus Points: The voice. The laugh --it's "C/Kate the Great." |
Year
after year, the greatest supporting actor working. Bonus Points: My friend Nick said it best "That Hummel-smashing scene. Holy. Shit." |
For
embracing the carnage. She saw a true opportunity and went for it. Bonus Points: the contemptuous way she spits out "...millionaire" [click] |
Elevates
what could have been a wish-fulfillment role into something searching
and soulful. Bonus Points: Beautiful modesty. She holds the scenes |
Makes
an impossible role work like a charm. No one else does 'cutesy' as well. Bonus Points: What a year! (Also riveting in her lead role in Closer) |
 Finalist:
Kirsten Dunst is the unsung here in the Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind cast. Marvelous in the long pot party
sequence. * Joan Allen -The Bourne Supremacy
Possibly the most potent screen presence going. Every film could use
a lift from her * Lily Tomlin -I ♥
Huckabees
-Extremely funny and perfectly cast * Semi
Finalists: Patricia
Rae is heart-breaking in her big scene in Maria Full of
Grace * Maggie
Cheung gives the cold but gorgeous Hero what soul
it has * Lucy
Punch has the thankless role in Being Julia as
Annette's punching bag...but she's very good and funny too * Cloris
Leachman can't be blamed for Spanglish. She gives
it its big laughs * Regina
King is 'best in show' in Ray's huge gallery of supporting
players |
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| Oscar
Race |
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Best
Actor in a Supporting Role
the
reliable men are...
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| Paul
Bettany as "Tom Edison" in Dogville |
Thomas
Haden Church as "Jack" in Sideways |
David
Carradine as "Bill" in Kill Bill, Volume 2 |
Jude
Law as "Brad Stand" in I ♥ Huckabees |
Mark
Wahlberg as "Tommy" in I ♥ Huckabees |
| This
dependable actor
shines in a tricky point of view role. Bonus Points: Unafraid to expose the inner fraud. |
Endearing
and truly funny warts and all. Bonus Points: The cat growl -an instant onomatopoeic catchphrase |
With
deck stacked against him, expectations wise, he becomes "Bill" Bonus Points: The great chemistry with Uma sells it. |
With
tremendous
range, he nails the cocky American corporate climber. Bonus Points: "How am I not myself?" |
The
year's biggest most fun surprise. Bonus Points: Superb comedy without losing the man's completely serious worldview. |
| Finalist:
Liev Schreiber as The Manchurian Candidate -zombified and
underplayed to great effect * Topher Grace in P.S. Like
Kirsten Dunst a couple of years back, Grace's performances seem totally
filled with his joy of acting. * Semi Finalists:
Eric Bana in Troy -the only real performance in the
film. He damn hear salvages the thing * Rodrigo delaSerna
in The Motorcycle Diaries Life force! * Tony
Leung -Hero who is always welcome on my screens *
Daniel Craig -The Mother ditto. * Tom
Wilkinson in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
-ditto times three * |
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| Oscar
Race |
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Best
Original Screenplay
the
nominees are...
|
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Before
Sunset by Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy |
Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Charlie Kauffman |
I
♥
Huckabees by David O Russell |
The
Incredibles by Brad Bird |
Vera
Drake by Mike Leigh |
| Revealing
and withholding in perfect proportion. |
Another
fascinating and labyrinthine Kauffman head-trip. |
Hilarious
and singular; loopy ideologies colliding. |
Storytelling
skill, great gags, and memorable heroes. |
Intimate
but it paints a smart expansive picture. |
| Finalists:
Primer
-Shane Carruth's obtuse brain-tickler *
Dogville -Lars Von Trier's misanthropic parable, both funny
and über bleak * Bad Education -My Pedro
* Semi Finalists: The Mother
-Hanif Kureishi's biting social observations * Kill Bill Volume
2 Quentin Tarantino's opus gains great wordplay but lacks the
first volume's visceral kick * Birth -Haunting
in its cynicism * Maria Full of Grace -Realism
with considerable emotional punch * Goodbye Lenin!
-Heartfelt and told with good humor * |
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| OSCAR
Predictions |
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Best Adapted Screenplay
the
nominees are...
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|
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Closer Patrick Marber |
The
Door in the Floor Tod Williams |
Mean
Girls Tina Fey |
Million
Dollar Baby Paul Haggis |
Sideways Jim Taylor & Alexander Payne |
| Transferring
his own honored play"Closer" for the screen,
stylization intact. |
Lopping
off 2/3rds of
John Irving's "A Widow For One Year" to intriguing
effect. |
Fictionalizing
"Queen Bee" and presumably adding the big laughs and
La Lohan. |
Making
a moving three act from the short stories of "Rope
Burn" By F.X. Toole. |
Adapting "Sideways"
by Rex Pickett and
adding that Taylor / Payne magic. |
| Finalists: (none) Semi-Finalists: Young Adam -David Mackenzie * The Bourne Supremacy -Tony Gilroy * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban -Steven Kloves * The Dreamers -Gilbert Adair |
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Traditional
Oscar categories: Majors
/
Technicals
/ Technicals 2 (Tally of Noms)
Special Categories: Extras
/ Extras 2 / Scenes
1 / Scenes 2 (Tally
of Noms)
