Awards Page Index * OSCAR coverage here
'05 FiLM BiTCH Awards
by Nathaniel R

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER THIS MONTH
Traditional Oscar categories: Majors / Technicals / Technicals 2 (Tally of Noms)
Special Categories: Extras / Extras 2 / Scenes 1 / Scenes 2 (Tally of Noms) / Movie Mixers (Poll Games)

 

Best Picture

Brokeback Mountain
dir. Ang Lee
(Focus Features)
Caché
(Hidden)
dir. Michael Haneke
(Sony Pictures Classics)
A History of Violence
 dir. David Cronenberg
(New Line)
Me and You and Everyone We Know
 dir. Miranda July
(IFC)
Pride & Prejudice
 dir. Joe Wright
(Focus Features)
Annie Proulx's classic short story becomes a superbly crafted landmark film.
Certain to leave audiences talking. An intellectually provocative and unsettling mystery.
A masterfully directed and acted identity thriller from cinema's chief provocateur.
A personal triumph for debuting video artist Miranda July. The year's most delightful oddity.
Jane Austen's eternal charmer is improbably well revived. Familiar but refreshed.
The Full Top Ten List -Year in Review Article
6. Brothers 7. Kings and Queen 8. Good Night & Good Luck
9. Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit 10. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
OSCAR's Best Picture Competition


Best Director
the auteurs are...

David Cronenberg
A History of Violence
Arnaud Desplechin
Kings and Queen
Michael Haneke
Caché
Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain
Joe Wright
Pride & Prejudice
He has amazing control. This History is like a tightly wound machine. No single gear is extraneous to the whole operation.
For both challenging and rewarding viewers. K&Q was novelistic in its detail but unquestionably cinematic in delivery.
For his continued status as European cinema's grand provocateur, political profundities, and merciless voyeurism.
One of the only filmmakers around who can make a film feel majestic without breaking a sweat. His beautiful restraint makes a huge impact.
For blowing the cobwebs off of the "prestige literary adaptation." Exuberantly pairs cinematic story-telling with charismatic heart.
 
Finalists: Miranda July gave great debut turning her own art into Me and You and Everyone We Know * George Clooney Goodnight, and Good Luck. What sophomore slump? Five times as good as his first film. At this rate his third film will be the best of the year.
Semi-Finalists: Susanne Bier showed a remarkable rapport with her actors in Brothers * Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Tropical Malady fascinated. If he gets a teensy bit more accessible he could be Thailand's answer to David Lynch * Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped gave remakes a good name * Terrence Malick's The New World. Not his greatest film but one shouldn't grade on a curve for world greats. * Noah Baumbach wrestles his childhood into the uncomfortably entertaining The Squid and the Whale. Can't wait to see his follow-up.
Oscar Race


Best Actress in a Leading Role
the goddesses are...

Joan Allen
"Terri Wolfmeyer"
The Upside of Anger
Emmanuelle Devos
"Nola"
Kings & Queen
Keira Knightley
"Elizabeth Bennet"
Pride & Prejudice
Rachel Weisz
"Tessa Quayle"
Constant Gardener
Reese Witherspoon
"June Carter"
Walk the Line
Gives the year's most egregiously underappreciated star turn as a raging wronged wife. She's never been funnier or sexier.
Bonus Points:
Ordering another drink. Hilarious.
A puzzlement and a marvel. You both believe and are eager to discount everything the other figures tell you about her.
Bonus Points:
The Beat That My Heart Skipped.
Nails the exasperating temperament and quick wit of this beloved character. Lizzy just can't help herself.
Bonus Points:
For proving me wrong. Sorry Keira.
The "Best Kate Winslet performance not given by Kate Winslet" Award
Bonus Points:
Keeps you guessing about the character --but never feels inconsistent.
Sweet, funny, soulful, sad -- all around impressive.
Bonus Points:
Not quite yet 30 and she already has the creation of three classic screen characters under her belt.
 
Finalists: Toni Collette as "Rose Feller" in In Her Shoes and Judi Dench as "Mrs Henderson" in Mrs Henderson Presents do typically strong work. Both of them could do these particular roles with their eyes closed but they're still pure delights. And speaking of needing to stretch... Gwyneth Paltrow worked amazing variations on depression in Sylvia and The Royal Tenenbaums and does so again this year in Proof, an underrated performance. But it would be great to see her try something different after this.
Semi Finalists: Connie Nielsen as "Sarah" in Brothers gives her most emotionally involving screen performance. After this and her mysterious knockout work in Demonlover it's hard to figure why she's merely adequate in mainstream fare. * Naomi Watts King Kong sells you two impossible to believe things: One that she's a vaudevillian actor (Watts is a talented but hardly light & funny). Two that she's in love with a giant ape. You believe both. Meryl Streep as "Lisa Metzger" in Prime. You'd think after nearly 30 years of screen dominance she'd run out of ways to capture our attention. You'd think wrong. * Natasha Richardson is luminous inThe White Countess * Q'Orianka Kilcher as "Pocahontas" in The New World gave bewitching debut *
 Oscar Race


Best Actor in a Leading Role
the idols are...

Phillip Seymour Hoffman
"Truman Capote"
Capote
Heath Ledger
"Ennis Del Mar"
Brokeback Mountain
Terrance Howard
"DJay"
Hustle & Flow
Viggo Mortenson
"Tom Stall"
A History of Violence
David Strathairn
"Edward R Murrow"
Goodnight and Good Luck
Finally deserving of the laurels he's enjoyed for years. Spot on mimicry and more...
Bonus Points:
Miraculously resists overplaying the tics.
A mammoth portrait of a fearful closed soul. Heartbreaking and career saving revelation.
Bonus Points:
The voice --every word a struggle.
You can practically see his heart opening as his musical dream takes root. A true breakout star turn.
Bonus Points:
Co-wrote one of the songs.
A perfect vessel for the film's duality. An egoless but great performance.
Bonus Points:
That minor and comic accent shift in the hospital room.
Every flicker across his face, every new lighting of a cigarette mesmerizes.
Bonus Points:
Perfectly period -nails 50s cadences.
 
Finalists: Ralph Fiennes' quiet turmoil in The Constant Gardener is top notch * Joaquin Phoenix sings so well in Walk the Line * Jake Gyllenhaal delivers Brokeback Mountain's romantic heart. The film's tragedy wouldn't work without it. *
Semi Finalists: Robert Downey Jr elevates Kiss Kiss Bang Bang --still a superb and unique comic actor * Romain Duris in The Beat That My Heart Skipped is impressively restless and divided *
 Oscar Race


Best Actress in a Supporting Role
the outstanding women are...

Amy Adams
"Ashley"
Junebug
Maria Bello
"Edie Stall"
A History of Violence
Maggie Gyllenhaal
"Jude"
Happy Endings
Michelle Williams
"Alma Del Mar"
Brokeback Mountain
Ziyi Zhang
"Bai Ling"
2046
Beautiful work as a lonely chatterbug. The complexity sneaks up on you.
Bonus Points:
Not so much scene-stealing as scene blessing
A fiery superbly modulated turn
Bonus Points:
Strength and ferocity --Edie is her husbands equal -- which raises the stakes.
Perfectly judged; exposing the faux strength of her jaded exterior
Bonus Points:
Maggie is a terrific singer, too. Who knew?
Exquisitely underplayed which only ups the power of her last scene.
Bonus Points:
That 'deer in headlights' attempt at processing info.
Her star mojo finally serving a full characterization.
Bonus Points:
Giggles and fits turning desperate as the desire for her fades.
 

Finalists: Catherine Keener does film achoring/grounding work twice over as "Trish" in The 40 Year Old Virgin and "Harper Lee" in Capote * Laura Linney hilariously unforgiving as "Joan Berkman" in The Squid and the Whale.
Semi Finalists: The wise and wonderful Shirley Maclaine as "Ella Hersch" in In Her Shoes * Celia Weston plays "Peg" in Junebug, again proving her mettle as one of the best character actors the screen has right now *
Oscar Race

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
the reliable men are...

Kevin Costner
"Denny Davies"
The Upside of Anger
Jeff Daniels
"Bernard Berkman"
The Squid and the Whale
Frank Langella
"William Paley"
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Mickey Rourke
"Marv"
Frank Miller's Sin City
Donald Sutherland
"Mr. Bennet"
Pride & Prejudice
Relaxed and confident work w/ impeccable timing. He seems to have lost every trace of star vanity and pretentiousness. The other Oscar-winning Kevin should take notes.
Bonus Points:
A self-referencing History o' Costner.
A monstrous intellectual egotist portrayed with a surgeon's precision, and an artist's humanity.
Bonus Points:
A career best in an underrated career. Was also worthy of prizes 20 years ago in Purple Rose of Cairo.
In a film full of great supporting actors, Langella rises up; cream of the crop.
Bonus Points:
Always in battle with his principled star (Murrow/ Strathairn) but his counterpoint gravitas suggests they are cut from the same cloth.
"best-in-show" by a mile, making Marv this City's most believable but still hyper-stylized thug denizen.
Bonus Points:
His sneaky way of connecting the masochism of his self-loathing to the sadistic machismo of his violence.
Like Keener in Capote, he spins his backgrounded role into the film's patient conscience and anchor.
Bonus Points:
Wondrously paternal. The climax: His teary-eyed relief that his stubborn daughter remained so.
 

Finalists: Paddy Considine as "Phil" in My Summer of Love --One of cinema's most dependable supporting players shines as a lonely born again brother. * It's a Mystic River-style supporting conundrum. How do you choose? I chose not to choose. Matt Dillon as a bad cop and Terrence Howard as a put upon TV man both did fine work in Crash *
Semi Finalists: Paul Giamatti does the heavy lifting to make the overly familiar Cinderella Man vital, having visibly great fun with his spin on a stock role *The well-matched acting duet of Alexander Siddig and Matt Damon, as the reformer "Prince Nassir" and his American advisor, gives Syriana its most emotionally enthralling thread * Michael Pena fills his role in Crash with convincingly tender humanity * Richard Jenkins's narrative arc as 'Hank Aimes" in North Country is botched by the filmmakers but this consummate actor saves the mess.

Oscar Race


Best Original Screenplay
the new worlds discovered were...

The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Steve Carrel & Judd Apatow
Caché
Michael Haneke
Match Point
Woody Allen
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Miranda July
The Squid and the Whale
Noah Baumbach
Arguably the year's funniest movie. Definitely the most inspired in its freak-flag silliness. Raunchy and sweet comic gold.
Ingeniously terrifying through the mundane. So strong it doesn't even need a musical score or camera movement.
Clever with a capital C. Not as zingy dialogue wise as Allen's master-works but compellingly witty in construction.
Miranda the multi-talented. Not just a visual artist but a quirky, hilarious, inspired story-teller, too.
))<>((_forever
His pen is mightier than the sword. Baumbach slices up his childhood for laughs. Frank, incisive, and devilishly funny.
 

Finalist: Angus MacLachlan's Junebug is simple in concept but layered in the execution. Interesting characters and compelling conflicts * Arnaud Depleschin and Roger Bohbot's Kings & Queen feels like a rich tonally complex novel. Both of these films are demanding I give them a 2nd viewing soon.
Semi Finalists: Don Roos makes good on the promise of The Opposite of Sex with the smart multi-character romp of Happy Endings * Ensemble members and writers George Clooney and Grant Henslov fashion a compelling narrative out of actual speeches and political clashes in Good Night, and Good Luck. --some subplot trouble though. * Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensens' Brothers make compelling familial drama * And finally a tip of the hat to Shane Black's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang which tries awfully hard but also succeeds more than you'd expect and another funny-bone hitting success, Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit which has lots of fun spoofing the conventions of the monster flick and horror genre.
Oscar Race


Best Adapted Screenplay
the handled-with-care transferrals are...

The Beat That My Heart Skipped
Jacques Audiard & Tonino Benacquista
Brokeback Moutain
Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
Capote
Dan Futterman
A History of Violence
Josh Olson
My Summer of Love
Pawel Pawlikowski
This fine French filmmaker (Read My Lips, etc...) says that "Fingers" by James Toback was an influential movie in his love for le cinema. Many say his remake is much better.
Beautifully expanded from the spare but perfect prose of Annie Proulx's "Brokeback Mountain" a short story published in the New Yorker and later in "Close Range."
It turns out that former Film Bitch nominee actor Dan Futterman is also a fine screenwriter. His distillment of "Capote: A Biography" by Gerald Clarke is quite smart.
Though they rarely get respect, comics are a close cousin to film. Wagner & Locke's "A History of Violence" gets a complex transfer so that Cronenberg can really make those images move.
Pawel Pawlikowski follows up his beautifully expressive debut Last Resort with a successful adaptation of Helen Cross's novel "My Summer of Love"
 

Finalist: Syriana's dense screenplay is packed with ideas and conspiratorial agendas. I wish the film had been less excited about obscuring them further.
Semi Finalists: Every year "unfilmable" novels get adapted proving that any book can eventually make the leap. This year's its Gregg Araki's take on Scott Heim's Mysterious Skin * The Lord of the Rings team Phillipa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh do their typically strong work revamping King Kong but its the films visuals and the Watts/Serkis rapport that do the heavy lifting * Batman Begins, the film reboot of Bob Kane's "Batman" character is overly serious about its gobbedly-gook politics and plotting, but it is still smart, quippy, and consistent in its ideas about the main character * For Munich the great Tony Kushner teams with Eric Roth to try to suss out the collateral damage resulting from terrorism and revenge in adapting George Jonas' "Vengeance" *
Oscar Race

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