awards season!

As usual, the start of the year brings the beginning of the awards season for the movies. Sigh. I certainly love the movies. And equally as usually (!!?), I have my obsessive favorites for these awards. Never mind that the people who dole out the golden globes and oscars might actually be experts (almost) but sometimes, I swear, they just give out the awards for larger social reasons rather than the actual performance itself (Halle Berry much?).

Anyway, speaking about obsessive favorites, this year, Kate Winslet appeared back on the screen. Since I've been obsessed (must use thesaurus) with her since Titanic came out, I've been looking for excuses to hope she will get nominated for all the major awards. Well, as of last night, I know she has been nominated for one of my favorite films, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's a spectacularly original movie with a brilliant cast, which includes Jim Carrey in the lead role. Of the biggest upsets is him being left out in the Leading Actor category. It's an upset because Jim Carrey has ventured out into offbeat roles before and he has never been rewarded at the Oscars with a nomination atleast. So when he gets left out of the race for a role he plays with effortless beauty and conviction there is a reason to be pissed off at the credibility of the awards.

However, credible or not, an Oscar is the most prestigious award in Hollywood and to win it can be the key to many more glorious opportunities. Not that Kate Winslet needs these glorious opportunities (everybody knows she's a brilliant actress) but she's been nominated three times previously and never won, and at age 29, she's the youngest actress to have received four nominations, so come on, give her the award already. I seem to cede into my own criticisms against the Academy by saying this as it is the performance that should be rewarded, not, as I say in my ravings about Kate Winslet, about past snubs and amount of nominations received. However, I reinstate my position and say that she DOES deserve the Oscar this time around because she was lovely and absolutely delicious to watch on screen for this masterpiece of a movie.

I also am pretty damn amazed that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind did not receive a Best Picture nomination. I am so tired of my rambling now that I will just let out a sigh for this ginormous mistake and move on...

Two other movies that have been nominated and ones that I have watched recently are The Aviator and Finding Neverland.

The Aviator is a big-ass biopic about Howard Hughes. It's awesome in its scale and the actors in the movie play their characters with utmost conviction. Especially Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett. I was pretty amazed at Leo's acting but when you see him onscreen you will know that he is doing a magnificent job. Cate Blanchett is very very very good in this film and since I am getting bored of this post and talking about movies that have been on my subconscious for the past week I shall just say The Aviator is a must-see even if it is almost 3 hours long (hey! it's still shorter than Titanic!)

Finding Neverland... was absolutely enchanting. Although I was a bit underwhelmed by this film I still thought it was magnificent because it was just so nice.. and sad.. and so real. I hope Johnny Depp gives Leonardo DiCaprio a good fight at the Oscars for Best Actor. I really don't mind either of these two (underrated) actors winning the little golden man. Why cannot there be a tie?

Ok then... i shall end this totally pointless post now and hope, with fervent, ardous passion that she will win the Oscar... kate winslet that is..

My next post will be titled 'Downward Spiral'
Coming Soon!
Adios