Hey folks, Harry here... Well RETURN OF THE KING leads things with 11 Nominations with MASTER AND COMMANDER (soon to be rereleased btw) coming in second with 10 nominations. However, for me... the big winners have to be CITY OF GOD, TWILIGHT SAMURAI and TRIPLETTES OF BELLEVILLE - as they all picked up nominations that nobody thought possible. Well, let's take a look at the categories...
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Johnny Depp - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Ben Kingsley - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Jude Law - COLD MOUNTAIN
Bill Murray - LOST IN TRANSLATION
Sean Penn - MYSTIC RIVER
Ya know... Having Ed Wood, Don Logan, Gigolo Joe, Dr. Peter Venkman and Jeff Spicoli all nominated warms my heart. Personally, I'm pulling for Ed or Venkman! I just wish Harvey Pekar were in the running!
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alec Baldwin - THE COOLER
Benicio Del Toro - 21 GRAMS
Djimon Hounsou - IN AMERICA
Tim Robbins - MYSTIC RIVER
Ken Watanabe - THE LAST SAMURAI
While I would have loved to have seen Sean Astin get his nomination here, he doesn't need it to be remembered, that character won't be forgotten anytime soon. Out of this group, I'd throw the Oscar to Benicio, his was my fave of those 5. Where's Sonny Chiba? Heh.
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Keisha Castle-Hughes - WHALE RIDER
Diane Keaton - SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Samantha Morton - IN AMERICA
Charlize Theron - MONSTER
Naomi Watts - 21 GRAMS
Well... Damn, the automatic Nicole Kidman nomination didn't come through. MUTHERFUCKERS DIDN"T NOMINATE SCARLETT!!!!! Ahem. However, while the easy money is on Charlize for MONSTER - watch out for Keisha Castle-Hughes, she could be a spoiler here!
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Shohreh Aghdashloo - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Patricia Clarkson - PIECES OF APRIL
Marcia Gay Harden - MYSTIC RIVER
Holly Hunter - THIRTEEN
Renée Zellweger - COLD MOUNTAIN
Wow, really wasn't expecting Shohreh Aghdashloo. Personally, I was kinda pulling for an outside nomination for Shaheen Khan in BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM. I never can pick the Supporting Actress category though. They tend to defy convention in picking the winner here.
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BROTHER BEAR
FINDING NEMO
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
I bet TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE pulls out a win here. I love FINDING NEMO too, but the fact this picked up an additional nomination shows a level of support that is surprising. Shame that MILLENIUM ACTRESS didn't pick up that wasted BROTHER BEAR spot.
ART DIRECTION
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
Kinda wish BIG FISH was in this. My favorite touch of Art Direction this year was that grassy street town. Really lovely. That being said, all 5 of these films deserve their nominations completely.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
CITY OF GOD
COLD MOUNTAIN
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
Frankly CITY OF GOD's Cesar Charlone should win for his stunning cinematography in CITY OF GOD. Lesnie not getting nominated for RETURN OF THE KING kinda pisses me off. Sigh. GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING's Eduardo Serra could win this. Also - Robert Richardson should have a damn nom for KILL BILL VOL 1!
COSTUME DESIGN
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
Well - I hope Ngila Dickson didn't jinx herself for being nominated twice in the same category for her work on THE LAST SAMURAI and RETURN OF THE KING. Her samurai armor was exquisite though!
DIRECTING
Fernando Meirelles - CITY OF GOD
Peter Jackson - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Sofia Coppola - LOST IN TRANSLATION
Peter Weir - MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
Clint Eastwood - MYSTIC RIVER
I'm so in love with CITY OF GOD's Fernando Meirelles picking up a nomination, that I am just giddy. But Peter will own the Oscar. Unless something really weird happens. Odd that Gary Ross' SEA BISCUIT lands Best Picture nom with no direction nom for him. You have to wonder how close those votes for SEA BISCUIT and CITY OF GOD were for Best Picture. Had to be tight.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BALSEROS
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
THE FOG OF WAR
MY ARCHITECT
THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND
I'm dying to see THE FOG OF WAR - I have seen the others, but I'm very very pleased with this list. I'm very very pleased to see CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS get the nomination, but I think that Errol Morris and FOG OF WAR will win.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
ASYLUM
CHERNOBYL HEART
FERRY TALES
ASYLUM deals with immigration and the INS in the U.S. in particular as it deals with a Ghanaian woman who was caught with a fake passport. CHERNOBYL HEART is a short about the ecological nightmare caused by Chernobyl. Bet that's not a pretty story. FERRY TALES is apparently about a group of women that talk and put on makeup everyday on a Staten Island Ferry. Personally, I'd say ASYLUM will win.
FILM EDITING
CITY OF GOD
COLD MOUNTAIN
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
CITY OF GOD should win this. The editing in that film is astonishing. Really powerful. SEABISCUIT would be my second pick in this category.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS - Canada
EVIL - Sweden
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI - Japan
TWIN SISTERS - The Netherlands
?ELARY - Czech Republic
Haven't seen EVIL, but I've seen the other 4 - by far TWILIGHT SAMURAI is the best film. It is absolutely tremendous. That's why it appeared in my top ten this year. An absolutely brilliant film. Perhaps this will get distribution over here... and not be edited to shit or dubbed!
MAKEUP
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Just give this to Weta now!
MUSIC (SCORE)
Danny Elfman - BIG FISH
Gabriel Yared - COLD MOUNTAIN
Thomas Newman - FINDING NEMO
James Horner - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Howard Shore - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Give this to Howard Shore. I really do love James Horner's score for HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG though.
MUSIC (SONG)
"Into the West" - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING - Fran Walsh, Howard Shore, Annie Lennox
"A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" - A MIGHTY WIND - Michael McKean & Annette O'Toole
"Scarlet Tide" - COLD MOUNTAIN - T Bone Burnett & Elvis Costello
"The Triplets of Belleville" - THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE - Benoit Charest, Sylvain Chomet
"You Will Be My Ain True Love" - COLD MOUNTAIN - Sting
Oh man - Give this to TRIPLETS OF BELLVILLE!!! God I love that song!
BEST PICTURE
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT
Personally, as soon as I had heard those other nominations for CITY OF GOD, I kinda expected it to somehow pull out a nomination here. That would have ruled all! That said. The King will Reign!
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
BOUNDIN'
DESTINO
GONE NUTTY
HARVIE KRUMPET
NIBBLES
Oh God, Please.... Please give it to DESTINO so Roy Disney can take the stage and call for Eisner's head. Please. Please give it to Roy Disney and the spirit of Dali and Walt. Please!
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
DIE ROTE JACKE (The Red Jacket)
MOST (The Bridge)
SQUASH
(A) TORZIJA ([A] Torsion)
TWO SOLDIERS
I have no idea
SOUND
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
SEABISCUIT
Oliphaunt scene wins. Though KILL BILL VOL 1 owned all the above.
SOUND EDITING
FINDING NEMO
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Um, this should go to FINDING NEMO - they edit bubble noises real good. Oh, and fuck you Academy for no KILL BILL VOL 1 nom in this category!
VISUAL EFFECTS
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
I love ILM's Zombie Pirate Skeletons, but I love Shelob, big oliphaunts stomping, fell beasts and Gollum more.
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman - AMERICAN SPLENDOR
Braulio Mantovani - CITY OF GOD
Fran Walsh, Queen of the Geeks & Peter Jackson - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Brian Helgeland - MYSTIC RIVER
Gary Ross - SEABISCUIT
I so want to see Queen of the Geeks take the mike, but personally, I believe that AMERICAN SPLENDOR is gonna grab this one. Though idiots may give it to MYSTIC RIVER.
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Denys Arcand - THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
Steven Knight - DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson & David Reynolds - FINDING NEMO
Jim Sheridan & Naomi Sheridan & Kirsten Sheridan -IN AMERICA
Sofia Coppola - LOST IN TRANSLATION
Sofia will win. This is the award she gets, that and Bill Murray's Best Actor win.
Overall - a pretty good job. Would have loved to have seen AMERICAN SPLENDOR in there instead of MYSTIC RIVER. But that's due to my obsession with that film!
