TIME FOR MY 'O' FACE

So it’s Oscar weekend.  And normally the town would be a buzz (or abuzz; there's your Canadian higher education ... j.w.).  This year not so much.  Because of the writers’ strike and I think in part because of a lackluster year, this year has very little of the normal buzz (this entry's buzzword? Buzz! j.w.) and excitement typical of the Oscars.  There are still some parties and there are the normal events but it feels muted around town.  Not sure that that feeling expands beyond LA but I am not going to be surprised if the Oscars don’t pull their normal ratings.

Now the ballot.  A couple things to remember.  For starters, most of the voters are LA based or spend a lot of time here.  Two, there are always surprises.  Third, for such a cynical group of people (the voters) they are a pretty sentimental bunch (so perhaps in fact they are not cynical ... it is just a facade ... like on a movie set? j.w.).  And fourth (Adventures in Counting, with your hostess, Moose ... ), no one knows anything about anything so it’s all just guessing and gut feel.  And I’m not funny so don’t expect witty, droll comments out of me.  But I did score 21 out of 24 last year.  I’m just saying …

Supporting Actor – The voters love to go old or young in this category and there are often surprises here. The favorite is Javier Bardem but Hal Holbrook is the sentimental pick.  Long career, exceptional job in "Into the Wild", likely won’t get another shot at it, so I’m picking him.  He deserves it.  As did Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch but they got shafted. 

Supporting Actress - Tough, but Ruby Dee might be your best bet even though she is barely in the movie.

Animated Feature – Usually an easy pick, this year not so much.

Either Ratatouille or Persepolis.  Ratatouille is the favorite but Persepolis was ignored in the Foreign Language category and that irked a lot of people so it is the upset pick here.

Documentary Feature – Please pretend to care.

Go with Sicko.  It’s a tough one though because no one wants to see Michael Moore get up and make an uncomfortable speech.  Can’t he just thank his mother and be done with it?  Nope.  He was rumored to be bringing Castro to the awards, a bad twist on the Odd Couple – Oscar & Fidel.  But most of the voters are Democrats and the other nominees are mostly war ones so likely to split the votes.  Brace yourselves now for discomfort.

Foreign Language – The big controversy of the year.

It’s a very complicated voting process for this category and this year the best films were left out.  So I’m not making a pick.  And not just because Canada wasn’t nominated.  Yes, we make movies in French so we qualify, eh! But here’s is what should have won – 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days from Romania.  Skip the show and go see this movie.  And by the way, if you aren’t going to see Foreign Language films you should be.  Grow up about subtitles.  If you’re reading this you can read them. The rest of the world is making movies that seriously beat anything this town is making at the moment.

Song – So sappy this year my teeth hurt.

I miss “It’s Hard Out There for a Pimp.”  Seriously, there should be at least one rap or hip hop song a year in this category.  At least Randy Newman won’t be there this year for a change.  Three for Enchanted?!  Pick “Falling Slowly” from Once.  It’s the way the academy can reward a great flick.

Screenplay – The guys that almost killed the whole show.

Adapted – No one was that great.  But it’s going to be Atonement in all likelihood.  The upset pick is The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, which is one of the best movies of the year and again was left hanging for the Foreign Language category when Persepolis was France’s entry over Diving Bell.

Original – If you want to win, pick Juno.  Diablo Cody is the best self-marketer this town has seen in a long time and she has managed to bamboozle the best of the bamboozlers. I don’t agree and think it should be Lars and the Real Girl but watch for Diablo to take the poll, oops!  I mean podium.

Best Actor – This year is pretty easy. Clooney, hot & good; Day-Lewis, hot & great; Depp, hot & crap; Jones, not hot & crap; Mortensen, dirty, dirty hot & good.  Pick Daniel Day-Lewis.  Hated the movie but this guy makes everyone else look silly.

Best Actress – Julie Christie.  Beautiful movie and she was mesmerizing.  Made me want to dye my hair grey.  No contest here. 

Directing - Toss up between the Coen Brothers for No Country and Schnabel for Diving Bell.  But my gut tells me that the LA crowd is going to go Coens. 

Best Film – Uggh!!  Of the 5 Michael Clayton is the best but it doesn’t have a hope.  I think the voters will go with No Country for Old Men.  It’s pure Americana and folklore and the voters will likely go for that.  By the way, the book is so much better than the movie. No one beats Cormac McCarthy.

But let me get to what I know everyone is yearning to know.  I printed out the Oscar ballot and know that once again you are confounded by what to pick for Sound Editing & Sound Mixing.  I know, I know!  Every year it’s the one that messes up your chances of sweeping your pool.  So first let me explain what the difference is.

Sound editing is creating and placing all the sound effects and elements (door closing, shot firing etc.) as well as all the dialogue either spoken while filming or done with ADR in post.  Essentially the sound editor makes sure that you have all of the sound elements that you need and that if there is footage of a rooster crowing in the background, you have the sound of a rooster crowing.  The sound mixer is the person who puts all the tracks together.  And there are lots of different tracks – filming dialogue, ADR dialogue, sound effects, music etc.  He’s the guy who makes sure that the sound is all put on one track and that the sound is seamlessly assembled so music swells at the right point, that the voiceovers go where they should, that the volumes are right on all the elements.  I know.  Scintillating and traditionally these guys always give the most gripping acceptance speeches!

The rest?  Who cares?  It’s when you check your email or go for more snacks.  But in case you’re wondering I’m going Bourne for Sound Editing and Mixing.