With the Oscars just a day away, I felt like handing out a couple of my own biased awards. But then I realised that I haven’t seen nearly enough films from 2009 to fairly do that. So in order to uphold the Oscar spirit, I’m going to reflect all the way back to 2008 and pick a few of my favourite films and performances from a year where I’ve seen most of the big ones. Stay with me, I promise it’ll be fun (Note: not an actual promise).
Best Picture
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Snow Angels
Wall-E
And the winner is…
The Dark Knight
Back in 2008, it was a simpler time. There were only five best picture nominees (though if I had to choose ten, I’d rattle off The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Rachel Getting Married, Doubt, and Vicky Christina Barcelona as the additional five). Christopher Nolan created something of a masterpiece in his sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins. The storytelling is rock solid, and the film’s two and a half hour running time feels like a breeze. It’s not only great by superhero movie standards; it’s a taught, satisfying thriller.
Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Synecdoche, New York
Sean Penn – Milk
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sam Rockwell – Snow Angels
Michael Sheen – Frost/Nixon
And the winner is…
Michael Sheen
Frank Langella, while of course very good in Frost/Nixon, seemed to steal a lot of the attention away from my favourite performance of the movie, which came from the Michael Sheen. Playing the Frost to Langella’s Nixon, it’s a relatively low-key performance in a quiet film. But Sheen does a great job of conveying the frustration and moral quandaries that David Frost experiences in his time with the enigmatic former president.
Best Actress
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Christina Barcelona
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Michelle Williams – Wendy and Lucy
And the winner is…
Anne Hathaway
From her early work, I never would have guessed that Anne Hathaway would be nominated for an Oscar. But her gritty performance of recovering addict Kym is unforgettable. She’s wry and hilarious at times, and utterly heartbreaking at others.
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Angarano – Snow Angels
Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
Aaron Eckhart – The Dark Knight
Emile Hirsch – Milk
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
And the winner is…
Heath Ledger
After his tragic death, Ledger became last year’s sentimental favourite at every awards show. But if things had gone differently, I think that Ledger still would have deservedly gone home with the Oscar. His portrayal of the Joker is terrifying and iconic in a way that few recent performances have achieved.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams – Doubt
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Christina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt – Rachel Getting Married
Samantha Morton – Synecdoche, New York
Tilda Swinton – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
And the winner is…
Amy Adams
As a young nun, Adams’ Sister James found herself in a moral dilemma, and Adams proved once again to be a very capable actor. Her simpering innocence was perfect, and she provided so much heart in an otherwise intense film. Adams, already receiving two nominations, will one day win an Oscar, for sure.
Best Director
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
David Gordon Green – Snow Angels
Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant – Milk
And the winner is…
Danny Boyle
His lush, sweeping images of India in Slumdog Millionaire were breathtaking, and the gritty interrogation scenes packed just as much of a punch. He’s a director whose proven that he can do anything (28 Days Later, Sunshine, Trainspotting) and he reinvented himself yet again in a wonderful way.
Best Original Screenplay
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Synecdoche, New York
Vicky Christina Barcelone
And the winner is…
Rachel Getting Married
This screenplay by Jenny Lumet made the most mundane facets of life feel fresh and significant. All of the characters feel like real people, and the wonderful, subtle humour helps save the film from ever becoming gloomy.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Snow Angels
And the winner is…
Frost/Nixon
Peter Morgan’s script (based on his own play) ramps up the tension between Frost and Nixon and creates a wonderful game of Chicken between the two. Great dialogue and pacing.
Best Ensemble Cast
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Snow Angels
And the winner is…
Milk
Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, Victor Garber, and Alison Pill all bring a wonderful spark to this film about Harvey Milk’s fight for gay rights. It’s a treat watch them all interact and get their individual moments to shine.
Best Scenes (as spoiler-free as possible)
The Joker and the boats – The Dark Knight
Jamal’s last question – Slumdog Millionaire
Kym’s rehearsal dinner toast – Rachel Getting Married
Day in the park – Pineapple Express
The late-night phone call – Frost/Nixon
Best On-Screen Duos
Eve and Wall-E – Wall-E
Salim and Jamal – Slumdog Millionaire
Frost and Nixon – Frost/Nixon
The Joker and Batman – The Dark Knight
Tony Stark and Pepper Potts – Iron Man