The Oscars

Unfortunately despite my efforts to see ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’, the best I could muster was a version downloaded through questionable means that had no subtitles and I don’t have time to learn Japanese before Sunday night. There is always room for surprise at the Oscars such as ‘Crash’ bucking ‘Brokeback Mountains’ winning streak last year to take Best Picture but I am going to go out on a limb and declare that it will not win. So based on what I’ve seen I am going to pitch my tent in ‘The Departed’ camp. It will not win because of nostalgia or because of a sense of owing to Scorsese (this will come with the Best Director award I am sure) but it should win simply because it is the most accomplished of the nominated films. I’m sure there is technical brilliance behind the flawless recreation of events but for me ‘The Queen’ is all about performance and ‘Babel’ just was not as important or emotive as it would lay claim to being. So in a toss up between ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and ‘The Departed’, I am leaning towards ‘The Departed’ knowing the Academy does not traditionally favour comedies and also that ultimately while ‘Little Miss’ was so entertaining the film as a whole wouldn’t match the class of ‘The Departed’. I will not be taking bets.