The Starter's Pistol

So awards season started for real yesterday with the release of the National Board of Review winners. I like that the NBR traditionally starts off this three month period because it consists of teachers and historians and students and while it can help a little film get some notice, they have almost zero influence on the Academy. Finding Neverland topped their list and that is right as the NBR tens to like literate period pieces. If the Oscar Best Picture nominees are the same as the NBR top 5 than this is going to be a very solid year for the Academy. Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Closer, Million Dollar Baby, and Sideways, although I have only seen two of them thusfar, would seem to be the most respectable set of Best Picture nominees in a very long time. The NBR gave Jamie Foxx their Best Actor award and although we can pretend that Giamatti, Liam Neeson, Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon and maybe DiCaprio could give him a run for his money it isn't going to happen. Foxx has everything going for him and is the man to beat at Oscar time. Annette Benning was awarded Best Actress for Being Julia and the only thing that stands in her way is the fact that not many people are seeing the film. The screenplay awards went to Sideways and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - and it sure seems at this point like those two are heavy heavy favorites to win the Oscar. We are living in pretty good times when Alexander Payne and Charlie Kaufman win Oscars in the same year.

Although the Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced on Tuesday, I can work up little enthusiasm for them. I have a hunch Sideways is going to sweep them and then not win any Oscars except Best Adapted Screenplay which would be the exact same fate that met Lost in Translation last year. Although it is a crime, a shame, and a friggin' joke that the ISAs practically ignored Before Sunset.