I know I'm coming late to this thread, but there are a few things I wanted to say. First, I am SO happy that Portman and Owens get the recognition they deserved for CLOSER, Clive slightly more than Natalie. I would have voted for Laura Linney in this category, but I'm just happy that Virgina Madsen didn't win - her performance in SIDEWAYS was definitely not award-worthy. Does anything think Clive has a chance of winning the oscar for his role? Although I would vote for him HANDS DOWN, I'm afraid it might go to the more acclaimed Church or Freeman. I wouldn't be disappointed if Sarsgaard won either for KINSEY, he was extraordinary. I'm really hoping that Jamie Foxx isn't nominated in this category for COLLATERAL - that is NOT an oscar worthy performance, and his spot should go to either Highmore for NEVERLAND or Wahlberg for HUCKABEES.
Speaking of Jamie Foxx....
I had seen RAY when it first opened and was unimpressed and unaffected by both his performance AND the movie. I saw it again on Sunday (GG day,) knowing that he was going to win and tried to look at it from a different point of view. Although this time around I did find the movie more moving, I enjoyed Foxx's performance far less than I did the first time around - and that isn't very much. He deserves a nomination, no doubt, but his performance was hardly profound, amazing, or deserving. His acceptance speech and attitude at the GG's and earlier award shows has already condemmed him in my book. Last year, when Sean Penn won best actor, did he make it about being white? No. The other night Foxx won an award for his fine performance in an entertaining (problematic) movie about an amazing, talented, inspiring man. He didn't win an award for being black. It seems that everyone else understands this except for him - THERE IS NO NEED TO BRING RACE INTO YOUR ACCEPTANCE SPEECH. The whole "we did it! the struggle is over! praise jesus" demeanour has got to stop, and his behaviour that night should be reason enough for him not to win the award - it's bad enough that this movie will probably be nominated for best picture. And Foxx could really use this potential oscar loss in his advantage and get his ego back in check. In my opinion, he did nothing oscar worthy in that movie. If mimicking a voice, lipsinking,wearing sunglasses, and sitting slouched over a piano like the real Ray Charles did means he's an amazing, oscar worthy actor, then I guess I'm wrong. But I doubt that I am. Hopefully, if he DOES win the Academy Award, which he probably will, he doesn't make it about being black and his fellow cast members can hold back the tears and stop acting so surprised that he won.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy."
-Charlie Manson
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