Movie Review Black Los Angeles

BlackNLA Movie Reviews

*****THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street*****

by Edwardo Jackson

BIASES: Early 30s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare

THE DEALIES 2007

Once again, it's on! That's right, y'all, it's Oscar time. I swear, if it gets any earlier, we'll be celebrating the Oscars on New Year's Eve. Regardless, as your humble civic servant, forever standing vanguard against cultural pollutants and wastes of your time, THE REEL DEAL predicts the Oscars. Trust me on these, folks (Mom) – and win your office pool.

BEST ACTOR
Nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Peter O'Toole, Will Smith, Forest Whitaker
Should Win: Forest Whitaker. It's always hard playing a person who lived instead of inventing a character.
Will Win: Whitaker. Gosling was quietly electric, Smith is likable but over his head, O'Toole will get lifetime achievement-type sympathy votes, and DiCaprio is nominated for the wrong film ("Blood Diamond" is highly overrated; it's criminal his undercover cop/junkie in "The Departed" didn't get nommed). Plus Whitaker's awards season-filled mantle should give you a clue.

BEST ACTRESS
Nominated: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet
Should Win: Helen Mirren. If you haven't seen "The Queen," I just can't explain it to you.
Will Win: Mirren. Hollywood's seen "The Queen." Even if voters haven't, her slew of major awards plus name recognition will turn the tide. Although Dame Judi Dench would win in any other year for her complicated turn in "Notes on a Scandal" and Streep could've won in a less competitive year, Cruz is out of her depth in the overrated "Volver" while Winslet, forever talented, just didn't have a strong enough role despite a strong enough performance.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Nominated: Alan Arkin, Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg
Should Win: Eddie Murphy. He sings, he dances, he emotes…I am so incredibly biased.
Will Win: Murphy. It's scary how in tune my picks are with The Academy this year… Hounsou playing Hounsou (nobility personified) has a snowball's chance in Hell due to the white liberal guilt-ridden/overvalued actioner-disguised-as-a-message-film "Blood Diamond." Haley's playing a conflicted, paroled child molester ('nuff said). Arkin is great as a horny, drug-addled dance "coach"/grandpa – but he's in a comedy. Wahlberg's Samsonite tough cop is electric chair sparky, but not when stacked against Murphy's charismatic, career-saving turn.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Nominated: Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Jennifer Hudson, Rinko Kikuchi
Should Win: Jennifer Hudson. Even though she's in the wrong category.
Will Win: Hudson. Blanchett would win in any other year. Kikuchi played a sexually charged deaf-mute better than most actors can speak (and playing the "vulnerability" card (re: naked) didn't hurt, either). Ten year old Breslin has a bright future ahead of her. Barraza is heartbreakingly real. But the Oscars, like most awards, are a popularity contest and nobody knows Barraza. If Hudson (a.k.a. The
Surest Thing Since Paris Hilton with a Videocamera) gets shafted on this - especially after racking up every conceivable statuette in awards season – I'll lead the picket line in front of the Academy, Najee Ali…

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nominated: Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, Pan's Labyrinth, The Queen
Should Win: "The Queen." It made the monarchy mean something to this Yank, even shedding some light on the odd British fixation on Princess Di.
Will Win: "Little Miss Sunshine." The train has left the station on this movie. There's so much goodwill for out there for this little family comedy, it's gotta win SOMETHING. This is its best shot.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Nominated: Borat, Children of Men, The Departed, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal
Should Win: "The Departed." There are no losers in this category. In any other year, the other four are just as worthy and would win. But can someone explain exactly from what the highly improvised "Borat" was adapted???
Will Win: "The Departed." Aiding its cause, you can find a copy of the shooting script with the deluxe, Target store edition of the DVD that came out a week ago. An incredible, truly Americanized translation of the Hong Kong neo-classic.

BEST PICTURE
Nominated: Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen
Should Win: "Dreamgirls" – er, "The Departed." I'm still furious my second favorite movie of all time, the Oscar leader with eight nominations, isn't nominated for the top two prizes Best Picture and Best Director. Heresy! Otherwise, "The Departed" is more than worthy, and should win any other year "Dreamgirls" wasn't released.
Will Win: "The Departed." But it's close. Golden Globes and SAG have me feeling all "Sunshine"-y, but "The Departed" truly is the best picture (of what's available). Don't be shocked if "Little Miss" squeaks out an upset.

BEST DIRECTOR
Nominated: Clint Eastwood, Stephen Frears, Paul Greengrass, Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu, Martin Scorsese
Should Win: Martin Scorsese. It's a masterpiece. Right up there with "Goodfellas."
Will Win: Scorsese. 'Bout time. The Academy's Susan Lucci finally gets his golden dude.

Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's
talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel
Deal!) Email him at ejace1@gmail.com!

Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA,
(Villard/Random House), a writer for BlackNLA.com,
UrbanFilmPremiere.com, AllHipHop.com, and an LA-based screenwriter.
Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com where his new novel I DO?
is available NOW.




			BlackNLA Movie Reviews ***THE REEL DEAL: Reviewz from the Street* by Edwardo Jackson BIASES: Early 30s black male; frustrated screenwriter who favors action, comedy, and glossy, big budget movies over indie flicks, kiddie flicks, and weepy Merchant Ivory fare THE DEALIES 2007 Once again, it's on! That's right, y'all, it's Oscar time. I swear, if it gets any earlier, we'll be celebrating the Oscars on New Year's Eve. Regardless, as your humble civic servant, forever standing vanguard against cultural pollutants and wastes of your time, THE REEL DEAL predicts the Oscars. Trust me on these, folks (Mom) – and win your office pool. BEST ACTOR Nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Peter O'Toole, Will Smith, Forest Whitaker Should Win: Forest Whitaker. It's always hard playing a person who lived instead of inventing a character. Will Win: Whitaker. Gosling was quietly electric, Smith is likable but over his head, O'Toole will get lifetime achievement-type sympathy votes, and DiCaprio is nominated for the wrong film ("Blood Diamond" is highly overrated; it's criminal his undercover cop/junkie in "The Departed" didn't get nommed). Plus Whitaker's awards season-filled mantle should give you a clue. BEST ACTRESS Nominated: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet Should Win: Helen Mirren. If you haven't seen "The Queen," I just can't explain it to you. Will Win: Mirren. Hollywood's seen "The Queen." Even if voters haven't, her slew of major awards plus name recognition will turn the tide. Although Dame Judi Dench would win in any other year for her complicated turn in "Notes on a Scandal" and Streep could've won in a less competitive year, Cruz is out of her depth in the overrated "Volver" while Winslet, forever talented, just didn't have a strong enough role despite a strong enough performance. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Nominated: Alan Arkin, Jackie Earle Haley, Djimon Hounsou, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg Should Win: Eddie Murphy. He sings, he dances, he emotes…I am so incredibly biased. Will Win: Murphy. It's scary how in tune my picks are with The Academy this year… Hounsou playing Hounsou (nobility personified) has a snowball's chance in Hell due to the white liberal guilt-ridden/overvalued actioner-disguised-as-a-message-film "Blood Diamond." Haley's playing a conflicted, paroled child molester ('nuff said). Arkin is great as a horny, drug-addled dance "coach"/grandpa – but he's in a comedy. Wahlberg's Samsonite tough cop is electric chair sparky, but not when stacked against Murphy's charismatic, career-saving turn. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Nominated: Adriana Barraza, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Jennifer Hudson, Rinko Kikuchi Should Win: Jennifer Hudson. Even though she's in the wrong category. Will Win: Hudson. Blanchett would win in any other year. Kikuchi played a sexually charged deaf-mute better than most actors can speak (and playing the "vulnerability" card (re: naked) didn't hurt, either). Ten year old Breslin has a bright future ahead of her. Barraza is heartbreakingly real. But the Oscars, like most awards, are a popularity contest and nobody knows Barraza. If Hudson (a.k.a. The Surest Thing Since Paris Hilton with a Videocamera) gets shafted on this - especially after racking up every conceivable statuette in awards season – I'll lead the picket line in front of the Academy, Najee Ali… BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Nominated: Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, Pan's Labyrinth, The Queen Should Win: "The Queen." It made the monarchy mean something to this Yank, even shedding some light on the odd British fixation on Princess Di. Will Win: "Little Miss Sunshine." The train has left the station on this movie. There's so much goodwill for out there for this little family comedy, it's gotta win SOMETHING. This is its best shot. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nominated: Borat, Children of Men, The Departed, Little Children, Notes on a Scandal Should Win: "The Departed." There are no losers in this category. In any other year, the other four are just as worthy and would win. But can someone explain exactly from what the highly improvised "Borat" was adapted??? Will Win: "The Departed." Aiding its cause, you can find a copy of the shooting script with the deluxe, Target store edition of the DVD that came out a week ago. An incredible, truly Americanized translation of the Hong Kong neo-classic. BEST PICTURE Nominated: Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen Should Win: "Dreamgirls" – er, "The Departed." I'm still furious my second favorite movie of all time, the Oscar leader with eight nominations, isn't nominated for the top two prizes Best Picture and Best Director. Heresy! Otherwise, "The Departed" is more than worthy, and should win any other year "Dreamgirls" wasn't released. Will Win: "The Departed." But it's close. Golden Globes and SAG have me feeling all "Sunshine"-y, but "The Departed" truly is the best picture (of what's available). Don't be shocked if "Little Miss" squeaks out an upset. BEST DIRECTOR Nominated: Clint Eastwood, Stephen Frears, Paul Greengrass, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Martin Scorsese Should Win: Martin Scorsese. It's a masterpiece. Right up there with "Goodfellas." Will Win:** Scorsese. 'Bout time. The Academy's Susan Lucci finally gets his golden dude. Like what you read? Agree/disagree with The Reel Deal? Think he's talkin' out his...HUSH YO' MOUF! (I'm only talkin' about The Reel Deal!) Email him at ejace1@gmail.com! Edwardo Jackson is the author of the novels EVER AFTER and NEVA HAFTA, (Villard/Random House), a writer for BlackNLA.com, UrbanFilmPremiere.com, AllHipHop.com, and an LA-based screenwriter. Visit his website at www.edwardojackson.com where his new novel I DO? is available NOW. © Edwardo Jackson 2007