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TECH SUPPORT: Final preview special, part two
Posted by Gerard Kennedy · 3:49 pm · January 21st, 2009
This is part two of my last glance at the year’s tech category contenders. For
part one, click here.
Best Music (Original Score)
Now here is a category where there are no locks. Nonetheless, considering the
success of their films and scores in awards season to date, A.R. Rahmen (for
“Slumdog Millionaire”) and Alexandre Desplat (for “The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button”) seem solid bets.
Thomas Newman, despite only having a BAFTA nomination to his credit so far in
the awards season, often scores when the precursors don’t coming calling so I
think he’s in for “WALL-E.” Alternatively, he could get in for “Revolutionary
Road.”
The rest of the Golden Globe nominees strike me as facing challenges. Clint
Eastwood has performed well this season with “Changeling” but I am doubtful he
will ever be embraced by the music branch. James Newton Howard’s compositions
for “Defiance” may be lost with his film while Hans Zimmer’s Globe citation for
“Frost/Nixon” seems more like a tribute to the composer, a Globe favorite..
I would actually wager that Zimmer and Howard have a better opportunity with
their fantastic “The Dark Knight” collaboration. Zimmer has been campaigning
hard. Even so, I’m skeptical the duo will score.. Co-composers receiving Oscar
nominations is extremely rare. (Though, in all fairness, so is co-composing.)
Nico Muhy also should not be ruled out for his hauntingly memorable
compositions for “The Reader.” That said, that first nomination is often a
struggle.
Rather, I think that Danny Elfman still can find a home in this category for
“Milk,” just as he did for Gus Van Sant’s last Best Picture nominee. The tunes
were memorable and the film seems headed for a Best Picture citation.
To round out the category, I’d look to the man you should never bet against:
John Williams for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” But
despite almost invariably being nominated in years in which he is eligible,
this nonetheless strikes me as his weakest chance in an eligible year in all
the years I’ve been observing the Oscars. The film is not loved, the score
hasn’t received precursor attention and we’ve heard these melodies before.
Usually, these factors don’t present problems when the person in question is
John Williams. But all of them working against him? Still, my money is on him.
Predictions:
“The Curious case of Benjamin Button”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
Best Music (Original Song)
Another category with no locks. Even so, it would be shocking to see Bruce
Springsteen miss for his brilliant title track for “The Wrestler.” He has
everything going for him – great film, great song, perfectly fitting the film,
Obama-endorsing attention and precursor citations.
Peter Gabriel has failed to follow up his Golden Globe nominations for either
“Rabbit-Proof Force” or “The Last Temptation of Christ” with an Oscar
nomination. Moreover, the new rules for Best Original Song make it more
difficult for a tune which does not play within the actual film. That said,
this is such a great song, from such a great movie, that it has to be
nominated, in my opinion.
A.R. Rahman’s second chance for an Oscar nomination this year comes in this
category for “Jai Ho.” Meaning “Be Victorious” in English, it is difficult to
conceive of a more appropriate ending to the movie. I think he is heading
toward double nominations this year.
You know when you’re six or seven and in the grocery store with your mom? And
there is an artist playing who is “the shit” of the moment and for whatever
reason you remember him. And the next thing you know his daughter is a star?
Welcome to my world. An Oscar nomination for Miley Cyrus would make me feel
old. And it would also remind me that I’m an Oscar-watching veteran of sorts,
having watched the golden boy handed out for more than a decade. Whatever…the
song “I Thought I’d Lost You” is a way to recogonize both Cyrus and John
Travolta and the charming film that is “Bolt.” I think it’s headed for a
nomination.
It is, of course, possible, that the music branch, chooses to confine this
year’s nominees to just three or four song, at which point, I’d suspect the
analysis I’ve already gone through would be sufficient. But in the event that
there are five nominees, I’d wager that it’s finally Clint Eastwood’s time to
shine musically. His song for “”Gran Torino” plays appropriately over the end
credits and I feel that it is more likely the music branch would throw him a
bone here than in the original score field.
The alternatives strike me as too silly (like “Dracula’s Lament” from
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” from “Hamlet 2”), too
forgettable (such as “The Call” from “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
and “Up to Our Nex” from “Rachel Getting Married”), indistinguishable from
other songs in the film (the tunes from “High School Musical 3”) or
indistinguishable from other songs in the series (like “Another Way to Die”
from “Quantum of Solace”).
Predictions:
“I Thought I Lost You” from “Bolt”
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”
“The Wrestler” from “The Wrestler”
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