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2005 Bellview Awards

1/2/06

Folks--

Ahh, it's that special time of year again...hit it!

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Best Flick--"Sin City"

This one got close near the end of the year, but every time I think about the Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller comic-turned-flick, I realize that nothing else this year quite nailed it for me like this bad boy

2. "Good Night, and Good Luck"

3. "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"

4. "Oldboy"

5. "Munich"

6. "Layer Cake"

7. "Hustle and Flow"

8. "A History of Violence"

9. "Capote"

10. "Downfall"

 

Best Actress--Joan Allen, "The Upside of Anger"

Nothing has really changed since the mid-year point on this one; Allen is amazing in this part, but because Kevin Costner is in it damn near nobody saw the movie

2. Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line."  The chances of her being nominated for an Oscar are 100%

3. Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener."  Her character is a fairly worn idea, but Weisz gives it life and makes me (kinda) forget about "Constantine"

4. Maria Bello, "A History of Violence."  With this work plus her SAG-nominated role in "The Cooler" two years ago, she ought to be showing up big soon

5. Emily Blunt, "My Summer of Love."  Alright, maybe the movie's not great...but, as the next-door neighbor with a dirty side, Blunt is fantastic in this flick

 

Best Actor--David Straithairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck"

Long-time character actor Straithairn finally has a shot at an Oscar for his portrayal of Ed Murrow in the Clooney-directed docudrama

2. Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line."  He'll probably get the Oscar he should have won five years ago for "Gladiator"

3. Min-sik Choi, "Oldboy."  I just watched this again last week--maybe the best role in a foreign film I've seen in years

4. Daniel Craig, "Layer Cake."  This is the part that locked down the Bond contract

5. Terrence Howard, "Hustle and Flow."  WHOOP DAT TRICK!  WHOOP DAT TRICK!!!

There are plenty of honorable mentions here, and many of them will be nominated for their work by real critics:  Philip Seymour Hoffman for "Capote", Steve Carell for "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", (Ladies Love) Jake Gyllenhaal for "Jarhead", Heath Ledger for "Brokeback Mountain", and Mickey Rourke in "Sin City."

Best Supporting Actress--Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain"

Just the scene where she sees for herself what REALLY goes on during those fishing trips will garner Williams her first Oscar nomination

2. Gong Li, "Memoirs of a Geisha."  If you have read the book, you realize that this beauty nails the Hatsumomo part...and then you ask yourself:  how can a 40-year-old in real life play a 25-year-old in the movies?

3. Thandie Newton, "Crash."  I'll be anxious to see how Oscar handles the performances from this film, which were generally fantastic but also very brief; Newton (from "M:I-2") does great work with the few moments she has as the victim of a racial profiling incident

4. Jessica Alba, "Sin City."  Not to be confused with a real actress, Alba is perfect for the part as the girl that Hartigan (Bruce Willis) tries to protect from the city's evil element

5. Cheryl Underwood, "Beauty Shop."  Playing Catfish Rita in one of the year's worst films, this is the only character that came close to being funny

 

Best Supporting Actor--Clifton Collins Jr., "Capote"

In my mind, all of the hype surrounding the Hoffman performance in "Capote" was false advertising--the best part in that film belongs to Collins, playing the inmate that tells his story to the writer while looking for a friend that might be his savior

2. The Rock, "Be Cool."  As gay bodyguard/actor Elliot Wilhelm, The Rock almost makes this shitty Travolta flick watchable

3. Mickey Rourke, "Domino."  You can almost see Rourke chewing on the fat as the lead bounty hunter in this run-and-gun Tony Scott action/comedy; man, Rourke had a great year

4. Larenz Tate, "Crash."  I've been saying "People, man...people" all year; maybe his best line from his best part since "Dead Presidents"

5. Ciarán Hinds, "Munich."  He's been in so many other films, but it's nice to see him get the most sentimental part on the Israeli specialist team because he owns the role (even though he's a real-life Irishman)

 

Discuss.  On to Part II...

 

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.