Mike's Oscar Picks: Everybody else takes a whack, so why not me?

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I haven't seen Little Women, and I won't get a chance to see it today before the Oscars telecast. So as I look at the nominees for Best Picture, 8 out of 9 will have to do.

I also haven't seen several of the films featuring actresses/actors who were nominated for individual awards, though I do look forward to watching them as they become available on Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Showtime and the like.

So having delivered that disclaimer, here are my Oscar picks ...

Best Actress

It sounds like Renee Zellweger is a shoo-in for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy, and I definitely want to see that film. 

The only nominated actress whose movie I saw was Scarlett Johansson's Marriage Story. She was good, but I can hardly say it was a groundbreaking performance. 

I was disappointed that Ana de Armas, the young actress who shined in the underrated Knives Out, didn't get nominated.

Best Actor

I saw three of the five films in which an actor was nominated: Joker (Joaquin Phoenix), Marriage Story (Adam Driver), and Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (Leonardo DiCaprio). 

Each was outstanding, but Phoenix, always a powerful force whenever he's on screen, was never better. He is expected to win, and I'm not surprised.

Adam Sandler was surprisingly good in Uncut Gems and George McKay great in 1917. Also, Roman Griffin Davis dominated nearly every scene as the 10-year-old protagonist in Jojo Rabbit. Each was snubbed, but I obviously realize that everybody can't get nominated.

Best Supporting Actress

I saw two of the five films with actresses in this category: Marriage Story (Laura Dern) and Jojo Rabbit (Scarlett Johansson).

The belief is that Dern will win here and I have no problem with that. It was a perfect role for her, and she clearly enjoyed doing it. Johansson also was very good.

I thought Julia Fox, making her acting debut as Sandler's love interest in Uncut Gems, might get nominated but she didn't.

Best Supporting Actor

My would-be favorite for this category wasn't nominated: Daniel Craig as the brilliant but quirky detective in Knives Out. Nobody will ever convince me that he wasn't significantly better than the two guys nominated from The Irishman: the OK Al Pacino and the underwhelming Joe Pesci.

I really liked Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (and he also was very good in, though not nominated for, Ford v Ferrari), so I'll be rooting for him. Based on what I've read, he has a decent shot at the trophy.

Best Picture

As I said, I didn't see Little Women. Two films I did see that I very much liked but weren't nominated: Knives Out and Uncut Gems. 

I preferred the latter two to The Irishman. I think I could have edited an hour out of it, I wasn't blown away by either the story or the acting, and if it had been directed by anybody other than Scorcese it probably wouldn't have been nominated. It was Goodfellas Lite - all of the blood, none of the fun.

The other Netflix nominee, Marriage Story, felt like a good made-for-TV movie. Like Ford v Ferrari, I liked it but it didn't seem Oscar-worthy. 

Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood was a good Quentin Tarantino flick ... but not a great one in my estimation. It ranks well behind Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown and Django Unchained.

Joaquin Phoenix was so good in Joker that he personally elevated the film, and at the time I saw it I thought it was the best 2019 movie I had seen. It since has been surpassed by a few others in my mind, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it does get picked.

The South Korean black comedy Parasite is a wonderful and sneaky-deep film that is hilarious in parts, grisly in others, and socially relevant throughout. Several of the actors could have been nominated (but weren't). I didn't see it until yesterday - the day before the Oscars - but I can see why it has gotten so much buzz.

Jojo Rabbit was my personal favorite of 2019 - the one I enjoyed most during my time in the theater. I don't think it has a prayer of winning, but it was an absolute delight from beginning to end. If you haven't seen it, do.

Although I expected World War I drama 1917 to be very good because it had gotten so much positive press before I finally got around to seeing it, it actually surpassed my expectations. One thing I went in thinking was, "Who needs another war movie?" As it turns out, I did! 1917 was not just another war movie. There actually was much less blood and guts than in most of them, the plot and premise were great, it was beautifully filmed, and the performances were superb throughout. Bravo to Sam Mendes for creating a borderline masterpiece. 

So while I might give Jojo Rabbit the "Mikey," 1917 was my fave of all the films that actually have a chance to win.
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Bald bits about Oscar flicks

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My wife and I just got home after a great vacation that included a 5-day Caribbean cruise followed by 2 nights in Delray Beach, Fla. So relaxing, such great weather ... and so much food. I am NOT looking forward to stepping on the scale!

I am looking forward to Sunday night's Oscars. I'm sure that Ellen DeGeneres will do a great job hosting the telecast -- and that a deserving film will win Best Picture.

On the last night of our vacation, Robbie and I saw Philomena, so I've now seen all nine nominated films. I'll give my ranking in a minute, but first a few thoughts about others awards:

Best Actor: I loved Bruce Dern (Nebraska) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), but Matthew McConaughey gave a performance of a lifetime in Dallas Buyers Club.

Best Actress: I did not see Blue Jasmine and that's too bad because just about every pundit out there says Cate Blanchett is a shoo-in. I saw the four films featuring the other nominees, and I'd rank Meryl Streep (August: Osage County) just ahead of Judi Dench (Philomena).

Best Supporting Actor: Four great candidates -- sorry, Jonah Hill, you'd be the one on Sesame Street's "one of these men just doesn't belong here" -- and my favorite performance was that of Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) as the leader of the Somali pirates who kidnapped Tom Hanks' character. Incredible to think that he wasn't even an actor before shooting started on the film. Most critics think Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) will win it, and it would be impossible to argue that choice.

Best Supporting Actress: Again, because I didn't see Blue Jasmine, I can't rate Sally Hawkins. I really liked the work of each of the other four. I laughed almost every time June Squibb (Nebraska) opened her mouth, but Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) had the most meaty role of all the nominees and was absolutely fantastic.

Now, here is where I rank each of the nine Best Picture nominees ...

9. The Wolf of Wall Street. I liked several films that weren't nominated more than this overly long, over-the-top silliness. Lots of critics liked it, but I didn't think it was one of Martin Scorsese's best.

8. Gravity. I almost feel like apologizing for liking this movie so much less than most experts do. I mean, I didn't hate it, and Sandra Bullock was fine as usual, but I was not wowed by either the special effects or the story. If it were a college basketball team, I'd be taunting it with chants of "Over-rated! Over-rated!"

7. Her. Quirky and interesting, with Joaquin Phoenix deserving of the Comeback of the Year award, if there was one.

6. Philomena. A well-written, well-acted film about an important but rarely discussed topic. Kudos to Steve Coogan, who adapted the screenplay and starred alongside the excellent Judi Dench.

5. Captain Phillips. Just as I was surprised I liked Gravity less than I thought I would, I was surprised that I liked this film more than I thought I would. It was a completely believable, edge-of-the-seat flick with outstanding acting by the two leads.

4. Dallas Buyers Club. Here's where it starts to get especially difficult for me, which is how it should be in trying to separate the Final Four. This film was superbly acted and presented, and I've got nothing bad to say about it.

3. American Hustle. I smiled or laughed throughout the entire movie and I thought Christian Bale was wonderful in leading a talented ensemble cast. It was a little goofy at times, but I know that was intentional.

2. Nebraska. As I watched this quiet gem of a film unfold, all I kept thinking was, "This is my favorite movie this year." Bruce Dern was absolutely perfect in the lead role and June Squibb was a hoot as his wife. It was beautifully filmed in black and white, and the entire production was top-notch and moving. I know it has little chance to win because it was not a "big" enough flick, but I enjoyed it tremendously.

1. 12 Years a Slave. A powerful, important story that was exquisitely presented by director Steve McQueen. Often brutal and difficult to watch, it nonetheless was filled with astounding performances, especially by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o and the boo-and-hiss-worthy Michael Fassbender. This is the kind of film academy voters often favor -- and for good reason.

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I'm just now realizing that while I posted the final results of my basketball season on Facebook, I didn't here for my loyal tens of readers.

My Scholars Academy Eagles lost our semifinal game to a bigger, more experienced, and ... well ... superior team but I so enjoyed my first season as a head coach. The girls worked incredibly hard and played with such passion, the parents were wonderful, the administration was supportive. It was just a great experience, even better than I hoped it would be.

I'll probably write more about it after our team party on Friday.
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Billy Crystal perfect, as was The Artist

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The Bald Truth

Billy Crystal, where have you been?

That single change back to the best Oscars host of the post-Bob Hope era made an otherwise anticlimactic event worth watching again.

Maybe he should moderate the next GOP debate?

The Balder Truth

After their 12th win in a 13-game stretch, my Marquette Golden Warriors have moved up to No. 7 in the coaches' poll and No. 8 in the AP writers' poll.

Sure is nice of the only team I root for to make it so easy for me to root for them!

If you have yet to see their do-everything stud forward, Jae Crowder, be sure to check him out. He's probably the best college basketball player most of America hasn't heard of.

THE BALDEST TRUTH

Spurred on by the Oscars, I finally checked out The Artist today.

A brilliant concept superbly executed. A most deserving Best Film choice.

I usually make it a point to see all the Best Film nominees but I only saw 4 of 9 this time: Moneyball, The Descendants, The Help and now The Artist.

Hugo now is a must rental for me, and I'll probably check out Midnight in Paris, too.

As was the case with the other three contenders I saw, however, I can't imagine those two matching The Artist.

Bravo to the academy for getting it right this time.

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Few surprises at Oscars, but here's 5

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Pretty anticlimactic Oscar night, huh? The King's Speech wasn't my favorite film of the year (The Kids Are All Right was), but it was good. And it certainly was the classic film for the Academy to be ga-ga about: historically significant, wonderfully acted and British. So that it won best picture was no surprise at all -- keeping with the night's theme.

The 5 Oscar surprises, according to this observer:

5. Geoffrey Rush -- the single best part about The King's Speech -- was one of the few nominees associated with the film who somehow managed not to win.

4. I didn't expect James Franco to be Billy Crystal or Jon Stewart, but I did expect him to read cue cards without seeming petrified and/or disinterested. I can't remember a less engaging host. Of course, the writers did him and co-host Anne Hathaway no favors at all. Aside from Franco's Charlie Sheen joke (while dressed in drag), the hosts were given precious little to work with.

3. Scarlett Johansson's hairdresser did the impossible: make her look less than beautiful.

2. Melissa Leo barely blinked after casually dropping the f-bomb. There goes her invitation to appear on Sesame Street.

1. The main highlights were provided by 94-year-old stroke victim Kirk Douglas (incredibly charming as presenter of best supporting actress) and a chorus of Staten Island 5th graders (wrapping up the proceedings with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow") . Gotta admit: I didn't see those coming.
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Here's hoping ...

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Man, am I ever hopeful now!

I hope President Obama is as much substance as he is sizzle. America needs a lot of the former and none of the latter.

I hope Bud Selig realizes how outrageous it is that he'll again make an eight-figure salary this year while MLB.com just cut the pay of its recent-college-grad summer interns from $500 per week to zero.

I hope the economy can get fixed so that, in 10 years, all of our investments will at least be worth 75 percent of what they were six months ago.

I hope Mickey Rourke wins a well-deserved best-actor Oscar for his amazing work in The Wrestler.

I hope for peace in the Middle East - and I hope nobody thinks I'm insane for even suggesting it's possible.

I hope to see LeBron vs. Kobe in a seven-game NBA Finals.

I hope our new president and the rest of our leaders can figure out a few ways to remedy the credit and housing crises that don't involve saddling our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with several quadrillion dollars of debt.

I hope Tiger comes back healthy; if he doesn't, why even bother having a PGA Tour?

I hope that one of these nights, ex-Decider Dubya wakes up in a cold sweat, having finally realized he was manipulated for eight years by puppetmaster Dickie Veep.

I hope the second season of True Blood will be as entertaining as the first.

I hope everybody realizes that once most newspapers are out of business, there will be nobody to expose the crooks we elect.

I hope "wounded pride" is the only injury any ballplayer suffers in the utterly unnecessary World Baseball Classic.

I hope people stop losing their jobs. I don't need the company.