January 31, 2005
News Register


2005 Oscar Contenders

The News-Register’s film critic, Casey Cavalier, makes his picks for the winners of this year’s Academy Awards.

Best Picture
The Aviator Photo of Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank from Million Dollar Baby.  Photo is courtesy of Warner Bros.
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Sideways
Casey’s Pick: This intense film has all the depth, color, and grit required to win Academy votes. This is filmmaking at its finest.

Best Actress
Annette Bening - Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full Of Grace
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Casey’s Pick: When it comes to intensity Ms. Staunton delivers. Her performance was stellar. With such complicated material, she makes us think and question.

Best Actor
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda Photo of Jamie Foxx as Ray in the biopic movie Ray
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Casey’s Pick: In a year full of “biopics,” Foxx is one of the few actors who embodied his character beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Best Supporting Actress
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda
Laura Linney - Kinsey
Virginia Madsen - Sideways
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Natalie Portman - Closer
Casey’s Pick: Ms. Okonedo brought grace to a film steeped in turmoil. Her acting was transparently superb. I will never forget this film or her role.


Best Supporting Actor
Alan Alda - The Aviator
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
Clive Owen - Closer
Casey’s Pick: This man could read the yellow pages aloud and move me to tears. Few actors have his range or talent. His performance rocked.


Best Director
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Taylor Hackford - Ray
Alexander Payne - Sideways
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake
Casey’s Pick: Eastwood channels his work onto the screen by allowing actors to act. When it comes to tales of humanity he is the man.
Picture of an Oscar Award
Photo courtesy Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Oscar Award

 

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