Oh My God ... How Great Does This Look???

The new Bob Dylan movie ... I'm Not There, which stars Ben Whishaw, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Christian Bale and two others as Bob Dylan, each one embodying another aspect of his personality. It's also got Adrien Brody in it (not as Dylan), which means it's bound to be interesting, at the very least.

It's a brilliant idea - it's about subverting our perception of someone who is more than famous - who has almost become legend. Dylan has so many rumours about him and so many different perceptions surrounding him, that it's almost like he is seven different people. I can't wait.

Now, if only they could do the same with David Bowie, Eva Peron, Andy Warhol or Madonna.

Broken Promises

I know, I know, I promised a Blood Diamond review. Weeks ago. It's not even on anymore. I realise I'm slack. I would promise (again) that I would upload it tomorrow, but you don't trust me anymore anyway.

So anyway this would be a long rundown of the Oscars, but I'm too depresssed.

Reasons to be depressed:

1. Rinko Kikuchi still goes unrecognised, despite her nuanced, layered performance in Babel.

2. For the last time, Forest Whitaker is not the lead actor in The Last King Of Scotland. James McAvoy is. What is the point in even having a "supporting actor" category if the supporting actors keep getting nominated in the "lead actor" category? Sure, Whitaker's performance is a tour de force but that doesn't automatically elevate him to "lead actor" status.

3. The dresses were boring. With the exception of Naomi Watts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nicole Kidman, and Reese Witherspoon, they were all playing it safe in beige, grey or black. COME ON PEOPLE - it's the Oscars, you can pull out all the stops!

Grr. Grr. Grrrr.

It should have been Pan's Labyrinth ...

I mean, it wasn't even nominated. But The Departed? Please. Although tight, tense and clever, it's hardly Best Film material? It's a concilatory prize - Marty should have won for Goodfellas, or Mean Streets, or Taxi Driver, or Raging Bull, or any other of his consistently astounding films, not for an overlong remake which turned into a paint-by-numbers (albeit classy) gangster flick. Marty deserved Best Director, because he is the Best Director, but Best Film? It should have been Pan's Labyrinth, or if it had to be one of the nominees, why not Little Miss Sunshine or Babel?

Disappointed, but not terribly surprised. And also it's hard to begrude him - he's so cute and happy.

Bright Young Things

Who's tipped to rule the roost this year ...

1. Ben Whishaw We first saw him as the grimy perfumier in Perfume: The Story of A Murderer, where his performance gave us compassion for a sadistic maniac. But he scrubs up alright and has two films scheduled for release in 2007, including the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There. Expect weird, but wonderful.

2. Jodie Whittaker Although the year's awards will be owned by the other Whitaker, the star of Venus has just won the BIFA 2006 up-and-comer award. Anyone who can share the screen with Peter O'Toole and not fall to pieces gets my vote.

3. Ryan Gosling Already a legend in his home of Canada, the star of the beloved The Notebook has just been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

4. Rinko Kikuchi The real star of Babel, Lil' Rinko held her own alongside Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt and Gael Garcia Bernal.

5. Dominic Cooper This former stage star put in a magnetic performance in The History Boys, took a comedic turn in Starter For Ten and will be up next in Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.

6. Naomie Harris The one fresh ingredient of the stale Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, she played it deliciously kooky, then cool and smooth in Miami Vice.

7. Christina Ricci Set to make a comeback in Black Snake Moan, little Wednesday Addams is all grown up and showing off her pins in tiny denim hotpants.

8. Nathalie Press The other star of My Summer of Love, Nathalie has five films due out in 2007, including an eagerly-anticipated drama about the Bronte sisters.

9. Atta Yaqub After a breakout role in Ken Loach's courageous Ae Fond Kiss, things have been a bit quiet for Yaqub of late, but no doubt they will pick up once the world cottons on to this Glasgow-born talent.

10. Abbie Cornish The breakout Aussie star of 2004's Somersault and last year's Candy, she's made her name in edgy teenage flicks. 2007 sees her hit the international market in The Golden Age with Samantha Morton, and the unitled new Kimberley Pierce (Boys Don't Cry) project with Ryan Phillippe.

Blood Diamond Taster

Coming up after the weekend, my review of Blood Diamond, but in the meantime, here's a tasty photo of the cast to whet your appetites ...

Everyone's a Winner ...

The nominations for the Oscars have been out for weeks. Sorry, I'm slack. Here's the full list, with my picks for winner ...

Best Picture
Babel
The Departed
Letters From Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Should win: Babel (the best of an imperfect bunch) Really, Pan's Labyrinth (above) should have won, but for some unfathomable reason it was excluded (don't tell me it was because it was in a foreign language; so is Letters From Iwo Jima)
Will win: The Departed.

Best Supporting Actress
Rinko Kikuchi - Babel
Cate Blanchett – Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls
Adriana Barraza - Babel
Should win: Lil' Rinko, but the Babel double-bill will split the vote.
Will win: Breslin will get points for being cute and fluffy, and Cate is flawless in everything she does, but Jennifer Hudson will get the populist vote.

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin – Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley - Little Children
Djimon Hounsou – Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg – The Departed
Should win: Djimon Hounsou.
Will win: Eddie Murphy, despite his inherent shite-ness. The academy loves a good musical.

Best Actress
Penelope Cruz – Volver
Judi Dench – Notes on a Scandal
Helen Mirren – The Queen
Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada
Kate Winslet – Little Children
Should win: Penelope Cruz. She's all woman. (And also a mighty fine actor)
Will win: Well, it'll be a dame. Probably Mirren.

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling – Half Nelson
Peter O’Toole – Venus
Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker – Last King of Scotland
Should win: It's Leo's year, what with The Departed and Blood Diamond.
Will win: I hope it's not Will Smith; he's chasing awards with Pursuit and he was out-shone by the seven-year-old. It'll come down to sympathy votes for Peter O'Toole (it's his eighth nomination and he's never won) and Whitaker, with the Last King taking home the gold.

Best Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu – Babel
Martin Scorsese – The Departed
Clint Eastwood – Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears - The Queen
Paul Greengrass – United 93
Should win: Scorcese and Iñárritu should both have won years ago. Now they're both nominated again, for inferior films.
Will win: Scorcese, for his determination and consistency.

Best Animated Film
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House
Should win: Happy Feet. Dancing penguins! Aussie cast! A message! (Is the Academy ever going to get sick of penguins?
Will win: Happy Feet - in a year where decent animation was thin on the ground.