If NCFOM doesn't win Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor at the Oscars, it'll be a major upset. It's one of those rare, and nice occasions when it's the right moment to honor the Coen's AND it's a film that's worthy of honor. It happens a lot in Hollywood that a filmmaker or artist does really good work, but the establishment hesitates about honoring them for that work, and when they think the time is finally 'right' to do so, it frequently ends up for being a lesser film or performance...I could name a dozen examples, but the most recent is Scorcese winning his first Oscar for The Departed, which is a good film, but not quite up to the standards of Taxi Driver, or Raging Bull, or Good Fellas...The Coen's won an Oscar for the Fargo screenplay but it's more than time to honor them as complete filmmakers and for a film that's so richly deserving of honor...(I'm hoping they'll win the Editing award, too; they use the pseudonym Roderick Jaymes when they edit and the Coen's editing skills are as strong as their writing and directing skills.)
I'm still pouting though that Josh Brolin didn't get a nomination for Best Actor... I think it's a great performance in the key role of the film. He's the moral compass of the movie, an essentially decent guy sucked into making some morally corrupt life choices and he does an incredible job of making Llewelyn Moss a believable character. And Brolin's a smart and funny guy. He was at the SIFF screening of NCFOM in late October and did a great job answering questions after the screening. I think the audience responded best to a story he told about he and Javier Bardem being in a make-up and hair trailer right before shooting started. Brolin was getting his hair trimmed and make-up designed for his role, and Bardem was there to get his hair cut into that hideously ugly bowel cut he wears in the film...Bardem just sat there, looking sadder and sadder as they fashioned his new 'do, and glumly told Brolin, "I'm not going to get laid for the next 4 months!" Brolin's punch line: "And you know what; he didn't!"
UPDATE: Now I'm reading that Brolin is getting some criticism for his long winded and smart alecky acceptance speech, on behalf of the entire cast, after winning the Best Ensemble award at the SAG's last night. I didn't see it; I don't have cable and the SAG's are on TNT...but I like this quote of his:
"The Coens are freaky little people, and they made a freaky little movie...whether you like the ending or not." -- at the close of Josh Brolin's acceptance speech
and Daniel Day Lewis spent most of his acceptance speech (for There Will Be Blood) giving a moving tribute to Heath Ledger...oh, and Julie Christie won, which is nice and Ruby Dee won, which isn't so nice...I like her as an actress, but it's a 4 minute role and the nominations and this win reek of "Let's give this great old actress a Life Achievement award, and screw the other more deserving actresses in this category"....I hate that. If you want to honor her, then GIVE HER AN HONORARY AWARD and NOT a competitive award (unless she deserves it)! If she ends up winning the Oscar, I'm going to be sooo pissed...Not Crash winning an Oscar pissed, but damn close to it...
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