Moving away from the acting Oscar predictions, I'd like to move onto a technical category that most Oscar viewers usually avoid and get up to make a sandwhich at this point. Still, the film editing category is a very important one for without it, these films would all be like Russian Ark, and while that flick was pretty cool, it might get pretty dull if we didn't have editors cuttin' the movies for us.
Who's Up:
Babel
Blood Diamond
Children of Men
The Departed
United 93
Out of all of these films, The Departed stands above-and-beyond. Thelma Schoonmaker, who has knocked back two Oscars in the past, has done so for a reason. She makes the cutting a character in the film, and in Departed she shows a way to connect the story and the characters without showing off. And Thelma does it all; she marries long takes, quick cuts, freeze-frame and even has a brilliant edit where the sound of tires squealing bleed briefly into a scene transition.
As for the rest of the players, Blood Diamond could have USED some editing to get its bloated running time down to something a little more tolerable. Children of Men's genius was all of the long takes the film utilized, but voters may not see that as film editing (even though it is). And United 93's only other nomination (besides Director) will just be that, despite the film somehow capturing all of the mayhem of 9/11 flawlessly.
Babel may upset The Departed for it juggles so many stories and characters, but I still think it will be the year, once again, of Thelma. But I may be wrong.
Who Will Win: The Departed
Who Should Win: The Departed
Jason
efilmcritic.com
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