Arts & Entertainment
 

Ceremonies' results don't reflect quality

Coppola has chance to take all with 'Lost in Translation,'  '21 Grams' deserves recognition

In focus

Geronimo Rodriguez

Who cares about the Golden Globes or the coming Academy Awards? Does anyone else find these ceremonies filled with sleazy marketing ploys? Is your favorite movie always left out?

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Lost in Translation might have deserved walking away with those little globes, but it's a shame Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 21 Grams didn't carry much weight in the affair.

The Globes' winners might be indicative of the Academy Awards victors, but that doesn't say anything. Of course it's a fine idea to celebrate the movie industry's best efforts, but after watching 21 Grams get ignored, I'd hate to think of all the masterpieces that are shunned by these fluff machines.

At least Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation, which was distributed by Focus Features and produced by American Zoetrope, received much-deserved accolades. Coppola might have made critics rethink their profession with her wretched performance in The Godfather III. Under her father's (Francis Ford Coppola) direction, Sofia squirmed like the schoolgirl she was, but she's seemed to have found her niche in directing.

First it was the poetically disturbing Virgin Suicides and now it's the poetic Lost in Translation. The interesting thing about Coppola's style is that it isn't flashy, but it's all about solid storytelling, something her father knows a little bit about. Translation has even more time to grow on audiences before the Oscars' envelope is opened, so this might be one to watch.

But we can't forget about Peter Jackson and The Return of the King. It's true the film might suffer from people getting tired of hearing about its droves of fans, but Jackson tied up this trilogy with a fine finale. If Oscar thinks too low of the dark 21 Grams and finds Lost in Translation a tad too (insert complaint here), LOTR finally has a chance to get some recognition.

In the actors' categories, Benicio Del Toro was missing, which shouldn't happen in today's announcements. Let's thank the film gods for Sean Penn and Bill Murray's wins, but they should be going up against the formidable Ben Kingsley.

As for the actresses, Charlize Theron should continue her dominance for her Monster effort, making Renée Zellweger's Cold Mountain effort look like child's play.

Perhaps the true muscles of Hollywood are still putting the press on the Miramax brothers. After the company's affair with media was scrutinized just before last year's Oscars, Miramax movies might find their way on the nominee's list, but are yet to garner the big awards. Too bad for Quentin Tarantino's naughty but nice Kill Bill: Vol. 1.

Another thing, Seabiscuit and Mystic River are decent movies, but they aren't Oscar-caliber. If they get nominated today, Gary Ross must be rubbing elbows with the right people and Clint Eastwood is getting that sentimental vote.

Finally, someone can rip my belly open with a dagger if Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai is even nominated for an award. That has to be the best example of America's ego problem in recent years. What is a white guy doing gaining the respect of a samurai warrior? The theory doesn't make sense and neither would its nomination.

But who cares?

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