0 4B - Thursday, February 22, 2007 {oscar 2007] The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com He'll never win BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR T hough the early buzz around "Dreamgirls" has faded, Eddie Murphy still looks like the frontrunner here for his role as fictional soul leg- end James "Thunder" FArly. Long popular for his comedic impressions, Murphy channels that energy so seamlessly into his creation of an authentic, drug-addled Motown icon that he should overcome even the ter- rible press surrounding his lat- est cinematic trash ("Norbit") to pick up this award early Sunday evening. While Murphy is the conven- tional choice, there are strong cases to be made for two other contenders in this category. Dji- mon Hounsou struck the deep- est cords of genuine sympathy as a distressed villager in "Blood Diamond," and Mark Wahlberg VERDICT NOMINEES Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine" Jackie Earle Haley. "Little Children" Djimon Hounsou,"Blood Diamond" Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls" Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed" Will win: Eddie Murphy Should win: Djimon Hounsou 0 Honoring the man behind the music 4 According the IMDB, "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" has been referenced in over 100 films, and understandably so. How often is it the film's infamous howling score is parodied, imitated and honored, but never matched. It's that infamous ah-ee-ah-ee-aaah- hhh (sounds better than it reads) and it's the timeless gift of com- poser Ennio Morricone, this year's Honorary Oscar recipient. His epitomized grand movie compositions with the likes of "The Mission," "Cinema Paradiso," "The Untouchables" and "Bugsy," which achieved fully orchestrated bliss. Yethe was never afraid tostir things up like with his synth-based horror scores ("The Thing" and "Phantom Of The Opera"), and rock driven spaghetti westerns (His infamous work for Sergio Leone, director of "Once Upon A Time InThe West"). Nominated five times, but never earning a win, Morricone has been in the ears of filmgoers for over four decades. The first nomination came from Terence Malick's "Days Of Heaven," and most recently he received his fifth for 2000's "Male- na." Always fresh and experimen- tal and never repetitive, Morricone is considered the daredevil blender of classical compositions with con- temporary sounds. With over 40 years and 400 scores to his credit, the 78-year old has expressed his disdain for the Academy in the past, citing that his losses had left "a hole" in him. But hey, Altman, Hitchcock and Scors- ese never won Oscars. And though they're more popular, Morricone has always been just as important. BLAKE GOBLE Eddie Murphy, sans fat suit, is the favorite for "Dreamgirls." resonated complete command in his every scene as a crude police captain in "The Departed." Both men are respected charac- ter actors and their Hollywood stock is rising, but their roles will probably be considered too minor to win. Of the other two nominees, longshots Alan Arkin ("Little Miss Sunshine") and Jackie Earle Haley ("Little Children"), Haley has the slightly better shot, but then the nomination itself is recognition enough for a no-name actor thrust into the Oscar circus. Arkin, meanwhile, though an integral part of a best Courtesy of Paramount picture nominee, wasn't even the best supporting actor in his own film (that would be the tragically overlooked Steve Carell). It'll come down to Murphy and Wahlberg and, if voters are in a Scorsese mood, it wouldn't be shocking to see Wahlberg pull the upset. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS RANDOLPH COURT APARTMENTS = S 2 Bedroom Apartment Homes Ground Floor Ranch Style! Private Entrance! Patio! Spacious Kitchen! Air Conditioning! Laundry Facilities! 24-Hour Emergency Maintenance! Pets Welcome! And much, much more! Call today to reserve your new address! 734-971-2828 Equal Housing opportunity With the notable excep- tion of Cate Blanchett, the Best Supporting Actress race this year consists of a whole bunch of deserving names you've never heard of, including a record three minorities and - just for spice - a minor. The category's criteria, howev- er, is just as inconsistent. Blanch- ett gives a spirited but wholly unremarkable performance as a pedophile art teacher in "Notes on a Scandal," and her nomination for that film can only be a surro- gate for her briefer - but better - performance in "Babel." At least there's some dramatic heft to that role. Abigail Breslin, the geeky to-year-old pipsqueak from "Little Miss Sunshine," wormed her way into a nomination on gig- gles alone. Yes, she's adorable, and one of the sleeper comedy's big- gest crowd-pleasers, but if being cute was award-worthy the Olsen twins would be drowning in old Emmys. VERDICT NOMINEES Adriana Barraza, "Babel" Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal" Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine" Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls" Rinko Kikuchi, "Babel" Will win: Jennifer Hudson Should win:Rinko Kikuchi The Academy has also turned this category into an opportu- nity to confuse acting with sing- ing (an effort which is somewhat understandable, considering that someone has to make up for the Grammy's embarrassing incom- petence). "Dreamgirls"' Jennifer Hudson could belt in a bell jar and still break the glass, but that's no reason to award a performance which adds up to a whole lot of one-dimensional pouting. Hud- son should have been hitting some emotional notes as well. 0 0 It's a strong race, but neither of this performers seems the probable victor. That leaves the two most inter- esting performances in "Babel" to provide the remaining nominees and, though neither actress will walk away with it, they've earned their recognition. Adriana Barra- za's frenzied Mexican housekeep- er is truly the sympathetic soul of the movie, hard as it is to watch director Inarritu emotionally run her down, and Rinko Kikuchi injects her depressed deaf-mute teenager with that most rare of Hollywood commodities - believ- able angst. Those who dismiss Kikuchi's storyline as unconvinc- ing or even maudlin aren't doing justice to the actress stuck with it, and Kikuchi's depiction of incom- municable frustration will only equal mine when Hudson takes home Oscar instead. -, . It a Gain real world f FRESHMEN! SUMMER SOPHOMORES! AND FALL JUNIORS! INTERNSHIPS! I[ohnsY af UN VER S I Y It's possible at St. John's University-the only American University that offers this unique opportunity for graduate study in Rome. Whether you are interested in pursuing an M.B.A. degree in Finance, Come by and pick up an application at the Student Publications Building TODAY!! Student Publications Building / 413 E. Huron Application Deadline extended: March 14, 2007 Call 734-764-0554 for more information International Business or Marketing Management, or an M.A. degree in Government and Politics with a specialization in International Relations, our expert professors, and the Eternal City itself, will help you prepare for the global arena. For more information: (212) 815-9216,Ext. 2 info@stjohns.edu www.stjohns~edu/learnmore/OO71 9.sju 0 6 -A,