The following films were snubbed totally by the Academy this year, not receiving any nominations at all. We feel, however, that they deserve a second look.
Punch-Drunk Love
Maybe Oscar voters are a bit too old for the hilariously jazzy humor in this one, but people of all ages can relate to well-constructed, colorful characters and Punch-Drunk Love certainly has this. Adam Sandler especially gives a brilliant, career-altering performance as repressed salesman Barry Egan; it would have been daring and amazing if the Academy had nominated it. It's a shame they didn't.
Paul Thomas Anderson's meticulous, perfectly choreographed long takes and unpredictable, unconventional rhythm should have earned him a Best Director nomination. And his original screenplay could have been nominated just for the line, "You are so beautiful. I love you so much I want to smash your face in with a sledgehammer." Robert Elswit's fantastic cinematography is also nomination-worthy -- starlingly lifelike in one scene and gorgeously expressionistic the next. And wh,y not Best Costume Design for that nutty blue suit?
It should be up for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
Solaris
Director Steven Soderbergh returned to the top of his game with this deliberately paced, powerful and moving science-fiction film. Photographing, writing and editing it personally, Soderbergh is undoubtedly the gifted author of this film, even though it is based on a novel. Rarely can a director make a science-fiction film emotionally involving and thought-provoking at the level of Solaris; Soderbergh ought to have been justly rewarded for doing so.
In the lead role, George Clooney hits the perfect subtle note. His moving performance will evoke an empathetic response in anyone who has ever experienced the pain of losing a loved one. Jeremy Davies, Natascha McElhone and Viola Davis are equally sensational, suggesting that this ensemble moreso than Chicago's deserves to be honored with multiple acting nominations.
It should be up for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Editing.
Rules of Attraction
One of the most cinematically innovative films of the year, Rules of Attraction was truly shafted this year at the Oscars.
Roger Avary's take on Bret Easton Ellis' novel was unconventional in every cinematic manner possible and deserves recognition for it. Its unique camera techniques, including an amazing joining of two separate images into one and three criss-crossing narratives that proved more entertaining than even the highly nominated film The Hours, should certainly deem it worthy of a Best Cinematography nod, if not a statue itself.
Secondly, the film easily deserved a Best Adapted Screenplay for Avery, who wrote the film version of Ellis' novel. A distinctive hyper-realistic look at college-aged kids, Rules beautifully exaggerates characters and events without over-dramatizing the well-thought out dialogue, which is a wonderfully disjointed representation of modern adolescents.
Signs
M. Night Shyamalan's fantastic, practical look at the psychological and sociological effects of an alien invasion leaves little to be desired, except for a few Oscar nominations.
One of the irreplaceable ingredients of this film was everything revolving around its sound. From the nighttime cornfield scenes to the subtle alien squeal as Rory Culkin is laid on the couch in the film's final minutes, the film builds anticipation on what you hear, since you get to see so little. Alas, the film was gypped for a Best Sound nomination.
Similarly, the film's music deserves an equal amount of praise. James Newton Howard's Psycho-ish score toys with us mercilessly, never letting us relax even in the film's more relaxed moments, yet went unrewarded in the Best Original Score category.
