The most annoying characters...

shut up shut up shut up
(even though you don't say anything the entire movie)

...of 2006, that immediately come to mind. Late, I know, but it's not like I've seen much from 2007 so I can't really talk about that. Not all bad performances (though I'm not truly fond of any of them), but portrayals of characters so obnoxious you just want to take them by the shoulders and shake them around. A lot. Often, no matter how good the performances are (though I mentioned that not really any of them are good...I guess Nighy was the best, Kikuchi and Blunt are so overrated but okayish I guess, and Hathaway and Thoms were just plain terrible), the characters took away from my enjoyment of the movie because they were so obnoxious (I love this word. I love using it at any opportunity, and putting it in italics whenever I use it).

Emily - The Devil Wears Prada
Meryl was masterful at balancing the bitchy side and the human side. Emily Blunt, not so much. Say what you will about working with women, and I'll say a lot, but they are never this bitchy to your face. It's way more behind your back. I saw this movie in theaters, and when she got hit by the car, people applauded. I hate clapping at movies, but I joined in.

Andy Sachs - The Devil Wears Prada
As a college student, I'm pressured, already, to find a great job right out of graduation. Andy certainly did. Sure, the demands were a little ridiculous. But, the connections, the money... you shut up and take it. Hathaway's "I'm gonna look at you with my giant eyes so that you don't notice I'm not acting" performance wasn't helping at all.

Lily - The Devil Wears Prada
Waaaah I can't deal with my friend's great job! Can you tell I didn't like the characters of Prada very much? That's okay. Miranda Priestly makes up for it. That, and it could not possibly be any worse than the dire, dire novel.

Chieko - Babel
People, when blathering on about how they hate Jennifer Hudson, go on about how she was "making weird faces the entire time." Um...did these people see Babel? Kikuchi was like the queen of weird faces (yeah, I know she was deaf, but even in the stills, she's still making totally bizarre faces, see top). Oh, and put some panties on. I'm hardly a prude, but her character gave me the heebie-jeebies with how friggin' naked she was.

Richard Hart - Notes on a Scandal
SUCH AN ASSHOLE. Yeah, I guess it's understandable, but there were just some scenes where Nighy's facial expressions and vocal sneers were just so...ugh! People were going on about how homophobic this film was, because Barbara was "the villain." We were allowed to feel for Barbara because of how amazing Dench was, and the voiceover. I never felt anything for Richard apart from utter loathing. Asshole. This movie made me hate Bill Nighy! GUH.

surging along. Best Supporting Actress

well, I don't have any homework (and clearly no dates HA), and all my friends do, so...
(sorry about the lack of "tags" for this post. blogger was being silly)

Analyzing: Adriana Barraza, Babel
My rank among the nominees: 4th
How'd she get nominated: Great reviews/performance + Babel support
Pros: Support for Babel. Sympathetic role.
Cons: Not famous. Not Jennifer Hudson. Vote splitting with Rinko.
Basically, does she have a chance of winning?: No.

Analyzing: Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
My rank among the nominees: 5th
How'd she get nominated: Cate Blanchett
Pros: The movie has support. Juicy undebtably lead role. Critics awards.
Cons: Just won here 2 years ago (undeservedly, may I add bitchily). Not Jennifer Hudson.
Basically, does she have a chance of winning?: A teeny chance, but no, not really.

Analyzing: Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
My rank among the nominees: 3rd
How'd she get nominated: Adorable, easy-to-support role in a Best Picture contender.
Pros: See "how'd she get nominated." People hate voting against cute little kids.
Cons: Not Jennifer Hudson. No critics awards other than breakthrough stuff. Couldn't even get nominated at the Globes.
Basically, does she have a chance of winning?: Yes, but it's not very big...

Analyzing: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
My rank among the nominees: 1st
How'd she get nominated: "And I Am Telling You..."
Pros: See "how'd she get nominated." Dreamgirls support - you know they did like it (but not as much as we all thought). Tremendous audience reaction to her (when I saw it, the person behind me kept going "UH HUH GIRL"). American Idol reject - a triumph over failure. Hyperbolic reviews and a virtual year of hype. The most critics awards in this category.
Cons: Backlash. That ridiculous question, "since when is good singing good acting?" (Since musical theater has been around and people have had to interpret roles, idiots)
Basically, does she have a chance of winning?: Ummm...no duh

Analyzing: Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
My rank among the nominees: 2nd
How'd she get nominated: Baity role
Pros: Baity role. Babel support. Great reviews/critical support. Critics awards.
Cons: Not Jennifer Hudson. Vote splitting with Barraza.
Basically, does she have a chance of winning?: Eh. Teeny but not really.

Analyzing: Best Supporting Actress as a whole
Who will win: Jennifer Hudson. Um...yeah.
Who should win: Jennifer. Now is when I quote the people sitting behind me at Dreamgirls and say UH HUH GIRL.
Unlucky sixth placer: Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada. Hahahahhahaaaaa!!!
Snubbed: I would have loved to see Catherine O'Hara here for For Your Consideration and Toni Collette for Little Miss Sunshine, out of those with any hype/precursors at all. As far as those without any, I loved Mia Kirshner in The Black Dahlia, Shareeka Epps in Half Nelson, Claire Hope-Ashitey in Children of Men, Kerry Washington in Last King of Scotland, Emma Thompson in Stranger than Fiction (yeah her hype died.), Vera Farmiga in Running Scared...
Random cool fact about this category: Well, uh, it has no Emily Blunt in it. That's pretty awesome.

Best Actress

Analyzing: Penelope Cruz, Volver
My rank among the nominees: 4th
How'd she get nominated?: Hype building for almost a year combined with the result.
Pros: The fact that she could get in with a subtitled film that didn't get other Academy support says a lot. She's hot.
Cons: They clearly didn't love the film since it was snubbed like all hell. Subtitled. "Oscar winner, Penelope Cruz?" Not Helen Mirren.
Basically, any chance of winning?: Nope. She's coming in dead last here.

Analyzing: Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
My rank among the nominees: 2nd
How'd she get nominated?: She's Judi Dench.
Pros: Judi Dench. Amazing performance backed up by reviews. Film got support from nominations (Blanchett, Score, Adapted Screenplay).
Cons: Not Helen Mirren. Already has an Oscar.
Basically, any chance of winning?: Nope.

Analyzing: Helen Mirren, The Queen
My rank among the nominees: 5th
How'd she get nominated?: A talented actress with no Oscar playing a real-life famous person in a Best Picture nominee prestige pic, backed up by glowing reviews?!
Pros: Virtually every damn critics award. Everyone loves her and recognizes her amazing talent but she's Oscarless. She's in a biopic. Rave, rave, rave reviews.
Cons: Um...backlash? This would have been a bigger factor already, like with Julianne Moore in 2002 with Far from Heaven. A whole bunch of critics awards, and then the Globes came and BAM! Nicole took over.
Basically, any chance of winning?: All the other nominees here have "not Helen Mirren" in their cons section for a reason.

Analyzing: Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
My rank among the nominees: 1st
How'd she get nominated?: Meryl effin' Streep
Pros: Everyone wants to see Meryl win another Oscar...she hasn't since '83! The only American in this category. People have been talking about her non-stop since this movie came out.
Cons: Not Helen Mirren. The movie is fluffy and didn't have much other Oscar support (if she got Blunt in with her, she might have a slightly better chance).
Basically, any chance of winning?: Nope. But she's coming in (a distant) second.

Analyzing: Kate Winslet, Little Children
My rank among the nominees: 3rd
How'd she get nominated?: Kate Winslet. 5 nominations at 31?! They clearly do like her.
Pros: As I just said, 5 nominations must mean they like her, especially in stuff like Little Children which played in like one teeny little hidden theater in LA for half a week and certainly didn't get out there with an FYC campaign. At the beginning of this year, she was considered the frontrunner.
Cons: Not Helen Mirren. Teensy tiny little film.
Basically, any chance of winning?: Nope. Not Helen Mirren.

Analyzing: Best Actress as a whole
Who will win: OH GOD THIS IS SO HARD. Um...just kidding. Helen Mirren has this all sewn (sown?) up.
Who should win: Okay, I know I ranked these ladies, but it might as well be a tie. Almost always, the categories have at least one nominee that makes me go "eh" or "ugh!" Here, not at all. They might as well all be the winners! It's just a shame that in such an amazing year for actresses, the same name kept coming up.
Unlucky sixth placer: Probably Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby...but who can tell with this year? Nobody else ever got mentioned besides these five. Ahaaaa.
Snubbed: Many people. Among the most notable/ones I liked the most, Naomi Watts in The Painted Veil, Cate Blanchett in The Good German, Laura Dern in Inland Empire, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby.
Random cool fact about this category: Meryl Streep has the most nominations ever and Kate Winslet has the most nominations ever for someone her age.