The 3rd Annual Snootchie Awards

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Best Supporting Actress

Runner-up: Adriana Barraza for Babel – This woman did a fantastic job. Her performance was very natural and realistic.

WINNER:

Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls – I’m gonna paraphrase a film critic here, but I gotta agree, she etched her name in Oscar when she sang “I Am Telling You I’m Not Going”. She is one of the best debut acting performances I have ever seen, and I really can’t see how she DIDN’T win American Idol.

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Best Documentary Feature

Runner-up:

This Film Is Not Yet Rated – A film so powerful, it urged the MPAA to restructure their ratings board. Any documentary powerful enough to make that kind of change in such a dense, thickheaded organization deserves props.

WINNER:

An Inconvenient Truth – This one hasn’t made changes yet, but in time I’m hoping it will. This is the kind of film everyone needs to see. They should make it required viewing and show it in schools. This is without a doubt the most important documentary ever made.

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Best Original Score

Runner-up: Randy Newman for Cars

WINNER:

Javier Navarrette for Pan's Labyrinth

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Best Original Screenplay

Runner-up:

Zach Helm for Stranger Than Fiction – Zach Helm has to be some kind of poet. His was the blueprints for one of the most intelligent films of the year, and even gave Will Ferrell an impressive performance.

WINNER:

Michael Arndt for Little Miss Sunshine – A nice, off-beat screenplay about an eccentric, dysfunctional family. It was very funny and heartwarming, and I’m sure very few will argue with me on this decision

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Best Original Song

Runner-up:

Mary J. Blige and Aretha Franklin – Bobby – “Never Gonna Break My Faith”

WINNER:

Chris Cornell - Casino Royale – “You Know My Name”

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Best Actress

Runner-up:

Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada – Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actresses of our time. There very little the woman cannot do, and her portrayal of an indifferent, seemingly evil boss proves it. Sure, anyone could have played that part. But could anyone have done it as good as she did? I don’t think so.

WINNER:

Helen Mirren for The Queen – Yeah, I jumped on the bandwagon with this one. But this woman carried that movie on her shoulders. This is one of the most brilliant subtle performances I have ever seen. This is a textbook case of “acting naturally”, and it worked so well in this movie. Even though the movie wasn’t as great as all the critics are saying it is, Helen Mirren herself deserves all the hype.

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Best Actor

Runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed/Blood Diamond – Leonardo DiCaprio is a brilliant young actor. He almost fell into the whole pretty-boy route ten years ago, but luckily Scorsese was there to save him and prove once and for all that this kid could act, and it shows in both these films. In the Departed, DiCaprio, as an undercover cop, gets deeper and deeper into the mob, and his fear, anger and desperation grows. In Blood Diamond, it’s the classic case of character development. Can’t go into detail without giving too much away, but he does it great.

WINNER:

Sacha Baron Cohen for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan – Cohen gets the award this year because of his devotion to his role. We had other fine performances this year, sure, but how many other actors can say the fooled that many people into believing they ARE that character? For his characterization and his ability to live that character out, Sacha Baron Cohen is the best actor of 2006.

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Best Director

Runner-up:

Paul Greengrass for United 93 – Kudos to this guy for NOT making 9/11 into some Hollywood love story, but rather just telling the events as they happened. It was in no way romanticized, but rather, the gritty, realistic film it was supposed to be. And even with that, the film still managed to be inspirational, even if it was tragic.

WINNERS:

Alfonso Cuaron for Children of Men
Martin Scorsese for The Departed

I couldn’t decide on which one I liked better, so I gave it to both. Alfonso Cuaron for his brilliant long shots, and Martin Scorsese for his own personal style of direction we all know and love.

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Best Picture

Runner-up:

Letters from Iwo Jima – Clint Eastwood’s war film stands out as it eliminates the ethnocentric bias that war tends to create by giving us the perspective of the other side. He shows us that in war, both sides are made up of people – both good and bad. It goes into the lives of the soldiers and shows how we were not so different, and regardless of which side the person is on, you don’t want them to die.

WINNERS:

Children of Men/The Departed – When I saw Children of Men two months ago, I was torn. Is Children of Men the best film of 2006, or is the Departed? And for two months I was trying to figure out which one I liked better. Both films are great, and both for different reasons. And for that reason, I decided – fuck it. I’m just gonna give this one to both movies.

Alfonso Cuaron’s look at a somber and hopeless future boasts some of the best direction, writing, cinematography and ensemble cast in years. The story is an intriguing and suspenseful story of hope in a time where there is none.

Martin Scorsese, on the other hand, returns to form with The Departed. He steps away from the epic scale films and returns to his Mean Streets roots (except this time in the mean streets of Boston). Anyone who has been following the man knows that his recognition has been a long time coming, and I feel it’s about time he gets his due.

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Recap:

Best Picture: TIE Children of Men, The Departed

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Sacha Baron Cohen for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Helen Mirren for The Queen

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Eddie Murphy for Dreamgirls

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls

Best Director: TIE - Alfonso Cuaron for Children of Men, Martin Scorsese for The Departed

Best Original Screenplay: Michael Arndt for Little Miss Sunshine

Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: David Arata, Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Fergus, Hawk Otsby and Timothy J. Sexton for Children of Men

Best Ensemble Cast: A Prairie Home Companion – Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin

Best Foreign Language Film: Letters from Iwo Jima - USA (Japanese)

Best Animated Feature: Happy Feet

Best Voice Work: Robin Williams in Happy Feet

Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth

Best Achievement in Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Children of Men

Best Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Best Art Direction: Roberto Bonelli for Apocalypto

Best Original/Featured Song: Chris Cornell: "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale

Best Choreography/Musical Performance: Jennifer Hudson: "I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls

Best Original Score: Javier Navarette for Pan's Labyrinth

Most Underrated: All the King's Men

Best Fight Scene: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Jack vs. Will vs. Norrington