comment #1

florida25 says ...

Jeff, a vote for Forest Whitaker is seen as a vote for the director of "Last King of Scotland" ? I don't think so

So why should a vote for Leo's terrific performance in "BD" be seen as a vote for director Zwick ????

I think Leo gave two terrific performances this year and would be thrilled to see him win for either performance

comment #2

hiviper says ...

although I haven't yet seen Blood Diamond, I agree with Wells that Leo's performance in The Departed was a revelation and they royally screwed up by not entering him in the best supporting category for that role.

Wahlberg's perf, excellent by his own standards, wasn't in the same league with Leo's. His good cop/bad cop routine with Sheen got kinda tiresome as the movie progressed and his lines were basically one zinger after another.

comment #3

ArchiveGuy says ...

Jeff's delusional if he thinks anyone is going to interpret a vote for Leo/BD as a vote for Zwick (except maybe Zwick himself), and I suspect you can count on your fingers the number of voters who are going to say, "Well, I would've voted for Leo in Departed, but I refuse to vote for him in Diamond."

Whitaker & O'Toole are very stiff competition, but if Leo wins, it will because of both films--If Blood Diamond hadn't come out this year, his shot at winning on Departed alone wouldn't have been nearly as good either.

comment #4

Earl Hofert says ...

As another takedown attempt begins. Hide the silverware.

Too bad HE wasn't around 20-odd years ago--I would have loved to see Wells doing him damndest to cut down that sumbitch Haing S. Ngor.

comment #5

Earl Hofert says ...

I of course meant "his damndest"--I was suddenly seized with a vision of Wells sounding a call to arms to stop that bitch Peggy Ashcroft.

comment #6

Chris Willman says ...

They didn't "enter" Leo in either category, nor did they take out ads pushing him in either category. Hence the vote splitting, right? SAG had him up for best supporting actor and the Globes had him for best actor, for the same role. Not knowing which way to go, Oscar voters probably were going for him in both categories. Right?

comment #7

SHR says ...

It's time to give up this BLOOD DIAMOND vendetta. Ok, I get it. You don't like it, Zwick or anyone connected to the film. But apparently a lot of people do. After a horrendous 8 milion dollar opening weekend it is now made somewhere in the area of 54 million, a far sight more than the film you're constantly shilling COM. (it also received more nominations). If Leo is good, vote for him ----that is the whole issue.

comment #8

austin111 says ...

I feel Well's pain...really. Still, I thought Leo was a revelation in Blood Diamond, too, albeit on a lesser, less artistically satisfying level I suppose. Actually Blood Diamond is a pretty watchable film even if it has definite flaws and liabilities. I think it's going to do quite well on DVD.

Leo isn't winning this year, even with The Departed factored in, though. I've always felt that to be the case and still do. As Nikki Finke said -- too young and infamous to win...yet.

comment #9

dre says ...

Leo was great in both movies. I would have nominated him for The Departed too but, Jeff...if people don't vote for Leo, it has nothing to do with Zwick. It has everything to do with Whitaker.

By your way of thinking, I'd say enough people LIKED Zwick enough to nominate his film in 5 cats AND over Leo's performance in The Departed.

BTW...They may have pushed him in the supporting cat for The Departed, but any Oscar voter who took that slot seriously should be stripped of their voting. Leo was the lead. But the Academy has been known to do some strange things. I wrote about a few of them here:

http://www.film.com/story/supportingthecaseforleadactor/13335233?listid=11597472&genre=movie