Oscar buzz this week isn't centering so much on the gold as it is on the red.
Organizers of this year's Academy Awards have decided to roll up the red carpet as war rages in Iraq. The stars won't glitter so brightly this year, as they make their arrivals through a side entrance, feeling it inappropriate to wallow in so much vainglory as soldiers march across the Iraqi desert.
But though war has cast a cloud, the show will go on.
The musical is once again singing a happy tune. Last year's "Moulin Rouge" garnered eight nominations, including nods for Best Picture and Best Actress (for Nicole Kidman).
"Chicago" has the broadest shoulders this year with 13 nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor (Rob Marshall) and Best Actress Renee Zellweger.
The film stands as a clear front-runner to win several awards in the major categories, though Miramax has again put its marketing machine to work for "The Hours" and "Gangs of New York," so don't rule out any of the contenders.
Best Director
The nominees are Rob Marshall for "Chicago," Martin Scorsese for "Gangs of New York," Stephen Daldry for "The Hours," Roman Polanski for "The Pianist" and Pedro Almodovar for "Talk to Her."
Hollywood is waiting to see what will happen if Polanski wins the prize after 20 years of exile from the U.S. But conservative voters may be turned off by his predilections (he was convicted in 1977 of unlawful sex with a teen) and the other films have received more buzz.
Scorsese is a favorite, though some critics say that if he did win the award, it would be more for his masterpieces, "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas," than for last year's "Gangs of New York," which received mixed reviews. Nevertheless, this is one category where New York should prevail over "Chicago."
Best Actress
Salma Hayek in "Frida," Nicole Kidman in "The Hours," Diane Lane in "Unfaithful," Julianne Moore in "Far From Heaven" and Renee Zellweger in "Chicago" -- this one is a tight race. The academy may want to honor "Far From Heaven," with an award for Moore's performance as a troubled housewife, but what it really comes down to is Kidman and Zellweger, who both won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama and Comedy or Musical, respectively. Many were impressed by Kidman's transformation from a glamourous starlet to the brooding Virginia Wolfe. But Zellweger's resounding vocals and glitzy dance numbers will probably sway the votes her way.
Best Actor
The nominees are Adrien Brody in "The Pianist," Nicolas Cage in "Adaptation," Michael Caine in "The Quiet American," Daniel Day Lewis in "Gangs of New York" and Jack Nicholson in "About Schmidt."
This category is full of veterans. Only Adrien Brody has not won an Oscar. The buzz seems to be centering on Michael Caine and Jack Nicholson. With talk of war, conservative voters may have been hesitant to hand the award to Caine for his performance in a film that questions America's role in world affairs. Nicholson has a good chance of taking home his fourth Oscar and, thus, becoming the most honored actor in the Academy's history.
Best Picture
The nominees are "Chicago," "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and "The Pianist."
"Lord of the Rings" is by far the fan favorite here, garnering more than 50 percent of the vote in some polls and generating more than $330 million at the box office.
But a fantasy film has never taken the Best Picture trophy.
"Chicago and "The Pianist" seem to be the critics' favorites. But "Chicago's" popularity will garner favor with the voters, and the escapist form of entertainment may be what they yearn for now.
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