Oscar Prediction: Film Editing

the Oscars are one week from tonight and i have more than 7 predictions to make. so let's get cracking!

the nominees for Achievement in Film Editing are:

• Cinderella Man
• The Constant Gardener
• Crash
• Munich
• Walk the Line

the thing about editing a film is that, since most films are filmed out of sequence, the editor becomes an essential member of the production crew. an achievement in film editing should be defined by the crispness of the edit, and the effectiveness of the sequencing. thus a film like The Constant Gardener, which is told in flashbacks and a film like Crash, which relies on the interplay of the ensemble cast would not be effective if the editing were not so good. I would say The Constant Gardener and Crash have to be the favorites, and my prediction is Crash.

Crash was possibly the best film made last year, and part of its effectiveness is how Paul Haggis' script jumps from interconnecting story to interconnecting story. it's difficult to do a movie like this without making it seem hokey. one of the things you have to get your viewer to buy is that the convenient coincidences in the film are believable. i think Haggis accomplishes that here, and as a result, Crash will probably win.

next up: Achievement in Cinematography