2007 Diva Cup Awards: Best Actor

And the nominees are...

Casey Affleck as Robert Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Have you ever sat down and watched a film (or a TV show or read a book), with a subject as far away from your normal life as possible, and then recognized yourself in one of the performances? If you have, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. I've only done it a few times (Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Bree Van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives and Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye) but as soon as I finished watching The Assassination of Jesse James..., I immediately recognized a kindred spirit in Affleck's Robert Ford. What makes this performance even more remarkable is that in the first scene, with Affleck constantly muttering in that squeeky voice, you think it's going to be a looooong film, but after a minute or two, you start to understand what he is doing and it ultimately works.
Key Scene: Acting as Jesse's escort around town, picking up his gestures and the way he carries himself

Don Cheadle as Petey Greene in Talk to Me
Cheadle rises above biopic cliches, focusing more on Petey's relationships with Dewey and Vernell than on his drug problem. Add motormouth to Cheadle's already long list of talents.
Key Scene: The James Brown concert

Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood
A total badass from start to finish. Day-Lewis has proved before he can transform into practically anyone, and this time was no exception. A touch over the top, but it suits the over the top-ness of the film; a subtler performance wouldn't have fit here.
Key Scene: The baptism

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dewey Hughes in Talk to Me
Some people consider this a supporting performance, but watch Talk to Me closely and you'll see that the film is just as concerned with Hughes and his drive to achieve fame as it is with Greene. The role, as written, seems to be nothing more than the "black man who conformed," but Ejiofor stands up for Hughes and makes us realize he's just as "black" as Greene.
Key Scene: Making it to The Tonight Show

Viggo Mortensen as Nikolai in Eastern Promises
Another badass, this time from Mortensen as a Russian mobster. The beauty of this performance is that in the context of one character, Mortensen is playing three roles (the hard-ass gangster, the romantic lead and, possibly, the good guy) and it's nearly impossible to figure Nikolai out.
Key Scene: Kissing both Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassell by the water

If Only There Were Six: Russell Crowe, 3:10 to Yuma Crowe's finest performance, in my opinion. He's really more believable as the bad guy.

Rest of the Top 10: Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street...James McAvoy, Atonement...Josh Brolin, No Country For Old Men...Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz

BRONZE
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

SILVER
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

GOLD
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2007 Diva Cup Awards: Best Original Screenplay

And the nominees are...

Diablo Cody, Juno
Overwritten? Perhaps. But it's not every day that we are blessed with a debut screenwriter with such a strong and distinctive voice. Every one-liner is a winner.

Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, Superbad
The teenage sex comedy- such a popular genre in the 80's- gets a much needed (and hilarious) re-vamp for the 2000's.

Steven Knight, Eastern Promises
An engrossing tale of the Russian mob. Any faults with the film can't be blamed on the script; it's top-notch.

Kelly Masterson, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
It's a simple heist thriller, but newcomer Kelly Masterson structures it so well that nothing is ever what it seems.

Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Hot Fuzz
The perfect send-up of Hollywood's most popular genre- action. Bonus points for the human statue: I laughed everytime he was mentioned.

If Only There Were Six: Judd Apatow, Knocked Up Could have used a couple of trims, but a good majority of what is written is some of the funniest comedy of the year.

Rest of the Top 10: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Lives of Others...Gerard Stoeteman, Paul Verhoeven, Black Book...Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton...Bill Kelly, Enchanted

BRONZE
Superbad

SILVER
Juno

GOLD
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

2007 Diva Cup Awards: Best Non-Musical Scene

And the nominees are...Atonement: Briony's Apology
No matter what you think about the validity of Briony's atonement, you have to concede that this scene packs an emotional punch. If this scene doesn't work, then what's the point in sitting around for the ending?

Eastern Promises: The Bathhouse
Besides the basic thrill of seeing Viggo Mortensen naked, the bathhouse scene is one of the most exciting fight scenes in years.

I'm Not There: The Restaurant
After seeing Cate ham it up for most of the film, it's nice to take a break and finally see something as subtle as this scene. Ledger's meltdown is uncomfortable and Gainsbourg's realization at what she has married is heartbreaking.

Sicko: The Dumped Woman
Of all the scenes in Sicko that are intended to provoke outrage and anger (and trust me, there are a lot), this scene downright pisses you off. Those horrifying minutes of watching that woman wander the streets after being dumped from her hospital for not being able to pay are way scarier than anything in Saw IV.

There Will Be Blood: The Bowling Alley
A thrilling scene because you have no idea where the characters are coming from, what's going to happen next or what it all really means until that stunner of a finale. He drinks those milkshakes, damnit.

If Only There Were Six: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Jesse Comes to Dinner Affleck vs. Pitt; it almost doesn't matter that anyone else is in the room. These two are lighting this mother on fire

Rest of the Top 10: The Brave One: Confrontation in the Parking Structure...No Country For Old Men: Hotel Showdown...Into the Wild: Final Scene...Zodiac: Rainy Night in the Cellar

BRONZE
I'm Not There: The Restaurant

SILVER
Atonement: Briony's Apology

GOLD
There Will Be Blood: The Bowling Alley