Nominations count: Departed 5, The Good Shepherd 1
My colleague Joshua Rich, meanwhile, just sent me an email about the snub that really got to him. He writes, "I know he was a long shot, but I'm still pretty peeved that Matt Damon wasn't nominated for acting in either The Good Shepherd or The Departed. I mean, for my money, he was the real Best Actor of 2006, giving smart, understated performances in which it's hard to even tell that he's acting. And I've always said that that's the hardest thing for an actor to do -- play a 'normal' guy. Neither his CIA spook in The Good Shepherd nor his undercover mobster in The Departed had any kind of obvious physical or mental quirk that usually draws Academy attention. But, I ask: Isn't it easier to limp or act crazy than to just seamlessly disappear into a character for whom the drama is taking place somewhere deep inside? Even more than that, I'll state it simply: Time and again, movie after movie, Damon has proved himself to be one of the best actors working today, and he deserves more recognition."
Kevin [Smith] talked about his pals Matt Damon and Ben Affleck at last night's premiere after-party at Les Deux for his new romantic comedy, "Catch and Release."
"I’m already a bit steamy that nobody’s given any love to what I thought was the best performance of the year – Matt Damon in "The Departed," Smith said. "He was an amazing, complex, villainous, amoral character but all the groups have overlooked him. I think that's a crime. He was a genius."
