Oscar Campaign For Zoe Saldana.


Written by S.T. VanAirsdale | 23 Dec 2009

It seemed reasonable enough last week to deduce Jim Cameron’s motivations behind issuing a new Avatar set photo of Zoe Saldana — head-rigged, mo-capped and mewling in character as Na’vi princess Neytiri. Beyond its basic, “here’s how we did it” purpose, the photo seemed also to suggest that CGI is only as effective as the flesh-and-blood performance underneath it. Saldana’s own performance is pretty strong, and in a new conversation with his fellow Oscar-winning visionary Peter Jackson, Cameron won’t let you — or the Academy, if its members are listening — forget it.

And of course the Academy is listening. The actors’ branch amounts to the majority of its membership, and a vote for a performance-captured Saldana can ultimately be perceived as an endorsement of these roles — not to mention the salaries they might command on films by Cameron, Jackson, Steven Spielberg and their high-concept contemporaries. But! One thing at a time: First of all, both Cameron and Jackson say, relax. Actors aren’t going anywhere. Then comes the Saldana Factor, with all the Cameronesque slyness, persuasion and hubris we’ve come to know and love:

We couldn’t accomplish the character we’re doing in Avatar through any kind of makeup means. That’s been explored for 30 years of Star Trek and Star Wars. But I think the thing I hope that the media can convey to audiences is that this is an actor-driven process. Neytiri, in my film, for example—she is what Zoe [Saldana] created 100 percent. Initially I thought we want to keep the technique under wraps. We don’t want to pull the curtain aside and show people how we’ve done this; we just want to show you my magic. But I’ve recently changed my tune. I want people to see a side-by-side image of Neytiri in a scene and Zoe doing the scene, so they understand that it’s a physical and facial performance. Zoe took months of training at archery and martial arts, so she could move a certain way and have a certain grace. It’s something she created that just translated to her character.

Naturally Jackson agrees, calling anti-actor theories “ludicrous.” But Cameron’s the true actor’s director among this pair, and even while Avatar accrues Best Picture hype by merely speaking for itself in theaters, there’s obviously a little more validation to be had for himself and the technology by nudging Saldana into the awards bubble. Maybe he can pull it off, maybe he can’t. But he wouldn’t be King of the World if he didn’t at least give it a legitimate shot.






Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldaña's performance in Avatar was superb, she captured the audience, and had the most unique interpretation, and hers was the most inspirational and creative part, of all the the other actors in this film.
Zoe deserves the Oscar, even though she did not have the benefit of portraying a human form, for better audience recognition.

Yes indeed, Zoe Saldana most definitely deserves to at least be nominated for an Oscar, hands down. I fell in love with her character.

Zoe is fabulous as Neytiri and did an awful lot of hard work preparing for and delivering her performance.... On screen it speaks for itself.

People!!!!


It was a freakin' cartoon character. Would you give an oscar to Mike Myers for Shrek?

I like Ms. Saldana. I believe she is quite talented but get real.

To compare her performance with Mike Myers from Shrek is an insult.... Mike Myers gave voice, yes, but he did not convey facial emotions or bodily movements at all. Those were the cartoonists. Zoe didn't just voice a character ... she acted every moment of that movie ... her movements and facial expressions were then captured by technology and relayed to her characters body ... but every single one of those movements, inflections and facial expressions were Zoe's and the strength of the character and it's emotional impact on the audience was all her work.

Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers did not bring their characters to life in any way shape or form like Zoey did in Avatar.
Her performance was easily the best in the movie and should be considered for an Oscar.

as good as she may have been, there is a movie (or two...oor 10) where an actress did the same job without ANY technology. and that is why best performance Oscars should never go to these types of roles.

First off the movie sucked.........Sorry...I mean..REALLY SUCKED. It appeared to be written by a 3rd grader. The CGI was nothing new or ground breaking. ILM would have done a much better job and in fact they were called in to fix some parts that James Cammeron couldn't get right.

Ms. Saldana's "facial emotions" were exaggerated and enhanced by computer.

She still might win an Oscar anyway as it has become quite a joke anyway.