Movies

[whiskeypriest]

Quick show of hands, Academy members:  how many people saw Mirren in The Last Station?  How many had heard of the film before the awards ceremony?

I could snipe like this all day, so I'm going to quit right now.  I wonder if the The Class was snubbed, Knox, because of a technicality??  It showed in US theaters in 2009, but had a release date in France in fall of 2008.  An amazing film.  Kind of sickening to see it so ignored.

Because the Best Foreign Language films are put up by countries, and each country is limited to one movie.  A Prophet being France's this year.

[whiskeypriest]

Another joke was Up getting the Oscar over Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox.  Pixar already has two recent Oscars to its credit, so why not go for something original in the way of animation rather than the same ol' Pixar thing,

I'm going with, a plurality really likes the Pixar thing. 

[jbottle]

Streep was terrible in "Julia," it was such a broad charicature that I thought she was channelling Dan Ackeroyd (sp), seriously I was so shocked out how out-sized her perf was that I thought it was Razzie and not Oscar work. 

[barton]

What's funny is now Bullock has garnered both the Razzie and the Oscar in one year -- she got the best actress Razzie for All About Steve, and actually showed up to receive it (which is reportedly a rare event at the Razzies).

Correction:  The Class did get a nomination in 2009 (i.e. for 2008 films), but didn't win.  So that does explain why The Prophet was considered the best France had to offer this time around. 

[barton]

uh, that should read "worst actress Razzie for All About Steve..."

[madupont]

The problem with "Crazy Heart":

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/currents/86738697.html

Is it just me, MrUtley or does Bridges have a self-intoxication problem equivalent to "It is Just Me"(and everything that brought him to that self-congratulatory speech last night)?

[barton]

What the shit do you mean by "self-congratulatory speech" ? 

I just watched it on the net, and it seemed to be entirely about how he could have accomplished nothing without his parents, his wife, and his children.  Especially his parents.

If you have a carpet, I may have to send someone over to pee on it. 

[madupont]

What the shit do you mean by "self-congratulatory speech" ?  

I just watched it on the net, and it seemed to be entirely about how he could have accomplished nothing without his parents, his wife, and his children.  Especially his parents.

If you have a carpet, I may have to send someone over to pee on it.  

"What the shit do" I mean?   I think family Bridges is much over-rated ever since they were tv performers.  The inclusion of his parents, his wife (did you see the expression on his face after the kiss as he climbed to  the invisible podium; or, didn't he think the camera was shooting from that angle as well as the positioning of all other cameras in the house?

Personally, I think the camera-persons got back at everybody last night.),

and his children that we splendid actors of acting family go on for posterity, was the consequence of the usual ego-enhancing drugs that get you through awards more magnificently than the thunder-struck caught in the headlights look of the real winners.

[madupont]

Ps.  You, of course, explained it in that you "saw it on the net this morning". I took in the entire toned down politically correct break with tradition (and no popcorn in the house)for which I just reclined.

You seem to miss the point, this 82nd or whatever Oscar Presentation of the Academy is 1) an advertisement in living color and sound so that you and the rest of the public will rush to these movies this weekend/those that you have not yet seen, so that money is made.

It helps to defray some of the expenses and beside the show is then a write-off because 2) it is Tax time.

Piss on your own carpet.

[kidcarter8]

'Bout what you would expect.  The real laugher was Bullock as best actress    But, I suppose she is no worse than Paltrow, Kidman, Hunt or Roberts. 

Even more amusing is that Mirren and Streep are automatically out because they already have Oscars.  So, the "academy" puts Bullock on the same level with these actresses, assuming they will continue to be nominated for best actress or supporting actress year after year.  I think Streep has been nominated a staggering 15 times, but has only two Oscars to show for her great work.

Cameron, in a recent interview with Terry Gross, said he and Bigelow were fast friends these days and he really hoped she would win.

In another interview, he said he was willing to give up Best Picture to Hurt Locker for Best Director, so I imagine he became a little blue under the collar when Bigelow took home the Oscar.

The sad part to me is that the "Academy" has become so dumbed down over the years that it seems more about making politically correct choices and awarding popular fellows than it does nominating and awarding the best movies and performances.    From all accounts, the academy doesn't watch many of these movies, and goes pretty much on audience and critical response, making it no better than the Golden Globes and People's Choice Awards.  The ten best picture nominees seemed gauged mostly to satisfy the broadest possible appeal.  I watched "My Education," which had no business being nominated for anything.  It was about the same level as "Coco Before Chanel," a period costume drama.  But, I suppose it was nominated to satisfy the Anglophiles in the audience.

You are truly an idiot.

[whiskeypriest]

What the shit do you mean by "self-congratulatory speech" ? 

I just watched it on the net, and it seemed to be entirely about how he could have accomplished nothing without his parents, his wife, and his children.  Especially his parents.

If you have a carpet, I may have to send someone over to pee on it. 

I hear it really ties the room together.

[Cameo Appearance]

Don't be fatuous, whiskey!

[Cameo Appearance]

Hey, sorry, it was just a Lebowski joke.

[madupont]

Gintaras, re:#9321

"From all accounts, the academy doesn't watch many of these movies,"

Those who really want their film watched and awarded, send a copy around in an academy gift basket well in advance of the vote.

As I said before, Sandra Bullock is a better actor than most of the material that has been given her; and the latest that theoretically won her the award as B.A.  was a film on the same par as Precious but what doesn't amaze me is that as an actress she can prattle off the  politically correct personal statements as side bars that perfectly match the original material of the film in which she starred, because she is an actress and the first thing you do is memorize your lines .

(Although the other great bit last night was that the second thing you learn is to  hit your marks and "I put a hundred dollar bill there, sweet-heart, and if you hit it then you get to keep it.")

This happened because the Academy owed her one: for Infamous, in the role of Nelle Harper Lee. A film they felt did not hold a candle to: Capote.

It was an oversight, although somewhere somebody must have given voice that to award a best-actress to Bullock after Catharine Keener has been nominated a mere "best supporting actress" for Capote the previous year was maybe, an unfortunate oversight but really after all   not so much an oversight but, "those are the breaks" one on one when your film doesn't release as quickly as the one that got the big acclaim on the wave of the most buzz.

Besides, let us face it. That was Philip Seymour Hoffman's Year, toward which he'd been working since his role in Ripley, and on tv: Empire Falls.

Bullock was startling in this performance as the famous Southern writer who treated the abandoned child Capote, well, let's just say, I read some of the memoir of Gore Vidal again this last fortnight, the part about his childhood and althought Vidal and Capote came from different social strata, the plight of the underfoot child is severe  when you realize Gore grew up but Truman never did(professionally, yes, he did but, emotionally, no).

It was obvious to me last night when Bullock in aside but directly to Streep, said to the effect, I should not be getting this compared to you, as Streep reached out to steady her. Bullock was so emotionally mixed up at this moment as she leaned in to climbing the steps to the podium, it would have better the camera had not been quite so convenient. The camera never lies.

[madupont]

Streep was terrible in "Julia," it was such a broad charicature that I thought she was channelling Dan Ackeroyd (sp), seriously I was so shocked out how out-sized her perf was that I thought it was Razzie and not Oscar work.  

You are right, she was even channelling Child because this is something you resort to, it does not take acting so much for a film that is meant as a light entertainment in the first place.  It is like being a fine actress who knows how to do a comedy skit for Saturday Night Live.  Just listening to the dialogue, if you were not looking at the screen, This is a Comedy, not a memorial to Julia Child who hadn't died just yesterday.

Many things were resolved in this film, the nicest of which was Streep thinking of Amy Adams who played Sister James in,Doubt.  Why not give her the work? Outside of a few good shtick routines of comedy like "Julia's equally tall sister", the smartest casting was to Stanley Tucci  as support to Julia's giggly personality.  And, last but not least get back at that person with the audacity to actually attempt to one up Julia Child by simply cooking every one of her cookbook recipes and blogging it.  Many of us have less methodically planned to learn everything Julia explained but you soon give up thinking you have to follow the schedule,prices were considerably different back then than they are now for food. Come to think of it post-war France was still under "The Best Butter" black market scenario and long lines you waited in to buy food to cook that day while Americans were thriving on rationing while having won the war.