Black Swan also felt, in the immediacy of seeing at, like it was The Wrestler but with ballerinas, especially the ending.
The Kids Are Alright was one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time, so all the acclaim it has gotten is head-scratching, although, as CRZ joked, its politics and cast certainly helped.
Originally posted by lotjx Two, A New Hope was better then Cuckoo's nest. Cuckoo had better acting, but A New Hope was the better film.
I agree, but I'm curious why you're comparing the two since they're from different years. A New Hope lost to Annie Hall; I was probably the only geeky 11 year old who was happy about that. I loved New Hope, but I actually liked Annie Hall even more at the time (although I certainly haven't watched it anywhere near as often since).
You're right that comedies get the shaft, too. (How Steve Martin didn't get so much as a nomination for All Of Me or Roxanne, just as a for instance....) There are certain types of films that the Academy tends to prefer, and everything else has a hard time.
I've actually seen all ten nominees, and if I had a vote, I'd pick either Social Network or Toy Story 3. (Inception is a notch below those two, Winter's Bone/King's Speech another notch below, Kids/True Grit another notch below that, then Black Swan/127 Hours/Fighter in the lower tier, though they were still decent films.)
As to winners, Picture and Director are tossups between Social Network and King's Speech --- wouldn't surprise me to see a split, with TKS getting Picture and Fincher getting Director. The acting awards all seem pretty set to be Firth, Portman, Bale and Leo or Steinfeld.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
Picture - King's Speech Actor - Firth Actress - Portman S. Actor - Lewis S. Actress - Steinfeld (the "shock" win) Director - David Fincher for The Social Network
Originally posted by lotjx Two, A New Hope was better then Cuckoo's nest. Cuckoo had better acting, but A New Hope was the better film.
I agree, but I'm curious why you're comparing the two since they're from different years. A New Hope lost to Annie Hall; I was probably the only geeky 11 year old who was happy about that. I loved New Hope, but I actually liked Annie Hall even more at the time (although I certainly haven't watched it anywhere near as often since).
You're right that comedies get the shaft, too. (How Steve Martin didn't get so much as a nomination for All Of Me or Roxanne, just as a for instance....) There are certain types of films that the Academy tends to prefer, and everything else has a hard time.
Fuck, I always get that confused for some reason. Annie Hall was a great movie, but nowhere near as good as Star Wars. Yet, if you put those two movies out this year or decade, Star Wars probably get nominated due to making a shit load of money and still lose to a "drama".
Originally posted by Amos CochranANNIE HALL's a better film than STAR WARS.
Its your typical Woody Allen comedy with a better script. Star Wars was unique and continues to be seen as a film that became more then filmmaking, it became a cultural event or milestone. Comedy needs Woody Allen to do stuff like Annie Hall and not Matchpoint which was a giant snooze fest. Jude Law got away with murder, because he is rich and British cops are stupid.
Originally posted by Amos CochranANNIE HALL's a better film than STAR WARS.
Its your typical Woody Allen comedy with a better script. Star Wars was unique and continues to be seen as a film that became more then filmmaking, it became a cultural event or milestone. Comedy needs Woody Allen to do stuff like Annie Hall and not Matchpoint which was a giant snooze fest. Jude Law got away with murder, because he is rich and British cops are stupid.
Yay, Star Wars showed us that as long as the graphics are awesome that dialogue and plot are meaningless. Just make sure you can get a lucrative merchandising deal! Thanks George for beginning the era of the mindless blockbuster! Totally deserving of at least 2,000 Oscars!
Originally posted by Amos CochranANNIE HALL's a better film than STAR WARS.
Its your typical Woody Allen comedy with a better script. Star Wars was unique and continues to be seen as a film that became more then filmmaking, it became a cultural event or milestone. Comedy needs Woody Allen to do stuff like Annie Hall and not Matchpoint which was a giant snooze fest. Jude Law got away with murder, because he is rich and British cops are stupid.
Lots of things are cultural events or milestones. Doesn't make them the best things ever. AVATAR was a cultural event, ut as a piece of narrative cinema it bored the tits off me. STAR WARS is imaginative and fun and chock full of the kind of stuff that wows young excited minds, but it's also a fairly straightforward melding of Joseph Campbell tropes, 30s sci-fi serials and some Kurosawa. Doesn't mean it doesn't deserve its place in the history books. Doesn't mean I don't love it. But better than ANNIE HALL, one of the best acted, sharpest, most insightful, funniest films that Woody Allen's ever made? Sorry, no. Weird that you'd pick such an example, given that comedy is another genre largely ignored by Oscar and AH's win was just as much of an anomaly as STAR WARS' would've been.
Comparing Annie Hall to Star Wars is like comparing ice hockey to golf, Le Bernardin to The Olive Garden, or Kenny G to John Coltrane. They are two entirely different films, catering to two entirely different audiences, with entirely different artistic statements.
Oh, and in case anyone misinterprets my references, Kenny G sucks.
Originally posted by BoromirMarkAnnie Hall is pointless, useless, boring schlock of which I have no memory of what happens after seeing it. Star Wars is iconic.
Annie Hall is iconic. May not to YOU, but for many a film fan, it's very iconic.
See, I wish most Academy voters had used common sense and just recognized "No, the girl was virtually every scene, this is a lead role" and voted accordingly. I realize that the studio is just trying to get her an Oscar, but it's not fair that her lead performance is up against the other women, who truly were supporting performances.
The same argument can be made in the supporting actor category --- Bale and Rush are, in my opinion, the co-leads of their movies, right alongside Wahlberg and Firth.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
Bale is not the co-lead of THE FIGHTER, there's one lead of THE FIGHTER and that is THE FIGHTER. Marky Mark is THE FIGHTER and thus the lead. Bale supporting.
Hailee being supporting is nothing but politics however. She was the female lead and thus should be best actress.
Originally posted by Amos CochranEven without ten nominees last year AVATAR would've been one of the five. Cameron was up for Director, after all.
Maybe not. Not a single acting nod and with good reason.
Since when were acting nominations required to win Best Picture? Return of the King and Slumdog Millionaire had none, and Crash and The Departed only had one supporting each.
It is the policy of the documentary crew to remain true observers and not interfere with its subjects. "Well. Shit." -hansen9j Go Pack Go! (10-6, NFC champions) Let's Go Riders! (getting pretty tired of being the bridesmaid)
Yeah, Cameron and AVATAR were getting that BP nomination no matter how many slots were available. It was the highest-grossing film of all-time by the guy who directed the previous highest-grossing film of all time and who also equalled the highest number of Oscars record with the very same film.
Okay, I just got back from Black Swan and I no longer think that Annette Bening is taking home an Oscar this year.
--K
Last 5 movies seen: Black Swan **** - This Film is Not Yet Rated **1/2 - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest *** - The King's Speech ***1/2 - Let the Right One In ****1/2
"POO GAS!" and "YOU STOP THAT". Thanks odessasteps. I didn't know it was coming out any time soon, so that's great news! Used to love watching that show.