Wednesday, February 01, 2006
The Oscar goes to....
...sorry, are you asleep? Yes, the nominees were announced yesterday for the 78th edition of the Academy Awards. With no real slam-bang picture that audiences got behind up for contention, I don't think too many people will be tuning in March 5th. Hopefully Jon Stewart will make it fun and worthwhile, as I plan to tune in (that will probably be a solo effort).
Some slam-dunks that should win include Brokeback Mountain and its director Ang Lee for Best Picture and Best Director, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Best Actor in Capote. I'm going to guess Best Actress will go to Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line, Best Supporting Actor to George Clooney for Syriana and Best Supporting Actress to Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener.
On a side note, I'm hoping Enron:The Smartest Guys in the Room or Murderball will take Best Documentary over March of the Penguins. March was good, but really, it was a little too cutesy-poo to be an Oscar nominee.
# posted by SBP : 4:00 PM
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As a regular reader of my blog, you'll always get your questions answered. I strive to please my audience, and that includes you Robert!
Wedding Crashers WAS a very entertaining movie. In fact, if you ask average moviegoers what they thought of Crashers, they would rate it highly. What holds back movies like this is that, generally speaking, comedies don't get as many accoldades in the Academy as they should. If you ask any actor or actress, they'll tell you comedy is the most difficult role for them to play. As Rodney Dangerfield would say, "It don't get no respect!"
On the other hand...when handing out awards, rightly or wrongly, voters view film more as "art" rather than "entertainment", if you get my meaning. Wedding Crashers (or my favourite comedy of 2005, 40 Year-Old Virgin), isn't exactly art. It's straightforward laughs. I'll disagree with you when you say the editing was world class and the screenplay was well done. It was done solidly (i.e. the jokes were funny) but it was hardly a complex study of human emotion, of dispair, or a instrinsicly (I hope I spelt that right) woven plot with twists and turns you didn't see coming. In other words, funny, but simple. Film schools won't use the screenplay or cinematography of Wedding Crashers as an example of the film world being revolutionized.
At the same time, I understand your frustration with the nominees seeming to be somewhat stuffy and pretentious. Film critics were kissing the collective a** of David Cronenberg when Crash came out (1992 version), but when you step back from it, all it is is a movie about deranged idiots getting off on car injuries. Or how about "Blue" from the Blue, White and Red Trilogy? Critics gave it so many awards and for what? For the riveting scene of Juliette Binoche having a 30 minute phone conversation? Give it an award for curing insomnia.
But...I really liked Crash, Capote, I saw Brokeback last night I thought it was well done. At the same time, I think you should challenge your tastes and try something different from time to time. Jerry Bruckheimer is getting old quickly.
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Wedding Crashers WAS a very entertaining movie. In fact, if you ask average moviegoers what they thought of Crashers, they would rate it highly. What holds back movies like this is that, generally speaking, comedies don't get as many accoldades in the Academy as they should. If you ask any actor or actress, they'll tell you comedy is the most difficult role for them to play. As Rodney Dangerfield would say, "It don't get no respect!"
On the other hand...when handing out awards, rightly or wrongly, voters view film more as "art" rather than "entertainment", if you get my meaning. Wedding Crashers (or my favourite comedy of 2005, 40 Year-Old Virgin), isn't exactly art. It's straightforward laughs. I'll disagree with you when you say the editing was world class and the screenplay was well done. It was done solidly (i.e. the jokes were funny) but it was hardly a complex study of human emotion, of dispair, or a instrinsicly (I hope I spelt that right) woven plot with twists and turns you didn't see coming. In other words, funny, but simple. Film schools won't use the screenplay or cinematography of Wedding Crashers as an example of the film world being revolutionized.
At the same time, I understand your frustration with the nominees seeming to be somewhat stuffy and pretentious. Film critics were kissing the collective a** of David Cronenberg when Crash came out (1992 version), but when you step back from it, all it is is a movie about deranged idiots getting off on car injuries. Or how about "Blue" from the Blue, White and Red Trilogy? Critics gave it so many awards and for what? For the riveting scene of Juliette Binoche having a 30 minute phone conversation? Give it an award for curing insomnia.
But...I really liked Crash, Capote, I saw Brokeback last night I thought it was well done. At the same time, I think you should challenge your tastes and try something different from time to time. Jerry Bruckheimer is getting old quickly.
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