Oscars

[pdogg]

So who's going to win?

 

To kick off this thread, here's an excellent post by Pacman from another thread. 

 

Quote

 

The BAFTA's are a guide to the Oscars. Only a guide but better than nothing. They have just awarded Best Film to 12 Years A Slave & Best British Film to Gravity. (Who knew Gravity was British?) 

 

IMO it's a two horse race between these two films for the Oscar. I have posted previously that I thought Gravity was a worthy winner & I have posted that 12 Years is a well made film that was not easy to watch.

 

Based on that scientific assessment I predict Gravity will win Best Movie Oscar. I know Azza & others hated it but I cannot see the members of the Academy giving their vote to something as dismally depressing as 12 Years. Of course some will, in fact many will, but enough of them to carry the day? I doubt it. 

 

There's a difference between the people who vote for the BAFTA's & the Oscars. The first lot are British, they don't care how the film reflects on the US, that was touted as the reason why it took an English director to make it in the first place. The Academy members are predominantly American & they will care how the film is perceived. At least I think they will.

 

The bottom line is 12 Years is far more divisive than Gravity. A good case can be argued for either as a worthy winner but I think an element of patriotism will sway the vote. When it comes to ticking the box I think some voters, no matter how much they appreciated the film craft presented by 12 Years will feel ever so slightly uncomfortable given it such an accolade. IMO.

 

I will probably have to eat humble pie when some trivial piece of nonsense like American Hustle gets the nod ahead of both of them. Given all these considerations, one of the other 8 contenders might just scrape in under the radar.

 

 

 

[Snick]

Sharknado

[pdogg]

I don't know much about the movie business and have not seen any of the nominated films but here's my take on the part of Paccers quoted post above that deals with patriotism.

 

I think American directors have a "home field advantage" as people vote for their friends and it's likely that American directors will know more Academy voters.  If I was suddenly granted a vote and Pacman had directed Gravity, of course I would vote for him.

 

OTOH, I would think that most of Academy members are not "patriotic" in a Fox News way and might even prefer films that reflect poorly on the USA. 

[pacman]

News reports I have watched today are reporting that 12 Years A Slave is the frontrunner for Best Picture Oscar because of its success in the BAFTA's. They may well be right & I may be made to look foolish. Gee, it's not like that has happened before...       

 

I take their point & I am not going to argue too hard against 12 Years but I will say again, I did not enjoy it or find it very watchable. It's a strange position to be defending its qualities as a movie but denying its chances as a prize winner. The paradox for me is the last slave film I saw I really enjoyed. That was Django Unchained by Tarantino. In that the depiction of violence was as bad if not worse but that was fantasy, 12 Years feels very real. In Django, the worse the bad guys behaved, the more you knew they were going to suffer in the end. There was always going to be payback, I found while i flinched at the bad stuff, it didn't bother me because I knew I would be cheering for the good guys by the end.

 

That doesn't happen in 12 Years. It gets grim & then it gets grimmer. Though I still can't understand one scene where the protagonist attacks the plantation owner & seems to get away with it. I was expecting him to be flogged to death but it didn't happen. I sat there waiting for it but maybe his punishment was implied & we were spared from witnessing another flogging. 

 

The tension & the atmosphere of 12 Years is undeniable & it has the gravitas of an Oscar winner. But so has Gravity & that is one I would recommend to everyone. And for me, that's the difference. One is a great film I don't want to see again, the other is also a great film that I have already seen again. 

 

OTOH, I would think that most of Academy members are not "patriotic" in a Fox News way and might even prefer films that reflect poorly on the USA. 

 

Maybe it's not patriotism that will matter when the votes are cast. The members of the Academy might be swayed by racism. They may see a vote for 12 Years as showing support for the descendants of the oppressed. 

 

But I am only speculating, the result will be known in a month. There can only be one winner, I have no idea who that will be, I only know which film I prefer. 

[azza33]

Just watched 3 hours of the wolf of wall street again... Magnificent.

And i watched the worse movie in history.... This is the end... Started watching in fast forward and then the off button was sought.. Absolute rubbish.

And yes, one month until your dreams are shattered as the 2013 dud Gravity implodes. I ponder whether it would form a black hole and consequently never see the light of day again.... Aghhh i dare to dream.

I have no plans to see 12 years a slave.... as you say paccers... Grim... And i cant imagine how it could be anything else.

[pacman]

I watched The Wolf Of Wall Street yesterday. I was impressed, it is a wild ride. Martin Scorese's attention to detail drags the film out, it could have been made an hour shorter. But by the end I really knew Jordan Belfort, he has lived one hell of a life.

 

I can't think of another actor today who could have carried the film like Leo Dicaprio, he's in almost every scene, he narrates the whole thing & on a couple of occasions, he even breaks the "fourth wall" & talks directly to camera. That surprised me, I can't recall the last time someone did that.

 

I think his performance should be rewarded with the Oscar for Best Actor, he is that good. As for the film, I will be surprised if it won, too much nudity & debauchery. And drug taking though that was so over the top it is an effective message to leave them alone. I can't believe Jordan & Danny are still alive, they must be due liver transplants.

[pacman]

Meanwhile back in Oz, our national movie show has released their Viewer's Poll for favourite movies of 2013. 

 

Here's the result:

 

No 10 The Great Gatsby

 

No 9 The Hunt

 

No 8 American Hustle

 

No 7 Zero Dark Thirty

 

No 6 Armour

 

No 5 Life of Pi

 

No 4 Silver Linings Playbook

 

No 3 Blue Jasmine

 

No 2 Django Unchained

 

& number one?

 

OMG, it's Gravity!! What were the chances? (Sorry Azza)

 

Nice to see I am not a voice in the dark. And Django number two! Never expected that. And I did want to see The Hunt, the Danish film about the teacher falsely accused of impropriety by a student. It was only on a few weeks & I missed it. Seems a lot of other people didn't.

[azza33]

I like 2,4,7 & 8.....

[Hefe]

Academy voters can sometimes be swayed by industry campaigns that kick off in usually January, usually negative campaigns. Woody Allen is the target of the most publicized one right now, also the combination of a later release & a "politically correct" attitude could help a "12 Years a Slave" over "Gravity".... think of the Best Picture Oscars going to films like "Shakespeare in Love" & "Crash".

 

But Gravity is such a technical landmark I think it will take it, just like "Titanic" did out of respect for the visuals even though the story was boilerplate. Plus Bullock is so universally liked that helps as well, and might even help her win for acting over Cate Blanchet (see W Allen neg campaign above)

 

"12 Years..." is one of those torture porn movies that I put off seeing as long as possible: Schindlers List, Passion of the Christ...  

[seven]

 The Hunt, the Danish film about the teacher falsely accused of impropriety by a student. It was only on a few weeks & I missed it. Seems a lot of other people didn't.

Very good movie about  a very sensitive topic.

 

As for danish movies, i can recommend

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937390/ . Nymphomaniac by Lars Von Trier. Its not for everyone , for sure, but he did 2011s best film Melancolia, and he doesn't disappoint here. Its 4h 20 mins long ( theres a directors cut too, about another 1 hour more). Von Trier didn't approve of the studios cut of the official version. The man is clearly insane, no doubt, but what great movies he makes.

[KendoUK]

I haven't seen enough of all the contenders this year but I thought American Hustle was just "ok" and I loved Wolf Of Wall Street, a real breakout for Jonah Hill in a more serious movie. I read he accepted to do the film for the Acting Unions minimum wage of 60,000 USD because he was that keen to work for Scorsese.

[pacman]

I haven't seen enough of all the contenders this year but I thought American Hustle was just "ok" and I loved Wolf Of Wall Street, a real breakout for Jonah Hill in a more serious movie. 

 

I also was unimpressed by American Hustle but it does stand a very real chance of winning Best Picture. It seems to be a generation thing, older folks like it more than younger ones. I have been defending it to a couple of teenagers who went to see it thinking it was some big deal. I pointed out they were not the target demographic. 

 

The director David O Russell & the stellar caste will both carry a lot of weight & I won't drop dead in surprise if it won. There have been many worse winners.

 

I read he accepted to do the film for the Acting Unions minimum wage of 60,000 USD because he was that keen to work for Scorsese.

 

I saw Jonah Hill asked that in an interview & he confirmed that was the case.

[pacman]

As for danish movies, i can recommend

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937390/ . Nymphomaniac by Lars Von Trier. Its not for everyone , for sure, but he did 2011s best film Melancolia, and he doesn't disappoint here. Its 4h 20 mins long ( theres a directors cut too, about another 1 hour more). Von Trier didn't approve of the studios cut of the official version. The man is clearly insane, no doubt, but what great movies he makes.

 

Who on earth wants to sit through a 4 or 5 hour movie? I hesitate when I see a film is 3 hours long.

 

And I know almost nothing of Von Trier's work because he always gets such ambivalent reviews. The ones that say "very good but..." There's always some qualification added so the reviewer doesn't attract too much hate mail from people who feel they were tricked into going to see him. I must check out some of his better known stuff but when I read that Dogville which starred Nicole Kidman was filmed on a set without walls & you had to imagine they were going outside when they stepped through an imaginary door, I think if I will ever have those couple of hours to waste.

[pacman]

"12 Years..." is one of those torture porn movies that I put off seeing as long as possible: Schindlers List, Passion of the Christ...  

 

I want to revise my comments about 12 Years. I think I have unfairly represented it by talking about how grim it is. While it doesn't pull any punches, it is worth seeing & shouldn't be classified as "torture porn". IMO.

 

I have reported it was something I didn't want to sit through again but I have been haunted by my words when I think I may have put some people off seeing a film that "deserves" to be seen. Or is of such quality that one should not dismiss it out of hand simply on the strength of something I might have written about it.

 

I half expected somebody to post they saw it & didn't agree with my sentiments. In fact I was sure someone was going to contradict me. Now I am getting in first & correcting the record. 

 

I neither love nor hate it but I expect it to feature prominently at the Oscars. It would be a worthy winner of Best Picture thanks to its many qualities & the power of its story. Plus I keep thinking the Academy are going to give it their imprimatur as a sign of support for the descendants of those in the film. The slaves that is, not the plantation owners. 

[SiamSam]

Of course "12 years a Slave" should be seen. It is undeniably a great piece of cinema. 

[azza33]

I think the academy got it pretty right this time!!

But when is LD going to get his just recognition.... Hmmmm

[Pdoggg]

Some drama at the Oscars

 

[Rom]

So often in life we want to throw a punch at someone who says something that hurts or disrespects us but we don't because there will be consequences...

I fully support Will Smith yelling at the twerp to shut the fuck up and not make comedy out of his wife's disease and appearance.   But it disconcerts me that he gets away with sucker-punching people just bc he is Will Smith at the Oscars...

Let's see how this ends... Chris Rock was made to look like a fool TWICE! For saying something really stupid AND for taking the punch like a pussy...  He will not be the same Chris Rock after this.... he may now be holding back because he wants to Keep the Oscars MC job but the obvious thing to do is for the Academy to get rid of him not because of his irreverence but precisely because hereafter he will be viewed as somewhat emasculated... 

same same for Will Smith:  he became an anger-management embarassment

Im curious to see how Hollywood spins this one...

[Pdoggg]

I with Chris Rock on this one.

In hindsight, he wishes he could take it back.  But it was not intended to be mean spirited and everyone would have won if Will Smith didn't over react in the moment.   Now they all lose except for the audience who were even more thrilled to see this drama than if they were reading forum posts with guys calling each other cunts. 

If Smith's wife was wearing a wig, it would have been in extremely poor taste.  But instead of wearing a wig she is celebrating her baldness.  Making a GI Jane joke about someone who chooses to be bald actually could be interpreted as a sign of support.

Will Smith gets away with it because it would look really bad if Chris Rock made a big deal about being punched and verbally abused so I reckon he won't.  

[seven]

I doubt this is 'real'.  Smith is a muppet and I doubt he had the balls to do this without a manuscript.

If Jada really does have this condition  its a rather strange incident and not a very funny joke.

Imo, Smith crossed a line getting physical. I guess he needed to up his masculinity as rumors has it hes gay.

I'm with Dave. God, he's missed.

 

[duke007]

Only in America 

[Ashoka]

Honestly haven't watched the oscars in a very long time.. The Dark Knight not even getting the nomination for Best Picture alienated me big time.

But I understand Will Smith's reaction although I'm not exactly a fan of either person.

Wouldn't be surprised if they were both not welcome at Oscars for a while since it takes 2 to tango.

[Ashoka]

OMG just realized this thread had pacman in it.

Where's he been? Haven't heard from him in a very long time!

[seven]

If its real, which I still doubt, I agree with Howard.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/howard-stern-smith-donald-trump-001544472.html

Howard Stern: Will Smith And Donald Trump 'Are The Same Guy'

Stern said he was stunned to see Smith stride onstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles and strike Rock after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith, Smith’s wife, suffers from the medical condition alopecia, which causes hair loss and balding.

“The first thing I said to myself was: ‘What the fuck is going on ... because where’s security?’ This is a live television event,” said the SiriusXM host.

“Not one person came out because he’s Will Smith,” Stern added. “This is how Trump gets away with shit. Will Smith and Trump are the same guy.”

Smith was “allowed to sit there for the rest of the awards” after “assaulting” Rock for making a joke, said Stern. “And he’s laughing it up and having a good time with his wife.”

He decided he's gonna take matters into his own hands. At a time when the world is at war. Bad timing man. Just calm your fuckin ass down.

 

[Jimmy Cargopants]

What a load of fuss about nothing. Ok I did watch the incident once. As duke said, only in America, and I'm all for it. Oscar nights are a bore anyway (very few decent films still made) so a bit of biffo might bring us back... Nothing I'd like to see more than Hollywood trash and the rich and shameless getting stuck into each other. They should drop names into a hat to pit celebs against each other. Oscar night becomes Fight night. Personally I'd like to see some child actors get belted like bells by men twice their size.