2008 Awards/Critical Lists Discussion Thread

[Boner M]

I agree that there's little variance between this list and their previous one, but RS's writing is always worth reading.

[Melville]

I agree that there's little variance between this list and their previous one, but RS's writing is always worth reading.
Seriously? That review of The Wrestler is painfully grating. "For once, Darren Aronofsky has made a film that doesn’t completely suck. This is, admittedly, some cause for celebration"; "The Fountain (ha! The Fountain)"; "The Wrestler isn’t bad; in fact, it could probably be described as good". That's some awfully posturing, snide writing. All the reviews seemed to be trying too hard to be cleverly dismissive. I'd prefer sincere analysis to Addison DeWitt-esque pretense.

[Spinal]

I am annoyed by the very title of their website, which makes an implied presumption that they will be providing an opinion opposite to that of 'conventional wisdom'. Just respond to the damn film and stop trying so hard to be an iconoclast.

[Melville]

Just respond to the damn film and stop trying so hard to be an iconoclast.
Yes.

[Boner M]

I am annoyed by the very title of their website, which makes an implied presumption that they will be providing an opinion opposite to that of 'conventional wisdom'. Just respond to the damn film and stop trying so hard to be an iconoclast.
By that token, is 'Match-cut' an implication that we merely blend seamlessly into the consensus? :sad:

[Melville]

By that token, is 'Match-cut' an implication that we merely blend seamlessly into the consensus? :sad:
Or are we the space craft and RT the monkey's bone?

[Raiders]

Or are we the space craft and RT the monkey's bone?

:eek:

Precisely.

[Boner M]

Or are we the space craft and RT the monkey's bone?
I would certainly hope so.

[Rowland]

To offset this notion that RS hates everything, their "But What About" column: http://www.reverseshot.com/article/what_about_2008

[DavidSeven]

Can't wait for the "Oh, Did We Forget to Mention..." and the "Every Other Film We Haven't Included in a Year-End Column... All Five of Them" editions.

[DavidSeven]

BAFTA Noms for those who care:

BEST FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
MAN ON WIRE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

DIRECTOR
CHANGELING Clint Eastwood
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON David Fincher
FROST/NIXON Ron Howard
THE READER Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Danny Boyle

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BURN AFTER READING Joel Coen / Ethan Coen
CHANGELING J. Michael Straczynski
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG Philippe Claudel
IN BRUGES Martin McDonagh
MILK Dustin Lance Black

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Eric Roth
FROST/NIXON Peter Morgan
THE READER David Hare
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD Justin Haythe
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Simon Beaufoy

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX
GOMORRAH
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
PERSEPOLIS
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

ANIMATED FILM
PERSEPOLIS
WALL•E
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

LEADING ACTOR
FRANK LANGELLA Frost/Nixon
DEV PATEL Slumdog Millionaire
SEAN PENN Milk
BRAD PITT The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
MICKEY ROURKE The Wrestler

LEADING ACTRESS
ANGELINA JOLIE Changeling
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS I’ve Loved You So Long
MERYL STREEP Doubt
KATE WINSLET The Reader
KATE WINSLET Revolutionary Road

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Tropic Thunder
BRENDAN GLEESON In Bruges
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN Doubt
HEATH LEDGER The Dark Knight
BRAD PITT Burn After Reading

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Doubt
PENÉLOPE CRUZ Vicky Cristina Barcelona
FREIDA PINTO Slumdog Millionaire
TILDA SWINTON Burn After Reading
MARISA TOMEI The Wrestler

MUSIC
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Alexandre Desplat
THE DARK KNIGHT Hans Zimmer / James Newton Howard
MAMMA MIA! Benny Andersson / Björn Ulvaeus
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE A. R. Rahman
WALL•E Thomas Newman

CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING Tom Stern
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON Claudio Miranda
THE DARK KNIGHT Wally Pfister
THE READER Chris Menges / Roger Deakins
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Anthony Dod Mantle

EDITING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
IN BRUGES
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

PRODUCTION DESIGN
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

COSTUME DESIGN
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

SOUND
CHANGELING
THE DARK KNIGHT
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
SLUMDOG MILLIONARE
WALL•E

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
IRON MAN
QUANTUM OF SOLACE

MAKE UP & HAIR
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
FROST/NIXON
MILK

[Boner M]

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
FREIDA PINTO Slumdog Millionaire
lolwut

[Watashi]

I like how Sally Hawkins gets shut out of her very own country.

Stupid Brits.

[DavidSeven]

I like how Sally Hawkins gets shut out of her very own country.

Stupid Brits.

Nolan too.

[DavidSeven]

Razzie Noms:

WORST PICTURE

Disaster Movie
The Happening
The Hottie and the Nottie
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
The Love Guru
Meet the Spartans

WORST ACTOR

Larry the Cable Guy, Witless Protection
Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave
Mike Myers, The Love Guru
Al Pacino, 88 Minutes and Righteous Kill
Mark Wahlberg, The Happening and Max Payne

WORST ACTRESS

Jessica Alba, The Eye and The Love Guru
The cast of The Women (Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Meg Ryan)
Cameron Diaz, What Happens in Vegas
Paris Hilton, The Hottie and the Nottie
Kate Hudson, Fools' Gold and My Best Friend's Girl

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Uwe Boll (as himself), Uwe Boll's Postal
Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia!
Ben Kingsley, The Love Guru and The Wackness
Burt Reynolds, Deal and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Verne Troyer, The Love Guru and Uwe Boll's Postal

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Carmen Electra, Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
Paris Hilton, Repo: The Genetic Opera
Kim Kardashian, Disaster Movie
Jenny McCarthy, Witless Protection
Leelee Sobieski, 88 Minutes and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

WORST SCREEN COUPLE

Uwe Boll and Any Actor, Camera or Screenplay
Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas
Paris Hilton and either Christin Lakin or Joel David Moore, The Hottie and the Nottie
Larry the Cable Guy and Jenny McCarthy, Witless Protection
Eddie Murphy and Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave

WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL

The Day the Earth Blowed Up Real Good
Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Speed Racer
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

WORST DIRECTOR

Uwe Boll, 1968: Tunnel Rats, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and Uwe Boll's Postal
Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
Tom Putnam, The Hottie and the Nottie
Marco Schnabel, The Love Guru
M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening

WORST SCREENPLAY

Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
The Happening
The Hottie and the Nottie
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
The Love Guru

WORST CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

Uwe Boll

[Sycophant]

I think The Happening is going to sweep it.

I loathe the Razzies.

[Spinal]

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Paris Hilton, Repo: The Genetic Opera


Silliness. She's just fine in this movie. Just another opportunity to take a pot shot at an easy target.

[Sycophant]

Silliness. She's just fine in this movie. Just THE RAZZIES.

Fixed.

[Ezee E]

Silliness. She's just fine in this movie. Just another opportunity to take a pot shot at an easy target.
Pretty much. She may even be the highlight of the movie.

[Ezee E]

Any bizarro predictions tomorrow?

There tends to always be a few obscure decisions.

I'll say Aronofsky for Director.
Clint Eastwood ends up getting Best Actor despite me saying otherwise for the rest of the year.
Revolutionary Road ends up with nothing. Doubt only has Meryl Streep.
Freida Pinto and Dev Petel both get nominated, and Slumdog ends up with the most nominations.

[Raiders]

Slumdog ends up with the most nominations.

I'm thinking Benjamin Button here. Picture, Director, Cinematography, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Visual Effects and likely one or two more.

[Watashi]

Fucking Academy.

[Watashi]

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
* Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

* “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

* “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
* “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
* “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

* “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

* “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
* “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
* “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

* “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

* “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
* “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
* “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
* “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

* “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
* “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
* “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
* “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
* “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
* “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
* “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
* “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

* “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
* “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
* “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
* “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
* “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

* “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
* “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
* “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
* “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
* “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
* “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

* “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
* “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
* “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

The Reader over The Dark Knight?
No Sally Hawkins?
No Bruce Springsteen?

Terrible.

[megladon8]

Can't say I'm surprised that The Dark Knight didn't get a Best Picture nod. The Academy would give Paris Hilton an Oscar before they'd give a Best Picture Oscar to a superhero movie.

And it seems like they're trying to give the fans solace by nominating it for nearly every technical award - even ones it doesn't deserve.

Best Make-Up? Really? The Joker wasn't exactly a technical feat, and most of Two-Face was CGI.

[Watashi]

Can't say I'm surprised that The Dark Knight didn't get a Best Picture nod. The Academy would give Paris Hilton an Oscar before they'd give a Best Picture Oscar to a superhero movie.

And it seems like they're trying to give the fans solace by nominating it for nearly every technical award - even ones it doesn't deserve.

Best Make-Up? Really? The Joker wasn't exactly a technical feat, and most of Two-Face was CGI.
The Dark Knight was nominated for a PGA, DGA, and WGA and didn't get nominated for either respective category. That's not a surprise. That's a downright shocker.

[Raiders]

The Academy's flagellation of The Reader just ensures that we'll have more and more of these dull "prestige" films, as if the saturation wasn't already ridiculous. Maybe the Academy likes dictating so much of the output come the fall and winter months.

[Mysterious Dude]

I'm a little surprised Revolutionary Road didn't get nominated for best picture. Seems like that's the only reason that movie was made.

[Ezee E]

Bruce Springsteen's song is on a CD, probably made it ineligible somehow.

[DavidSeven]

Ahem. December:


Safe to assume that The Dark Knight is no longer a front runner and will be lucky to get a BP nomination at this point?

So, am I allowed to say there are a lot of Jewish people in Hollywood/The Academy and that they'll jump all over any remotely decent Holocaust picture? Is there anything... politically incorrect with that statement? It's what everyone is thinking, right? No offense intended -- just seems like a logical conclusion.

(has not seen The Reader)

[dreamdead]

And there goes any chance that Happy-Go-Lucky comes out around here. DVD time, it is.

I agree with Raiders. These noms just ensure that the prestige films, even those that are fully middlebrow, just keep being manufactured. No surprises here. I'm happy for Jenkins' nomination, but that's countered by the utter lack of attention given to Slumdog's cast, since it's clearly the frontrunner here (still haven't seen it, though...).

[DavidSeven]

This was one year the Academy could have actually gained some legitimacy by nominating mainstream hits (Dark Knight and Wall-E -- relative to the batch they gave us), but they failed. Failed Hard.

[megladon8]

I love that there was all that hoop-la about TDK's score not being elligible, and then the academy changing their mind and saying it is, and it doesn't get nominated :lol:

[Boner M]

Terrible.

[Kurosawa Fan]

It's hard for me to say it's terrible when Richard Jenkins nabbed a nomination. That put a huge smile on my face this morning.

[Boner M]

At least none of the Dumbslog actors made the cut. That would've be frightening.

[Spinal]

No Dark Knight Best Picture nomination?

I am here to say I told you so.

[Spinal]

Ahem. December:

I got you beat by two months. (http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?t=1361) :)

[Raiders]

I got you beat by two months. (http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?t=1361) :)

Please. I've got you by 10 months (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=17884&postcount=388).

Rookie.

[Spinal]

Please. I've got you by 10 months (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=17884&postcount=388).

Rookie.

Well done. :lol:

[lovejuice]

Can't say I'm surprised that The Dark Knight didn't get a Best Picture nod. The Academy would give Paris Hilton an Oscar before they'd give a Best Picture Oscar to a superhero movie.

as much as i dislike TDK, i feel for you here. it seems like such a snub when they prefer a merely fresh movie like the Reader to the 90-%-up TDK.


So, am I allowed to say there are a lot of Jewish people in Hollywood/The Academy and that they'll jump all over any remotely decent Holocaust picture? Is there anything... politically incorrect with that statement? It's what everyone is thinking, right? No offense intended -- just seems like a logical conclusion.

haven't watched the movie, but reading the book, i will say the Reader is not that much of a jewish-symphathetic film. if anything, it tells the story from the perspective of germans, even a nazi at that.

i'm among a few who doesn't like the book. i might at some point give the movie a chance.

[DavidSeven]

Props for the Michael Shannon nod though. Surprising, but deserved.

[Wryan]

The office pool this year will be pointless. These all seem really easy to choose.

Nominations are about the same level of ehh-ness the Academy has produced in the last decade or so.

EDIT: There were Visual Effects in TDK?

[Amnesiac]

I love that there was all that hoop-la about TDK's score not being elligible, and then the academy changing their mind and saying it is, and it doesn't get nominated :lol:

Yeah, I guess that was a lot of fuss put to no good end.

Anyways, it sucks that Sally Hawkins isn't nominated. I'm not terribly upset about The Dark Knight losing out on a BP nomination, though. I'm glad Ledger got the nomination because, at the end of the day, his performance always seemed to be the film's most salient offering.

Also, it's too bad Canada missed out on getting a nomination (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/01/22/north-oscar.html?ref=rss).

Also, hopefully some of those foreign language nominees will start trickling into theaters as I haven't heard of many of them.

[Morris Schæffer]

I love that there was all that hoop-la about TDK's score not being elligible, and then the academy changing their mind and saying it is, and it doesn't get nominated :lol:

And then James Newton Howard is nominated for Defiance though I've yet to hear that score or see the movie.

Fuck, I really wanted TDK to get that nomination.

[jesse]

This was one year the Academy could have actually gained some legitimacy by nominating mainstream hits (Dark Knight and Wall-E -- relative to the batch they gave us), but they failed. Failed Hard. I was reading an article along these lines yesterday, and I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. How does popularity = legitimacy?

[Hugh_Grant]

It's hard for me to say it's terrible when Richard Jenkins nabbed a nomination. That put a huge smile on my face this morning.

Me too! :pritch:

[Ivan Drago]

The Dark Knight was nominated for a PGA, DGA, and WGA and didn't get nominated for either respective category. That's not a surprise. That's a downright shocker.

It is a shocker. I'm also pissed it wasn't nominated for Score.

Where did The Reader come from all of a sudden? Is it that good? Because I haven't heard a lot of good things about it.

[Morris Schæffer]

I was reading an article along these lines yesterday, and I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. How does popularity = legitimacy?

I guess that it isn't just popularity, but it is also considerably difficult to ignore the showers of praise heaped upon both movies. Indeed, it is perhaps telling that TDK was called by many critics a "crime drama" indicating that this one really transcended the usually pulpy comic book origins. For numerous individuals (and seemingly every single critic out there), these really are among the best movies of the year and one cannot help but feel that The Academy ignored them both because they're just not sufficiently important. It's a gray area however - i have zero proof of this - so I'm gonna end that here.

[Barty]

No Dark Knight Best Picture nomination?

I am here to say I told you so.

Today Mr. Spinal, I don't want you too.

[transmogrifier]

No The Dark Knight is the most pleasing thing about this complete and utter bore of a nomination slate.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Wow. I'm in a bit of a pickle, because right now I could either (a) go to the Oscars or (b) stay home and not watch them...and I'm kind of leaning towards (b).

[Sycophant]

Am I the only one surprised by all the Milk love?

I think this is the first year in maybe a decade that I haven't seen any of the best picture noms. And whether or not I do before the show doesn't really seem to matter to me.

Oh, God.

Oscars.

[Derek]

Props for the Michael Shannon nod though. Surprising, but deserved.

Yup. By far the best part of these nominations and that film.

[Derek]

Am I the only one surprised by all the Milk love?

I assume so. :) It's on more top 10 lists than almost any other film. Critical love + biopic = mucho Oscar noms.

[Sycophant]

I assume so. :) It's on more top 10 lists than almost any other film. Critical love + biopic = mucho Oscar noms.

Oh. Guess I'm just not paying attention this year.

[number8]

EDIT: There were Visual Effects in TDK?

Er, Two-Face?

The fact that you don't even remember that means the effect was that good.

[number8]

Today Mr. Spinal, I don't want you too.

This gets a rep.

[DavidSeven]

I was reading an article along these lines yesterday, and I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now. How does popularity = legitimacy?

I'm not saying popularity = legitimacy. I'm saying the opposite. Typically, nominating the mainstream films takes away from the legitimacy of the awards (see MTV Movie awards, People's Choice Awards, etc.). Here, based on critical consensus and my own opinion, the mainstream films (Dark Knight and Wall-E) have just as much merit, if not substantially more, than the films they actually nominated. I was just pointing out a rare instance where the Academy would have actually served themselves better by nominating a couple mainstream films because people across all spectrums actually think these films are better.

Edit: It was also a chance for the Academy to show they were above calculated prestige pictures and "feel-good" indie stories without sacrificing any integrity (for those who still think they have some). Opportunity missed.

[Ivan Drago]

I just realized something after looking over the nominees again: Click-Clack, Ding Dong and Charlie Chan got nothing.

:spits on the ground and snarls:

[Ezee E]

Er, Two-Face?

The fact that you don't even remember that means the effect was that good.
Exactly why it should win.

[chrisnu]

Richard Jenkins and Melissa Leo! Woohoo! I still haven't seen Happy-Go-Lucky, which I will rectify shortly, but after all the buzz for Sally Hawkins, I expected a nomination. I guess that most of the expected nominations for Revolutionary Road went to The Reader instead. I've only seen Slumdog and Button out of the BP nominees so far, and while I wouldn't be too pleased with either one winning Best Picture, at least it's not a mistake of Crash-level proportions.

[Sxottlan]

Nearly a day later and I am still genuinely angry about this. I had generally resigned myself to the fact that Slumdog Millionaire was going to win, but I figured TDK would at least be a shoe in for a nomination, which itself would have been a huge victory. We can't even have that. All thanks yet again to Harvey Weinstein for pressuring The Reader into theatres this year.

I guess after two years of my top film getting the top prize, there was bound to be blowback. The good times couldn't last. What really gets me though? That suddenly I was hearing on award sites, "we can't have dour, cynical films win anymore." Just like that, somehow they're declared passe and I don't even know why or how. What, the election? C'mon!

So, as in my worst case scenario predictions, the love for TDK was distilled down to Ledger. It was always about him. Never about the movie I guess. Now with the film's snub in picture and director categories, to me anyway, it makes it hard to prove that he wasn't nominated because he died. And the strange thing, this also despite the film being such a huge ensemble acting piece, yet it didn't appeal to the majority of voters? That being actors?

From Variety chief editor and Academy member Peter Bart's blog: "I know “The Dark Knight” was snubbed this year (except for Heath Ledger) but Oscar voters like myself tend to be skeptical about tentpole pictures."

Er, why? Skeptical how? That somehow what you're seeing isn't quality work because it's a tentpole?

"Despite all the orgasmic reviews, it’s still Batman."

Ah, here we go. Seriously, f*ck you Peter.

Christ. And I don't even like reading comic books.

The real kicker? The rest of the nominations in the other categories are really pretty good.

[Melville]

The Academy voting process doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Here's an article describing how nominations are determined:

http://www.variety.com/VR1117998897.html

From the article:


So, when Oscar pundits are doing their post-mortems today, be aware that there really aren’t Oscar "snubs." It’s quite possible that some director received a vote from each and every voting member of the director’s branch. But if all of those votes were in the fourth or fifth slot, the person would not be nominated. So that helmer would be admired and honored — but would not be among the nominees.

[Ezee E]

The Academy voting process doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Here's an article describing how nominations are determined:

http://www.variety.com/VR1117998897.html

From the article:
Yeah, it doesn't make sense at all. It's a strange science, taking all the first place votes, and if it's 20% of the total, they'll declare it a nominated movie and throw out those ballots completely, not even using the 2, 3, or 4th place votes.

[Spinal]

Biggest snub of the Awards season is Thandie Newton not getting a Razzie nomination for W.

[DavidSeven]

Yeah, the Academy process doesn't make a lick of sense. Harvey just needs to convince a small sect of voters to rank The Reader #1 and that will ultimately defeat a broader range of ballots containing films like The Dark Knight and Wall-E. Either get rid of the ranking ballot or distribute points to each slot in a way that makes sense (See Match-Cut Consensus).

[Dukefrukem]

Lowest Rated Oscars? (http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/smason/2009/01/22/oscarsnub/)

[DavidSeven]

I think it would have ended up being one of the lowest rated Oscars regardless of what they nominated. In this economic climate, I don't think the general public is too enthused about seeing a bunch of rich people in tuxedos and designer dresses patting each other on the back (See Golden Globe ratings).

[Ezee E]

Yeah, the Academy process doesn't make a lick of sense. Harvey just needs to convince a small sect of voters to rank The Reader #1 and that will ultimately defeat a broader range of ballots containing films like The Dark Knight and Wall-E. Either get rid of the ranking ballot or distribute points to each slot in a way that makes sense (See Match-Cut Consensus).
Match-Cut Awards > Oscars

I await the day we see "Winner of Match Cut's Best Actress Award"

Heck, it's more enjoyable reading the entire thread of the award show then sitting through the Oscars.

[Amnesiac]

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/images/column/103108/oscarpref.jpg

[Sycophant]

The reflection in that Oscar is disturbing to me.

[megladon8]

Wow, I didn't realize until now that Let the Right One In didn't get a foreign film nomination.

That's the biggest snub of the year, for me.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Wow, I didn't realize until now that Let the Right One In didn't get a foreign film nomination.

That's the biggest snub of the year, for me.

They (being Sweden) didn't submit it as their film.

[megladon8]

They (being Sweden) didn't submit it as their film.


That's really too bad. I thought it was deserving.

[Ezee E]

Countries submit their movie of choice in the late-summer. Let the Right One In hadn't connected with people yet.

Just another rule that needs to be fixed for the Oscars.

[Winston*]

Baftas

* Film: "Slumdog Millionaire"
* British Film: "Man on Wire"
* Actor: Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
* Actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader"
* Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
* Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
* Director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* First-time Director: Steve McQueen "Hunger"
* Rising Star: Noel Clarke
* Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
* Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Film Not in the English Language: "I've Loved You So Long"
* Music: A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Editing: Chris Dickens, "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Production Design: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* Costume Design: "The Duchess"
* Sound: "Slumdog Millionaire"
* Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* Makeup and Hair: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
* Animated Feature: "Wall-E"
* Short Animation: "Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death"
* Short Film: "September"
* Academy Fellowship: Terry Gilliam

[DavidSeven]

Thought this was a good listen: A.O. Scott and David Denby Talk About the Best Picture Nominees on Charlie Rose (http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10020)

Fast forward to the 14 minute mark to skip all the clips/old interviews.